10 Utilities to Help You Get More Out of Your Google Pixel Smartphone

No smartphone comes equipped with all the utilities and apps to help users keep their device secure and running efficiently. Here are 10 utilities to consider.

One of Google’s latest releases is a free app called Gboard that improves the built-in keyboard. The app enhances the keyboard’s speed and features a “glide typing” feature, which enables users to input text by sliding their fingers around the keys. Gboard also comes with dictation support and built-in Google Search.

Clean Master can help improve the operating system’s performance. It allows users to block and clean junk notifications, and can seek out and remove junk files, freeing RAM for enhanced performance. The app is available in Google Play for free.

Malware is a constant threat with Android, but the free Supo Security app can help. It continually analyzes the operating system to determine whether any data is leaking to third-party apps. In addition, it includes an antivirus feature, and will scan an SD card to ensure it doesn’t have any malware that could cause trouble on the Pixel.

Want to get the most out of the Google Pixel’s battery? Check out Battery Plus. The free app is capable of detecting and repairing battery problems and monitors how the battery is operating to detect possible flaws before they become a bigger issue. The app also includes a battery-saving mode to improve the handset’s battery life.

As its name might suggest, Fast Cleaner is designed to speed the performance of the Google Pixel by eliminating unnecessary resources. One of its chief features is a tool called CPU Cooler, which automatically determines the apps that cause the smartphone to overheat and closes them. Ultimately, the free app could extend a smartphone’s useful life.

CM Locker is one of the more appealing security and privacy apps in the Google Play marketplace. It automatically locks the phone’s screen, apps and other content to improve privacy, and takes a photo of someone who might be trying to break in to the handset. In addition, it constantly analyzes an app’s performance to determine whether private data is leaking out. CM Locker is free.

Tasker, a $2.99 app, is all about automation. With the app, users can create automated tasks and run them with a simple tap on the screen. For instance, users can set Tasker to open the browser and go to a particular web page. It also can send out text messages on a user’s behalf. All of the automation can be timed so certain tasks are performed each day at the same time.

DiskDigger Pro is a handy app that retrieves items that have been deleted from the device. Through the app, users can recover deleted photos, documents, videos and other content. Better yet, data can be restored from both local storage and a memory card—even a reformatted card. DiskDigger Pro costs $2.99.

The Astro File Manager is a free app that gives users more control over their files by enabling them to create folders and categories to store files. There’s also a built-in hierarchy, so users can create folders within folders. It’s a non-standard yet useful feature.

If productivity is a user’s aim, employing an app such as GoToMyPC is a good idea. GoToMyPC allows users to access their computers remotely from the handset. Perhaps more importantly, it allows the wireless transfer of files between the devices. That all makes users more productive. GoToMyPC is free.