Best Android Apps: Essential apps for your phone or tablet
Phones are powerful devices but it’s the apps which make them useful. At last count there were over 2.5 million of them available in theGoogle Play Store, so finding the real gems can be an arduous task.
To separate the wheat from the chaff, we’ve put together this comprehensive guide, which outlines those essential apps that should be the first you download.
Best Messaging Apps
Aside from texting and voice calls, there are many excellent ways to keep in touch with friends or even make new ones on your device.
Arguably the most popular of all these isWhatsApp Messengerwhich has become pretty much ubiquitous in the smartphone age, at least in the West. The reasons for this are numerous, with the service being free, allowing multiple group chats, the ability to share video, images and audio, no international charges, plus free calling to other users over Wi-Fi connections.
It’s easy to use and the chances are you already do. An added bonus is that it works with your PC or Mac via the WhatsApp Web app. See ourHow to use WhatsApp Webfeature for more details.
Another hugely popular chatting app isSkype, which allows free Wi-Fi calling for video and audio, plus instant messaging, and the same features are also standard on Facebook’sMessengerapp.
For those who prefer to keep things private there’sTelegram, a service that focuses on delivering a refined texting experience, all while maintaining your privacy.
Conversations are encrypted using 256-bit symmetric AES encryption, and you can still delete sent messages at both ends even after they’ve been received by the other person. It’s free, features no ads, and should be one of the first apps you install.
If you’re a fan of online forums, thenRedditis the app for you as it’s a gateway to the stupefying array of communities on the site. Whether it’sGame of Thronestheories, your favourite sports teams, or the latest scientific research, there is a Reddit forum full of people discussing the latest news and views right now.
Go join them!
Best Social Apps
If social is your bag, there are loads of free apps with which you can stalk your friends or make them jealous with pictures of your dinner or news on your latest job.
Obviously, there’s the heavyweights ofFacebook,Twitter, andInstagram, all of whom are fully featured, free services that will more than likely have all your friends already signed up.
Snapchatis popular with younger users and has a different approach thanks to its posts that disappear after a set time (beginners should check out our guide onHow to use Snapchat). While, those wanting to scrapbook the things they love online will findPinterestjust the ticket.
Best TV & Video Apps
Now that most Android phones have large, high-resolution displays, they make ideal devices on which to enjoy the latest blockbuster films, TV shows or your favourite YouTubers.
The apps available break down into two major categories: Subscription-based or free.
If you’re looking for the latter, then you’ll probably find that the best option,YouTube, is more than likely preinstalled on your Android device. Here you’ll be able to enjoy news shows, music videos, a huge selection of Vloggers, tutorials, and pretty much anything short of actual movies and shows, unless you’re wiling to hire or buy them from theGoogle Play Store.
Another essential app, at least for UK residents, isBBC iPlayer, which grants access to recent shows across all the BBC channels, plus an archive of older content. There are a number of other catch-up apps available, such asITV HubandAll 4, but iPlayer still remains the real jewel in the crown.
Note that a TV Licence is required for streaming of live television broadcasts in the UK, as well as catch-up TV on iPlayer. SeeDo I need a TV Licence?for more details.
If you’re happy to pay a monthly fee then there are some excellent options. Existing Sky customers in the UK will wantSky Gowhich lets you watch content from the service on your phone or tablet, so long as you have a WiFi or data connection. Should you wish to access the same movies and shows without a Sky contract,NowTVoffers this on a variety of reasonable price tiers.
Amazon Prime members are automatically entitled to itsPrime Instant Videoservice (and the accompanying app), featuring a number of decent movies plus Amazon exclusive TV shows like American Gods, The Grand Tour, and Mr Robot.
Perhaps the most groundbreaking app in this area isNetflix. The service offe
Best Music Apps
Much like with TV & Movies, there is a wide range of excellent music streaming services that offer millions of tracks for a monthly subscription.
Most charge £9.99 / $9.99 to access the songs, plus offline listening capabilities, or £14.99 / $14.99 if you prefer a family plan with six individual accounts.
The top apps we recommend areSpotify(which has an amazing free tier),Google Play Music,Deezer,Apple Music, andAmazon Prime Music, and you can see a detailed breakdown of their individual merits in ourbest music streaming servicescomparison.
There are a few highlights worth noting though, such as the fact that you can access your entire audio collection (up to 50,000 tracks) from your Android device, once you’ve uploaded the content toGoogle Play Musicon your PC.
