Today’s smartphones are capable of a great many things right out of the box, but to reach their true potential, you’ll need to tap into the vast marketplace of third-party apps. Since the launch of the Android Market (now known as the Google Play Store) in 2008, apps have been steadily improving the Android experience. From the apps that help with daily tasks like balancing a checkbook or calculating a tip, to integrated apps with business communication platforms, there’s an app out there for every purpose.
With more than 3 million apps listed on the Google Play Store, the choices can be a bit overwhelming. We’ve done the work of putting together a list of the 100 best Android apps across a number of categories to help you pick the best apps for your daily life. Here are the best Android apps to download onto your Android device.
Android essentials
Can 2 billion people be wrong? The biggest social network on the planet has a decent official app. Keep up with your friends and family, jump into instant chats, and stay informed with push notifications. Best of all, Facebook isn’t just a place to share content stolen from Reddit and Twitter, as the world’s biggest social media site has also been pushed out into sections for dating, shopping, and videos. Pair it with Messenger for the ultimate double-act.
YouTube
It’s probably the Android app, so it’s likely you have YouTube already — but that doesn’t make it any less essential. YouTube’s mobile app is sleek and intuitive, bringing the entirety of the video-sharing site to the palm of your hand. For those subscribed to YouTube Premium, you’ll have access to all the premium content, as well as special features like audio playback while the screen is off. But even when used as a free app, YouTube is essential.
Sometimes unfairly viewed as the lesser version of Facebook, Twitter is the place where everything seems to happen instantly. Birthplace of the now now-ubiquitous internet facet, the hashtag, Twitter is the best place to be if you like to be on top of the latest breaking news as it happens. Follow your favorite content creators, actors, or crazes, and follow all the news, impressions, and opinions as they roll in.
Google Home
If you’re spending more time at home than usual, you might finally have the time to get to that connected-home project you always swore you’d do. If you are the proud owner of a Google Home device, then you already know the ins and outs of a digital assistant. The Google Home app takes this one step further, allowing you to control a plethora of connected smart home devices. It also serves as a command central for any native Google-connected device and your Google-connected accounts, like maps, contacts, calendars, and more.
Movies and videos
Netflix
Netflix isn’t just one of the best video-streaming services; it’s the video-streaming service. There’s a huge selection of Netflix movies and TV shows for subscribers and the performance is silky smooth. It’s not just restricted to old favorites either, as Netflix has produced a huge amount of excellent exclusive content — though if you’re anything like us, you’ll just put The Office on again. This is as entertained as you can get from just $9 a month, or $16 a month if you want access to 4K content.
Disney+
Disney holds possibly the largest library of film and television properties in the world and they are all on Disney+. From Hamilton to The Mandalorian you’ll find something for every member of the family. As theatergoers are slow to return all around the globe, Disney has begun using Disney+ for major blockbusters like Mulan and Soul. You’ll also have access to original television shows like Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. There’s a seven-day free trial, and it’ll cost you $6.99 a month after that — though you can pay $70 for a year in advance to save $14. In March 2021 this increased to $7.99 a month or $80 yearly.
Hulu
Though it only recently launched internationally, Hulu has long been one of the best streaming platforms around. Major network shows currently on air are typically available the next day on Hulu as well as thousands of hours of original content and a catalog of licensed TV shows. Hulu offers various subscription models, including one that opens up the entire streaming library for $6 a month, and another that removes midstream ads for $12 a month. If you’re looking to cut the cord, Hulu also offers live TV with DVR starting at $65 a month, but be aware it costs $5 more if you want to fast-forward through commercials on recorded episodes.
Amazon Prime Video
The content wars have been raging for well over a decade, and every platform brings something to the table. Amazon Prime offers some fantastic originals on its streaming platform, which also serves as a great home base for its extensive catalog. Prime Video also allows you to add all your favorite subscription channels to your feed. We’ve also found the best movies on Amazon Prime to start watching today if you’re interested.
