Best Android apps: The ultimate guide

Maggie Tillman | 11 December 2018

Stephen Frank/Unsplash Best Android apps: The ultimate guide

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- Keep checking back, as we update this list regularly!

Google's Play Store has nearly three million apps.

With that many apps, surfing through the store can become overwhelming, and a few wrong choices in what to download can lead you to just staying away from it in general. But here at Pocket-lint we've been faithfully using the Google Play Store since it first launched (remember "Android Market"?) a decade ago.

So, we've put our expertise to the test and assembled this complete guide, to help you find the absolute best of what Play Store has to offer. We have arranged everything by category, so it should be easy to find exactly what you want.

If you want to find great apps for the iPhone, we have a guide on that here.

BEST APPS CATEGORIES
• AR and VR (non-games)	• Books, audiobooks, and podcasts
• Cloud storage	• Education
• Dating and relationships	• Film and TV
• Finance	• Food
• Games	• Messaging
• Health and fitness	• Photo and video
• Music	• Productivity
• Security	• Social media
• Shopping	• Travel and transportation
• Smart Home	• Weather
• Writing	• Graphic Design

Best Android apps

AR and VR (non-games)

YouTube VR

You can watch all of your favorite YouTube videos in virtual reality without leaving the comfort of your headset in this application that creates a YouTube homescreen in a 3D world.

Try it now: YouTube VR

IKEA Place

IKEA Place lets you virtually see 3D, true-to-scale IKEA products in your space. It includes most of IKEA's catalogue, like sofas and chairs, and helps you to better understand the furniture’s size, design, and functionality in your home.

Try it now: Ikea Place

Measure

The Measure app allows you to measure distances in your home without the need of a tape measure. Just follow the directions on your phone and easily obtain measurements for a room, wall, table, or any other surface you can think of in or outside of your home.

Try it now: Measure

Star Walk

Star Walk is a popular stargazing app. It's an interactive guide to the night sky, following your every movement in real-time and allowing you to explore over 200,000 celestial bodies and get access to information about anything you find.

Try it now: Star Walk

Earth VR

Experience surface level details throughout earth or shoot up into the atmosphere and get an astronaut's eye view of our pale blue bot. Once your done with our home planet be sure to go check out the moon.

Try it now: Earth VR

Vuforia Chalk

Vuforia Chalk combines live video, audio, and the ability for a remote person to annotate their live view. Annotations accurately stick to real-world objects, even when people move around. Imagine, for instance, using this as a field technician.

Try it now: Vuforia Chalk

Cloud storage

Dropbox

Dropbox lets you store files and folders to the cloud and share them, scan docs, and collaborate with others, with everything safely synced across all your devices - so you can access it anytime, anywhere. You get 2GB of space for free to start.

Try it now: Dropbox

Google Drive

Google Drive is similar to Dropbox, only you get 15GB free to start, and it directly supports Google's entire product portfolio. You can see your Google Photos or Google Docs files, for instance, and invite others to view, edit, or leave comments.

Try it now: Google Drive

Microsoft OneDrive

Those of you who are more tied to Microsoft's ecosystem (maybe you have a Windows 10 PC or use Office apps), should get OneDrive. It lets you access and share your documents, photos, and other files from your Android device and computer (PC or Mac).

Try it now: Microsoft OneDrive

Dating and relationships

Tinder

Tinder has become shorthand for online dating application. It has tons of users that are matched on whether two users have both swiped right on one another. Profiles have a few pictures and a short bio section.

Try it now: Tinder

OKCupid

OKCupid is all about rich profiles, where you can show off your personality and interests. You can answer thousands of questions about yourself, or just a few, and it algorithm will helps you connect with people who share your passions.

Try it now: OKCupid

Grindr

Grindr is a social networking and chat app for gay, bi, trans, and queer people. It's not as fully featured or pretty as, say, Tinder, but it's still the No. 1 option for the LGBTQ community.

Try it now: Grindr

Finance

YNAB

YNAB claims to help you "break the paycheck to paycheck cycle, get out of debt, and save more money". Apparently, on average, new users save $600 in the first two months, and more than $6,000 in the first year. First 30 days of use are free.

Try it now: YNAB

Mint

Want to see how you spend your money? Mint is the free money management and financial tracker app that bring together your bank accounts, credit cards, bills, and investments and see what you’re spending and where you can save money.

