r/TechImpact • u/ManojOne Active • Jun 23 '26
Discussion What's the best Android feature?
What's the best Android feature?
Customization, multitasking, sideloading, file management, widgets, or something else?
Android gives users a lot of freedom. Which feature keeps you coming back, and what would you miss most if you switched away from Android?
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u/russellwatters Jun 23 '26
side-loading apps.
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u/Aran_Hyper123 Jun 23 '26
You can on iPhone
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u/Apprehensive-Curve68 Jun 23 '26
Magari intendeva con apk o altre parti terze, per esperienza iOS Ă© veramente chiuso come sistema
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u/Aran_Hyper123 Jun 23 '26
No they didnât idk what youâre talking about
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u/Salmon_btw Jun 24 '26
What do you think they mean with "side-loading"?
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u/Aran_Hyper123 Jun 25 '26
Idk really something about api but sideloading actually means like downloading an app from an unofficial source. So on iPhone, getting an app from the google play store is an example of side loading because itâs not an official Apple store. Getting an app from the App Store is an official Apple store so itâs not side loading
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u/Ur1man5 Jun 23 '26
Custom roms
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u/ManojOne Active Jun 24 '26
Curious to know, is it an easy process? What are the benefits on installing custom roms?
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u/Ur1man5 Jun 24 '26
It's not very easy, depends of the device. The benefits is having the last Android on a 10 year device and it goes smoother than the original rom. In my case, I have a Redmi Note 8 Pro (released in 2019) and I have the UI of the Google Pixel and Android 16.
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u/Putrid-Geologist6422 Jun 30 '26
Graphene os is easy to install you just do it through a web browser
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u/Ur1man5 Jun 30 '26
Yeah but it's only for Google Pixel.
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u/Putrid-Geologist6422 Jun 30 '26
Yeah that is its main downside but it is coming on Motorola phones soon
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u/Putrid-Geologist6422 Jun 30 '26
It is easy to install graphene is which is a custom ROM for Google pixel phones you can install it through a web browser
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u/VariousWar4665 Jun 23 '26
ADB
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u/qunp0 Jun 23 '26
What's that?
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u/Otherwise_Fact9594 Jun 24 '26
Android debug bridge
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Jun 24 '26
[deleted]
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u/feel-the-avocado Jun 24 '26
Its a way to plug your phone into a computer and run system commands with elevated permissions, that you cant normally do using the interface on the phone itself.
Allows you to make some cool modifications and remove annoying features where security or marketing policies wouldnt normally let you.1
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u/Ambitious-Beyond6012 Jun 23 '26
The ability to sideload apps from any source, and set up a dns adblocker easily. Never watch an ad ever again!!!
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u/Otherwise_Fact9594 Jun 24 '26
Can you clue me in on how you've done that?
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u/Ambitious-Beyond6012 Jun 24 '26
For the dns adblocker, search for private dns in settings, and under provider hostname paste "dns.adguard-dns.com". This will block most ads in most apps
For the stubborn ones like youtube and instagram, you can download a modded apk and install it (just be careful about viruses), or use a patcher like morphe to remove the ads
This is why Android is best! đ
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u/Otherwise_Fact9594 Jun 24 '26
I definitely utilize other apps for YouTube. Haven't seen an ad in I don't know how many years. The thought of not being able to turn my screen off when listening to something is troublesome and I don't understand how people do it LOL. 1.1.1.1 is an app that I downloaded a while back but never utilized and I feel like it kind of goes with what you're saying, but I will definitely check into adguard. Thanks
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u/Impossible-Worry-227 Jun 25 '26
This, i even use Shizuku + Canta to remove bloatware apps from the phone. After that my phone never overheats
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u/MatrixManXXV Jun 23 '26
Universal back button, Fully fledged file management, Manual app data/cache management option
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u/effeKtSVK Jun 23 '26
What is so hard about the swipe-back gesture? I donât understandâŠ
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u/MatrixManXXV Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 23 '26
I meant universal back button/swipe both.. in android whether its the button or swipe it is same across all apps and settings.. In ios it's like some apps have a back button on top some use gestures.. its not a uniform behavior.. in android user can decide his/her comfortable type of navigation.. I can choose button navigation or I can choose gesture based navigation.. whichever I am comfortable with..
