Key Takeaways
- Ad blockers eliminate intrusive ads across apps and browsers.
- eSIM services save money and simplify travel connectivity.
- Interactive fitness apps make workouts more engaging.
- Shortcut apps boost productivity by reducing extra taps.
- VPNs secure your data and unlock global content.
- Streaming guides save time finding shows and movies.
- Advanced file managers give you full control of your smartphone’s storage.
1. System-Wide Ad Blocker
Smartphone users really drew the short end of the stick when it comes to seeing ads. Not only do ads plague every website you visit, but they're also impossible to escape within most apps, especially free ones.
Luckily, you can save your sanity (and data usage) with a simple two-hit ad-killing combo. First, activate an ad blocker add-on in your browser. This will get rid of annoying pop-ups and free up screen real estate so you can actually interact with the websites you visit.
Travel app recommendations usually focus on maps, transport routes, or translation apps that make for a smoother trip. You need an internet connection to access most of them, which can cause all sorts of problems. Public Wi-Fi is unsafe and might not be available when exploring outside of cities. Likewise, roaming costs quickly add up even if you’re on a reasonable plan.
Smartphone UIs are designed to be easy for anyone to grasp. At the same time, the limited screen size steers UI design philosophy towards embracing discrete apps and layered menu structures. In other words, getting to settings or files can take a lot of tapping and swiping.
Shortcut apps will supercharge your phone's productivity and entertainment potential by cutting all these extra steps out. They let you create shortcuts to basically anything. Want access to your favorite news website via a home screen shortcut? Or one that opens a folder with frequently used work files and locks them behind biometrics so someone else can't accidentally get access? No problem. It even works for individual phone or in-app settings.
5. VPN
Security isn’t exactly a top priority for many mobile users. It should be, especially now that connecting to an unsafe network and browsing can put your personal data and accounts at risk. Don’t sleep on VPNs, as they're both an effective security measure and a tool that lets you do more with your phone.
File managers also accept various compression types, letting you extract RAR files or work with ISO images. They can also open images, play back video, and even open text files for you to edit. All of this means a single file manager can replace a handful of other apps, saving space and streamlining workflows.
A. Some VPNs are free, but premium VPNs offer stronger encryption, faster speeds, and better privacy.