The pre-installed default apps on your phone are meant to perform basic functions–like opening an internet link, placing a call, or sending a text. On Android, you can change the default apps around, if you prefer a third-party alternative to Google’s original choices.
It’s not difficult to do, and it gives you a mobile experience that’s more tailored to your needs and tastes. If you want to return to the original settings, that’s straightforward too, so don’t worry about breaking your phone by switching things up.
What’s a default app anyway?
Default apps are more commonly talked about when it comes to the Windows and macOS operating systems. Double-click on a PDF on your desktop, for example, and what’s the program that appears? Whatever it is, that’s the default app for PDFs. Other file types, from JPEGs to MP3s, will have their own default apps associated with them.
[Related: 12 hidden Android features you should be using]
This matters if you want to be as productive as possible at your desk: If you’re working with documents, you want them to be opening up in your word processor of choice. Double-clicking on a file and having it open in the right program is a speedier, more intuitive way of working than launching the program first, and then having to hunt through menus and folders to find the file you need.
It’s the same on Android. You’re probably not working with the same variety of files in the same way, but the principle still applies: Whether you’re following a web link from an email, or opening up an image from a group chat, you’re going to want to have your preferred app handle the request for you.
This is a feature that Android gives you more control over than iOS: On an iPhone, you can change the default web browser and email app, but that’s it (you always have to use FaceTime as the default way of making video…
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