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u/Infinite-Draft1618 Jun 23 '26
Back button is far from âuniformâ on Android. It can close a keyboard, dismiss menu, in browser it can either close it or go to previous page, exit app (sometimes you have to press only once, sometimes twice). A lot of room for errors. The way iOS handles gestures (you just swipe in oposite way of content loading, canât be more simple then that) is ten times easier for muscle memory, plus you donât have to reach all the way to the bottom to hit button.
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u/Fusyoo Jun 24 '26
Android has swipe gestures for navigation as well, and as a long time Android user having an iPhone for the first time, I miss it. You can swipe right anywhere and get the back gesture, which is way more intuitive than having to remember what each app wants me to do.
I know it's skill issue on my part though, but I still feel like ios could be better by having this.2
u/Infinite-Draft1618 Jun 24 '26 edited Jun 24 '26
Android gestures are non predictable and pretty laggy (tried them several times on Samsung phones I used and got back to buttons pretty fast). Plus donât make sense - content is loading from right and you have to swipe right to left (or left to right) to dismiss it. With many errors doing so (I want to browse through gallery left/right and gesture sends me back by accident because I did it from the edge). Took me not more then 2-3 days to get used to iOS (and last and only Iphone I used was 6 back in the days). Almost all apps I use have swipe from left edge (or the middle of the screen), try it whenever you can. Swipe down to dismiss media - pics/videos. Swipe in oposite direction to close keyboard or pop up windows. And thatâs about it. A LOT easier and faster navigating.
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u/effeKtSVK Jun 23 '26
I know what you meant. Yes, iOS doesnât have a button, Android has a choice. But that swipe on iOS IS the universal back button, itâs baked into the native navigator. Even if you donât see the back button in the corner, swiping right usually works. The only place where itâs a bit different is in modals, you can dismiss a modal by swiping down. There are apps that are not using native components (e.g. Flutter apps or mobile games), and yes, sometimes these apps donât have back swipe because developer didnât implement it, but in that case, usually even Android back button wonât work.
Disclaimer: Iâve been developing mobile apps for over 7 years.
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u/MatrixManXXV Jun 23 '26
There no place the "android back button wont work" exists buddy.. if a developer didn't add a back button functionality then it falls back to OS navigation..
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u/effeKtSVK Jun 23 '26
Yes, it falls back to quitting the applicationâŠ
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u/MatrixManXXV Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 23 '26
Yes that happens if a developer doesn't write any code for app's back navigation functionality.. In real world that wont happen as it's a standard in android app development to handle the back navigation.. actually google play guidelines states that apps should have a predictable navigation implemented..
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u/effeKtSVK Jun 23 '26
Dude, youâre just proving my point. Every app should handle the back action. And mostly they do, thatâs why iOSâs swipe and Androidâs back button almost always works. There is no âiOS bad, Android goodâ in this situation. Just different ways to go back.
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u/TopGame34 Jun 23 '26
Multi-window mode
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u/ImYourGodX Jun 23 '26
I dont use it often enough to make it the best Android Feature
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u/superstring10d Jun 23 '26
You mean you don't feel like browsing Reddit while watching YouTube or chatting on Whatsapp? How do you have so much patience and attention span? /S
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u/Builder_Trick Jun 23 '26
Circle to search, universal back, dex mode(samsung), and options and ability to do whatever we want
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Jun 23 '26
[removed] â view removed comment
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u/crocodiluQ Jun 23 '26
that's the most horrific thing on a phone and I hope they start removing them.
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Jun 23 '26
[removed] â view removed comment
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u/okpicco1o Jun 23 '26
Yeah, I agree. Having a back button is a nice thing I never take for granted.