Try it now: Mint

Robinhood

Robinhood lets you buy and sell stocks and exchange-traded funds without paying a commission. You can start a portfolio and invest in your favourite companies. Like Acorns, it's meant for novice investors who want to buy and trade.

Try it now: Robinhood

Venmo

Venmo is like Square Cash, but with a social layer. You can add notes to your payments for others to see, and like or comment on friends’ stories.

Try it now: Venmo

Games

Leo's Fortune

Leo's Fortune is an adorable platforming game with gorgeous stages and graphics, smart puzzles, a whimsical story, and a little fluff ball you can make float or sink to reach gold coins. It's a refreshing break from side scrollers.

Try it now: Leo's Fortune

Minecraft: Pocket Edition

Microsoft's hugely popular Minecraft game is available on every console and platform, including the Android. With it, you can explore, mine, and craft away in a blocky 3D pixelated environment, letting your imagination run wild.

Try it now: Minecraft

Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery

This is an adventure game with an odd, spooky story as well as a great soundtrack. It's pitched as a game where you traverse a mythic little realm, battle, and evoke sorcery - all while cooperating with friends via Twitter. Seriously.

Try it now: Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery

Stranger Things

Love the Netflix Original series? Us too. Now, with the game, you can travel through Hawkins and use characters' weapons to battle enemies, do quests, and solve the latest supernatural mystery in everyone's favourite 80s town.

Try it now: Stranger Things

Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp

Based on the original real-time life simulator for the Nintendo Gamecube, this game released last year lets you live among your real life friends and computer generated animal characters as you all work to upgrade your camp.

Try it now: Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp

Mini Metro

Now you can finally fix the subway. Well, technically, Mini Metro will let you try to create your own subway system. It's a minimalist, yet complex, game with mind-boggling, head-scratching puzzles you got to figure out.

Try it now: Mini Metro

Red's Kingdom

Red's Kingdom is an adventure puzzle game with a sweet story and wonderful gameplay. Mad King Mac has kidnapped your father and stolen your golden nut! You need to explore and battle your way through the kingdom.

Try it now: Red's Kingdom

The Room: Old Sins

Here is another challenging puzzle game with a captivating story: the sudden disappearance of an engineer and his wife provokes the hunt for a precious artifact that leads to the discovery of an old, unsettling dollhouse.

Try it now: The Room: Old Sins

80 Days

With this game, you race around the globe in 80 Days or less, traveling by airship, submarine, mechanical camel, steam-train, and more.

Try it now: 80 Days

Hitman GO

Hitman GO is a turn-based strategy game where you navigate fixed spaces on a grid to avoid enemies and take out your target.

Try it now: Hitman GO

NEO Scavenger

NEO Scavenger is a game where you must survive in the wasteland. And with each passing minute, you weaken and must choose your starting abilities carefully, "because they and your wit are the only tools you have".

Try it now: NEO Scavenger

The Witness

Ever wonder what it'd be like to wake up, alone, on a strange island? Now you can, but with puzzles that will challenge and surprise you.

Try it now: The Witness

Alto's Odyssey

This is a sequel app to Odyssey Adventure. You play the role of a snowboarder, flying down an endless, gorgeous landscape. While Adventure had players on a cold mountain, Odyssey throws in some pastures and desert landscapes.

Try it now: Alto's Odyssey

Clash Royale

Clash Royale is a tower rush game in which you can duel players from around the world in real-time in both 1v1 and 2v2 Battles. The objective (three minutes into the game) is to destroy opposing towers as well as the "King tower".

Try it now: Clash Royale

Fortnite

This is a Battle Royale game where you squad up and compete to be the last one standing in 100-player PvP. You're supposed to build cover, battle your opponents, and survive the longest to earn your victory.

Try it now: How to Install Fortnite (Not Available in Play Store)

HQ Trivia

HQ Trivia a popular live game show where you can win real cash prizes. Every day, you tune into the HQ live show to answer trivia questions, which range from easy to hard, and see if you can win cash.

Try it now: HQ Trivia

Hearthstone

With this card battler, you're the hero who uses cards to "sling spells, summon minions, and seize control" of the battlefield. You can jump right in, build your deck, hone your skills, and fight for glory in the Arena and duel players.

