These preinstalled Android apps aren’t as useless as you think

Source Domain: www.makeuseof.com

Open the app drawer on your phone, and you’ll probably spot several apps you never even touch. Most of these are likely there for one simple reason: they came preinstalled. And while it’s easy to assume they’re all useless, it’s not true for all of them.

Files by Google can help free up storage with its Clean tab, Google TV can double as a remote for your TV, and Google Fit is great for monitoring your health even if you don’t own a wearable. So before you get rid of these apps, make sure to explore what they can actually do.

Files by Google

The easiest way to reclaim space

Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution requiredScreenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution requiredScreenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required

There was a time when file managers were a big deal on Android, but not anymore. Photos and documents live in the cloud, and most of us don’t sideload APKs like we used to. All of this has made file managers almost redundant for everyday use.

Still, the Files app on your Android phone is quite useful for managing storage. It has a dedicated Clean tab that you can use whenever your phone is running low on storage space.

Open it, and the app will scan your phone for all junk files, old screenshots, large files, unused apps, and more. You can go through the suggestions one by one and get rid of anything you don’t need. This saves you from digging through folders or scrolling endlessly in your gallery, as the Files app gives you all the smart suggestions in one place.