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Upgrade your contact history on Android with Ready app

Want to spice up your address book and see communication history on your phone? Check out the beta version of Ready by following these quick steps.

Nicole Cozma
Nicole Cozma has an affinity for Android apps and devices, but loves technology in general. Based out of the Tampa Bay Area, she enjoys being a spectator to both sunsets and lightning storms.
Nicole Cozma
2 min read

A sample of the Ready address book interface. Screenshot by Nicole Cozma/CNET

Want to get rid of your tired-looking address book, bringing it up to speed with the rest of the awesome features on your phone? Or maybe you want to know when you last spoke to someone -- via phone, email, or text? Check out the beta version of a new app, Ready, that can help with these things and more.

Since smartphones exist to help us stay connected to friends and family, it's a wonder that more effort hasn't been put into making the address book more beautiful, and the contact cards more informative. Some manufacturers have their own spin on these, adding a few little perks here and there, but the Ready app is more useful -- even in its beta stage.

If you want to try it out, you'll need to join their beta tester community.

Step 1: Head to the Ready Google+ community page, and click the Join button. Click the download link that appears on the right-hand side of the page.

Step 2: Click the Become a Tester button and then you'll see a download link for Ready. Click the link to install a copy on your Android phone.

Step 3: Open the app and sign in with your Google account. This will allow Ready to see your email, calendar, and phone history with a specific contact.

A contact card in Ready. Screenshot by Nicole Cozma/CNET

That's all you need to do for setup. With the beta version, you'll have access to the new address book, new contact card, and communication history on the call screen. Although this app does not replace the dialer right now, the company is planning on doing that, too. If you check out their G+ community page -- where you can leave feedback about the app -- you'll also get a peek at the dialer interface they're working on.

To view your address book, tap the Ready app icon and you'll see your favorites. Swipe to the screen on the right and you can view contacts by letter (as shown above).

When you tap on a contact, you can see history with them at the bottom of the screen.

The contact history shows calls, texts, email, and calendar events. Screenshot by Nicole Cozma/CNET

You can scroll back through the communication you've had with a contact to see previous calls, texts, email, and calendar events. This is useful if you can't remember when you last spoke with someone, especially a business client or distant relative.

The incoming call screen also receives an update with Ready, letting you see the communication history from here too.

What do you think? Check out the beta and add your thoughts in the comments, and your suggestions to their community page.