Amazon Prime members also have access to Prime Music as part of their subscription, which includes over two million songs that can be downloaded to their devices. If you’ve yet to try the service, read ourbeginner’s guide to Amazon Prime, as it has many other benefits.
Of course, there’s still good old radio, with many Android phones and tablets coming with FM radio apps that only require plugging in a pair of headphones to act as the aerial. For Wi-Fi or data connectionsBBC iPlayer RadioandTuneInare great options, with an impressive range of stations and shows.
Best Reading Apps
Amazon’s Kindle devices may well be one of the best ways to read eBooks, but thanks to the freeKindle appyou can just use your phone or tablet instead. The selection of titles available is the largest we know of, and once again Prime Members have the added bonus ofPrime Readingbeing part of their subscription.
This offers hundreds of books and magazines for free, or you can upgrade toKindle Unlimited(£7.99 / $9.99) which expands the selection to over a million titles and thousands of audiobooks.
Other apps worth exploring areKobo Books,Google Play Books, and for those who already have a collection of ePub, doc, mobi or other eBooks formats there’seBoox Reader.
If you prefer shorter prose, thenReadlyis the answer. This is a subscription-based magazine service that lets you read as many mags as you want for a one-off monthly fee. Check it out witha free trial.
With Marvel superheroes all the rage in cinemas, you can get up to speed with the various backstories of Thor, Iron Man, Scarlett Witch, or characters from DC and a wide range of independent publishers through the excellentComicsapp.
It might not technically be reading, butAudibleis a great choice if you want to try out audiobooks. A monthly subscription of £7.99 / $14.95 gives you one credit to buy any audiobook in the copious Audible range, and you keep this even if you end your subscription.
Afree trialgives you a credit to spend, which once again remains yours whether you sign up or not. So, if you want to get through that latest bestseller while walking the dog, driving, or relaxing in the bath, then Audible is a fantastic solution.
Finally,Pocketis a superb, free way to read articles you find on the web. Simply share the article to Pocket and you’ll be able to enjoy it offline when you have more time.
Best Photography Apps
Smartphone cameras are better than ever, but there are apps that can make a good thing great.Snapseedis one such option, as it offers impressive editing controls that are easy and quick to apply.
For the more creative types,PicsArt Photo Studiois a wonderful way to make collages or artistic blends of images that can take snaps and turn them into masterpieces. The basic app is free, but to access 3000+ premium stickers, filters, fonts, and other tools you’ll need to move to the PicsArt Gold subscription that costs around £6 / $8 each month.
Make sure you haveGoogle Photosinstalled and configured on your device, as it will automatically back up your snaps and video clips over a Wi-Fi connection. This has the advantages of not only keeping photos safe if you lose or break your device, but also accessible from any other computer on which you are signed into your Google account.
And don’t forget aboutInstagramandFlickr, which remain arguably the best places to share your photographic exploits with the world.
Best Productivity Apps
Phones and tablets are more like mini PCs these days, making them viable devices for getting some work done. With online productivity services and cloud storage you get the benefit of being able to access all your office documents from wherever you are, and collaborate on them with colleagues.
AtTech Advisorwe make regular use ofGmail,Google Calendar,Google Drive,Google DocsandGoogle Sheetsfor work tasks both in and out the office. But there are plenty of other app choices, not least of which is Microsoft’s Office suite, with its free apps forWord,Excel,PowerPointandOneNote.
WithOneDriveyou also get useful cloud storage, but you might prefer Dropbox, Google Drive, or one of the other options found on our round-up of thebest cloud-storage services.
We’re also big fans of Slack for instant messaging between colleagues. It’s much easier to follow than a long email thread where various people reply to different messages all at once, plus there’s the added fun brought by its GIF support.
The ability to create different channels and keep some private, makes it easier to stop threads descending into confusion, plus we can discuss the latest episode of Game or Thrones or Line of Duty without spoiling it for those yet to catch up. Come on, Jim!
One app that’s specific to us as a tech media publisher, but also useful for anyone whose business involves a website, isGoogle Analytics. Using the Analytics Android app we can see not only how many people are reading this very article right now, but what drove them to it, on what type of device they’re browsing and other useful stats.
Best Games for Android
There are far too many great games on Android to be able to quickly slim it down to a few for this article. That’s why we’ve put together our massiveBest Android games of all timeroundup.
