from sharing via WiFi to installing applications from the PC

Mobile phones are what they are today thanks, almost exclusively, to app stores. Before Android and iOS were the only alternatives in this sector, there were operating systems on smartphones, such as Symbian or Maemo. But installing apps, while possible, hasn’t been as easy as needed to make adoption of these alternatives viable.

Recently, iOS allowed the installation of alternative stores to the AppStore, which has been possible since the beginning on Android, with proposals like the Amazon AppStore or UptoDown. However, the Google Play Store remains by far the most used store, as it comes pre-installed on all Google-certified mobile phones.

That is why getting the most out of it is something practical for almost all users, who You can perform actions you didn’t know you could do, such as synchronizing the installation of applications between the mobile and the tablet, or the watch, or sending applications thanks to the new Android QuickShare system.

Synchronize installations

One of the functions that goes most unnoticed by many users is being able to do, When we install an application on our smartphone, it also appears on other devices in which we are logged in with our Google account. This applies to other phones as well as tablets and even watches with Wear OS.

To activate this function we must open the Google Play Store and click on the avatar in the upper right corner. There we select Manage applications then we must access the option called Sync apps with devices.

A list of devices on which we are connected will appear, and those that synchronize the installation of applications are marked. As you can see, it is possible to mark or uncheck each model independently, so that the installation is carried out on one or the other, according to our preferences.

Share via WiFi

Another little-known function is power Share apps with others using the new QuickShare feature, which was previously called Nearby. This way we can send blocked applications, and not one by one as we would have to do if we wanted to share them from each application’s file. For this, Bluetooth pairing and WiFi transmission are used, although this is a process invisible to the user.

To share it, you need to open the Google Play Store and click on the avatar in the upper right corner. We click on Manage apps and then you need to access the option called Share apps. There are two buttons, one for sending and one for receiving, and you must press the appropriate one on each device. Once this is done, the applications you want to send are selected, after previously authorizing Bluetooth to search for other devices, and they are sent.

Review reviews

One of the most used functions of application stores is to evaluate applications or games, with between one and five stars, in addition to being able to leave a review to show our opinion in a few words. What is not so common is check old reviewsbut it’s possible.

The Google store has a section, in the same section as the two functions that we have already mentioned in the article. In the Manage Applications menu we can access the option called Ratings and Reviews. In two columns will appear the applications that we have installed but which have not yet been rated and those which have a rating. The former can be evaluated from there and the latter allow edit a comment by clicking on the three vertical dots icon what’s in each app.

Wishlist and Library

As is the case in other stores on other platforms, or in stores that do not offer software, the Play Store has a section that serves to note the applications we want to buy or download, a wish list. It’s located in the Library section in the app settings.

In this same section there is also the section family library, where the titles downloaded and purchased by the rest of the family are located. This of course only applies if we are part of a Google Family Group.

Install applications from PC

It is possible that on a certain occasion we have discovered a specific application for our cell phone or tablet but we do not have it nearby, because it is charging, someone else is using it and we we are in front of the computer. It’s possible install any app remotely using just a web browser.

Simply go to the page of the application in question and, with the Google account linked to the Play Store on PC, click on Download. At that time, a window will open as shown in the image above, and it will ask to select the device on which we want it installed. If there is only one it will be simpler but otherwise you will just have to open the drop-down menu and select the smartphone or tablet, or watch.

Parental control

If the cell phone in question that we wish to manage is not ours, but rather that of our child, or another minor, it is possible set parental controls so that games or apps that are not suitable for your age do not appear. There are different filters in movies and in apps, depending on the age of the user.

To configure this option, you need to go to the Play Store settings and then click on the Family option, which will open a drop-down menu. In this one, the Parental Control option is what gives access to this function. There it is activated by clicking the button in the upper right corner and choosing a PIN code. All that remains is to select the desired age level for films and applications.