Try it now: Hearthstone

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

The classic game that originally came out on the PS2 is now available in the Google Play Store. Help CJ take out the Ballas one more time.

Try it now: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Dumb ways to Die

Based on a popular online video series, this game features 61 hilarious mini games that feature dumb ways you could bite the big one.

Try it now: Dumb Ways to Die

Monument Valley

This is a sequel to 2014's Monument Valley. It's an indie puzzle game, where the goal is to guide Ro and her child through mazes, optical illusions, and impossible objects in order to complete the puzzle.

Try it now: Monument Valley

Pokemon Go

This game put mobile AR experiences on the map in 2016. It allows you to be a Trainer who can search for Pokemon in the real-world, as well as do catching, hatching, evolving, and more. You can even compete in epic gym battles.

Try it now: Pokemon Go

PUBG Mobile

This is a Fortnite-like Battle Royale game in which 100 players parachute onto a remote island. Players have to locate and scavenge their own weapons, vehicles, and supplies, and defeat every player to be the last one standing.

Try it now: PUBG Mobile

Threes

Threes is an indie puzzle game where the player slides numbered tiles on a grid to combine addends and multiples of three. The game ends when there are no moves left on the grid and the tiles are counted for a final score.

Try it now: Threes

Rick and Morty: Pocket Mortys

If you liked the original Gameboy Pokemon games and the Adult Swim show Rick and Morty, I promise you will love this game.

Try it now: Rick and Morty: Pocket Mortys

Run

Run or jump, just don't fall or try to slow down. The simple yet addictive game that started on web browsers now has an app.

Try it now: Run

Health and fitness

Glow

Clue on the Android is our No. 1 suggestion, but Glow is a nice alternative on Android. It has a menstrual and ovulation calculator that also helps women learn about their fertility, whether avoiding or attempting pregnancy.

Try it now: Glow

Calm

This is designed to lower stress and anxiety while helping users get more restful sleep through guided meditations, sleep stories, breathing programs and relaxing music.

Try it now: Calm

C25K

C25K is another Couch to 5K program. Like the others, it mixes running and walking, gradually building up your strength and stamina.

Try it now: C25K

Fertility Friend

Fertility Friend is another fertility tracker. It has an advanced ovulation calculator, menstrual calendar, fertility chart, and period tracker. Its aim is to help you get pregnant, with personalised trying-to-conceive tips and analysis.

Try it now: Fertility Friend

Headspace

Headspace is a guided meditation app. The basics course is completely free and will teach you the fundamental techniques of meditation and mindfulness. After that, with a subscription, you can access the full Headspace meditation library.

Try it now: Headspace

Lose it!

Lose It! is a weight loss program. You simply download the app, set your goal, and track the foods to lose weight.

Try it now: Lose it!

Calorie Counter - MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal, which is integrated with Under Armour's apps and devices, helps you track food, create goals, log exercise, and get support.

Try it now: Calorie Counter - MyFitnessPal

Pocket Yoga

Pocket Yoga will guide you through an entire Yoga session. It offers different ones with varying difficulty and helps you to learn all the poses.

Try it now: Pocket Yoga

Sleep Cycle

Sleep Cycle is an intelligent alarm clock that tracks your sleep patterns and decides to when to wake you up in light sleep - the natural way.

Try it now: Sleep Cycle

Tabata Timer

This app provides a timer for high intensity interval training sessions, so if you're a person who like to trains using HIIT style workouts, this app is a must have.

Try it now: Tabata Timer

Daily Yoga

Daily Yoga offers over 500 asanas, 200 guided classes of yoga, pilates, and meditation, 50 workout plans, and even coaches workshops.

Try it now: Daily Yoga

Music

Apple Music

This is Apple's music subscription service, but for Android devices. With it, you can stream practically any tune you've ever wanted to hear.

Try it now: Apple Music

Google Play Music

This is Android's music subscription service built into its devices. With it, you can stream practically any tune you've ever wanted to hear.

Try it now: Google Play Music

Pandora

Pandora is a classic music app that's basically a digital radio. It lets you create stations from your favorite songs, artists, or genres.

Try it now: Pandora

SoundCloud

SoundCloud is a music and audio streaming platform, with over 180 million tracks. It lets you upload audio and find new music, all in one place.