HBO Max
With the streaming wars hotter than ever before AT&T wasn’t about to let Warner Media go without a fight. HBO Max launched in the summer of 2020 and brings with it all the HBO content audiences are already familiar with, with the added benefit of original content produced exclusively for the streaming platform. In 2021 HBO Max announced that all Warner property films will launch in theaters and on HBO Max simultaneously as studios clamor for return on investments in this new theater-less world, so you can catch blockbusters like Mortal Kombat from the comfort of your living room.
Apple TV+
Using an Android smartphone doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy one of Apple’s best current products. Apple TV+ is Apple’s answer to the ever-growing sector of streaming platforms. With hits like Emmy Award-winning Ted Lasso, Apple is establishing itself as a serious player in television and film development for at-home consumption. They’ve teamed up with the likes of Oprah, Prince Harry, Jon Stewart, and countless others to develop a respectable and growing library of content.
Music and audio
Spotify
Spotify is probably the first name that springs to mind when you think about music apps — and for good reason as it’s one of the best streaming services out there. There’s a massive selection of music on offer, from the latest huge releases to up-and-coming acts. Spotify also now offers video support for some of the best podcasts on their platform. There’s a free version if you want to try it out, but if you want ad-free listening, to download music, play any song, and have unlimited skips, then you’ll need to subscribe for $10 a month, though Spotify does offer a generous three-month free trial. Spotify also offers a family household plan for $15 a month, a student account at the reduced cost of $5 a month, and a “Duo” account covering two people in the same household for $13 a month.
Soundcloud
If you’re looking for an all-you-can-eat buffet of sound with no ads and no subscription fees, you’ve found it. You can discover new music and stream it from the cloud, but this is no Spotify replacement — most of the music on Soundcloud is from relatively unknown artists, and if you’re not able to find it on Spotify, you can probably find it here. Listening is free, with the pro versions of SoundCloud mostly being for the artists themselves. It’s not just about music, though, as you’ll find a lot of podcasts on here too. A great complement to another music streaming service.
iHeartRadio
Believe it or not, radio is still alive and kicking, and iHeartRadio puts thousands of FM and AM radio stations right into your pocket. Not a lot of major smartphones in the U.S. have FM tuners, so we rely on great apps like iHeartRadio to listen to our favorite talk shows and oldies stations at the office, the gym, or on the go. The app also features podcasts, sports channels, and playlist tools.
Google Play Music
Google’s official streaming service is a worthy competitor to Spotify. Not only does the app provide a vast library of content, but it also allows users to upload up to 50,000 of their own songs for online storage. So if you’ve got a collection of MP3s from before the days when streaming was the normal way to consume music, upload them to Google Play Music and stream them from any of your mobile devices. Be warned though, it’s not long for this world.
Shazam
It’s hard to believe that Shazam was first released 19 years ago, blowing our collective minds and putting the concept of apps and their reach squarely in the zeitgeist. Today, Shazam’s integration and services go far beyond the simple song identifier it started as. Shazam can be activated passively to catch songs when the app isn’t open. Once you’ve identified a tune, you’ll be offered live lyrics to follow along with, as well as the option to add to your Apple or Spotify playlists.
News
The Wall Street Journal
During these harrowing financial times and in a volatile macroeconomic environment , you’d be well served to stay up to date on the goings-on of our economy, markets, and financial news. The Wall Street Journal app places all this information in your pocket as well as the multifaceted award-winning journalism that’s been printed there since 1889.
BBC News
Whether you’re trying to follow international news, have friends or family in the U.K., or are just trying to stay in touch with newsworthy events stateside, BBC News has you covered. The BBC, an English government-funded news agency, has a long history of fair and moderate news coverage and is worth a look if you’re tired of American 24-hour news networks.
NPR News
The official app of National Public Radio provides a steady stream of straightforward reporting in both print and audio. Users can listen to news reports and various NPR staples such as All Things Considered and Radiolab.
