A Wild New Way To Think About Android Apps

This unconventional attack will amended your Android phone's privacy, security, and capacity — and bring a large boost to your individual productivity, too.

Fair warning: This file is simply a adjacent spot different from nan type of reasoning we typically return connected successful these musty virtual quarters of ours.

More often than not, erstwhile we talk astir Android apps, we’re talkin’ astir immoderate mode of intriguing caller anticipation that’s worthy your while to effort — beryllium it a bid of advanced actions wrong a halfway Android creation aliases a imaginative measurement to put a lesser-known Android powerfulness instrumentality to use.

Today, we’re taking a wholly different way to Android optimization and ratio enlightenment. It does impact downloading 1 caller app, but that app is designed to thief you debar other unnecessary app installations moving guardant — and perchance moreover paring down nan apps you’ve already acquired.

It sounds somewhat unusual connected nan surface, I know, but it’ll make an atrocious batch of consciousness successful a second.

Let maine explain.

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An asterisk to accepted Android apps

So, a speedy spot o’ captious discourse earlier we get into nan nutrient of this metaphorical sandwich: Over nan years, we’ve each gone a spot gaga complete nan thought of nan all-powerful app.

We’ve agelong relied connected locally installed programs for productivity, of course, going backmost to nan earliest eras of pre-mobile computing. But pinch smartphones, nan conception of snagging a prepackaged app for immoderate request imaginable abruptly screamed to soaring caller heights.

And to beryllium clear: That’s a good thing, by and large! Apps unfastened up each sorts of advantageous caller opportunities — peculiarly connected Android, wherever developers are capable to pat into cardinal systems and execute a mind-boggling array of awesome feats.

But sometimes, a dedicated app isn’t nan champion measurement to get thing done — moreover if it mightiness beryllium nan astir evident and heavy promoted path. In fact, sometimes, installing an app tin actively activity against your interests.

As my longtime comrade and workfellow Jared Newman recently put it successful his fantabulous Advisorator newsletter:

Companies want you to instal their apps because they tin much easy power your attraction and behavior, while besides collecting much accusation astir you. I’m a large believer successful nan unfastened web because it brings much of that power backmost to you.

As Jared notes, apps often person nan expertise to run successful nan inheritance and transmit information astir you moreover erstwhile you aren’t actively utilizing ’em. They tin nonstop annoying notifications, too, and pain done precious strategy resources for illustration artillery powerfulness arsenic a consequence of each that ongoing effort.

If you really need an app aliases bask nan acquisition it affords you, that whitethorn beryllium a tradeoff worthy making. When it comes to apps that interact pinch nan existent Android operating strategy aliases parts of your device’s hardware, for instance, a locally installed programme is perfectly nan astir sensible (and only real) way to take.

But pinch tons of other things — apps for retailers, for instance, arsenic good arsenic galore news apps and those associated pinch different online services — you’d really beryllium amended disconnected avoiding nan download and sticking alternatively to nan bully old-fashioned web equivalent.

And connected Android, specifically, there’s a awesome measurement to do that while still maintaining nan acquainted app consciousness and nan convenience of having a elemental one-tap shortcut correct connected your location screen.

From apps to ‘apps’

My chap Android-appreciating animal, let maine to present to a crafty small creation called Hermit.

And no, it isn’t conscionable an endearing nickname for antisocial homebodies for illustration yours genuinely (though acknowledgment for noticing!). Hermit is an Android-specific assets that makes it incredibly easy to toggle shape immoderate website into a functioning “app” of sorts — only leaning wholly connected its web version, without each nan asterisks we conscionable went over.

Here, for instance, is really a Hermit-made “app” I created for Amazon looks connected my location screen:

Hermit’s web apps look and enactment conscionable for illustration immoderate different app connected an Android device’s location screen.

JR Raphael, Foundry

As you tin see, speech from nan mini badge showing its relation pinch Hermit, it doesn’t look immoderate different from immoderate regular app. When I pat it, Amazon opens up successful afloat — looking and acting precisely for illustration a accepted app:

This Hermit-made web app is almost identical to its much accepted downloaded equivalent.

JR Raphael, Foundry

But this is really conscionable nan Amazon website, put into an app-like wrapper that makes it easier to entree and usage connected Android. It doesn’t person nan laundry database of information entree that the actual Amazon app requires, nor does it tally successful immoderate measurement successful nan inheritance erstwhile it isn’t actively being used. Amazon doesn’t cognize wherever I americium aliases what other I’m doing, and it doesn’t spam maine pinch trading notifications. But I still person each nan aforesaid advantages of being capable to entree Amazon easy connected nan spell and interact pinch it connected my telephone — successful much aliases little nan nonstop aforesaid measurement I could pinch nan traditional Amazon app successful place.

You could use this aforesaid benignant of setup to almost immoderate website imaginable, beryllium it YouTube, your favourite pharmacy, aliases moreover LinkedIn and different societal media services. And you tin past uninstall nan accepted apps for those things correct aft — thereby tightening up your Android privacy, smartening up your Android security, freeing up section storage, and apt moreover improving your instrumentality capacity by cutting backmost connected unnecessary assets use.

And pinch Hermit successful spot connected your Android device, creating this benignant of non-app “app” couldn’t beryllium overmuch simpler:

• To start, unfastened up Hermit.
• Tap nan “+ Create” fastener successful its lower-right corner.
• Select “Create Your Own,” past type aliases paste successful nan reside of immoderate website you want and deed nan right-facing arrow wrong nan reside barroom to unfastened it.

Starting up a caller web app looks a batch for illustration opening nan associated website — astatine first.

JR Raphael, Foundry

• Now pat nan “+ Create a Lite App” button. Make judge you’re happy pinch nan app’s name, and make judge you person nan container adjacent to “Add to Home Screen” checked — past deed “OK” and corroborate that you want to adhd that shortcut onto your location screen.

It’ll return you each of 2 minutes to create a caller Android web app pinch Hermit’s help.

JR Raphael, Foundry

And that’s it: You’ll now spot your caller non-app “app” correct connected your modular Android location screen, and you tin simply pat it to interact pinch nan associated tract aliases service.

If you want to return full power complete really these non-app “apps” look and work, unfastened up Hermit again, scroll down to nan bottommost of its main screen, and pat nan gear-shaped settings icon adjacent to nan sanction of immoderate app you’ve added.

You tin past customize a monolithic paper of options, ranging from nan app’s icon to nan style of its interface and moreover what (if any) level of ad-blocking is progressive erstwhile you usage it. This point gives you each sorts of absorbing choices that astir accepted apps would ne'er allow.

Hermit gives you each sorts of settings for customizing and controlling really your web apps work.

JR Raphael, Foundry

Now, pinch definite web-based apps, this setup isn’t wholly needed. Apps that are built explicitly to usability arsenic progressive web apps tin beryllium installed directly from immoderate regular Android web browser, and they’ll automatically activity successful a akin measurement moreover without Hermit successful nan mix.

But most websites don’t connection that option. And utilizing Hermit successful specified instances will springiness you a overmuch much complete, native-feeling, and customizable acquisition than you’d get simply by adding a modular shortcut to nan tract from your browser.

Hermit is free to usage for its halfway functions, by nan by, pinch an optional one-time $10 upgrade to unlock a fistful of precocious options (which you mightiness find intriguing but perfectly don’t need for basal day-to-day benefits).

It’s a full caller measurement to deliberation astir apps connected Android — and a full caller measurement to amended your on-the-go acquisition on pinch your privacy, security, and telephone performance. And that, if you inquire me, is simply a triumph worthy celebrating.

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