25 best Android apps for your new phone
25 best Android apps for your new telephone
And so you just bought yourself an Android phone. Or maybe some generous relative gave you 1 equally a gift. Lucky you lot, because whether you lot're unwrapping the Samsung Galaxy S21, Google Pixel 6 or OnePlus 9 Pro, you tin't go wrong with one of the best Android phones.
Just what do you with it next? Well, the good news is that even if you accept a budget model, y'all'll still get access to all of the treats in the Google Play Store. The but problem is that with so many apps to cull from, it can be difficult to know where to start.
That's where we come in, with this guide to the one must-accept app you demand in each category — whether that's photography, music streaming, productivity, travel or annihilation else. So read on for our starter guide, in A-Z social club, and once you're washed you can also cheque out our full list of the best Android apps overall.
Annotation: We've left Google apps out of this list because they'll most likely be pre-installed. Many of them are essential though — nosotros specially recommend Maps, Chrome, Photos, Calendar, Drive, Google Pay, Abode and Lens, all of which are either the all-time or close to the all-time in their respective categories.
Security
Bitdefender Mobile Security & Antivirus ($xiv.99/year)
It may non be very exciting, but ensuring your new Android phone is protected from threats is nonetheless vital. And while there are plenty of decent free security apps out there, we think it'south worth a small outlay to pay for one of the all-time Android antivirus apps.
Bitdefender Mobile offers excellent anti-malware protection for your phone, and automatically scans apps and websites for possible threats. With extras including a VPN, anti-theft features, secure App Locker, and even a tool that keeps an eye on your email address, it's well worth the reasonable price.
Download BitDefender Mobile Security & Antivirus
Creativity
Canva (Gratis)
Whether you're looking to level up your social media game, creating a birthday card or designing an event invitation, Canva can help bring out your artistic side.
Information technology'due south packed with free templates but as well comes with plenty of tools if y'all want to get-go from scratch, and though it'southward powerful enough to create professional looking results, information technology's incredibly piece of cake to pick up. It comes with a library of photos and illustrations — although you can just as hands upload your own — and it offers easy sharing via email or social platforms.
Download Canva
Weather
Carrot Weather (Free)
At that place are loads of groovy conditions apps bachelor, and every bit you'd expect nigh offering much the aforementioned experience; it'southward not an area that lends itself to creativity.
Well, Carrot Weather would beg to differ, providing your atmospheric condition reports with a good for you dose of sarcasm and wit to make your day that fleck brighter even if it's pouring down outside.
But don't go thinking it's all attitude over accurateness: Carrot Weather condition takes its data from Dark Sky, meaning you can trust its current, hourly, and vii-day forecasts, while infographics give you the well-nigh useful information in an easy-to-digest format. A premium version is besides available and unlocks actress features.
Download Carrot Weather
Contacts
Your contacts list can quickly descend into a mess of duplicates, never-used and who-are-they-over again? entries, with the odd useful bill of fare hidden among them. Enter Contacts+, an address volume replacement that helps y'all get organized.
It automatically imports information from linked social networks such equally Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn so you accept everything in one place, can pull in comprehend photos from Facebook and even brandish recent communications from each contact. We rate it as one of the best contact apps, and wouldn't be without information technology on a new phone.
Download Contacts+
News
Flipboard (Free)
Obviously you get all your news from Tom's Guide, but permit'due south pretend y'all too desire to read about topics we don't cover, and in an bonny magazine-style format that'south expertly personalized to your own interests? Look no further than Flipboard.
The basic idea is simple: you select various topics — for instance politics, fine art, dogs, food and science — so Flipboard serves them upwards for yous, regularly refreshing your personal magazine so that there's always something new to read. You tin can also follow other people's magazines, salvage stories and hands share them with others. And yes, TG is on it, don't worry.
Download Flipboard
Smart home
IFTTT (Free)
Smart home tech is dandy, just the routines available aren't always as clever as they could be. That'southward where IFTTT can help.
Its name stands for If This Then That, and the app essentially allows you to create custom routines that tin can carry out surprisingly complex tasks without the need for any expertise beyond a little logic.
For instance, you could set it upward then that information technology automatically turns on your smart lights, heating and music when you get home, or backs up photos when y'all have a new i, or letters your family when you're near the grocery. The possibilities are almost endless and it's fully compatible with almost every smart home platform on the planet.
Download IFTTT
Streaming
JustWatch (Free)
Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, Peacock, Amazon Prime Video… the problem with TV these days is that in that location'south merely too much of it, spread effectually multiple streaming platforms. You tin can easily spend so much time browsing for shows to watch that yous run out of time to actually start anything.
Fortunately,JustWatch is here to simplify things, telling you lot exactly where to find the Goggle box (and movies) you want to settle downward with, across 37 streaming services. You also become movie trailers and showtimes, plus one-click bookings for your local movie theatre.