So, whether it’s a quick five-minute puzzle game to keep you busy while waiting for the bus or a deeply immersive story-driven epic, you’re sure to find something to satiate your gaming desires.
Best News & Weather Apps
BBC Newsis a well-built news portal, replete with breaking news notifications. Another excellent option is theAP Newsfrom Associated Press, with its world-wide coverage of stories. For newspaper fans,The Guardianis the best example of a modern app-based alternative to the broadsheets, while Google also has a goodNews and Weatherapp.
For all your weather needs there’sMet Office,AccuWeather,Dark Sky, plus the good oldBBC Weatherapp so you can choose the one that tells you it’s going to be sunny tomorrow.
Best Shopping Apps
Online shopping is now a regular, indeed preferable, way to stock up on food, clothing, books, and all other things that keep the wheels of capitalism turning.
For groceries, check out our roundup of thebest food shoppingservices as it goes into far greater detail than we can here.
Looking to pick up some books, DVDs, trousers, a lawn mower, or outboard motor? Well,Amazon Shoppingis the app for you, as it helped popularise online shopping in the first place and now dominates the landscape.
Fashionistas will enjoy the visually richAsosapp which not only gathers together a wide range of clothing, but also has videos of models wearing them so you can see how you might look.
eBay, the online auction site that again sells just about everything, remains another great place to find a bargain or two, and these days there’s more new stuff listed than second-hand.
Quidcooffers cashback, discounts & voucher codes on sites like eBay, Boots, Argos, Waterstones, and many others, whileVoucherCodesandGroupOngather together deals to save you money on a variety of products and experiences.
You can also check ourdeals pagesfor up to date bargains on tech.
Best Banking Apps
With all that shopping, you’ll probably want to keep an eye on your finances. Obviously here you’re going to download the app for the bank you use, rather than the one that has the nicest interface or features, but it’s worth keeping in mind that apps such as these exist to make managing your account much easier.
Some popular banking apps in the UK includeBarclays,Halifax,HSBC,Lloyds,MBNA,Nationwide,NatWest,Royal Bank of ScotlandandSantander. There are also apps for credit card companies such asAmerican Express,BarclayCardandCapital One.
A number of new, app-centric ‘challenger’ banks have started recently, offering a thoroughly modern approach to finances and how we interact with them. These includeStarling,Monzo,N26,Revolutand others. To see whether they would be right for you read ourWhat is Starling Bank and is it safe to use?feature.
Best Travel Apps
Okay, you’ve done your shopping, checked what little remains of your balance, and decided it’s time to take a break from all your worries. If you’re planning a trip in or out of the city then we recommendNational Railto keep tabs on the trains. For their London-dwelling subterranean cousins there’sTube Map, and if you need info on buses then there’sCityMapper.
While in town, why not take the chance to visit the theatre or a gig? Last minute tickets can be found via theDiceorToday Tixapps, whether you’re in London, LA, Chicago, New York or one of several other cities.
Uberis a brilliant app for grabbing a cab within minutes in more than 50 countries, but if you’re driving yourself thenWazewill ensure that you miss the traffic hotspots and get to your destination in as little time as possible.
Should you wish to leave the country entirely, trySkyScanneras it scours the internet for the cheapest flights, and be sure to also downloadHotels.com,LateRooms, andTripAdvisorto help you find a nice place to stay overnight.
Best of the rest
Here are the apps we use here in the office that didn’t quite fit with the categories above, but are definitely ones you should try.AssistantTriggeris a handy tool that makes connecting Apple’s excellent wirelessAirPodsa doddle on your Android phone.
Those seeking calm and relaxation should check outHeadspace, while fans not queuing at the 3-deep bar on a Friday night will find theWetherspoonapp a potential oasis in the parched desert of life (and you can also order your dinner too).
Looking for ways to keep the kids occupied? ThenThe Hoopwill let you know what activities are available near you, plusYouTube Kidswill entertain them on the way.
Finally, if the Gmail app isn’t cutting it for all your email needs then we recommend trying eitherNewtonorSpark, both of which are friendly, well-designed apps that can bring a bit of excitement back to your tired old inbox.
Author: Martyn Casserly, Contributor
Martyn has been involved with tech ever since the arrival of his ZX Spectrum back in the early 80s. He covers iOS, Android, Windows and macOS, writing tutorials, buying guides and reviews.