Try it now: SoundCloud

Spotify

Spotify is like Android Music, only it's not tied to Android devices, and there is a freemium tier that lets you listen to stations and playlists with ads.

Try it now: Spotify

Security

1Password

This is a password manager. It remembers all your passwords for you, lets you generate passwords, and easily signs you in to sites and apps.

Try it now: 1Password

NordVPN

Traveling to a foreign country? Or just want to browse in peace at home? With this app, you can enjoy safe and private internet access and secure your Wi-Fi connections against various cyber threats. There's a free trial to start.

Try it now: NordVPN

Orbot: Proxy with Tor

This app uses Tor to encrypt your internet traffic. Tor is free software and an open network that helps you defend against network surveillance.

Try it now: Orbot: Proxy with Tor

KeePassDroid

This app serves as an electronic safe for all your passwords. Don't click that forgot password button again!

Try it now: KeePassDroid

Shopping

Amazon

We all know what Amazon is - and with this app, you can easily shop it from your mobile device. It even lets you access Alexa and scan products.

Try it now: Amazon

ASOS

The ASOS app claims to be home to more than 850 brands and over 85,000 products (mostly clothing). It offers free delivery and return options.

Try it now: ASOS

Etsy

Interested in buying or browsing handmade, vintage, and one-of-a-kind goods? Then you need to use Etsy.

Try it now: Etsy

Houzz

Houzz is your one-stop shop for improving and designing your home. Browse inspirational photos, view and buy products, hire and collaborate with professionals, get advice, read articles, and more with this handy home decor app.

Try it now: Houzz

IKEA Catalogue

Want to browse IKEA's latest product catalogue, create a mood board, and test out IKEA furniture in your space? Look no further.

Try it now: IKEA catalogue

Overstock

Overstock is like Amazon, but it's Overstock, obviously. Shop sales, try out furniture in AR, check-out with Android Pay, and more.

Try it now: Overstock

ShopStyle

ShopStyle enables you to buy clothing, shoes, sneakers, and entire outfits - from practically every designer you've ever heard about.

Try it now: ShopStyle

Wayfair

If home goods is your thing, Wayfair claims to house the world’s largest selection of home goods - with prices ranging from cheap to wow. It also has a new 3D View in Room feature that lets you see virtual items in your space.

Try it now: Wayfair

eBay

Love eBay? Then you’ll love the eBay app. It lets you use your camera to search for items, scan barcodes, and manage your account.

Try it now: eBay

Smart Home

Amazon Alexa

Own an Alexa device? Then you need this app to set it up, manage your profile, find skills, and do just about anything Alexa related.

Try it now: Amazon Alexa

Google Home

What the Alexa app is to Alexa devices, the Google Home app is to Google Home and Chromecast devices. It's a must-have for Assistant users.

Try it now: Google Home

IFTTT

IFTTT is less relevant now that Android has the Shortcuts app, but with it, you can essentially connect and automate all your online services.

Try it now: IFTTT

Hue

This app works with Philips Hue smart light bulbs allowing users to control the color and brightness of the light in their homes.

Try it now: Hue

Nest

The Nest app work with Nest SmartHome devices such as security systems, thermostats, lights, and plug-ins. It's a must-have if your own their devices.

Try it now: Nest

Writing

Microsoft Word

Word is the gold standard of word processors and is often used in the workplace. But it does require an Office 365 subscription on the Android.

Try it now: Microsoft Word

Google Docs

Simply put, Docs is a cloud-based alternative to Word. Use it to create, edit, save, and even collaborate on documents while on the go.

Try it now: Google Docs

Evernote

Evernote is a popular note app. You can input typed notes or scan handwritten notes. You can also add to-do’s, photos, images, web pages, or audio, and it syncs across your devices, so your information is always with you.

Try it now: Evernote

iA Writer

iA is another distraction-free, minimalist notepad. It only shows text in plaintext, and it has useful organisation tools like search and sort.

Try it now: iA Writer

Books, audiobooks, and podcasts

Google Podcasts

This is Android's built-in Android Podcast app that lets you discover audio stories. It offers over 550,000 shows with nearly 19 million episodes.

Try it now: Google Podcasts

Audible

Audible, an Amazon company, claims to be the largest selection of audiobooks. You can buy and listen to them with this app.

