Best Android Apps - March 2024!

Summary

This video explores innovative Android apps that transform how we use our smartphones, featuring Vectrus VM, an app allowing users to run desktop operating systems like Windows, MacOS, and Linux on Android devices. The video also highlights unique apps like One Swipe Notes for quick note-taking, Contextual App Folder for smart app organization, and Ad Silence to mute ads in music streaming apps. Additionally, it introduces Keeper Security for next-generation password management, engaging Android games, and Beta Maniac for accessing app beta programs. The tutorial concludes with a detailed guide on setting up Vectrus VM for a desktop experience on smartphones.

Takeaways

• 😲 You can run full desktop operating systems like Windows, Mac OS, and Linux on your Android device using the Vectrus VM app
• 👌 One swipe notes lets you quickly jot down notes without leaving your current app
• 🔒 Keeper helps you use passkeys - a more secure alternative to passwords - across devices
• 📝 Noty notes creates quick notes that live in your quick settings and notifications
• 📱 Contextual app folder automatically changes the apps in a home screen folder based on conditions like location, Bluetooth connections etc
• 🔇 Ad silence automatically mutes audio ads in free music streaming apps
• 😎 Join beta programs of installed apps easily with Beta Maniac to try out new features early
• 💡 Flash dim lets you control brightness levels of your phone's LED flashlight
• 🎮 Galaxy swirl is an addictive arcade game where you maneuver a spaceship on a rotating planet
• 🎨 Please touch the artwork too is a unique puzzle game where you play as a skeleton adventuring through paintings

Q & A

What app allows you to run full desktop operating systems on your Android device?

The Vectrus VM app allows you to run desktop operating systems like Windows, Mac OS, Linux and others on your Android device.

What are some limitations of running desktop OSes on your phone via Vectrus VM?

Some limitations are that some interfaces may be a bit laggy, some OSes may not work on all devices due to Google policies, and it's not quite the same experience as using a full computer.

What does the One Swipe Notes app allow you to do?

The One Swipe Notes app allows you to quickly jot down notes in a floating notepad that you can access by swiping from the edge of your screen, without leaving your current app.

How does the app Ad Silence help with audio ad interruptions?

Ad Silence will automatically mute audio ads that play in between songs when using certain music streaming apps, so you don't have to listen to the ads.

What does the app Beta Maniac help you do?

Beta Maniac makes it easy to find and join beta programs for your installed apps so you can test out new features before public release.

How does the app Flash Dim give you more control over your phone's LED flashlight?

Flash Dim lets you adjust the brightness level of your LED flashlight with over 45 light levels on supported devices.

What are some benefits of using passkeys for logging into accounts?

Benefits of passkeys include better security against phishing attacks since they use built-in MFA, faster account access since you just use biometrics instead of typing passwords, and portability to use the passkeys on multiple devices if you save them with a service like Keeper.

What makes the mobile game Galaxy Swirl unique?

Galaxy Swirl has you navigating a miniature planet as a spaceship while avoiding obstacles, and the whole planet moves as you move, making for a trippy and immersive gameplay experience.

How is the puzzle game Super Type different from other games?

In Super Type, you need to strategically type letters to make them fall and touch black dots by using gravity and physics, unlike simply spelling words.

What steps do you need to take to set up and use desktop OSes with Vectrus VM?

Key steps are: download the Vectrus VM app and any needed bootstrap files, import the OS files into the app, allow notifications access, select and launch the OS, enter any required login info, and use on-screen controls to interact with the desktop OS.

Outlines

00:00

👾 Run desktop OS on your smartphone with Vector VM

The Vector VM app allows you to run full desktop operating systems like Windows, Mac OS, and Linux on your Android smartphone. It works best on larger screens like folding phones or tablets. Some OS interfaces can be laggy and some OSs may not work on all devices due to Google policies, but it's still an impressive demonstration.

05:00

✏️ Quickly take notes without leaving your app

One Swipe Notes is an app that lets you quickly jot down notes in a floating window without leaving your current app. This works in both landscape and portrait mode. A free alternative is Noty Notes which lets you create quick notes that appear in your notifications panel.

10:01

📱 Smart folder updates apps depending on context

The Contextual App Folder app lets you create folders that automatically update with relevant apps based on different contexts like location, Bluetooth connections, time of day, etc. For example, when connected to a car via Bluetooth, navigation apps appear. The app is no longer on the Play Store but still works on Android 14.