AP News
The Associated Press has a long-standing reputation for being one of the least-editorialized news sources around, as well as being consistently on the cutting edge of breaking news. So, if you’re looking for your daily dose of news without the added fluff, then AP News on Android is the perfect accompaniment to your morning coffee. AP’s self-ascribed description says it best — it’s “where the news gets its news.”
Google News
Though it may seem like a no-brainer, the Google News app is a worthwhile recommendation, thanks to its smart curation and diverse news feed. Google News puts together news from sources all over the world, which makes it likely that you’ll find your favorite news source from back home within its catalog.
Feedly
Feedly is another powerful news aggregator that places all your favorite news sources in one place. The Feedly app is home to over 40 million unique feeds and offers integration with all major social media platforms. It serves as a one-stop shop for your favorite magazines, newspapers, YouTube channels, and more.
Sports
BBC Sport
With an international audience and a sport-loving home demographic, BBC Sport covers a vast array of sports in both live games and related news. Users can stream some sports live and customize their feed to receive up-to-the-minute information from their favorite teams, leagues, and games. Of course, no U.K.-based sporting app would be complete without coverage on over 150 football teams, so you’ll never miss a piece of news or goal again.
Fox Sports
Get the same industry-leading coverage you can expect from Fox Sports television right on your smartphone. Track your favorite teams, players, and leagues, and watch it all unfold live from inside the app. The Fox Sports app offers a complete experience with bonus cams and angles of the game you caught on television, as well as up-to-date sports news.
ESPN
Having the official ESPN app installed is a no-brainer for any die-hard sports fan, especially if you have ESPN+. You can quickly get the latest news on your favorite teams and leagues, including MLB, NFL, NCAA, MLS, NHL, and more.
Barstool Sports
Barstool Sports has grown into an empire comprising podcasts, journalism, and content focused on pop culture, politics, and many other topics. It still keeps its roots in sports coverage and commentary. So if you’re looking to not only see pundits discuss your favorite team but also get a chuckle or read the latest political news, then you’ll enjoy the Barstool Sports app.
Social media
TikTok
Essentially Vine for a new generation, TikTok is the home of short videos that are amusing, meme-laden, and just generally fit for easy consumption. What started as the app Musical.ly, geared at miming songs while dancing, has bloomed into one of the fastest-growing social media apps in the world. Its algorithm has become legendary as it curates content for you based on what you like and interact with, and there is now content on the app for all generations, hobbies, backgrounds, and interests.
Instagram is ubiquitous in photography now, so you might as well have it on your phone. Owned by Facebook, the social network centered on photos offers great filters and connectivity with others. Instagram has also been angling for younger market share with its TikTok competitor called Reels.
Snapchat
The social network made famous for its disappearing photos has blossomed in recent years to become a full-fledged social media platform. With over 250 million active users, Snapchat is here to stay. Users can share snaps, stories, and their location on a map with close friends, as well as peruse the quality content of Snapchats biggest creators. From family chats, funny filters, or flirty messages, Snapchat is a platform for everyone.
Messaging
Signal
In today’s privacy-minded world, Signal provides an encrypted way to share messages and video calls. Whether you’re sharing sensitive work info or traveling abroad in a place with more prying eyes, Signal allows you to communicate privately and worry-free.
Messenger & Messenger Kids
Facebook’s best feature is arguably its built-in messaging. Facebook now offers its messenger service as a stand-alone app, enabling you to chat with your Facebook friends and anyone in your contacts with the app installed — without having to be signed into Facebook or even have Facebook installed on your phone at all.
If you’re a parent, then Messenger Kids is a must-download on your child’s phone. Messenger Kids might seem like it’s built for kids, but it’s really built for parents. With the app, parents have control over their kids’ contact list, and messages can’t be deleted — meaning that parents can check in to take a look whenever they want. Of course, there are some pretty sweet features for kids, like kid-appropriate stickers, GIFs, emojis, and so on.
