The most popular Android phones are big—it’s just a fact. Most of us have giant screens in our pockets, but most of us don’t have giant hands. Thankfully, there are some tools at your disposal that can make it easier to use your phone without needing a two-handed grip.
Big screens have their benefits, of course. You can see more at a time, even multiple apps at once. It’s better for watching full-screen videos. Larger phones also mean larger batteries. However, there’s no getting around the fact that big phones are harder to use with one hand. Here are some apps to fix that.
Quick Cursor
Reach anything without shrinking the screen
You may already know that Android has a built-in “one-handed” mode. It allows you to temporarily condense the screen into a smaller layout. There is a way to reach the entire screen without making it smaller, though.
Quick Cursor acts as an extension of your finger. Simply swipe in from either side of the screen, and a floating cursor and trackpad appear. Drag the trackpad around the screen to reach the top, then tap to “click” the cursor. The cursor intelligently adjusts the distance from the trackpad as you move it up and down the screen. It’s honestly very smooth and easy to use, and it has lots of customization options to get it working exactly how you like.
Quiz
How well do you know classic Android apps?
Trivia Challenge
From the early days of the Play Store to iconic must-haves — how well do you remember Android’s greatest apps?
HistorySocialProductivityGamesAndroid
What was the name of Android’s original app marketplace before it became the Google Play Store?
Correct! The Android Market launched in 2008 alongside the first Android device, the HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1). It was rebranded as the Google Play Store in March 2012, merging apps, music, books, and movies into one unified storefront.
Not quite. The original marketplace was called Android Market, which debuted in 2008. Google rebranded it as the Google Play Store in 2012 to unify all of its digital content under one roof.
Which classic Android app was famous for letting users ‘check in’ to physical locations and earn badges?
Correct! Foursquare was a location-based social network that let users check in to restaurants, bars, and landmarks to earn points, badges, and the coveted ‘Mayor’ status. It was enormously popular around 2010–2013 before splitting into Foursquare and Swarm.
Not quite. That was Foursquare, the location-based app where checking in to places earned you badges and the ‘Mayor’ title. It was a cultural phenomenon in the early smartphone era before eventually splitting into two separate apps.
Which mobile game, released in 2009, had players launching birds from a slingshot to destroy pig structures and became one of Android’s first massive hits?
Correct! Angry Birds by Rovio became a global phenomenon after its 2009 launch, eventually spawning movies, merchandise, and dozens of sequels. It was one of the apps that demonstrated the enormous commercial potential of mobile gaming.
Not quite. The answer is Angry Birds, developed by Rovio and released in 2009. It became one of the best-selling mobile games of all time and proved that smartphones could be a dominant gaming platform.
Which messaging app, launched in 2009, was one of the first to offer free cross-platform text and voice messaging over the internet on Android?
Correct! WhatsApp launched in 2009 and quickly became one of the most downloaded Android apps ever, offering free messaging as an alternative to costly SMS. Facebook acquired it in 2014 for approximately $19 billion, one of the largest tech acquisitions in history.
Not quite. WhatsApp, founded in 2009, was the app that pioneered free internet-based messaging on smartphones. Its massive global adoption made it one of the most successful Android apps ever, leading Facebook to acquire it for roughly $19 billion in 2014.
Which note-taking app, with its distinctive elephant logo, was a go-to productivity tool for Android users throughout the early 2010s?
Correct! Evernote and its iconic green elephant logo dominated the note-taking space for years, offering syncing across devices at a time when cloud sync was still a novelty. At its peak, it had over 225 million users before competition from Google Keep and Notion eroded its lead.
Not quite. The answer is Evernote, recognizable by its green elephant logo. It was the king of note-taking apps in the early Android era, offering multi-device cloud sync before that was a common feature, and it amassed hundreds of millions of users worldwide.
Which early Android flashlight app became notorious as one of the most downloaded yet most privacy-controversial apps on the platform?
Correct! Brightest Flashlight Free by GoldenShores Technologies was once the most downloaded flashlight app on Android, but the FTC took action against it in 2013 for secretly collecting and selling users’ location data without clear consent. It became a landmark case in mobile app privacy.
Not quite. Brightest Flashlight Free was the infamous flashlight app that the FTC investigated in 2013 for collecting and selling users’ location data without proper disclosure. It became one of the first high-profile examples of mobile app privacy violations.
Which music streaming app launched its Android version in 2009 and allowed users to stream personalized radio stations based on a single artist or song?
Correct! Pandora brought its Music Genome Project-powered radio to Android in 2009, letting users create stations seeded by an artist or track. It was a revolutionary concept at the time and helped pave the way for the on-demand streaming era that Spotify would later dominate.
Not quite. That was Pandora, which used its Music Genome Project algorithm to generate personalized radio stations on Android starting in 2009. It was a pioneering streaming service that introduced millions of users to internet-based music discovery on mobile.
In the classic Android game Temple Run, which creature chases the player throughout the game?
Correct! Temple Run featured a group of demon monkeys relentlessly chasing the player after they steal a cursed idol from a temple. Released in 2011, the game pioneered the endless runner genre on mobile and was downloaded over 170 million times within its first year.
Not quite. The answer is demon monkeys — terrifying creature enemies that chase you endlessly after you steal their idol in Temple Run. The game launched in 2011 and became one of the defining endless runner games of the early Android era, with hundreds of millions of downloads.
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Assistive Touch for Android
Steal one of the iPhone’s best features
iPhones have a feature called “Assistive Touch” that is sneakily really cool. When enabled, there’s a floating button visible on the screen at all times. Tapping the button expands a menu with customizable shortcuts. It’s genuinely useful, and Android can do it, too.
All you need is the aptly named “Assistive Touch for Android” app. Just like on the iPhone, it puts a floating button on the screen. You have complete control over which shortcuts appear on the menu. For large phones, the Notification Shade, Quick Settings, and Power Menu are especially helpful. You have up to 17 slots to fill, so don’t hesitate to put all your favorite actions at easy reach.
Niagara Launcher
More than just a minimalist launcher
Niagara Launcher is an excellent Android home screen for a variety of reasons—one of them is large screen reachability. If you’re unfamiliar, Niagara completely reimagines what a home screen should look like. The boring grid of icons is replaced with a vertical list, but the magic lies in the gestures.
Swiping down on the home screen automatically pulls down the notification shade. Swiping up on the home screen launches a universal device and web search. The best gesture, though, is for opening apps. Simply slide your finger along the edge of the screen, and you can quickly find an app without needing to reach very far.
Don’t ignore the built-in method
These apps are genuinely useful, but I also wouldn’t forget about the previously mentioned one-handed mode. On Google Pixel phones, it shifts the screen down, while Samsung Galaxy phones scale the entire screen to a corner. It’s usually enabled by simply swiping down on the home button/gesture bar. Whichever option you choose to use, you can give your thumbs a rest and rest reach easy.
I can’t live without this underrated Android gesture
As phone screens have gotten more unwieldy, we’ve been forced to rely more on gestures for navigation. While some gestures are obvious, there are others that aren’t as well-known. One lesser-known Android gesture, in particular, has become essential in my daily life.
