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First things to do with your new Android phone or tablet

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phone bow

So you just unwrapped a brand new Android phone or tablet. You’ve set it all up, downloaded Facebook, and now you’re thinking “what else can I do with this thing?” Android is wonderfully personal, fun, different, and powerful. Here are the first things you should do with your new toy.

We don’t know what device you just unwrapped, but there is a good chance we’ve covered it already. Below we have a list of first things you should do with specific phones. If you have those devices it’s a great place to start.

Download Apps

One of the most obvious things to do with a phone is download some of those apps you’ve been hearing everyone talk about. You know about Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, and all those common apps. We’ve got a list of some apps you may not know about. Check it out.

Inbox by Gmail icon Inbox

Inbox is a new email app from the folks at Gmail. It automatically organizes everything and only notifies you of the important emails. It’s great if you’re just a casual email user.

flipbpard Flipboard

If you’re looking to do some casual reading, Flipboard is the app for you. It curates stories from across the web to match your interests. The animations are beautiful, and it’s easy to use.

pocketcasts Pocket Casts

Podcasts made a big comeback in 2014. The best podcasts app you can find on any platform is Pocketcasts. It can sync progress across devices, play to a Chromecast, auto download new episodes, and so much more. *cough* Mobile Roar Podcast.

swiftkey Swiftkey

One of the great features of Android is the ability to download keyboards. SwiftKey is an awesome alternative to whatever keyboard your device came with. The more you use it the more it learns about the way you type, which makes typing even easier.

vsco cam VSCO Cam

There are thousands of apps that can edit photos, but our favorite is VSCO Cam. It does much more than simply slap a filter on top of your photo. This is a powerful photo editor, but the interface makes it easy for anyone to use.

reddit sync reddit sync

If you’re a Redditor you will be looking for a great Reddit app. You can’t go wrong with reddit sync. The Material Design is beautiful, and it comes with many different views for reading subreddits.

messenger Messenger by Google

The SMS apps that come with most Android phones leave a lot to be desired. Like keyboards, you can swap out SMS apps. If you’re looking for something quick and simple you can’t go wrong with Google’s elegant Messenger app.

timehop Timehop

If you’ve been using social media sites for years you have a time capsule full of stuff just waiting to be seen. Timehop displays your old tweets, status updates, Instagram photos, and more every day. It’s like a time machine for your life.

accuweather AccuWeather

Checking the weather is an important part of most people’s days. Most Android devices can check the weather by simply doing a Google search. If you’re interested in more in-depth forecasts and information you should check out AccuWeather.

wunderlist Wunderlist

A to-do list can play an important part in making your life more productive. Wunderlist is one of the best list apps out there. It can sync across tons of different devices, and it’s great for collaborating with others.

waze Waze

Google Maps is great on Android devices, but if you travel a lot you may want to take it up a notch. Waze is crowd-sourced traffic information at your fingertips. Get alerts when cops are ahead or if traffic is slowing down.

wallet Google Wallet

Some Android phone have the ability to do mobile payments. Apple Pay has made this feature much more mainstream, which benefits us too. Google Wallet is one of the best mobile payments apps for Android. Give it a shot and pay for things with your phone!

pushbullet Pushbullet

Arguably the best app from 2014 is Pushbullet. With this app you can easily push things to other devices, but so, so much more. It can show your phone notifications on your PC, allow you to reply to SMS from your PC, and even sync your clipboard across devices.

ifttt IFTTT

IFTTT (if this then that) will automate your life. With this app you can create “recipes” that will do things for you. Get an alert when it’s going to rain. When you’re tagged in a Facebook photo save it to Dropbox. Automatically mute your device at work. And much more.

phandroid Phandroid

Now that you have an Android device you’ll want to be in the know about all things Android. With the Phandroid news app you can read everything we post. We’ll tell you about new phones, new apps, great games, and much more.

For a more expansive list of apps for new users keep reading here. We’ve also got a bunch of more specific app lists for many different things. Here are you few you might be interested in:

Download Games

Sometimes you just want to have fun. Good news: the Google Play Store is chock full of games from every genre. You won’t be missing out on any popular games with an Android device. Here are a few of our favorites that you should check out first.

twodots TwoDots

TwoDots is the addictive sequel to last year’s “Dots.” All you have to do is connect dots, but don’t fool yourself into thinking it will be easy.

threes Threes!

1+2=3. 3+3=6. 6+6=12. 12+12=24. Got it? You’ve mastered the basic concept of Threes! Slide numbers together to stay alive as long as possible.

super hexagon Super Hexagon

This timeless classic is still super fun, super hard, and super addictive. If you’ve never played Super Hexagon you really need to download it.

angry birds go Angry Birds GO!

One of Rovio’s more recent Angry Bird games is “GO!” Think of it like Mario Kart meets the Angry Bird universe. It’s surprisingly fun.

monument Monument Valley

You’ll be hard pressed to find a more beautiful game for Android. The puzzles are tough, but you’ll be blown away by the visuals.

minecraft Minecraft PE

Everyone loves Minecraft. With the Pocket Edition you can play on your phone or tablet from anywhere. Never miss a block.

star wars Star Wars: Commander

We couldn’t make a list without a Star Wars game. This is a combat strategy game that takes place in the original trilogy.

heads up Heads Up

HeadsUp is the perfect game for Holiday parties. You simply hold the phone above your head and friends act out the word.

wordbase Wordbase

Think of Wordbase like aggressive scrabble. The goal is to connect words to make it to the other side of the board before your opponent.

trivia Trivia Crack

Everybody loves trivia, and trivia Crack is trivia in its most addictive state. You can play against friends or random people from around the globe.

Here some more specific app lists for your gaming needs:

Continue to: Guides for every phone and Android Forums

Joe Fedewa
Ever since I flipped open my first phone I've been obsessed with the devices. I've dabbled in other platforms, but Android is where I feel most at home.

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9 Comments

  1. Merry Christmas everybody

  2. First thing to do: ROOT!! Get rid of bloat and carrier junk. Find a stable STOCK rom and enjoy. Do it at YOUR own peril and risk!!!!!

    Happy Festivus everyone

  3. Where is the G3 link

    1. Yea that’s the last of the major phone releases they are missing

  4. Wish I could get my hands on a new Nexus 6 64GB for Christmas. That is my gift, just waiting on availability!

  5. Sony Xperia Z3/Z3 Compact

  6. Note edge for myself and z3 for my wife. Happy holidays to all.

  7. Shameful ads for Trivia Crack. I have the paid version and I gave up after one day. This game is full of self promotion ads that trick you to connect to social networks. The questions seem to be designed by a retarded addicted to soccer. If you like quizzes, please try QuizUp https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.quizup.core&hl=en which is free and a MILLION TIMES BETTER.

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