The Google Play Store has no shortage of messaging apps, but WhatsApp’s secure end-to-end encryption and feature-rich interface mark it as one of the best. This cross-platform app lets you send and receive messages, pictures, audio notes, and perform video calling for free. A must-have for messaging addicts, travelers, and anyone with loved ones abroad.
Kik
Kik has been around since 2010, and while its users have spanned from millenials to Gen Z its target demographic remains the young folks, You know, the ones that know what’s “bussin” and are way too cool for us, no cap. Use Kik to stay in touch with friends, trade GIFs, and form chat groups.
Discord
Hugely popular among PC gamers and office workers, Discord is a place for messaging, image sharing, voice, and video calls. It features an intuitive interface that makes it easy to communicate and share with friends and co-workers. Discord is also home to countless communities where members with shared interests can hang out digitally.
Dating
Tinder
Tinder is the ultimate dating app for mobile users, thanks to its location-centric features. Regardless of what its reputation may be, it’s still a great way to meet people. Your next match could be a swipe right away.
OkCupid
The online dating service OkCupid predates the modern smartphone era. Since its launch in 2004, three years before the iPhone, OkCupid has been connecting singles through the power of the World Wide Web. Today they offer a free Android app that helps you connect with people in your area. OkCupid remains a progressive online dating option as they champion the inclusion of all customers regardless of orientation or gender identity.
Bumble
In a crowded market of dating apps, Bumble stands out with a dedication to starting genuine relationships. For heterosexual matches, women have to make the first move, so men are encouraged to make their profile as appealing as they can — but it’s women who have the ultimate say in whether to start a conversation or not. For those not looking to date, Bumble also offers a BFF mode, which is perfect for meeting and making new friends if you’ve just moved to a new city or are just looking for more connections.
Grindr
The dating app of choice for gay, lesbian, bi, trans, and queer people of all sorts, Grindr is one of the biggest dating apps around. Using it is simple — let the app know your location, and you’ll be matched with other nearby members so you can chat, swap pictures, and hopefully meet up in person.
Reading
Kindle
Don’t worry if you don’t have a Kindle — you can still read your ebook directly on your smartphone. From best-sellers to the classics, it’s all here, with more than 900,000 titles in Amazon’s store.
Google Play Books
If you’re not a fan of Amazon, then Google’s Play Books is an excellent alternative. Google has a massive database of books to choose from, including all the classics — and you can even buy and play audiobooks too.
Audible
Audible is the premier place to consume audiobooks on your Android device. There are thousands of audiobooks on offer, from classics to the most recent hits, and you get your first audiobook for free. A $15-per-month subscription gets you a credit per month to spend on any audiobook, and options for playback speed and cross-device syncing make listening even easier. There’s even a car mode for listening on the go.
Nook
Barnes & Noble offers a wide-ranging digital catalog in the form of its Nook app. With over 4 millions eBooks, graphic novels, comics, manga and magazines, Nook offers an eclectic collection of content for practically any reader. By setting up profiles, the entire family can share a Nook account and keep track of everyone’s favorite classics and new bestsellers.
Blogging
Weebly
Weebly is a powerful site and content creation app utilized by millions of users. This app lets you create and manage your online store straight from your Android device. Keep track of all the most important analytics for your e-commerce store from the Weebly app. Powered by Square, Weebly is a true workhorse in the mobile site development space.
Tumblr
The Tumblr app makes it easy for you to share anything from anywhere. You can post any kind of content to multiple blogs, save drafts for later, schedule posts, and then join in the discussion.
Wix
Wix offers a full service web publishing suite from domain name, to hosting, and web design. The Wix app can help you manage your websites right from your phone to keep track of your business or brand. You’ll be able to write and publish blog posts from within the mobile app. Wix offers a diverse set of features including payroll processing, online stores, and e-mail marketing campaigns. Wix aims to be a one stop shop for your online business needs.
