We have talked several times about one of the main flaws of the Android mobile operating system, the one for which there is no uniform update plan. On some smartphones there is the latest Android version released by Google, on other Android 5 and on other previous versions.
In addition, every manufacturer of phones that uses Android (such as Samsung or Asus) personalizes the system by integrating its applications, which are sometimes less efficient and heavier than the standard ones.
To deal with this problem of updates and also that of uniformity of the models, Google has decided to separate the Android system so that all its functions are managed by separate apps, which can be automatically updated from the Store and which can be installed. in every smartphone or tablet.
Below then we see a summary of the Google Apps for each Android phone, among which there are not only Chrome and Google Maps, but also apps such as the Clock, which manages the alarm clock on the phone.
1) Google Play Store
The Google Play Store is the official catalog of Android apps, essential for finding all the other apps and for managing updates.
The Play Store shouldn't be missing on any phone, but it may not be present on some Chinese models and on some custom Android ROMs.
The Play Store is itself an app that can be downloaded, using the phone's browser, from the APKMirror website.
Remember to enable in the security settings, the installation of apps from unknown sources.
2) Google Play Services
As already explained in another article, this is the app that makes all the Google Apps work on the phone and that allows Google to update some internal functions without having to release new versions of Android.
This too should never be missing and is automatically installed after opening the Play Store for the first time.
3) Google
This is the main Google app that not only brings the internet search function, but also the Google Now personalized voice assistant and the ability to do voice searches.
4) Youtube
The app to watch videos and upload videos, which should already be installed on every phone.
5) Google Files Go to clean up Android from obsolete files and save space.
6) Google Maps
The most famous of the Google applications, with maps and GPS navigator.
Also from Google is also the GPS navigator Waze
7) Google Earth
The app to see the world in 3D with satellite view on every part of the world.
8) Google Drive
This app allows you to access an online space where you can store your files to find them on the web and on your computer in a synchronized way.
On an Android phone, Google Drive is essential because it also provides a PDF reader, OCR recognition to transform photos of written sheets into editable files, to open Word, Excel and Powerpoint documents and to back up the configurations of other apps such as Whataspp.
9) Google Docs, Google Sheets and Google Slides
These are three separate applications for creating and editing Word documents, Excel tables and Powerpoint presentations.
They bind to Google Drive to save new documents in the online space.
10) PDF viewer
If you don't want to install Google Drive, you can use this Google app to open and read PDFs, instead of the heavier Adobe Acrobat Reader.
11) Google Keep
The app to take notes to remember already described in another article.
12) Google Calendar
The app to manage appointments and deadlines as you would with an agenda, integrated with Gmail.
13) Mail app
Until recently there was a generic app on Android smartphones called Mail to send and receive emails.
That App has been deleted by Google in favor of Gmail, which can now be used with any email address, not necessarily with a Google one.
14) InBox
Who uses Gmail can take advantage of the most modern InBox app to manage Email.
15) Chrome browser
Android version of what is now the most used browser in the world.
16) Launching Now applications
This is the default app launcher on Android 5 and 6.
If you want a light, free, simple launcher that transforms the design of the phone like that of a Google Nexus smartphone, then it is the perfect app.
17) Google GBoard keyboard
This is the app that controls the graphics and the functions of the keyboard on the screen, with the characteristic of intuiting and suggesting the words to be written.
18) Google Camera
The photo and video recording app provided by Google and included in Nexus phones, with several options and special functions such as lens blur and panoramic photos.
19) Google Photos
The app to see photos on Android, with the ability to make a backup of all photos and videos on an infinite online space.
20) Google News and Weather
The app to read the news of the day divided into topics, even with weather widgets.
This is different from Google Play Newsstand which is instead a kind of personalized online magazine, not linked to Google News.
21) Google Translate
The popular app for instant translations in all languages, even with the ability to translate written footage taken by the camera.
22) App for SMS
Google's default app for sending and receiving SMS, called Messenger.
This is different from the Hangouts app which also manages SMS but is more like Skype for making video calls.
23) Clock
This is the default Android app with customizable time, timer, stopwatch and alarm clocks.
24) Google Fit
The app that monitors sports activities, which acts as a step counter and calorie counter.
25) Cloud Print
This is the app to print from Android to the computer printer.
26) Play Music
Google's default app for listening to music from your mobile phone, with access to the store of songs for sale and with the possibility of listening to the songs loaded into Play Music from your computer.
27) Authenticator
The app to manage two-step verification for the Google, Facebook, Microsoft and others account.
28) Google Rewards
Google Rewards is the Google app for responding to surveys that earn store credit to spend on buying apps.
29) Contact Google
Official app to manage the Google address book.
30) Google Duo, app for making free video calls.
31) Android Auto, the app to use in the car.
32) Google Allo, chat with artificial intelligence and the Google assistant
33) Google Spaces, a little-known app that serves to share links, videos and sites.
34) Google Wallpapers, app to change wallpaper on your mobile phone every day.
35) Google Datally to save gigabytes and data in the internet connection.
36) The interface apps to external devices including:
- Google Cardboard
- Google Home (which also serves for Chromecast).
- Android Wear
- Android TV
37) Google Play apps
In addition to Play Newsstand and Music there are three other pre-installed apps on Android that may be useful, but not essential.
- Google Play Games to store video game progress and scores.
- Google Play Movies to buy and watch movies
- Google Play Books to buy and read books