Try it now: Audible

ComicScreen - ComicViewer

This is a clean comic book reader. It promises smart upscaling to make even low-res comics look great, complete with auto contrast and tint fixes.

Try it now: ComicScreen - ComicViewer

Comics

Want to explore over 100,000 digital comics and graphic novels? This app has titles from Marvel, DC, Image, and more.

Try it now: Comics

Flipboard

Flipboard is a well-known app that curates and serves up news stories in an easy-to-digest, audiovisual way that reminds us of a magazine.

Try it now: Flipboard

Google Play Books

Google's Play Book app lets you browse millions of book titles, from audiobooks to ebooks, and enjoy them, all in one central place.

Try it now: Google Play Books

Kindle Reader

Amazon's Kindle Reader lets you turn your Android into a Kindle. It allows you to download and carry all your ebooks with you, wherever you go.

Try it now: Kindle Reader

TuneIn

TuneIn allows gives you the benefit of many of these other podcasts, but also allows you to listen to live radio broadcasts. It's great if your favourite team is playing while you're stuck in traffic.

Try it now: TuneIn

Kobo

Kobo is an alternative ebook and audiobook store, with over six million titles to choose from. It lets you listen to and read books, too.

Try it now: Kobo

Libby

Did you know your local library has thousands of ebooks and audiobooks? You can borrow them, instantly, for free, using Libby.

Try it now: Libby

Pocket Casts

An award winning application for streaming all of your favorite podcasts

Try it now: Pocket Casts

Google News

Google's News will cater you information relevant to you based on what you've shown interest in through your Chrome browser.

Try it now: Google News

Education

EasyBib

If you're a student, you need this app when writing bibliographies for papers. It's basically an accurate citation generator.

Try it now: EasyBib

Memrise

This is an easy-to-use language learning app with an entertainment layer. Learn everything from French to Norwegian.

Try it now: Memrise

StudyBlue Flashcards

StudyBlue is a crowdsourced materials library meant to help you crush exams. It has over 10 million students and over 500 million flashcards.

Try it now: StudyBlue Flashcards

TED

Designed to "feed your curAndroidity and expand your world", this app has over 3,000 free videos from the world's most remarkable people.

Try it now: TED

Wolfram Alpha

Whether you need to perform high-level mathematic computations or search for facts and statistics, WolframAlpha is worth trying. It's essentially a powerful tool for finding information on math, science, and other topics.

Try it now: Wolfram Alpha

Film and TV

Google Play Movies

Rent or buy the latest television and movies. The app also has a search feature that allows you to see if what you're looking for is available to stream and where.

Try it now: Google Play Movies

FireTV

The FireTV app works with your FireTV through your mobile device allowing you to streamline accessing your applications and searching for the show or movie you're looking for.

Try it now: FireTV

HBO Now

With HBO Now, you can watch our favourite episodes of HBO’s series (think Game of Thrones and Westworld) for a monthly subscription fee.

Try it now: HBO Now

Hulu

Hulu offers up an entire library of movies and shows (including Seinfeld, South Park, and Fear the Walking Dead) for a monthly subscription fee. For an additional cost, you get over 50 live channels, like ABC, NBC, CBS, and ESPN.

Try it now: Hulu

IMDb

IMDb, an Amazon company, is the an authoritative source for all-things Hollywood. Explore popular movies and TV shows and their casts, and get access to trailers, behind-the-scenes clips, and showtimes (plus buy tickets) near you.

Try it now: IMDb

Netflix

Netflix is the king of streaming services. For a monthly subscription fee, you get access to Netflix Originals, plus many more movies and shows.

Try it now: Netflix

Prime Video

Prime Video is included in an Amazon Prime subscription. With it, you get access to Amazon Originals, plus many more movies and shows.

Try it now: Prime Video

YouTube TV

Like Hulu's Live TV offering, YouTube TV offers cable-free live TV, so you can stream major broadcast and networks, from ABC to ESPN. It also has cloud storage, and is a monthly pay-as-you-go membership you can cancel anytime.

Try it now: YouTube TV

YouTube

YouTube is the original source for online video. Use it to watch beauty tutorials, game streams, music videos, and more - for free, with ads.