Gaming
Steam
Steam is the biggest and most prolific community and storefront for PC gaming. Through the Android app, users can access the Steam community, browse the store, and purchase new games.
Google Stadia
Google Stadia is Google’s platform to play games you own across multiple devices. Any games you own on Stadia can be played, paused, and continued seamlessly across Android devices and laptops. With the ability to stream games across devices, you won’t have to download the game onto each device, saving space and time.
Roblox
Roblox deserves a spot as an essential app because it is so much more than just a game. With over 160 million active users and representing more than half of all children under age 16 in the United States on the platform, Roblox has ballooned into an online universe reminiscent of the “metaverse” that purports to be the future of online life and interaction. Roblox is itself a platform for game development and is responsible for millions of children gaining an interest in coding and software development.
Twitch
While platforms like Facebook Gaming try their best to compete, Twitch remains the preeminent option for video game streaming and sports a growing roster of celebrity streamers. With the power of Amazon behind it, it’s unlikely Twitch will be dethroned anytime soon.
Nutrition, cooking, and food
Grubhub
While the world of food delivery apps is vast, Grubhub is one of the best. Its seamless integration with local restaurant menus makes it one of the most user-friendly experiences in food delivery. If you’ve developed a recent taste for ordering in, then check out the options on Grubhub.
MyFitnessPal Calorie Tracker
If you want to lose weight and get in shape, then you need to start counting those calories, and this app, from MyFitnessPal, is an easy, accessible, and completely free way to do it.
Food Network Kitchen
Find thousands of recipes from your favorite food network chefs and personalities, including recipes featured on their TV shows and specials. How-to videos and shopping list features will equip you with everything you need to make a great meal.
Calorie Counter by FatSecret
The calorie counter from FatSecret offers one of the most comprehensive nutrition and calorie-tracking apps supported on Android. The service has thousands of restaurant and grocery meals in its incredibly diverse array of existing foods with nutrition information attached. The apps lets you set goals, keep a food diary, and like most apps these days it includes a social angle allowing you to create a profile and share your progress with others on the platform.
Fitness and health
Peloton
The fitness sensation of Peloton is certainly hard to ignore. While the price of its bike or treadmill may be out of reach for some folks, its app offers a thorough library of workout videos with great production value and neat organization by fitness subject. The Peloton network also offers live classes by lively instructors and allows close health tracking to help keep you motivated. Peloton currently offers a 30-day free trial, and a full membership for the app without the bike will run you $13 a month, though compared to a private trainer or gym membership, it’s a fitness app that seems well worth it.
Headspace: Meditation & Sleep
Headspace is an app to help you sleep better and stress less. Take some time to meditate, relax, and take mental space. This app will help you start or maintain a meditation practice, sleep more soundly with sleep music, and hopefully lessen your anxiety overall. With courses on mindfulness, focus, and productivity, Headspace serves your need of the moment.
Adidas Running App by Runtastic
Runtastic is a smartphone staple, with a simple interface that doesn’t sacrifice advanced features. The no-frills app uses your smartphone’s sensors to track metrics, such as your distance and relative pace, as well as calories burned and your heart rate. A few extra features, such as 3D mapping and a workout diary, only complement the app’s wearable integration. Runtastic is now owned by Adidas, adding an extra element of branding to the app, but it still functions much the same way as before.
Strava
Strava is an all-encompassing activity tracking app with a focus on runners. With the Strava app, you can record routes, track workouts, and use it’s more in-depth features to track progress toward physical goals. Strava will help you measure and record your pace across a variety of activities like running, biking, or swimming, making it easy to see your progress over time.
Sleep as Android
Sleep as Android is one of the biggest sleep tracking apps on Android, and there are a bunch of reasons it’s one of the best Android apps. You can track your sleep, movement, and snoring, you can play soothing noises to put you to sleep, and it syncs data with quite a few other apps and devices, including Google Fit and Philips HUE smart bulbs.
