When the iPhone landed in 2007, Apple’s pre-installed apps for weather, stocks, and a calculator were pretty basic. Once the more versatile third-party apps appeared a year later, it was easy to forget about those default offerings. However, over time, Apple and Google added many new features to those old apps and added new offerings.
Why use a Big Tech app? Good are you already using the company’s software, and there is less chance of malware. But don’t forget to check the privacy policy of any app you download to see what personal data is collected.
Here’s a quick guide to various apps made by Apple and Google, and how to remove them if still never use them.
Apple Standby Updates
if you haven’t opened Apple Weather App in a few years, it has had a major overhaul after rival weather app Dark Sky was bought by Apple in 2020 and integrated its technology. Apple Weather now includes precipitation alerts, hyper-local forecasts, and color radar maps. Dashboards showing air quality, UV index, humidity, wind speed, and sunrise and sunset times open for detailed information. There’s also a 10-day forecast: tap a day to see the forecasted high and low temperatures and conditions.
at Apple Stocks app, you can still search for ticker symbols in the search box. If you have set up a custom watch list (or several), touch a ticker symbol to get a screen full of data; Tap the time ranges at the top of the graph to see performance over time, or swipe the data below the graph to see more detail.
Pressing the center of the graph with one finger shows the value for a given day and time, and pressing with two fingers shows the difference in value over time. Want a quick view of a stock’s performance? Just long press on your ticker symbol in your watch list.
old faithful Calculator The app, which has long hidden a scientific calculator for more advanced math functions when you use the iPhone in landscape mode, has a few other shortcuts. Did you accidentally enter the wrong number? Just swipe left or right on the screen to remove the last digit. And press your finger down to copy a calculation to paste elsewhere.
The Android Toolbox
The pre-installed Android software differs depending on the version of the operating system. but a calculator app It’s been standard since the early days; The current edition handles basic math and science operations like trigonometric, logarithmic, and exponential functions no matter which way you hold the phone, and the screen at the top stores your previous calculations.
Some hardware manufacturers like samsung they have their own versions; he samsung calculator includes a unit conversion feature to translate measurements.
You can track both time and stock through the Google app on most android phones. When you open the app and tap the weather button, you can save a shortcut to the forecast on your home screen; If you don’t see the option, tap the three-dot menu icon on the right and choose Add to Home Screen.
To set up and track your stock portfolio, tap the Stocks button and add ticker symbols, mutual funds, and other content to your watch list. Google provides news related to your list and you can save a Google Finance Shortcut to your home screen.
Find more free apps
Apple and Google have created dozens of tools that make your phone even more like a digital Swiss Army knife, like free language translation, health, and maps apps. Apple tends to load these, as their magnifying glass, voice memos, Extent and Compass apps, on new devices. If you can’t find one you’re looking for, search a free download in the app store.
Depending on the phone, you may find certain apps created by Google already installed; Google Play Store has a full page of free android apps developed by Google to navigate. Many applications developed by Google have iOS counterpart and are available on the iOS App Store, as Google Earth and socraticA homework helper powered by artificial intelligence.
use it or lose it
If you’re not using an app, removing it saves space and helps keep your Home screen organized. Apple now allows most of its own iPhone apps to be removed clicking on an icon until a menu appears with the option “delete”.
On an Android phone, you can delete many apps quickly by dragging each icon to the top of the screen to the Uninstall option.
And if you change your mind later, you can always download those apps again.