Try it now: YouTube

Food

Grubhub

Grubhub is like Doordash, though it promises to have "the largest selection of restaurants" - from KFC to your local burger haunt.

Try it now: Grubhub

OpenTable

This app has more than 43,000 restaurants around the globe. It's the perfect travel app for finding local restaurants and booking a reservation.

Try it now: OpenTable

Seamless

Like Grubhub and Doordash, Seamless lets you access local menus, with fast, easy online ordering. But it's only available in New York City.

Try it now: Seamless

Uber Eats

Hungry? Get the food you want, from the restaurants you love, delivered by an Uber, and you can even track your order in real-time.

Try it now: Uber Eats

Messaging

Facebook Messenger

If you use Facebook, you definitely use Messenger. But it can be tied to your number, allowing you to text anyone in your friends list or contacts. You can also do video chats, complete with filters, play games, access biz chatbots, and more.

Try it now: Facebook Messenger

Slack

Slack is a communication and collaboration app. Designed primarily for businesses, it's a must-have messenger for teams.

Try it now: Slack

WhatsApp Messenger

Whatsapp is one of the most popular messaging apps thanks to its ability to send and receive encrypted messages.

Try it now: WhatsApp Messenger

Google Hangouts

Google's own answer to the need for every company to have a messaging app that works great in conjunction with Gmail.

Try it now: Google Hangouts

Discord

This messaging app is designed and streamlined for use by gamers. See who is online, who's playing what, and organize your team using Discord.

Try it now: Discord

Photo and video

Google Clips

Clips is Google's app that allows you to easily splice together a polished video without a lot of effort. Clips is a great free video editing option.

Try it now: Google Clips

Snapseed

Snapseed is a photo editor developed by Google. It's not Photoshop, but it's still feature-rich with tools like healing and brush. It also lets you open RAW files, use filters, and refine aspects like curves with precise control.

Try it now: Snapseed

Google Photos

Google Photos is an app that lets you store and view all your photos and videos, and even create custom animations and GIFs.

Try it now: Google Photos

Adobe Premiere Clip

This is Adobe's answer to Google Clips. It lets you shoot, edit, and share online videos, and is designed for short-form clips versus longer ones.

Try it now: Adobe Premiere Clip

Prisma

Prisma is a photo editor app that creates amazing photo effects by transforming your photos into paintings using so-called art filters.

Try it now: Prisma

Productivity

Action Launcher

If you want the features of a Google Pixel phone without buying one this app will give you many of those features without the Pixel price tag.

Try it now: Action Launcher

Gmail

Google's flagship email application. Comes installed on most android devices.

Try it now: Gmail

Microsoft Excel

Excel is probably the most popular spreadsheet app in the world - used in businesses and schools worldwide. But it requires an Office 365 sub.

Try it now: Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

With PowerPoint, you can quickly create, edit, view, present, or share presentations quickly. Again, you need an Office 365 subscription.

Try it now: Microsoft PowerPoint

Google Sheets

Sheets is a cloud-based alternative to Excel. Use it to create, edit, save, and even collaborate on spreadsheets while on the go.

Try it now: Google Sheets

Google Slides

Slides is a cloud-based alternative to Powerpoint. Use it to create, edit, and collaborate with others on presentations from your Android.

Try it now: Google Slides

Google Calendar

Google is a powerhouse in the productivity and collaboration space, and Calendar is a prime example. It lets you view, edit, sync your schedule across platforms and devices. You can also create a team Calendar to share with others.

Try it now: Google Calendar

Google Chrome

If you hate Safari, consider trying to Chrome, especially if you use the desktop app. It's a powerful browser that syncs across all your devices.

Try it now: Google Chrome

Google Tasks

Manage your tasks and to-do lists across all of your devices with this productivity app.

Try it now: Google Tasks

Adobe Acrobat Reader

Adobe Acrobat Reader is the standard application for viewing and editing PDF documents.

Try it now: Adobe Acrobat Reader

Focus Keeper

Focus Keeper helps you "keep your productivity high avoiding burnout using the timer". The point is to help you work with time - not against it!

Try it now: Focus Keeper

Calculator

Calculator is Google's calculator application that is capable of both regular math functions and scientific functions for higher level math courses such as trigonometry.

Try it now: Calculator

SwiftKey Keyboard

Microsoft designed this as an intelligent keyboard app that learns from your writing style to help you work faster and make life easier.