Daily Yoga
Yoga is unbelievably powerful. It strengthens your core, increases flexibility and focus, and decreases stress. Plus, it can help you lose weight and stay healthy. This app will guide you through daily yoga routines of varying difficulty and length, and step-by-step, HD videos showing exactly how to do each pose.
Self-improvement
Calm
Taking a moment of calm can be crucial for your mental health, and Calm is one of the leading meditation and sleep-promotion apps in the Play Store. It has guided meditations, breathing exercises to reduce anxiety, sleep stories, and more. There are guides for beginners and experts alike, and while you’ll need to pay to get access to most, there’s still a lot here for free users who aren’t sure if they’ll enjoy it.
Udemy
Whether you’re looking to learn something new for work or just for yourself, Udemy probably has a course to help you. With over 130,000 video courses taught by expert instructors, you can use Udemy to pick up skills with coding languages, Photoshop, yoga, and even more. You can download individual lessons to learn on the go, and there’s an audio-only mode if you’d rather learn in places like the car. Most courses will cost you money, but there are deals and discounts available for many.
Duolingo
Duolingo offers a free and approachable way to learn a new language. Through a mix of gamification, read and repeat, and a challenging but engaging skill system that the user has to climb through as they learn the new language of their choice. Duolingo offers a plethora of languages for English speakers, as well as some languages for native speakers of other languages.
Fabulous — Motivate Me!
With science-based coaching as its backbone, Fabulous — Motivate Me! will help instill healthy, positive habits and routines into your life — everything from better sleep, sticking to a morning routine, finding time for creativity, daily meditation, losing weight, and more.
Finances and money
Acorns
Looking to save a little more money? Acorns helps you invest by rounding off your credit card or debit purchases to the nearest dollar. Once you’ve accumulated a little money, it’s easy to transfer the funds to your bank account. Acorns also offers retirement accounts like a Traditional IRA, so you can start saving for retirement now.
Mint
Mint is our favorite money management website, but it also has a terrific app. Mint can keep track of multiple bank accounts or credit cards to help you stay on budget and out of the red.
Venmo
Venmo allows users to send money for free. The transactions can be sent to any bank and occur overnight. This makes paying back your friends simple and quick.
Credit Karma
Keeping track of your credit score and history is a key tenant of good personal finance practices. Credit Karma makes it easy to keep track of your credit score from the three major credit reporting bureaus. Credit Karma helps you track your credit utilization and credit pulls and can provide a guide to improving or repairing your credit if needed.
Robinhood
Getting started on your investing journey has never been easier. An app you’ve undoubtedly heard about by now, Robinhood is a free equities and crypto trading platform. It’s a great way for young and beginning investors to get their feet wet in the world of Wall Street.
Shopping
Depop
Depop’s ultra-minimal, online marketplace takes little more than a photo to get started. Once captured, share it on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter before striking a secure deal with a host of potential buyers via the built-in chat function.
eBay
There’s very little that you can’t buy or sell on eBay. The app is full-featured and much easier to use than the website. Bid on items, track your orders, and sell all of your unwanted stuff right here.
Amazon Shopping
There’s no more essential a shopping app than Amazon. Practically anything you need, anywhere you live, and anytime you want, Amazon has it. With the Amazon app you can order groceries through Amazon Fresh, and all your essentials through Amazon Prime.
PayPal
The easiest online checkout method right on your smartphone. You’ll be able to manage your PayPal account, send and receive payments, and more. The app can also notify you of transactions, offering handy reminders and alerts when you use PayPal as a payment method or have an upcoming bill due.
Travel and events
Hotels.com
Owned by Expedia, Hotels.com offers a streamlined hotel booking experience. Not only does it have an incredibly competitive reward program where users get one free night of hotel for every ten they book, but it also makes it easy to check reviews, find local attractions, and coordinate excursions during your trip. The Hotels.com mobile app makes booking and tracking your reservations easy and accessible.
