Android Apps You Will Not Want to Be Without

Is anyone else tired of all the talk about how iOS is the platform that gets all the innovative, useful business and personal finance apps first and only, or is it just me? If you listen to the iPhone crowd, the only app advantage Android has is a near monopoly on malware.

To be fair, the vast amount of mobile malware out there is on the Android platform. It is for much the same reason that it was true for Windows back in the day. It is because Android is an open platform that has the vast majority of users. If you want inexpensive technology with near infinite combinations of variety, that is the price you pay. Bad actors are going to try to take advantage of it.

It is also true that many popular, mainstream apps come to iOS first. So what! There are a lot more Android devices to target. So it takes developers a little more time and resources. That is just the nature of the beast, especially when the beast is an inexpensive, open platform that powers the vast majority of smartphones worldwide. If it wasn’t for Android, most people wouldn’t be able to afford a decent smartphone. If the price for that is that we have to be a little more diligent, and have to wait a little longer for some apps, then the price is well worth it.

While we are waiting for the next big thing to hit the platform, there is no reason we should not be enjoying the million or so apps we already have. Android has matured quite a bit in a relatively short period of time. You don’t have to look to iOS for some of the most useful, non-gaming apps on the planet. When you need to take life seriously, here are a few apps you might want to consider:

Credit Monitoring

One thing we all have to take seriously is our credit score. Have you checked yours lately? If so, did you find any inaccuracies in the report? Don’t worry. You are not alone. A lot of mistakes happen in the credit reporting process. There may be bills you have paid that were not reported. Remember that apartment five years ago that billed you for a hole in the wall that you know was there when you moved in? Yep, that is also on your credit report. If you do not challenge it and get rid of it, that bad mark will haunt you the next time you try to rent.

If you outsource the repair to a firm like Lexington Law, you will be able to use their app to:

• Monitor your case status.
• View items that have been removed from your credit reports.
• View ReportWatch credit monitoring alerts.
• View your credit reports on file.
• View your current creditor actions.

Their Android app allows you to deal with this important business while on the go.

Personal Banking

Regions bank, Bank of America, Mint, HSBC: they all have iPhone apps. Oh, looky here. They also have apps for Android. They are joined by a whole host of others. If you were to do this same search on Windows Phone or Blackberry, you would be treated with only a fraction of the banking apps, and the sound of crickets chirping.

On Android, you can pay your bills, make deposits, transfer money, and monitor your balance with the best of them. If your bank is too obscure to have a dedicated app, chances are you will not have any trouble accessing it through any one of the secure web browsers available for the platform. Android is an excellent platform for all your banking needs.

Invoicing

One of the first names in digital invoicing is FreshBooks. Based on their description, FreshBooks is the fastest way to invoice your clients, organize expenses and track time on the go. One of the most important business processes for small business owners and independent contractors is invoicing for the work they do.

Time tracking is a major part of the invoicing headache because much of the work is done while on the go. If you have your android phone and the free FreshBooks app, you will be able to easily keep track of all your mobile expenses and billable hours. To take care of business, you don’t need a laptop, and you don’t need an iPhone.

There is nothing wrong with having a laptop or an iPhone. But Android is often portrayed as inferior to those solutions when it comes to getting important things done. Now you know better. When life takes a serious turn, your Android phone is sufficient for taking care of business.