Apps
12 lightweight versions of your favorite Android apps
Do you want to speed up your phone, free up storage space, and minimize data usage? These lightweight versions of popular apps will be able to help you accomplish those three.
These apps are generally intended for developing regions with slow internet connections and less powerful devices. They’re not as feature-rich as their full-featured counterparts, but sacrificing a few features will go a long way for Android phones with weaker specs.
Camera360 Lite

Camera360 Lite will still deliver your candy selfies with dozens of filters and presets. The best part is that it’s less than 4MB to download.
Facebook Lite

Stay connected with your friends on the world’s most popular social network even with a 2G connection. Instead of accessing the mobile site of Facebook on your phone’s browser, you can download Facebook Lite to get more features and instant notifications.
Files Go

Files Go is designed to work for any Android phone, but devices with low storage will benefit nicely from this app. Instead of relying on crapware for cleaning your phone, download this one made by Google.
Google Go

As Google embraces developing markets more with the introduction of Android Oreo (Go edition), a lightweight version of their search app is up on select countries. Enjoy the best of Google Search without sacrificing precious megabytes.
Line Lite

Line is pretty popular in Asia, and with the stripped-down version of their mobile messaging app, you can message your friends with a package that takes up only 1MB on your phone. Don’t worry, you can still send stickers, images, and emojis.
LinkedIn Lite

Keeping in touch with your professional connections online will be a lot easier with LinkedIn Lite. You can chat with your connections to get job referrals and career advice without a heavy app on your phone.
Messenger Lite

If you have Facebook Lite, you should have Messenger Lite to complement it. Like with Line, you can still do messaging basics with photos, stickers, and even voice calls for longer chitchats.
Opera Mini

Even before Android phones became affordable for the masses, Opera Mini was around on feature phones for loading mobile web pages quickly and neatly. Now that we all have smartphones, the app still doesn’t fail to deliver.
Shazam Lite

Quit guessing and typing the lyrics of what’s playing around you. Shazam already has a straightforward app which lets you record first offline and search when you go online.
Skype Lite

Video calling is pretty heavy on data and storage space, so if you worry about that, Skype’s own lightweight app can help you. You can even do group video calls for free. Some of its features are primarily for India, but everything else works well everywhere.
Twitter Lite

Twitter’s mobile website works wonderfully, but then again, having a dedicated app on your phone is better. If the main Twitter app is too much for your phone (or even for you), there’s the Lite version available for download.
YouTube Go

Here’s another Google-made lightweight app for the rollout of Android Oreo’s Go edition. YouTube Go is designed to be offline-first because it asks to download the video instead of streaming it instantly. You can re-watch the saved video after without spending your data allowance.
With Android Oreo (Go edition) already on its way to manufacturers, these lightweight apps list will soon have more names. Which app should be next?
SEE ALSO: 10 offline free-to-play mobile games on iOS and Android
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Apps
Disney+ launches a TikTok-coded vertical feed called Verts
TikTok has changed how we consume media. Everything is now vertical. Even the most established streaming services, often a bastion for traditionally horizontal content, is adopting the different format. Now, Disney+ is getting a vertical feed called Verts.
Like its contemporaries, Verts presents a continuous feed of content but tailored to show the plethora of titles from the Disney+ library. This might include the first scenes of shows or notable highlights. The hope, of course, is to direct users to the longform content.
Directly from the Verts feed, users can easily add the respective title to their watchlist or go straight to the title’s page. In turn, the feed is accessible from the homepage since it has its own tab.
According to Disney, early experiments with the feature have driven engagement to available content. Right now, the feed is mostly for clipping enticing content from shows. However, the platform will experiment further with the format for new ways to tell stories.
Though Verts surely stands for “verticals” in this case, “adverts” might fit better as its full government name. Still, it might be a useful tool if you’re figuring out what to watch for the night.
Currently, Verts is available for Disney+ subscribers in the United States. Disney also has plans to expand the feature to ESPN for sports-related content.
SEE ALSO: Live NBA action on Disney Plus now available in the Philippines
Some of today’s navigation apps are living in the future. Instead of a two-dimensional map, these apps render the user’s surroundings in 3D. It’s a nifty upgrade that helps drivers more accurately visualize directions on the fly. Finally, Google Maps is getting a much-needed upgrade and will take navigation to the third dimension.
In a new update rolling out today, the new Immersive Navigation feature will bring your surroundings to life. The 3D view creates a render of the surrounding buildings, overpasses, and terrain around the car. It takes the guesswork out of navigation by showing precisely where to turn and what landmarks to look out for.
In the same vein, you can now use Street View to preview your destination before you arrive. Google Maps will also highlight your destination’s entrance, side of the street, and nearby parking.
Outside of how the map is visualized, Google Maps is also infusing its service with Gemini. The new Ask Maps feature will let you engage with the app in a conversational manner. For example, if you’re in the middle of a long drive, you can now ask Maps where the best place is to stop over and have a coffee break. Ask Maps will provide directions, a potential itinerary, and even helpful links to book a reservation ahead of time.
Now, availability for both of these features is still a bit limited. Immersive View is rolling out today to compatible devices and vehicles in the United States. Further, availability will expand over the coming months.
Meanwhile, Ask Maps is available now in the United States and India for Android and iOS. A desktop version is coming soon.
SEE ALSO: Google Maps is finally getting a power saving mode
Apps
Apple Music, TikTok launch Play Full Song, a new music discovery experience
Rolling out worldwide exclusively through Apple Music
Ever came across a viral 15 or 30-second music snippet on TikTok that instantly became your jam on repeat?
For years, TikTok has been a regular source of songs that have become part of our playlists. And together with Apple Music, listening to the music you discover has just gotten even easier.
That’s through Play Full Song, a new music discovery experience, which launches exclusively though Apple Music.
With the new feature, Apple Music subscribers can now enjoy full-length tracks that they discover on TikTok. That’s without ever leaving that popular streaming app.
Fans who discover a song that they love on their For You or Sound Detail page can simply tap the Play Full Song button to open up an Apple Music player and enjoy the song in its entirety.
From there, subscribers can continue listening to a personalized stream of recommended songs. That means no more need to switch apps and search separately.
The new Play Full Song experience helps music fans move seamlessly from the moment of discovery to deeper listening. It’s also designed to be instant and all within the same environment.
Moreover, users can also save their favorite songs to Your Music and add them directly to their Apple Music playlists.
Built using Apple’s MusicKit, full-length song playback takes place on Apple Music. This way, streams are paid within the Apple Music service, supporting artists and rights holders while giving fans a smooth, uninterrupted experience.
Listening Party also launched
The feature builds on the success of TikTok’s Add to Music App. This was previously launched to help artists and fans convert discovery on TikTok to a playlist save in Apple Music and other streaming services.
To cap the announcement, TikTok and Apple Music are also introducing Listening Party. This new feature is designed to bring artists and fans together around music.
It creates a shared environment where fans can listen to songs from their favorite artists in real time, interact with each her, and engage directly with the artist during the session.
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