Uber
If you need to get somewhere and don’t have wheels of your own, hop in someone else’s ride. Uber allows you to call upon a private driver in your city who will help you get to where you need to go. It’s all the ease of a taxi, at a lower cost, and without the fumbling for cash at the end.
Lyft
Lyft is another private cab service, that helps you to find a — well — lift whenever you need one. Basically an alternative to Uber, you can hail a cab and pay directly in the app, and can even split the tab with a friend easily.
Airbnb
Forego the headache of trying to find and book a hotel, and instead find an open room or home to stay at on your travels. Users can search for accommodations, communicate directly with hosts, and book, all without leaving the app.
Google Translate
Translate speech or text between more than 70 languages with this app. It can act as your interpreter, enabling you to decipher signs and menus and enable two-way conversations. You can download translation files if you know you’ll be without a data connection, and it can even translate signs with Google Lens.
Going out
Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor is the ultimate going out app, with millions of recommendations and reviews from people all around the world, covering the best things to do wherever you are. Plan ahead with Tripadvisor’s tools, allowing you to organize your hotel bookings, restaurant trips, and attractions. You can even book them from the app with Google Pay access. It’s also great when you’re traveling, thanks to support for mobile tickets and bookings.
Yelp
Craving a decent microbrew, a breakfast burrito, or a good latte? Yelp will help you scratch that itch. It’s packed with user reviews, directions, and tips for almost every place around, making it invaluable for almost every trip out.
StubHub
StubHub allows you to buy and sell tickets to virtually any event, from sports to concerts. StubHub protects its users with its “FanProtect Guarantee,” meaning you can buy and sell tickets on their app without risk.
National Park Service
Just in time for summer vacation, the National Park Service has released an app to help guide you through the 420-plus national parks spread across the United States. The new app has a treasure trove of information on the national parks, including interactive maps, accessibility information, and information on guided tours. The National Park Service app is a welcome addition to exploring the nation’s beautiful parks and will you help you figure out what to do, where to go, and how to make the most of your time.
GasBuddy
GasBuddy offers a convenient way to find the best gas prices wherever you may be. More than just a price checker, GasBuddy also helps you log your driving habits, fill-ups, and miles. The app covers every major gas station in the country thanks in part to user-contributed data. You’d be surprised how short a drive away 10 to 20 cent cheaper gas usually is.
Waze
Never get caught off guard by a car accident, broken traffic light, or speed trap again. Waze harnesses all the power of user summited information to help drivers avoid the common pitfalls of their daily commutes or long road trips. Waze is designed to get you where you’re going as quickly as possible by using up-to-the-minute live information to navigate. It will even help you find the cheapest gas along your route.
Device performance
All-In-One Toolbox
The all-in-one toolbox is exactly what it sounds like. This app provides tools for storage management, file management, and other system management gadgets to help your smartphone run smoothly.
Files by Google
Google’s Files app is an all-around excellent utility app that allows you to find files quickly and free up space on your phone. You can also easily exchange files with other people close by with Files, similar to Apple’s AirDrop. While there are other similar Android apps on the market, Files is less cluttered and not bogged down with ads.
Google Find My Device
Google’s official phone tracking service helps you locate your phone, remotely erase its data, and reset the screen lock PIN, and it works with any device associated with your Google account.
Photo editing and management
Adobe Lightroom
Lightroom, a program built upon Photoshop, is an essential photo editing tool for photographers. The mobile app takes the features of the desktop application and puts them on your Android device.
Adobe Photoshop Express
While not as feature-filled or extensive as the desktop version, Adobe Photoshop Express still offers an impressively wide array of tools for editing and creating images directly on your Android device.
