HOW-TO DESK

Google Play is the safest place to get Android apps, but a little care before you tap Install still pays off. These checks take under a minute and filter out most copycats and low-quality apps. 1.…

Permissions decide what an app can reach on your phone: camera, microphone, location, photos, contacts and more. Android lets you review and change them at any time, and doing so is one of the…

"Storage almost full" usually appears at the worst moment, often halfway through installing a game update. Here's how to get space back without losing anything important. 1. Find out what's using the…

Updates bring new features, but more importantly they fix security holes. Letting Android handle them automatically is the simplest way to stay protected. Turn on auto-update Open the Play Store .…

A star rating squeezes thousands of opinions into one number. Knowing how to look behind it helps you pick the right app the first time. Look at the shape, not just the average The rating breakdown…

If children use your phone or have their own Android device, parental controls let you limit what they can download and buy. It takes about five minutes. Set content ratings in the Play Store Open…

Copycat apps try to look like popular ones to grab downloads, show excessive ads or collect data. These warning signs help you avoid them. Warning signs on the store page Developer name doesn't match…

Getting a new phone is exciting. Re-downloading and logging into every app isn't. Android's built-in transfer tools do most of the work for you. Before you start Charge both phones and keep them…

If you’ve ever tried to download an app or game from a third-party source, you might have come across XAPK or APK files. These files allow you to install apps that aren’t available on the Google Play Store or access…