The 6 best Android app changes I made this year

Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more. The 6 best Android app changes I made this year 13 hours ago I’m very much a creature of habit, which means that I’ve used the same apps for years, even as more alternatives entered the market. However, this year, I decided to switch things up a bit. While not every shift I’ve made has stuck, here are some of the changes that I’m most happy I’ve made. What app changes have you made this year that you're happy about? 1. Ditching Chrome While I was happy with Chrome as my default browser for years, I started growing more frustrated with Google’s decisions - especially when it came to hampering the capabilities of certain extensions. However, my initial switch to a new browser on Android was due to needing a mobile browser that supported a forced dark mode. It’s one of the changes I had to make to get my smartphone to stop giving me migraines . I initially left Chrome behind on my smartphone, but was so happy with the switch that I changed my browser on my PC too. But I grew to appreciate the features that other browsers were offering, including ad blocking (especially on sites that were unusable due to intrusive popups) and better search engines. I was so happy with the switch that I eventually made the transition on my PC and laptop as well. I now use Brave on my smartphone, while I use Brave and Firefox on my computers. 2. Switching to a standalone password manager I had put off switching to a standalone password manager for years. But when I switched browsers, I decided that it was the perfect time to try out a separate password manager too. Switching to Proton Pass went smoothly, and there were far fewer hiccups than expected. It also had a few benefits, like the ability to easily generate a strong password in the app or use the browser extension. The main drawback is that the free plan doesn’t allow you to save payment information, but this is a minor inconvenience. I also feel better knowing that my passwords are stored using end-to-end encryption. 3. Starting self-hosting I started self-hosting earlier this year as a way to try out a few services and ended up discovering some of my new favorite apps. One of the benefits of self-hosting is finding niche services that suit your needs, while also maintaining your privacy. Because these services are hosted on your own hardware, they’re usually free and don’t fall into the same monetization pitfalls as other free apps. I never feel like a self-hosted app is just a free app trying to bully me into a paid plan . By self-hosting apps, I've discovered great services that don't have the same predatory monetization of some proprietary free apps. I’ve tried out some well-known self-hosted apps like Home Assistant and Immich, but some of my favorites are newer apps...

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