These are the apps I rely on for my personal Pixel utility toolkit

So you’ve just bought a shiny new Pixel device and you’re wondering what apps could elevate the experience? For what it’s worth, your new Pixel already comes pre-installed with a trove of must-use applications — and it’s mostly devoid of bloatware.

However, regardless of Google doing a great job at providing essentials right out of the box, there are key, indispensable applications that you might want to download to get the most out of your Pixel, especially when it comes to utility and efficiency.

Here are five utility-focused apps, in no particular order, that I set up first on any new Pixel.

1 APKMirror Installer

For all your app bundle needs

I write about Android for a living, and a big part of my job is to try out new beta app builds. The majority of the time, these apps aren’t listed or easily accessible via the Google Play Store, with safe and reliable sources to sideload such apps limited to APKMirror, F-Droid, APKPure, and a few others.

When sideloading simple APKs, Android’s app installer comes second to none, but the same can’t be said when it comes to sideloading bundles and split APKs.

Without getting into too many details, bundles allow Google and developers to offer apps with smaller sizes, resulting in faster downloads.

However, when sideloading said bundles, you need a separate split APK installer, with APKMirror Installer and SAI being reliable options that I install first on any new Pixel device.

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2 1Password

Advanced password management features that aren’t convoluted to use

1Password / Pocket-lint

I’ve always been a Google Password Manager user, but I jumped ship to 1Password recently on both Android and iOS.

Google’s offering is great, especially considering that it is absolutely free to use – but 1Password’s recent location-based item surfacing feature is an absolute game-changer, and a worthy-enough reason to switch if you’re okay with paying $4/month.

1Password

1Password will create, manage, and store all of your passwords and account names and numbers. It’s easier than having to jot down all your login information for many sites.

The new feature essentially surfaces items right at the top of the app when you’re near its designated location. For example, let’s say your office door has a 6-digit access code that you just can’t remember. You’ve always been able to save the access code within your 1Password app, but now you can add a location to it, too, and whenever you’re in close proximity to your office, 1Password will automatically surface the access code for you.

I primarily use the feature for my gym locker, but the possibilities are endless — think access to medical records when you’re near your local clinic or security alarm access codes when you’re at home.

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3 Gemini

Have you replaced Google Assistant yet?

Starting off as Bard in 2023 as a direct ChatGPT competitor, Gemini has evolved significantly since its early web-only implementation, with it now being available on smartphones, tablets, earbuds, and soon even TVs.

Not only does the app serve its role as an AI chatbot, it also doubles as a smart assistant, and it has successfully replaced Google Assistant on my Pixel.

Despite its bad rep during its infancy, Gemini has grown to be a capable assistant with app integrations. These include:

• Spotify
• WhatsApp
• Google Messages
• Google Phone
• Google Home
• Utilities
• Google Maps
• YouTube, YouTube Music, and more.

Google Gemini

Gemini is Google’s premier AI assistant app for the Android operating system that can provide text responses to questions, generate and analyze images, and is now available on iOS.

Its conversational assistant, Gemini Live, lets you speak to the AI assistant in a free-flowing and conversational manner, complete with options to interrupt and redirect the assistant as needed.

Considering that Live Video and on-screen context abilities are poised to arrive on Live later this month, paired with an option to invoke the conversational assistant by tapping your Pixel’s power button soon, it’s clear that Gemini is here for the long run, and an app worth downloading when you first get your new Pixel.

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4 Link to Windows

Stay focused, all while staying connected

Microsoft

I work on a desktop PC, with my phones normally tucked away unless I need to test out an app for an article, click photos, and/or grab screenshots. This approach is primarily to avoid distractions. However, I also like to stay aware of important notifications and calls, and Link to Windows and its companion Phone Link apps are perfect for my needs.

I could use the likes of Beeper to consolidate my notifications, but that just feels like an extra step with less functionality. With Link to Windows, not only do I have the option to keep track of notifications with an option to quickly reply, I can also drag and drop photos from my gallery, make and receive calls, check my phone’s battery, put it on DND, and more — essentially bringing my Pixel into my Windows workspace.

Link to Windows

Link to Windows is an easy way to connect your phone to your PC, so you can take calls, access your gallery, or receive notifications on your desktop.

Bonus: Link to Windows automatically hides sensitive notifications like 2FA codes and/or one-time passcodes, ensuring that they aren’t inadvertently displayed on your PC screen when you’re working around other individuals.

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5 Inoreader

Google discontinued its own RSS feed aggregator, Reader, back in 2013 – and in hindsight, it feels like a major missed opportunity for the tech giant – especially considering that it potentially could have worked hand-in-hand with Google’s Discover feed.

In today’s world of content overload, blocking out noise to reach what truly matters is a constant struggle. Some of the best feed aggregators, however, provide a lifeline, allowing you to curate a feed of sources that publish content that you know will be of interest to you. Inoreader does that for me.

Inoreader

Inoreader is one of the web-based RSS readers on the market, aggregating content from a variety of sources, including social media websites like Facebook, Reddit, and even Bluesky. It is available as a free-to-use app on the Play Store and the App Store.

I may be biased, because I have a paid subscription that doesn’t dent my pocket (shh!mMy former employer is blissfully unaware), but Inoreader’s free tier isn’t all that bad either. The free tier allows you to follow 150 websites with RSS feeds at once, complete with support for trending articles, an option to build your own dashboard, support for exporting articles as PDFs, Google News alerts, and more.

The only thing I’d be bummed about if I were to use Inoreader’s free tier is the lack of support for following Telegram, YouTube, Reddit, and Bluesky feeds, though free alternatives like Feedbro solve that issue, at least at the browser-level.