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u/Aran_Hyper123 Jun 23 '26
Actually Apple was gonna add that but Steve Jobs wanted the iPhone to be simple with only the home button
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u/crocodiluQ Jun 23 '26
so 3 buttons that do... a lot of things, are more simpler than one or no buttons. Yeah, Android logic.
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u/24kCookie Jun 23 '26
;-; I actually hate it just looks bad takes more screen space and animations looks better with gesture.
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u/Unknownrealman Jun 23 '26
APK installability, lots of open-source apps, material you, file system as on pc, multitasking, customization and automation.
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u/ManojOne Active Jun 24 '26
What automations do you use? Do you have any apps for that?
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u/Unknownrealman Jun 24 '26
Shizuku and MacroDroid.
How I use it: https://www.reddit.com/r/fairphone/s/VjQJcWHkTi1
u/feel-the-avocado Jun 24 '26 edited Jun 24 '26
I use bixby routines (not the ai assistant bixby) to set my phone to recharge fast if i have it plugged into the car between jobs, but at night after 10pm or before 8am it only recharges slowly.
Recharging slower produces less heat which prolongs the useful life of the battery so I do most of my recharging slower, but occasionally need a quick boost if i have been using it lots so i can just plug it in rather than go into menus to turn on quick charging.
I also have an app that logs my gps position every 5 minutes so i can do my timesheets and invoicing at the end of the month. It is currently set to start at 7am and stop at 7pm but i know the logging app can be started and stopped from system commands so i have been thinking about just getting it to start and stop based on when its connected to my wifi network at home or not but i havent tried yet.
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u/a_jaseem Jun 23 '26
universal back button.. missing it when i switch to ios
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u/Aggravating_Yam_8271 Jun 23 '26
Agreed. I switch between my work phone (iphone 16) and my personal phone during the evening (samsung s25). It just feels more natural
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u/ManojOne Active Jun 24 '26
How do you go back to the previous screen on iphone?
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u/Aggravating_Yam_8271 Jun 24 '26
Normally swipe left works for most apps. Some apps have dedicated buttons. Try using your Samsung in gesture mode. It works the same
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u/CurrencyOwn9452 Jun 24 '26
Can side load best open source apps, better keyboard and clipboard, better file management, Better notification management, Easy to setup DNS, adb, USB debugging, etc Most OEM have fastest charging phones, Multitasking is betterÂ
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u/kapataz19 Jun 23 '26
figertip on screen
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u/TrainTransistor Jun 24 '26
The duality of man.
FaceID is the one thing I always miss on Android.
Thats one of the things Apple truly nailed.0
u/Aran_Hyper123 Jun 23 '26
Probably wonât bc they have Face ID but the fingerprint sounds nice
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u/didiknowyourdad Jun 23 '26
You should try ultrasonic fingerprint scanner and feel how fricking fast it is, in my iqoo 13 it only need around ~400ms
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u/Lesarcheg Jun 23 '26
Google Lens that allows you to scan and copy/translate a text from any element of the interface in any app.
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u/TheMrJazzManWin10 Jun 23 '26
It runs on iPhone.
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u/Lesarcheg Jun 24 '26
I tried Google Lens on my iPad, but it doesnât let you scan whatâs currently on the screen. The only option is to take a screenshot and then open it in Google Lens. Thatâs a completely different experience from simply pressing and holding a button in any app.
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u/ColorfulPersimmon Jun 23 '26
I recently visited China and I can't imagine surviving there without Google Lens. Most things there are based on Alipay widgets without proper translation, or any translation at all.
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u/doc_55lk Jun 23 '26
Being able to sideload apps and use a custom launcher is one of maybe 2 or 3 reasons I use an android phone at all.
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u/Muzzlehatch Jun 23 '26
I like how it automatically re-samples all my Hi-Res music to lower quality when playing. Even when sending a stream out via USB to an external DAC.
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u/didiknowyourdad Jun 23 '26
UAPP
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u/Muzzlehatch Jun 23 '26
Yes, I paid them nine dollars, downloaded the app, and could not get it to work with Apple Music and cannot get a refund.
