Ubuntu Tips n Tricks

Social Media Apps on the Android Platform

Posted: 11 Mar 2011 11:47 PM PST

Over the past 5 years, social media has changed the landscape of the Internet and the way we communicate. The need to connect with friends and family and maintain social networks on the web has impacted almost every user who logs on to the Internet today. The Android platform has itself been at the forefront in bringing social media to the hands of users by integrating their mobile devices with popular social media sites and enabling them to join their social networks on the go. Android users connect to the ever-buzzing social networks more conveniently and easily than ever before. This is made possible by the presence of creative apps on Android markets making the choice on which apps are best at accessing one's favorite social media network a tasking affair.

Facebook for Android App

Facebook is by far the largest social network in the globe, having recently surpassed 500 million active users. It therefore comes as no surprise that the official Facebook for Android app is among the most popular Android apps out there. The app enables real time chat, messaging, access to news feeds, access to one's Facebook profile and almost everything else the average Facebook user would access from their PC's web browser. Those who've used earlier releases of the app will have noticed that every release gets better and better in terms of performance and features offered. The chat facility, for instance, was an addition that wasn't available in previous releases but is now present. Facebook itself is constantly growing and new features like 'Facebook Places' are being rolled out in phases.

Twitter for Android app

Twitter is an immensely popular social media website that many consider to be the future of social media. The official Twitter for Android app was long overdue when it launched in mid 2010. The app has a clean design and is relatively easy to use. Though not as old as other social network apps such as the Facebook for Android, the app is yet to get a consistent feel that is similar to the web version of Twitter. Notably, every major release of this app has taken positive steps by revamping some key features to improve usability. Nevertheless, the Twitter for Android app is a convenient way to send and receive your tweets or direct messages. The Android market has quite a number of confusing third party apps so using this official Twitter for Android app provides some relief to Android users.

Seesmic

Seemsic is arguably the best social media experience available on the Android platform - providing a one-stop app for accessing the major social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Google Buzz. Seesmic is most known for its excellent Twitter experience, a benchmark it set by taking advantage of some weaknesses in the official Twitter for Android app. Seemsic also launched their app well before Twitter launched an official app. One of Seemsic's strengths is the ability to switch from one social network to another seamlessly or to manage multiple accounts on the same platform. The app is also easy to use and has a great user interface.

Foursquare for Android

Social media has been taking different dimensions in its early years. Location awareness is one such relatively youthful dimension. Foursquare is an online service that is founded on connecting people based on their location. The official Foursquare for Android app makes full use of GPS capabilities and other location components that are inbuilt into nearly all Android devices. With a few taps, the app enables user to check in to venues, add new venues and share their location with their friends. Mobility makes the Foursquare for Android app a more interesting experience as compared to using the web-based service on PC.

Aside from the mentioned apps, there are numerous widgets available for download and even more apps customized to meet the diverse needs of social media users globally. It is advisable to use apps provided by official or approved Android markets since security is vital in social media.

You may also check out our list of productivity-enhancing Android apps.