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Hands-on with 5 Android apps you should download in February 2017

There are nearly 1.5 million applications currently on Google Play and with so many choices, finding new worthwhile apps can be a hassle. As we have the last several months now, today we’ll be showing you another 5 Android apps that you should definitely give a shot…

FastKey Launcher

Different launchers can bring some unique capabilities to your smartphone’s core experience, and FastKey is one of the most unique and creative options I’ve been testing lately. The idea is pretty simple: we all want to access our apps as quickly as possible, and sometimes the quickest way to do that is by searching for it. I’ve used the search option in the Pixel Launcher’s app drawer several times and I love the functionality, but it ends up wasting time since I have to wait for the keyboard to pull up.

FastKey fixes that by putting the keyboard front and center, leaving it on at all times. If you can see your homescreen, you’re only a couple of keypresses away from the app or contact you’re looking for. It works ridiculously well, even if the launcher itself is a little slim on other features. The launcher is free to download and supported by ads.

FastKey Launcher is a light and fast home screen replacement for your Android, which brings new opportunities to your familiar user experience, with fast access to all your apps using the always-on keyboard.

Download on Google Play

BatON

Bluetooth devices surround us constantly, and through use, we drain their batteries. One of Android’s big restrictions when it comes to Bluetooth is being able to pull information regarding battery life from connected devices. Some OEMs such as Huawei have developed workarounds for this, but the app BatON brings that ability to any device.

The app is pretty limited, as it can only read this information on something that can accept/reject calls, but if your device has that, it works fairly well. When your device connects, simply open the app and it will show the battery level, which for the most part, is accurate. You’ll also be able to see notifications with information about battery percentage. BatON is also free to download.

This app tries to show battery level of the bluetooth devices. Bluetooth device MUST has Hands-Free profile (accept, reject phone calls) or GATT profile (usually 4.0+ Low Energy devices).
To recheck battery level just tap on the notification.

Download on Google Play

Cornerfly

With the LG G6 and Galaxy S8 about to be announced, rounded corners are becoming fairly popular. In a poll, 9to5Google readers, for the most part, seemed to agree that rounded corners look a bit nicer than those which are squared off. Luckily, you don’t need to rely on hardware to get this look, as Cornerfly takes care of it for you.

The premise is simple enough. The app puts an overlay over the screen which rounds out the corners of the screen on any device. The look of the corner can be edited based on the app which is currently in the foreground, and there are several options for editing the look of the corners. It looks especially good on devices with black bezels too. Cornerfly is free to download, but does require in-app purchases to unlock its full capabilities.

Most hardware cases of devices are designed with rounded corners but display itself has squared corners. This application will round your display corners to merge it with your case corners.
Cornerfly offers many settings for customization and you can configure it for each application.

Download on Google Play

Smart Drawer

Another unique app I’ve been using recently is Smart Drawer. This app makes it easy to access your apps quickly by intelligently sorting them into a number of different categories such as communication, settings, games, and media. You can add new categories based on your needs, and adjust the grid size and look depending on your preferences.

In using Smart Drawer, I’ve definitely noticed that the app can speed up the process of finding apps that I keep in the app drawer. My biggest complaint is that it’s not integrated into the launcher. It’d be great if I had the option to use a launcher specifically made to use Smart Drawer as its built-in app drawer. Regardless, it’s a fantastic app which is free to download.

Smart Drawer automatically organize your apps for you, working on top of any launcher.
Download Smart Drawer, move its icon on your home screen and that’s it. You won’t have to move your apps in folders, everything will be automatically done for you.

Download on Google Play

Dashboard Cast

Last this month, Dashboard Cast. This is an app that takes advantage of your idling Chromecast or Android TV and can display information you pick on screen. You can pick anything from RSS feeds, weather information, a stock widget, your calendar, or a clock and display it all on your TV. The number of widgets and their location on screen is fully customizable, and surprising, almost everything works without a hitch.

There are dozens of customizations in the app as well, including the ability to change card colors, spacing, and you can even pull in background images from services like Google Photos and Imgur. Best of all, the app is free to download and only has one in-app purchase to remove ads.

Dashboard Cast is a personalized homescreen for Chromecast. Create and organise widgets to your liking and display them on your TV. This app requires a Chromecast or a Cast enabled device to work.

Download on Google Play

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Avatar for Ben Schoon Ben Schoon

Ben is a Senior Editor for 9to5Google.

Find him on Twitter @NexusBen. Send tips to schoon@9to5g.com or encrypted to benschoon@protonmail.com.