Akshay Bhalla-Author

Akshay Bhalla

Author

Contributor Since July, 2026
Expertise
Android, Smartphones, Gaming
  • 50
    articles
  • 50
    Features
Android Police logo Profile

About Akshay Bhalla

Akshay Bhalla was the former game guides editor for Screen Rant and the technology editor at MensXP. He has previously written about smartphones, apps, streaming, gadgets, and games for print, digital, and TV media outlets. When he isn’t writing about tech, he can often be found playing JRPGs, listening to music, or playing with his three dogs.

You can reach Akshay at bhallanator @ proton dot me.

What tech products or categories are you most passionate about?

I'm most passionate about smartphones, audio players, productivity apps and emulation on smartphones, PCs and portable consoles. 

What was your first phone and what do you remember about it?

The Nokia 6110 was my first phone that I ever used as a personal device. I later used other phones such as the Nokia 6600, Sony Ericsson T68i and BlackBerry devices. Eventually my love for Android smartphones started with HTC's Android devices and the OnePlus One

Latest

Google Photos Redact tool showing blurred and pixelated areas on a photo.
Google Photos can now blur sensitive info in your pics and screenshots; here's how to use it
Google Photos

Finally, Google Photos has caught up

3
Material Files app interface surrounded by blue folder icons.
I stopped using regular file managers after I found an app with no ads or subscription
file manager

Finally, a capable open source file manager app

3
Car driving along a coastal road with Google Maps’ Ask Maps feature.
Google Maps' Ask Maps feature completely changed how I plan my road trips
Google Maps

I no longer spend an entire weekend planning

Gemini logo surrounded by vacation destinations and an airplane.
Google Maps overwhelmed me, so I used Gemini to find things to do during my vacation instead
Google Gemini

Gemini was so much simpler to use

ASUS Wi-Fi 6 router next to a smartphone running a download manager app
I tested Android download managers on Wi-Fi 6; multi-threaded transfers on this app consistently reached 500Mbps
Wi-Fi

It's the only way I download files now

Obtainium logo with an archive folder.
This open source app helped me free up 15GB of storage on my phone without deleting anything
Open Source

I prefer to use this method for every app possible

Brave Shields settings showing active and disabled protection modes.
I stopped abandoning Brave every time a website broke; this one setting fixed it
Brave Browser

A new feature that is my savior

1
Obtainium surrounded by open-source apps and download icons.
I stopped manually updating sideloaded apps the moment I found an open source app manager
Android Apps

I no longer manually update each open source app

1
Google Maps and Apple Maps icons.
I rely on Google Maps every day, but Apple Maps handles these key navigation details so much better
Google Maps

Google Maps can pick up a thing or two

2
Android phone showing one-handed mode.
I discovered a little-known Android gesture that makes sending one-handed text messages effortless
Android

An underutilized gesture

Google Chrome showing several open tabs and the Inactive tabs section.
I stopped closing mobile tabs manually after tweaking this browser memory setting in Chrome
Google Chrome

Inactive tabs were starting to pile up

Gemini prompt to catalog a game collection shown over several game cases.
I used Gemini to scan and organize 400 physical games to avoid an app's subscription
Google Gemini

Organizing games is no longer a pain

1
Hand holding an Android phone with a MacroDroid automation open beside the app logo.
I found an app that helped me stop doing repetitive phone tasks every day
automation

I no longer worry about menial settings

Electric vehicle charging at a station with PlugShare logo and charging location pins.
If it weren't for this Android Auto app, I would have been left stranded for hours
Android Auto app

Plugshare saved my tail when I needed it most

1
UGREEN Nexode Pro 160W connected to multiple USB-C ports and displaying power output.
After years of outlet hunting, a GaN charger finally solved my multi-device nightmare
Accessories

The upgrade I was waiting for

vRadio streaming on a smartphone and an Android Auto display inside a car.
I ditched local radio for an Android Auto app with thousands of stations from around the world
internet radio

Sometimes the local offering gets boring

1
Google Chrome icon beside a low battery warning.
I found and turned off one setting in Chrome to save 2 hours' worth of battery
Google Chrome

Turning off this one little setting made all the difference

Google Maps pin crossed out over a city map with navigation routes.
I spent a week navigating without Google Maps; I discovered why we can't live without it
Google Maps

One week of pure inconveniences

1
Bare Browser open on an Android phone with the Bare logo.
I ditched Chrome for Bare, a Chromium browser that strips away all of Google's AI bloat
chromium

A browser for folks who don't want the AI bloat

RoutineFlow app showing morning routine steps and timed tasks.
This Android app turned my chaotic mornings into the most productive part of my day
Android Apps

Finally, an app that makes me do more in the mornings

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