Keywords

💡App

An app refers to a software application, especially one designed for a mobile device like a smartphone or tablet. Apps are a key theme in the video which focuses on useful Android apps. Examples include music apps, password managers, puzzle games etc.

💡Android

Android is a mobile operating system developed by Google. The video specifically discusses Android apps and customization features available on Android devices. It assumes an Android user audience and all app recommendations are Android apps.

💡Virtual Machine

A virtual machine (VM) allows you to run other operating systems like Windows or Linux on an Android device. The app Vector VM is recommended for this purpose. The video shows how to set up different OS options on Vector VM.

💡Beta

The beta version of an app contains new features that are being tested before public release. The app Beta Maniac helps Android users join beta programs and try out these prerelease features.

💡Ad

Ads refer to advertisements played during app usage. The app ad silence automatically mutes audio ads in free streaming apps for a better experience.

💡Folder

On Android home screens, apps can be organized into folders. The app Contextual Folder automatically changes folder apps based on conditions like location, Bluetooth connections etc.

💡Brightness

Some Android devices don't allow adjustable brightness for the LED flashlight. The app Flash Dim provides granular brightness controls for the LED light.

💡Password

Passwords are login credentials used to access online accounts. The sponsor Keeper is a password manager that also supports next-gen passkeys for easy fingerprint login.

💡Game

Multiple Android games are discussed like Galaxy Swirl, Super Type, Please Touch the Artwork Too etc. These showcase the video creator's top game recommendations.

💡Tutorial

A tutorial is a guide teaching how to use a particular app or perform a specific function. The end of video has a tutorial for setting up the Vector VM app to run desktop operating systems.

Highlights

You can run full desktop operating systems like Windows, Mac OS, and Linux on your Android device using the Vectrus VM app

The One Swipe Notes app lets you quickly jot down notes in a floating window while watching videos or using other apps

The Noty Notes app provides a free alternative to quickly create pop-up notes that are saved in your notifications

The Contextual App Folder app automatically changes the apps shown in a folder based on conditions like location, Bluetooth connections etc.

The Ad Silence app automatically mutes audio ads that play in free music streaming apps

The Beta Maniac app lets you easily find and join beta programs for your installed apps to test new features

The Flash Dim app adds granular brightness control for the LED flashlight on phones running Android 13+

Keeper Security enables the use of passkeys - a more secure alternative to passwords - that can be accessed across devices

Galaxy Swirl is an addictive game where you maneuver a spaceship on a rotating planet and avoid obstacles

Super Type is a creative puzzle game where you type letters to make them fall and touch black dots on the screen

Please Touch the Artwork Too is a puzzle game where you play as a skeleton adventuring through paintings

Ready Set Golf is a racing golf game where you compete against others and use powerups to reach the hole first

Vector VM requires extra setup like downloading bootstrap files for some Android versions to run desktop operating systems

Different operating systems have different compatibility, stability and login requirements when running on Vector VM

Vector VM lets you resize and move desktop windows, bring up keyboards, and more using touch gestures