KineMaster
Though not exactly for photos, KineMaster is one of the most powerful video editing apps available on Android and perfect for our modern habits of capturing everything we see and do. From TikTok or YouTube creators to casual videographers, KineMaster offers a full suite of editing tools to tackle any size project. You can crop, edit, trim and add effects to videos, after which you can export them in 4K at 30 fps. KineMaster also allows direct sharing to several social media platforms.
Imgur
The official app for one of the most procrastination-friendly sites on the internet. Browse through near-endless GIFs and images from almost any topic you can imagine.
Google Photos
A centralized location for all your photos. Google Photos will automatically backup your photo libraries on your phone to your Google Drive, saving them in a special folder that only you can access.
Documents, web, and email
OfficeSuite
It’s one of the most downloaded apps on the Play Store, and that’s for a very good reason. OfficeSuite is a full-featured alternative for Microsoft Office, and includes tools to view, edit, and create Word, Excel, and Powerpoint documents, as well as including support for various PDF operations. It’s an all-in-one solution for your document woes, and it’s free to get most of the features. OfficeSuite Premium gets you the ability to work on password-protected files, 50GB of cloud storage, the ability to export PDFs to other formats, and more.
Google Drive
Downloading Google Drive should be a given. it’s one of the biggest sharing and cloud saving platforms out there, with 15GB for free and the ability to access your files and photos wherever you might need them. It’s tied into Google’s other services as well, including Gmail and Docs, making it the natural choice for anyone invested in Google’s ecosystem.
Dropbox
Dropbox is another cloud saving service, and while you think you have that covered with Google Drive, Dropbox is still useful to download and use, because it often works with many third-party apps Drive doesn’t. It only gives you 2GB for free, but if you use it primarily for smaller files you should be okay with that amount.
Grammarly
Grammarly has grown above and beyond its key use case of email writing assistance and has grown into an integrated extension and app offering grammar and spelling suggestions or corrections for not only emails, but across all apps on your smartphone. Whether you’re composing a LinkedIn message, a text, or a Yelp review, Grammarly will help you maintain composure by perfecting your composition.
Andropen Office
Power to the people! Or at least spreadsheets. Andropen is an Android port of OpenOffice, an open-source suite of productivity software allowing you free access to what basically amounts to a slimmer version of Microsoft Office. Andropen allows you a free workspace to open and manipulate word documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and more.
Productivity
Google Lens
The world around us and the way we interact with it are getting more connected every day. Google Lens helps you learn, decipher, translate, and engage with your everyday surroundings. With the camera on your smartphone, Google Lens uses augmented reality and the massive database at Google to help you create searches from pictures, translate text live, and identify things from images like plants and animals.
LastPass
LastPass remains the pre-eminent password manager across your devices. If you’re struggling to remember dozens of passwords, or wondering how you might pass on all those passwords in the event that was needed, LastPass is the answer. LastPass will securely store all your usernames and passwords as well as automatically sync with any devices on which LastPass is installed — as long as you have Premium access, that is. Premium access for use across all your devices is just $3 per month, and allows you to sync passwords across all devices, not just between the mobile or desktop apps (a new limitation on the free tier).
Google Authenticator App
As our lives move increasingly online, you’ll want to protect your most precious connected accounts with an added layer of security. The Google Authenticator App is used to add 2FA or Two-Factor-Authentication to your important accounts. You’ll have to match the temporary number in the Google Authenticator Account to the corresponding account you’re attempting to log into.
Line2
Line2 brings a second phone number via VoIP to your smart device. If you’re looking for an additional phone number for work or personal purposes, Line2 will likely be a cheaper alternative for adding a line than most major cellular providers. Line2 starts at $15 per month for a local phone number with call forwarding and unlimited calls and texts.
Slack
Slack remains one of the biggest communication tools for businesses everywhere. Organize your teams and employees into channels to help with team productivity. Slack’s intuitive layout and ability to integrate workflows with other popular productivity apps such as Google Drive, Salesforce, and Dropbox make it a powerful tool to help get work done.
Editors’ Recommendations
