Rare applications for Android. Free best programs for Android
Android's greatest strength is its app ecosystem. There are an unrealistically large number of them and users pump them out in the billions.
As a rule, good apps cost a few dollars. However, there are also options for which you don't need to pay.
We offer you our list of the best free apps on Android!
1Weather is one of the most feature-rich weather apps - today's weather, forecasts, radar, interesting weather facts, graphs and even sun and moon tracking.
The design is also incredible and there is widget support.
AppLock is a free Android application with many options. If you pay, you can get premium features and get rid of ads. If you don't pay, you can get them by watching ads.
Or you can refuse premium features and use the application for free and without advertising. The choice is yours.
The application itself is very simple - it allows passwords. This is especially useful if you have roommates, children, or simply don't want to worry about privacy.
Blue Mail is one of best apps to collect mail. Simple design, support for multiple email providers, organization by colors, themes, work with Android Wear and widgets.
Plus a lot of these smart functions, such as blocking notifications in certain time(by accounts).
It completes most tasks successfully, with very few shortcomings. Score on Google Play– 4.7 out of 5. Definitely worth a try.
Credit Karma
Credit Karma is a great finance app and checks your credit score once a year for free. In addition, the application informs about major changes and offers other services, such as credit cards, which, if good rating, you can apply.
However, you may not need to use additional functions. One of the most undeservedly little-known applications on Android.
Feedly is one of the best news apps that is definitely worth checking out.
This is an RSS reader, which means you can subscribe to tons of different sites and receive news from them. There is support for podcasts, YouTube channels and other sites.
That is, thanks to applications such as Feedly, you can view everything latest news in one application.
It's completely free and easy to set up. Without a doubt one of the best applications on Android.
Gboard
Gboard is the official keyboard from Google without any unnecessary bells and whistles. Among other things, there are gesture controls, voice typing, emoji search, GIF support, etc.
The most unique feature is the built-in Google search, which allows you to search the Internet without leaving your keyboard or application.
Gboard can also sync with other devices, so your saved words are always with you.
Effective, simple and 100% free application. It's worth a try if your native keyboard doesn't suit you for some reason.
Google Drive Suite
Google Drive suite is a group of applications integrated into Google Drive, including Google Docs, Google Slides, Google Sheets, Google Photos and Google Keep with Google Drive itself.
Most of these apps are designed for documents, spreadsheets, and slideshows, but they can also be used for taking notes, backing up photos, and storing files.
The best thing is that they are completely free, as long as you don't need more than 15GB of Google Drive space. Most users don't need this.
Google Opinion Rewards is one of the best free Android apps in the Google Play Store.
To use it, you need to download, install and run it once. Google Opinion Rewards will then periodically ask you questions.
For each answer, you will be awarded credits that can be spent on purchasing applications and games on Google Play.
A great opportunity to expand your collection of applications without spending a penny of real money.
Groupon
Groupon is one of the best and most popular applications for coupons on Android.
It's very easy to understand - find coupons for goods and services and use them to get discounts.
You won't be able to find a coupon for any item. However, any savings are very good. You can view the history of used coupons and much more.
The design is also good. Groupon is one of those free apps that is definitely worth trying.
Imgur and Giphy
Imgur and Giphy are image databases that are a great place for pictures and GIFs.
Most of the pictures you see on Facebook or Twitter are from here. Imgur is also the main image host for Reddit.
Both applications are completely free. Thanks to them, you can easily kill a few minutes or find a great GIF image for a post on social media. networks. Place your bet without hesitation.
Google Maps and Waze
Google Maps and Waze – navigation apps. They will provide information along the route, allow you to search for business establishments (and view reviews of them) and a lot of other information.
KeepPassDroid
KeePassDroid is a password manager based on KeePass, an open source project.
You can store everything in it important information, including data for websites, serial numbers expensive things, etc.
The app doesn't look good, but it gets the job done. Moreover, all information can be exported to files for transfer to new devices.
Simple, reliable and completely free application. If this one doesn’t suit you for some reason, then there are other applications based on KeePass.
Quik
Thanks to its simple design, it can be used to create shopping lists, etc. Tasks and categories can be shared with other users - they will receive notifications about updates or additions.
The free version includes more than you need from regular application for lists. Most paid features are used for corporate purposes.
Zedge
Zedge has a wonderful collection of wallpapers and ringtones available in categories as diverse as fantasy, humor, nature, and more.
Zedge users upload their own content, so you can find anything on Zedge. Finding pictures and ringtones is very convenient.
The only negative is that the advertising is somewhat annoying, but it’s easy to ignore. No additional in-app purchases are required.
Each of us uses the capabilities of our smartphone differently: it depends on the type of activity, range of tasks, interests and other factors. Some, in the old fashioned way, are content with only the telephone capabilities of the device, others combine voice communication with communication on social networks, web surfing and games, while others make full use of gadgets for taking photos and videos, navigating, carrying out banking transactions, and reading books. There are also many who use a smartphone or tablet in business activities: to work with electronic correspondence and documents, to quickly communicate with colleagues and partners, and to develop business. The scope of application of mobile technology is huge, but few realize its existence in the store. Google applications Play products that allow you to look at familiar devices from a completely different perspective and fully reveal their potential. Interested? Then let's move on to an illustrated review of the twenty most unusual applications for Android!