Transcripts

did you know that you can run a

full-fledged desktop operating system on

your pocket-sized smartphone yep that's

right with an app called vectrus VM you

can run Windows Mac OS Linux or plenty

of other operating systems on your

Android and when you use a larger screen

device like a folding phone or a tablet

it'll almost feel like you have a

full-size computer in your hands almost

because some interfaces are sometimes a

bit laggy and some os's won't work on

some devices and and it's not really the

app's fault it's just some policies from

Google that prevent some of these

platforms from running still it's kind

of a flex to show your iPhone buddies

that you can run a whole operating

system on your phone and that they can't

towards the end of the video I'll even

show you how you can fully set up the

app to get it properly working check

this out whenever I'm watching a video

or I'm in landscape mode I can swipe on

the edge of the screen to bring in this

floating notepad from an app called One

swipe notes and it it will let me

quickly jot down whatever I'd like in

bullet points even while the video

continues to play in the background once

I'm done I can tap anywhere on the

outside to swipe it away it's that easy

it even works in portrait mode but

you'll need to switch to the three

button nav bar because the back gesture

will get in the way either way it's

still the fastest way to write something

down without needing to open another app

the only thing that sucks is that it

does cost a dollar to download so a free

alternative is to use an app called noty

notes this Notes app lives in the quick

settings where you can tap the tile

create a quick note within the menu that

pops up and then hit save to have it

appear in your notifications panel you

can drop as many notes as You' like and

when you're done with any of them you

can simply swipe them away it may not be

as quick to use as one swipe notes but

it's still easy to get to without

leaving your current APP plus it's a

great way to make reminders for yourself

since they'll always be in your

notification drawer until you get rid of

of them on my home screen I have this

special folder which you may think

nothing of until I connect my headphones

and it instantly updates the apps to all

of my music ones or when I jump in my

car and my phone connects to the

Bluetooth they'll instantly update to my

navigation apps how am I doing this with

an app called contextual app folder

within its settings you can create

different scenarios for when the folder

should be updated so you can base it on

your location Wi-Fi network Bluetooth

connected to devices charging State time

and more plus for each scenario you can

choose the apps you like to show up

inside the folder the only downside is

that this app is no longer on the Play

Store and hasn't been updated since 2017

but you can download it off APK mirror

and even though it's ancient it's still

somehow working just fine even on my

pixel a running the latest Android 14

update you'll just have to deal with a

somewhat outdated interface and an

outdated folder which you can still

customize within the app to make it fit

better with your other folders on your

home screen still there are no other

apps like this and it's extremely useful

if you're using a popular music

streaming service like Spotify Pandora

SoundCloud tidle or a few others without

paying for a premium account you can use

this app called ad silence to

automatically mute any ads that start

playing in between the tracks it works

like a charm even when you don't have

the app open and it'll save you a few

headaches from having to listen to those

screaming

advertisements this next app I already

reviewed back in 2021 but I had to bring

it back because it's gotten way better

and if you haven't heard about it you'll

love it it's called beta maniac and it

makes it really easy to find and join

all the beta programs for most of the

apps you have installed that way you can

explore new features and perks within

some of your apps before they get

released to the public the best part is

that beta Maniac will even automatically

scan all your apps so that when any

closed betas do open up you can

instantly get notified to join them the

only downside is that if you update to a

beta version of an app you could

potentially experience bugs and crashes

but luckily it's also really easy to

leave the beta program within the Play

Store so to join the beta programs you

just switch to the participate tab

choose any app and then you'll notice a

button called become a tester sometimes

it works sometimes it doesn't so on top

of enabling that button tap on Google

Play to launch the apps Play Store

listing and then scroll down until you

see join the beta hit join join again

give it a few minutes to add your

account to the program restart the Play

Store

app and when you search the app again

you should now see beta next to the

title there may even be an update which

is pretty sweet if you're on Android 13

or higher and your phone still doesn't

let you control the brightness levels of

your LED flashlight Google

pixels sorry uh you can download Flash

dim to enable this feature it gives you

over 45 light levels to choose from so

you can make the LED extremely low for

those super dark moments straight down

the middle if you'd like or just regular

maximum brightness the only thing to

keep in mind is that this will only work

on devices that have the new camera haul

versions like the pixels or Galaxy

devices so if this app doesn't work on

your phone then that's probably the

reason still it wouldn't hurt to try it

out since it's completely free and open

source I'm sure you know the pain of

dealing with passwords and I'm sure

you're tired of trying to remember every

single login detail with keeper security

the sponsor of this video you can start

using pass Keys the next generation of

passwords that let you log into your

accounts without typing anything you

just use your smartphone's fingerprint

sensor or face unlock to confirm that

it's you and you're in not only are they

more secure against fishing attacks

since Pas Keys have built in MFA but you

and your loved ones will be able to Lo

log into your accounts much faster but

here's the catch pass keys do have to be

saved locally so if you create one on

your phone you can only use it on that

device but if you create a pass key with

keeper you can use it on any device

along with passwords and pass Keys

keeper lets me store credit cards

licenses passports and plenty of other

files that I can access from anywhere

and I'm not worried because keeper is

the most secure certified tested and

audited password security platform on

the planet with over

275,000 f-star reviews and more than 10

million downloads on the App Stores so

