Tips for a long-lost android user

jennifilm@beehaw.org to Technology@beehaw.org – 95 points –

Kia ora!

I've been an ios user for 100 years at this point, but used to be deep in the android scene before then. I've just got an android for a work phone and am wondering what's changed in the last 10 years - what are your essential apps, settings, customisations? I've had a hunt around xda but can't seem to find much in the way of roms for my model (Samsung A04) - back in the day it seemed there was a thread for every device!

What do I need to know?

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Some of my favorites:

  • Launcher: Niagara
  • Rom: LineageOS
  • Browser: Firefox (with DarkReader and uBlock Origin)
  • Reddit: Relay (is this ending?)
  • HackerNews: Harmonic
  • Lemmy: Jerboa (haven't tried alternatives)
  • Podcasts: AntennaPod (haven't tried much else)
  • Identify stuff: LeafSnap (plants), SoundHound, Merlin (birds!)
  • Books: Moon+ Reader Pro
  • Barcodes: Catima
  • Computer stuff: KDE Connect
  • File stuff: Material Files and ZArchiver
  • TTS: @Voice Aloud Reader
  • Passwords: Bitwarden
  • Icons: Crayon or Viral
  • Keyboards: MS SwiftKey, maybe someday FlorisBoard, sometimes Hacker's Keyboard
  • Scrobbles: Simple Scrobbler
  • Video: VLC and NewPipe
  • Weather: Weawow

EDITS:

  • Lemmy: Liftoff
  • Chat: Telegram
  • Email: Delta Chat?

So many great apps and I see several familiar friends. Have you found a way to have Jerboa send youtube links to NewPipe rather than default to the native youtube app? I am sure there is a easy way that I just don't know.

Another way is to just disable to stock YouTube app. Then all YouTube links should open in NewPipe.

If you don't have an open by default setting on your phone, follow these steps:

  1. Install the app 'Hidden Settings for MIUI'
  2. Open it and go to 'Manage Applications'
  3. Select 'NewPipe'
  4. Click 'Advanced'
  5. Select 'Open by default'
  6. For 'open support links' select 'open'. For 'supported links' select 'open youtu.be and other URLs'

Anytime you click a YouTube link it will now open in NewPipe, no matter what app you're in.

Plant.Net is also good for plant id, though I like leafsnap as well. Better than trying to use Google lens on them.

Relay I think is still up in the air. It's either shutting down OR going paid subscription, which, despite how good Relay is, would be a deal-killer for me - but I don't blame DBrady (the dev) for that, I blame reddit

Well for Lemmy I just made my home instance a web app with my browser and use it as if it was any normal app. I find Jerboa a bit too empty looking. Needs more color and more icons. I hope more lemmy apps emerge with time.