Here are four Google apps that are more useful than you'd think

Most of us just stick to the bare essential apps that usually come pre-installed on our devices. Various surveys in the past have even suggested that the majority of smartphone users install no more than one additional app per month on their devices. There are, however, several Google apps that don’t come preinstalled on your devices that you really should install. They offer a number of features that can be extremely useful in ways that you didn’t think possible. So here goes… Android Device Manager  The Android Device Manager is the app you wished you’d installed when you lost your phone. This simple little app lets you track your Android device, reset the lock-screen password that you forgot and also remotely erase the data from your phone. Some security software asks you to pay for services like this, but why should you when it’s already available for free? The app isn’t perfect, and needs a working data or Wi-Fi connection to function, but it’s still better than leaving your phone unsecured. Download here Wallpapers  You know how hard it is to find decent wallpapers for your smartphone. There are a number of third-party apps that will find wallpapers for you and there’s always Google, but did you know that there also is a first-party app that will take care of all your wallpaper needs? Simply titled ‘Wallpapers’, this app accesses images from Google+, Google Earth and others and sets your wallpaper for you, including individual ones for your lock screen and home screen. You can set the app to change your wallpapers periodically as well. While the app is well rated, there are some complaints that the library is a little thin at the moment. Download here Google Authenticator

With all these stories of leaks and hacked accounts flying around, securing your own Google accounts should be high up on your priority list. For this, Google offers two options. You can either enable two-step verification via SMS or you can use the Google Authenticator app. SMS is good, but you’ll need to update your number every time you change a SIM, even when you’re travelling, which can be a pain. Google Authenticator fixes this minor inconvenience. Once paired with your account, you can get Google to ask you for your authentication code every time you log in somewhere. The Authenticator will generate a random key whenever you want to log in to your account. Download here Google Arts and Culture

This isn’t a must-have app per se, but it’s a very educational one and can be very useful if you have a bunch of young ‘uns on your hands. The app is interactive and educational and even supports VR tours of collections and museums. What more do you need to keep the tiny tots busy? Download here