Download JustWatch
Passwords
LastPass (Costless)
We're ever being told to make passwords more complex and non use the same one across multiple sites and services — and with proficient reason. Merely unless you take the retention of an elephant, that tin leave you having to frequently reset your logins as you repeatedly forget which countersign is for which site.
That'southward why you need a countersign manager, and our favorite is LastPass. It acts every bit a password vault that encrypts and stores your logins and automatically fills them in when you lot sign in, and it can as well generate potent passwords from scratch. Plus information technology works on all platforms, so will sync nicely between your phone, tablet and computer.
Download LastPass
Productivity
Microsoft To Practise (Free)
There are many to-do list apps out at that place, but Microsoft's To Do has been developed nicely over the years and is now 1 of our favorites. Information technology's easy to utilise, with a sleek and distraction-free interface, but also smart plenty to offer up suggestions based on upcoming deadlines or fifty-fifty long-term patterns.
It'southward too highly customizable: you can add color coding, descriptions, categories and more, or just stick to cursory notes. And if you lot also apply Microsoft's Role 365 suite y'all'll find it integrates well at that place, as well.
Download Microsoft To Do
Finances
Mint (Gratis)
It'southward piece of cake to lose track of your finances, but Mint doesn't want that to happen. In fact, its mission is to help you lot rails, upkeep, and manage your money all in one place. And information technology does so brilliantly, making what is ordinarily a slow and lengthy task into i that's slightly more approachable. Simply still dull; it can't work miracles.
Every bit well every bit helping you lot to rail your incomings and outgoings, information technology'll let you lot set reminders for bill payments and subscriptions — so you lot don't become caught out by the stop of those free trial periods — and everything is presented in clear, attractive charts and tables that make a mundane subject area much more attainable.
Download Mint
Reading
Moon+ Reader (Free)
We could just suggest the Amazon Kindle app here, but chances are yous already know about that. Plus, groovy though Kindle is, Moon+ Reader offers several advantages, not least the ability to handle formats such equally EPUB and MOBI.
Information technology's another highly customizable app, too, with options for everything from line spacing to font scale to the overall theme. And of course it'southward proudly brand doubter: yous can use Moon+ with about every online library out there, rather than being tied to 1 service.
Download Moon+ Reader
Launchers
Niagara Launcher (Gratis)
Nosotros named Niagara Launcher the best Android app in our Tom's Guide Awards 2021, and if that isn't enough of a recommendation then we don't know what is.
How essential it is will depend on what device y'all're using, considering if yous're on a Pixel, for instance, you lot may prefer to stick with vanilla Android. Merely for everyone else — or just those who fancy a change — Niagara is a must.
Information technology offers a clean, minimal interface that puts your apps front and center in an alphabetical list and lets you read and reply to notifications from the home screen. You can too customize it (of course) and you lot won't find an advertisement near it, even in the gratuitous version.
Download Niagara Launcher
Photography
Pixtica (Complimentary)
There are more camera apps on the Play Store than at that place are grains of sand on all the beaches in the globe (probably), but if we had to pick just one it would be Pixtica.
Information technology offers consummate control over every aspect of photography, from ISO to shutter speed to focus, while live filters, panorama, HDR, stickers and hyperlapse modes give you enough of creative options to play effectually with. And while near of these features can exist plant in other camera apps, too, it's rare to get them all in i place — and in a gorgeous, user-friendly packet that is a joy to use. A paid version adds more filters and higher resolutions, and unlocks various other options.
Download Pixtica
Podcasts
Pocket Casts (Free)
Google's ain Podcasts app is pretty decent, and nosotros also like the super-powerful Podcast Addict, but our favorite is the excellent Pocket Casts. It nails the residual between functionality and accessibility, offering tons of ways to heed, multiple playback options, cloud syncing and more, while dressing information technology all up in a gorgeous skin that makes it easy to navigate.
A premium subscription for $0.99/month or $9.99/twelvemonth gives yous extra features including a desktop app, but the free version is enough to keep nigh people very happy indeed.
Download Pocket Casts
Fourth dimension-wasting
Reddit (Gratis)
Got a spare minute? So dip into Reddit and see what you land on. Simply be warned; you could easily discover yourself downwards a rabbit hole that leaves yous surfacing several hours later with a brain full of both useful and useless data.
Reddit has been effectually for years, of course, but it'southward just as engaging as ever, with its mix of viral posts and videos, AMAs and genuinely interesting threads guaranteed to keep y'all entertained for however long y'all choose to spend on information technology. There are likewise groups for every interest under the sun (some of which are seriously niche) and it can be a fantastic place to seek advice on a field of study. Just exist enlightened that you're never far from a NSFW postal service.
Download Reddit
Stargazing
Heaven Safari (Free)
E'er looked upwardly at the heavens and wondered what that really bright star hovering only above the horizon is? Betoken your telephone at it and Sky Safari will not only tell y'all that's information technology'south Vega, but too that information technology's the fifth brightest star in the sky and lies inside the constellation Lyra, 25.3 low-cal years abroad.