don't get hacked secure your data with

keeper security and click my link in the

description and use my promo code how

two men to get an extra 50% off personal

and family plans it's a huge steal so

don't wait switching over to the games

Galaxy swirl is up first and it's one of

the most addicting Android games that

I've played in a while you play as a

spaceship on this miniature planet where

you constantly ly need to be on the move

and try to avoid any lasers or obstacles

that get in your way the only things

that you can pick up are coins health

and powerups which get randomly dropped

throughout the map it's a pretty trippy

game too because as you move the entire

planet moves with you I also really love

the graphics sound effects controls and

hatic feedback cuz it makes the gamep

play that much better and it's really

addicting there are even different modes

like robot snake which is just like the

classic snake game but reimagined in a

Sci-Fi setting around a sphere

definitely the perfect game to kill time

super type is the only paid game on this

list but I think it's totally worth it

cuz it's one of the most unique and

creative puzzle games that I've come

across in a while the objective is to

type the correct letters to have them

fall and touch all the black dots with

this the game brings in a bit of physics

so you'll need to consider things you

probably never even thought about like

how round letters like o or e can roll

around while some thinner letters like I

or P can fit into tighter spaces there's

no proper word to spell in most cases

you just need to make sure that at least

a few letters end up in the right spot

sometimes you even need to use spaces to

aim accurately the only thing I would

say that needs Improvement is the

in-game keyboard since it does feel a

bit awkward to type on and the graphics

do look a bit outdated as well besides

that it's a great puzzle game that

actually makes you think another puzzle

game I became really fond of is please

touch the artwork too it also thinks

Outside the Box by having you play as a

skeleton that Adventures around a world

of artwork and as you advance into the

paintings you'll receive side quests

from random characters to find objects

scattered around other

paintings plus there are some twists and

turns like sometimes a painting will be

ripped so you'll need to repair it to

move on it's definitely got some unique

ideas

I also love how the skeleton can move

into a painting even further and walk

behind objects given the sense that he's

actually inside the artwork it's pretty

incredible and the graphics are perfect

overall it's an A+ game that is 100%

free with no ads or inap purchases

definitely give it a try next we have

Ready Set golf which as it says in the

title is a golfing game but with a few

twists instead of teeing by yourself

peacefully you're racing against other

real players hoping to get your ball

into the putt before for

[Applause]

them plus there are some powerups that

you can use to give you an advantage

over others like there's one that lets

you hit harder another to Glide over the

water one to bounce off the walls even

better and more they only give you a

limited amount of perks to use though so

you have to use them wisely my favorite

thing about this game is that you can

even create a private room to play

against your friends but the only thing

I will say is that they do need to

improve the graphics a bit and increase

the FPS yes but other than that it's not

a bad game anyways as promised let's go

over how you can use Vector VM the app

discussed at the beginning to start

using a desktop interface on your

smartphone the first thing you're going

to want to do is download the app so on

their website you'll see two versions if

you're running Android 13 or lower you

can download and install version 2.7 or

if you're running Android 14 or higher

you can download and install version

2.8 now only for version 2.8 will you

also need to download this bootstrap

file otherwise the app won't be able to

run without it the arm 64 version 8 is

most likely the one that you'll want to

use if you're using a more recent device

otherwise if you have an old Android or

a cheaper one you can try out the

version

7A from there open the app select

install from file if you're on version

2.8 and then select the bootstrap file

you just downloaded it should be within

your downloads folder then allow it file

access and then dismiss those extra

menus now tap on the bottom right icon

and you'll find all the desktops you can

try the most stable ones are Windows XP

or lower or even some Linux ones and

again just a reminder that not every OS

including windows will work on every

device so keep that in mind anyway I'll

try out something new for this tutorial

like react OS so I'll select it and tap

on import then I'll hit download and

look for the ROM on the website

sometimes when I tap on the ROM it'll

just pop up with the Google Drive Link

once I tap on the ROM it'll pop up with

a menu and pay attention to this menu

because some operating systems have

login details and the login information

is in that popup for react OS there are

no login requirements so once I tap on

the x86 button I can select my Google

Drive account and tap okay from there I

can tap on the three dots in the top

right corner hit download and it could

take a few minutes to download cuz some

of these have huge file

sizes from there go back into the vector

app select the ROM you just downloaded

hit import import

again and find the vbi file you just

download it it will extract it and

import the file within the app which

could take a few minutes then it'll pop

up on the main menu so you select it hit

allow for notifications and then it'll

start the OS sometimes in the boot up

you'll even need to hit the enter button

to have it start and that's pretty much

it don't be surprised that on some os's

it'll it could take a while for the

desktop to appear uh but once you do

appear on the desktop you can move the

mouse around with your finger tap to

click double tap to

click long pressing on the screen will

also let you long press on the OS so

that way you can actually resize the

windows or move them around and the

buttons on the outside let you do extra

things like bring up the keyboard get

access to other keys and even exit the

virtual machine hope you got it to work

anyways tap this playlist right here to

view the rest of the best Android app

series I've been doing it for years so

you'll find plenty of useful apps if I

helped you download at least one app in

this video just do me a favor and drop a

thumbs up it really helps out the

channel and motivates me to continue to

make these series thanks so much for

watching and I'll catch you guys in the

next one

Kow