PushBullet for Android sends text and files to your phone in the blink of an eye

There was a time when even the most passionate Android users had trouble getting excited about the apps available on the platform. This no longer the case as Android has overtaken the competition as the most used mobile operating system. Developers pay attention to Android, and Google’s improvements in recent years have provided for some interesting app experiences you just don’t get on other mobile operating systems. One such app is the newly released PushBullet, which takes advantage of Android’s notifications, file system, and push messaging. I think this might be the newest essential Android app, and here’s why.

PushBullet is basically a way to get information from your PC to your phone with the minimum hassle possible. You can send three different kinds of text notifications, each with application intents attached to add functionality. You can also send files from your PC browser directly to your Android device.

Setting up PushBullet is a fairly straightforward process. After you install the Android app, you will be directed to the PushBullet website to manage your devices. It uses Google Apps to connect to your phone or tablet, so you don’t have to mess with PINs or logins to make it work. Just select your Google account in the app and on the website, and you’re done.

Your devices will be listed on the PushBullet website, so it’s easy to push to a specific device if you have more than one. The interface is very clean when creating your messages. There are four tabs: one for each of the three kinds of text notifications, and one for file push.

The note option allows you to choose a title, and add a block of text that will appear in the notification. On Jelly Bean devices, this notification is expandable too. Tapping on it will open the PushBullet app so you can see the entire block of text — you can send quite a lot.

The address message again has a title field, but the address you enter into the next space will be used to trigger Google Maps on your device. This is called an intent in Android. When you tap on the notification, Maps will search for the location automatically. This is really handy if you’re on the way out the door and need to navigate with the phone.

The list notification is expandable, so it’s nice for at a glance shopping or to-do management. However, tapping on this notification pulls up the PushBullet app showing each item in a column with checkboxes. You can mark things off as you go, and the app keeps track of what’s crossed off so you can come back to it later.

The file push piece is what sets PushBullet apart. Just select the file tab on the website, choose the file you want to send, and it will be shot over to your device immediately. The file is automatically saved to your Download folder. The speed of this process is dependent on your connection speed, but I’ve found it to be more than adequate. The only bummer here is that the file size is currently limited to 5MB, but that might be lifted as PushBullet matures. This process is worlds easier than manually moving files with Dropbox or similar solutions.

PushBullet on the phone keeps track of all the messages you have sent over. This is very useful in case you accidentally clear a notification that you end up needing later. Find it in PushBullet and tap the restore button up top. This works for both text and file pushes.

I’m genuinely impressed with how fast PushBullet works. It’s barely a second from the time I click the mouse to when the notification appears on my device. The developer says more features are coming, and that’s good to hear. There are still some gaps, like not being able to push from the phone back up to the PC. The file push interface is a little clunky and could use some snazzy HTML5 drag-and-drop action too.

PushBullet has loads of potential, but it’s already pretty useful now. This app is completely free, so don’t hesitate to try it out :)