Make Android's sharing KILLER feature even more powerful
By JR Raphael
January 31, 2013 2:21 PM EST
blogs.computerworld.com
 Android's system-wide sharing capability is one of the platform's most useful and distinguishing features -- but like most things in Android, it's something you can easily tweak and make even better.
Android's sharing setup, as we discussed yesterday, allows you to seamlessly pass data from one app to another -- anything from text to URLs or even images. You just tap the share command anywhere in the system, and you get a list of apps and services to which the data can be sent. Everything's interconnected, and the system works with any compatible app installed on your device.
For the power user, though, more advanced options await. That's where an app called Andmade Share comes into play.
Andmade Share replaces the stock Android sharing menu with a more robust and customizable interface -- much like custom Android launchers do for the stock launcher setup. So what do you stand to gain from the change? Quite a bit, actually.
Here's a side-by-side look at the stock Android 4.2 sharing menu (left) and the Andmade Share menu (right):
Andmade, as you can see, presents all your sharing options in a single-column horizontal list. But visuals aside, there are several important differences.
First, Andmade Share lets you share to multiple places at the same time. Say you want to send a link to both Google+ and Twitter, for instance. With the stock Android setup, you'd have to first share to Google+, then go back to your browser, tap the share command again, and select Twitter that second time.
With Andmade Share, you simply share once, tap the boxes beside Google+ and Twitter, and then tap a "Share" command that appears at the bottom of the screen. Google+ will pop up first with your link already populated. Then, when you hit the back button, you'll be taken directly to your Twitter app -- where the link will also be ready and waiting for you.
The same could apply to any sharing scenario -- sending a chunk of text to Gmail and Evernote, sending an image to Dropbox and Drive -- you name it.
Another nice feature Andmade Share provides is the ability to optimize the sharing list for your own personal usage habits. You can drag and drop items in the list to reorder them, and you can even hide items from the list to clear up clutter and get rid of options you don't frequently use.
The app has several other useful features, including the ability to set a default send-to email address for Gmail-shared data. It also offers a choice of a dark or light theme for the sharing menu (I prefer the latter).
 And if you feel like ponying up a couple of bucks for the "pro" version of the program, you gain even more options, including the ability to create preset groups of apps to which you can share simultaneously with a single tap.
Not too shabby, my friends. Not too shabby at all. |