Try it now: SwiftKey Keyboard

Tasker

Use Tasker to create a layout for your entire day that seamlessly blends together or use automation to trigger actions on your devices, such as turning off notifications when it's bedtime and automatically turning them back on when you wake up.

Try it now: Tasker

Todoist

Todoist is like a reminder app that helps you to keep track of everything, anywhere. Even when you’re offline. It also offers access to over 60 app integrations, including Dropbox, Amazon Alexa, Zapier, IFTTT, and Slack.

Try it now: Todoist

Wunderlist

Wunderlist is an another to-do list and task manager app. It makes it easy to capture, share, and complete tasks, no matter the device you're using.

Try it now: Wunderlist

Social media

Facebook

Facebook almost needs no introduction. It's probably the most popular social network in the world. Use it to connect with friends, old and new. Or, use it to view hidden ads and memes from meddlers spreading propaganda.

Try it now: Facebook

LinkedIn is the social network for professionals. It helps you build an online resume, find jobs, network, and more. It's also owned by Microsoft.

Try it now: LinkedIn

This is the mecca for DIYers. Want to make a lip scrub? Check. Need Halloween party ideas? Check. You can explore over 100 billion pins for every part of your life, and create mood boards to look back on for inspiration.

Try it now: Pinterest

Discover top trending topics, breaking news, viral video clips, funny jokes, and hot memes with the official Reddit app.

Try it now: Reddit

Twitter

Ah, the toxic armpit of the internet. Want to see what the US President is tweeting? How about Kim K or your favourite CNN anchor? It's all here, in real-time, with basically no filters in place. Bring on the alt-right trolls!

Try it now: Twitter

Travel and transportation

Airbnb

Forget hotels. They're expensive and price rigged. Instead, use Airbnb to find an affordable vacation rental, or start earning money as a host.

Try it now: Airbnb

Google Maps

Google Maps is the only maps app you need. With over 220 countries and territories mapped and hundreds of millions of businesses and places on the map, you can get real-time GPS navigation, traffic, and accurate transit info.

Try it now: Google Maps

Uber

Need a lift? Try Uber for a ride. It's a cab service or carpool, where the drivers can be anyone from a lawyer to cop trying to earn extra on the side.

Try it now: Uber

Google Trips

Let Google help make your trips a little easier by saving your travel information such as reservations or flight plans even when you're offline. The app will also offer activity suggestions based on what’s nearby.

Try it now: Google Trips

Waze

Google-owned Waze tells you instantly about traffic, construction, police, crashes, and more, thanks to its cool crowdsourcing technology.

Try it now: Waze

Yelp

Yelp lets you find local food, businesses, and services, with over 135 million reviews available to help you make an informed decision.

Weather

Carrot Weather

This app uses Dark Sky’s super accurate weather data, but adds a layer of personality. Carrot’s dialogue, characters, and scenery changes are a fun way to get current, hourly, and daily forecasts.

Try it now: Carrot Weather

Dark Sky

Speaking of Dark Sky, it claims to be "the most accurate source of hyperlocal weather information", with down-to-the-minute forecasts and beautiful weather animations and actual storm tracking.

Try it now: Dark Sky

The Weather Channel

The channel you only watch when there's a blizzard or a hurricane bearing down on you also offers a useful application.

Try it now: The Weather Channel

Graphic Design

Paper.io 2

Paper.io 2 is popular sketching app that also supports handwriting notes, drafting, diagramming, and so on.

Try it now: Paper.io 2

Pigment

Those of you who love adult colouring books will want to use this digital version of those. Just 5 to 10 minutes of colouring can reportedly provide the same benefits as meditation, and help you practice mindfulness.

Try it now: Pigment

Adobe Illustrator Draw

If you’re a vector artist, this is your go-to app, with customisable brushes for drawing and designing. You can create on resizable canvases up to a delightfully printable 8K. And all your layered files can be sent right to Illustrator CC.

Try it now: Adobe Illustrator Draw

Adobe Photoshop Express

This app is capable of doing most of the basic photo editing functions to clean up the photos you take on your device such as cropping and removing red-eye. Check out the auto-fix feature if you're new to the app and want to check out what it's capable of.

Try it now: Adobe Photoshop Express