Confused? I was too when I first started the app, but surprisingly the app ended up impressing me. Top Assistant is an assistant that can help you do more with your Android device. But, using the app on your smartphone or tablet will be entirely up to your personal preferences. I don’t see myself using the app on a regular base because my Custom Launcher for Android has multiple home screen app docs. I can see people with older or budget devices use the app for multitasking with ease. So what does this assistant app on Android do? It allows you to map apps to a persistent icon that is movable on your Android screen. Tap on it and you will be able to launch any of the assigned apps or functions you may have set.
The Good
Top Assistant is an extremely easy to use app… once you know what it does. It is also accessible everywhere and anytime. Yes, the app icon is visible at all times during your everyday use, including playing games and watching movies. The quick launch nature of the app can be used to switch quickly between apps. Having access to your favorite apps no matter what you are doing is very precious for many people.
The Bad
The design is a little outdated. While the customization is great and all, there should be more features to fully use the potential of the app. The main icon is low quality which is glaringly visible when the app is running on high-resolution devices. The app has a niche use, this means Top Assistant might be completely useless to many users.
The Bottom Line
Top Assistant is a good app, but I don’t see it catching popularity any time soon. Sure there is a certain charm in having all the features you want at your fingertips but most people don’t need that kind of mobility. I can see many professionals using this feature to make their job a little easier. However, Top Assistant can cut a few seconds off the total switching apps thing. The app is innovating and will be useful to those who need rapid switching between apps and can’t be bothered to use the recent apps feature. Apart from that, Top Assistant is a glorified gimmick whose functions are already present in the latest versions of Android OS.
Getting Started
Installation of Top Assistant can be achieved by going to the Google Play Store page and tapping on install. The app will be downloaded in a few seconds. It’s small and can be downloaded using mobile data without using a lot of data. Once the app is installed, there is no information about what exactly it does. You will need to activate the persistent button by launching the app from the drawer. There is also nothing in terms of a helping manual provided by the app. Top Assistant would have greatly benefited from a dedicated help section. It was a little confusing figuring out all the functions all by myself, and I’m a guy who tests around 10 apps per day.
Interface
The interface of the app is average at best. The app tries to use a Windows Metro look in the settings menu and it kind of fails at that. The buttons are not centered at all and feel like the designer just dropped random icons on squares and called it a day. The text is also not properly aligned, and it seems that the last button square is not even of the same size as the rest. Overall the design and interface of the app has seen absolutely no love from the developer. As a designer myself I find these issues really jarring. Thankfully you don’t have to stare at the poorly designed interface all the time. The button icon can be changed, but the default one looks OK design-wise. The icon could have been of higher resolution though because, on closer inspection, it seems of low quality. The quick menu is also not optimally designed. Top Assistant would have been an amazing app if the developers simply hired a competent designer for it instead of doing the hack job they did.
Features
There is not much to Top Assistant. It is a floating button that can be pressed to access more apps. The app is capable of doing little but does it well. One good feature about the app I liked is the home button. Back when I was using the Samsung Galaxy S3 smartphone, the physical home button broke. I installed a custom ROM to enable on-screen buttons, but I don’t want a chunk of my screen dedicated to buttons. This is when I learned about Top Assistant and started using it. Then again the floating button was omnipresent, and I ended up changing the smartphone altogether. Some of the features are only available if you have a rooted device. I don’t recommend rooting your smartphone or tablet just to use those features because they are of very little significance. One such feature is the lock screen feature, which can be done with numerous utility widgets easily.
Usage
Using Top Assistant is quite easy. After the initial setup and settings, tap on the start service button within the app. A small circular icon will appear on the screen. From there you can launch any applications or functions you have assigned to the app. Changing or adding new apps and functions can be handled easily as well. The icon is always present on top of any app you can launch on your device. As you can see below, the icon is present on top of a playing video. The icon can even be displayed over the camera app. It almost blends perfectly with the default Samsung camera interface. You can move the icon by long pressing and dragging it around the screen. This feature comes in handy when you want it to get out of the way.
Permissions
Top Assistant doesn’t need any permissions to work on your smartphone or tablet. It doesn’t even need your email address for logging in. This is one of the most secure apps around.
Conclusion
Top Assistant can be a top assistant to a few, but will strictly remain a niche app. While it is a competent Android assistant app, it has very limited uses. This review highlights some ways you can employ the app to work for you. If you can think of a better way to use Top Assistant or have any kind of suggestion, feel free to share with all of us in the comments below.