In short, it'due south a toolkit for the dark sky, using GPS to accurately pinpoint your location and identify what you're seeing, so giving you info, images and data most information technology. It'south an essential download if yous have even the slightest interest in the creation.
Download Sky Safari
Files
Solid Explorer File Director ($one.99)
I thing people similar near Android is that you can easily access the files stored within your phone — so long as you know where to find them. In that location are dozens of complimentary file explorer apps that allow y'all manage your device's external storage, merely many are hampered by ads and bloatware.
Instead, we'd recommend spending a very reasonable $1.99 on the excellent Solid Explorer, a premium file managing director free from ads only packed with features. You get drag-and-drop controls, a multi-tab and multi-pane interface, compressed archives and support for network and cloud storage plus more advanced features such as a root explorer.
Download Solid Explorer
Concerts
Songkick (Free)
If you lot're a fan of live music and so Songkick is an accented must. It serves upwards personalized concert listings based on what you heed to on Spotify, avoiding the need to wade through Ed Sheeran and Adele gigs so you lot tin can get directly to the good stuff. You can also get reminders when events keep sale, and even purchase tickets via the app. It's a i-stop shop for music lovers.
Download Songkick
Music streaming
Spotify (Free)
Speaking of Spotify, it'due south withal the all-time music streaming app out at that place thank you to its vast library, slick UI and integration with smart speakers. As well as having the unabridged dorsum catalogs of most every artist who you're likely to care well-nigh, it's increasingly hot on podcasts, while its personalized playlists tin can brand information technology piece of cake to discover new favorites — or resurface old classics.
The costless version is fine if you don't listen ads, but you won't be able to mind via Echo, Google or Sonos devices (amidst others) or save songs for offline listening. Those features alone make it well worth shelling out for the $9.99/calendar month Premium subscription.
Download Spotify
Fitness
Strava (Complimentary)
Though Strava is our pick as the best running app, it's as equally essential if you prefer cycling, swimming or even simply like a nice walk now and again.
Its USP is in the way it combines fitness tracking with a social feed and gamified features that let you compete with others — whether friends or strangers — over set routes. Even if yous're not normally the competitive type, it'south hard to resist the attraction of trying to move upwardly the table from 389th to 388th by recording a slightly better time over that lap of the local park.
Integration with multiple fitness trackers, Wear Bone and Apple Watch is another bonus, and at that place's a premium subscription which adds exercise goals, more than detailed analytics and other treats.
Download Strava
Automation
Tasker ($2.99)
While IFTTT, before on in this list, is an excellent tool for setting upwards smart home routines, Tasker really excels when information technology comes to phone-based automation.
Want to automatically turn off data when you become home? You got it. Wish your phone would get into do not disturb fashion when yous turn it face down? No problem. With 350+ actions to choose from, if you can think of it, Tasker tin almost certainly make it happen.
Install it on a rooted phone and y'all'll get even more options, making it well worth the single $2.99 payment.
Download Tasker
Travel
Transit (Complimentary)
While Google Maps is great in this regard, if you alive in a urban center, Transit is a must for navigating public send. Tell it where you want to go and information technology'll offer up routes using trains, buses, and even wheel sharing, while also factoring in brusque walks to each cease and look times. Real-time data on arrival times and service disruptions are another bonus, and with 300 cities at present supported there's a decent chance you lot'll be able to use it on your commute.
Download Transit
Multimedia
VLC (Costless)
VLC has been around for years, only it remains the most powerful and flexible video and music player, handling any file format that you lot can throw at it from .mp4 files to .mkv and many, many more. Information technology's totally gratuitous, doesn't have ads, is open source and frankly we don't need to say any more: just download it.
Download VLC
Driving
Waze (Free)
It'south a toss-upward between Google Maps vs. Waze as to which is the best driving app, only while Maps has many more features, Waze is our choice purely when it comes to getting you from A to B via the fastest road.
Its accurate, time-saving turn-by-turn navigation uses traffic information and crowdsourced info from other users to plot your course, and expertly shifts y'all on to a quicker one if the situation changes. Information technology's something of a one-play a joke on pony, but who cares when information technology does such a good job at that one trick.
Download Waze
Messaging
WhatsApp (Free)
One of the all-time subconscious gems inside the Google Play Store, WhatsApp is a petty-known app that… no, alright, you lot've already heard of this 1. Merely sometimes the most popular apps get that way considering they're so skilful, and that'due south certainly the instance here.
It'due south now and then ubiquitous that when many people say "I'll bulletin you," information technology barely needs explaining that they mean via WhatsApp. And with good reason: its group conversation features helped many families and friends stay in touch during lockdown, while its incredibly piece of cake setup and syncing feel ensure even your tech-phobic dad can use it.
The only drawback for some is that it's function of the Facebook galaxy of apps, only that aside information technology's about as essential as apps get.
Download WhatsApp
Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/features/first-apps-for-new-android-phone
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