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A guide to Android Market™

Android Market is an application store where you'll find over 250,000 apps, games and widgets for your Android smartphone..

There are apps to help you connect with contacts, apps to optimise battery life and even apps to make some of your phones most important features work better, like the camera and web browser.

Most Android apps and games are free but you can also purchase paid apps with a one off payment via Google checkout. If you decide not to keep a paid app you can just uninstall it within 24 hours of purchase for a full refund.
 Android market

Accessing Android Market…

To access Android Market just tap the shopping bag logo on your home screen. The first time you visit the app store you'll need to log into your Google account or create a new one, but once you're set up there's no need to keep entering your details.

Finding your way around…

The Android Market home page is divided into sections, including featured apps, free apps and games. This makes it much easier to browse the whole catalogue or to look for a particular app you want to download.

Once you've found an app you're interested in, make sure to check out its star rating and any user comments. Also take a look at the permissions screen, as some apps will request access to personal information in order to run properly. While all Android Market apps are carefully moderated, it's important that you only grant the level of access you feel comfortable with.

Installing/uninstalling apps…

Apps download in the background via your phone's internet connection. Simply tap an app, approve its permission requests and select 'download' to have it sent straight to your phone! If it's a paid app you will need to ok the purchase first and re-enter your password.

It's easy to uninstall any apps you no longer want - simply open the settings menu, select 'manage applications' and tap the app you want to remove. Any paid apps you uninstall will remain in the 'my downloads' section of Android Market, ready to re-install later if you choose.


Here are 10 top Android apps to kick start your collection with:

Social apps

Facebook for Android
This simple app shows you all the latest updates from your mates, lets you snap and share photos, and update your status in seconds.

Twidroid free/pro
Available as a limited free app or as a paid app with extra features, Twidroid makes it easy to tweet on the move and regularly delivers updates to your phone.

Google Talk™
This free instant messaging service syncs with GTalk™ on your PC, so you can easily join in a conversation, share a great link or send a file from wherever you are.


Location based services

Google Maps™
The latest version of Google Maps™ for Android includes handy extras to help you find your way, including turn-by-turn directions, info layers and optional voice navigation.

Where
Find local restaurants, coffee shops and petrol stations. Find out what the weather will be like near you, get traffic updates and see the latest local headlines.

Layar
This award-winning app uses your phone's built in camera to create a picture of the area around you. Snap a picture of your surroundings and see layers of handy info.

Locale (paid app)
Locale controls your phone's behaviour based on your current location. Create a profile for your favourite places to have Locale automatically turn settings on or off.


System boosting apps

Juice defender - battery extender
This free app actually detects your phone's battery status and actively manages your internet connection when energy levels get low, helping to preserve battery life!

Advanced Task Killer
This brilliant free app is vital for saving battery life and managing your applications. It allows you to easily see what's currently running and 'kill' any or all open apps.

Uninstaller
This no-nonsense app uninstaller makes it simple to remove any apps you no longer want, without trawling through your phone's setting menus.

Google, Google Maps, Android and Android Market are trademarks of Google Inc.