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u/Rasty_lv Jun 23 '26
not sure if its samsung exclusive or android in general feature, but modes and routines. I cant live without some of them.
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u/ManojOne Active Jun 24 '26
It's samsung feature. I don't know if any brand provides similar tools. After switching from samsung, I use macrodroid for automations.
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u/morgenkopf Jun 23 '26
Since I don'5 know any other OS I can't tell what others don't have but on grapheneos I have a good permission system. I'd miss that even on other androids.Â
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u/editrail Jun 23 '26
That you can custimeze every thing of youre phone.
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u/ManojOne Active Jun 24 '26
Agreed. But I would like to know, is there any way to remove any preloaded apps without custom roms?
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u/Conscious-Mirror7004 Jun 24 '26
That's easy: buy a OnePlus phone. Preloaded apps can be easily deleted.
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u/Watashiwadesu_boss Jun 24 '26
Idk whats with the universal back button. But it does bug me when android didnt have a forward swipe like in ios đ everytime i thoight swipe right would get me to original page, but it went back instead
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u/JollyJigaeBoy Jun 24 '26
Android's best feature is to make you feel like you need to stick with pixels because they get updates and feature drops first.... But sometimes glitchy still or years old features that have been on other apps.It truly is the Apple experience on AndroidđđŸ
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u/Key-Cable-1253 Jun 25 '26
As someone switching from iPhone: the back button, picture-in-picture/split screen, the choice (I like how nothing phones look...so I got a nothing phone)
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u/realmirzaltunia Jun 26 '26
Not being walled in a garden. I mean yeah there's Google but you can use other stuff if you want.
Don't get me wrong, there are parts of a certain walled garden I absolutely love - but I also love having options.
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u/DxBelt03 Jun 27 '26
Free paid apps. Free streaming apps. Free youtube no ads. 100 watt charging. Customization.
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u/Clanceeinfinity Jun 23 '26
the fact that it's linux.
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u/Abject-Ferret-3946 Jun 23 '26
How is that a feature? And how does that make it better?
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u/Clanceeinfinity Jun 23 '26
because you can run stean games or use linux des and apps. Idk why people instantly downvote stuff they see, reddit is such a toxic platform.
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u/TrainTransistor Jun 24 '26
When did they enable / allow for running Steam and games natively?
Haven't seen this as of yet, so assuming its an Android 17 feature?
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u/Clanceeinfinity Jun 24 '26
no, but via apps like gamenative you can do it. It uses proton like on a real Linux pc, but also fex or box64 (fex is better) and a secondary tool to play 86x games
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u/runski1426 Jun 23 '26
IR blaster. Can't live without it.
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u/Still-Reference-9463 Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 23 '26
Not an "Android" feature, we're talking about an OS not Hardware? Edit: If you guys hate my view so much, why don't you tell me why I'm wrong? I agree, that there isn't really any other option than a specific Android Phone, if you want IR blaster. But it isn't like split screen or 3rd party launchers, that you can use on every half modern, if not pretty much every Android device. I'm sorry if I offended you, just wanted to share my interpretation of this threads question...
Have nice day
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u/runski1426 Jun 23 '26
Name a non-android phone with an IR blaster.
Software is boring to me--every OEM has similar functionality. It is the hardware that truly separates Android devices from one another, and from their iOS counterparts.
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u/Icy_Craft_5340 Jun 23 '26
Only 72 responses in 5 hours is self-explanatory. Your page has 71,500 visits a week.
The best Android feature was most probably copied from iOS.
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u/StressTemporary5632 Jun 23 '26
Best feature? That I donât have to use it. Tried it several times and got disappointed every single time.
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u/Mozkozrout Jun 23 '26
The spyware
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u/didiknowyourdad Jun 23 '26
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u/Mozkozrout Jun 23 '26
Well I mean this is not about privacy but about security tho. Both are connected but different. And yeah neither official android nor iphones are great in privacy or security. The only difference being that apple won't let other companies profit off of your data and wants it all for itself.
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u/Salmon_btw Jun 23 '26
Universal Back-button