Our TOP 20 opens with a couple of applications that have the same name Smart Tools and available for download from this and this link on Google Play. With their help, it will not be difficult to turn your smartphone into a “Swiss army knife” and use it as a sound level meter, range finder, vibration meter, metal detector, light measuring device, thermometer, radar for measuring the speed of moving objects, level, magnifying glass, metronome, tuning fork, cardiograph and dozens of other useful household tools. For full-fledged work Both programs require support in a mobile device for a whole bunch of sensors: light, proximity, accelerometer/gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass), barometer and others. Of course, you shouldn’t count on the accuracy of the measurements made by Smart Tools, but in some cases such a set of software assistants can do a good job. For example, it can be useful for quickly finding hidden wiring in a wall or aligning washing machine on a horizontal plane.
Since we are talking about measuring instruments, an excellent addition to the applications mentioned above can be Planimeter - a tool for determining distance, area, perimeter, angles on the ground using Google Maps and the GPS/GLONASS receiver built into a smartphone. Such a program can be used in various areas: field and agricultural work, planning, construction, travel and for entertainment. It may also be useful for real estate agents. To calculate the perimeter or area of any object (for example, a plot of land), it is enough to set the starting point on the map, turn on route tracking and then walk around the object. Planimeter will automatically perform all calculations and display the measurement results. Similarly, you can measure the distance between two points on the map and the angles between lines.
The Radioactivity Counter program is more progressive in terms of measurements, allowing you to seriously use your smartphone as... a simple radiation dosimeter! To monitor the radiation situation, a light-sensitive matrix of a mobile phone camera is used, the lens of which must first be covered with a dark film - for example, from a floppy disk or an x-ray. After this, you will need to calibrate the application according to the instructions provided on the developers’ website, and you can begin measuring background radiation. The link also presents various research materials, results of experiments using professional equipment and demonstration videos confirming the practical value and performance of Radioactivity Counter.
High school students and technical university students will definitely enjoy the PhotoMath application for solving mathematical problems using a smartphone camera and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) test technology. The principle of working with the program is simple, like all ingenious things: just point the camera at math problem, and PhotoMath will immediately provide the answer and a detailed step-by-step solution. The application's capabilities allow you to recognize not only printed but also handwritten text, as well as make edits to scanned formulas and equations. To be fair, we note that such a mobile assistant can be useful not only for students, but also for parents - to check that their children are doing their homework correctly.
This review wouldn't be complete without mentioning Im2Calories, an experimental app. Google, which allows you to determine the calorie content of food from a photo. developers, the artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies involved in the program allow it to accurately determine the type of product, its ingredients and serving size, and then, based on the information received, draw a conclusion about the number of calories contained in the dish. In this case, it is not at all necessary that the photo be high resolution, - even a photo from Instagram is enough. Unfortunately, unknown yet when exactly will the full release of Im2Calories take place? As soon as the application is released, we will definitely tell you more about it.
Another noteworthy creation Google Teams- PhotoScan application for creating digital copies of memorable and dear paper photographs. According to the creators of the program, it doesn’t just take a snapshot of the image, but transfers it to digital media with high quality. Using artificial intelligence technologies, PhotoScan independently determines boundaries, aligns the image, changes its orientation, and removes unnecessary glare. As a result of scanning, copies of the correct rectangular shape with corrected perspective, which can be saved in the memory of your smartphone or in cloud service Google Photos.
Domestic organizations, including government ones, are not lagging behind. One of them is the Federal Service for Regulation of the Alcohol Market (Rosalkogolregulirovanie), which has created the Anti-Counterfeit Alko application, which is relevant for those who like to “take it on the chest,” which is designed to determine the authenticity of alcoholic products. Using the phone camera, the program reads the excise stamp (or the barcode on the receipt), and makes a reconciliation with the Unified State Automated information system(EGAIS) and displays the test results on the screen. You can immediately report a violation found to Rosalkogolregulirovanie and notify the agency about the illegal point of sale of alcohol. The application also contains a map of stores licensed to sell alcohol. In light of the cases of mass poisoning of the population with methyl alcohol and counterfeit alcohol products widely discussed in the media, Anti-Counterfeit Alco is definitely not worth writing off.
For motorists, our selection includes three programs: “Auto Acceleration”, Car Alarm and “MeteoWash”. The first allows you to turn your smartphone into a device for measuring the acceleration time of a car to 100 km/h, the second - into simple alarm to protect against theft, damage or evacuation of the car, the third is an assistant that suggests the most successful day for washing the car and automatically builds a route to the nearest car wash. The fundamental difference between the Auto Acceleration application and its competitors is the use of information from two sensors: a GPS receiver and an accelerometer. They are also involved in Car Alarm, which monitors the location of the vehicle and, in the event of an alarm, notifies the owner by call or SMS message. A special feature of MeteoMoika is a system for analyzing meteorological data and assessing the weather forecast for several days in advance. It is she who determines the most the right time for washing vehicles.
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A good addition to the set of mentioned programs for car enthusiasts is the Nexar application - AI Dashcam, which turns a smartphone into an advanced video recorder that can simultaneously record video from the front and rear cameras, analyze the road situation on the fly and inform the driver about emerging dangers.
Thanks to the ABBYY FineScanner application, an Android smartphone can serve as a pocket scanner for documents and books. The product created by a Russian developer allows you to create PDF or JPG files from any printed documents (invoices, certificates, contracts, personal documents). The program has built-in OCR technology, which recognizes texts in 193 languages and, while maintaining formatting, uploads results into 12 popular formats, including DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, PDF. Finished documents can be transferred to any of eight cloud storages, printed, sent by e-mail, or opened in another application for working with PDF. To scan book and magazine publications, ABBYY FineScanner provides the BookScan function, which automatically divides the photographed book spread into two pages, straightens the bends of the lines, removes defects, and makes a scanned copy that can be recognized and produce an editable file.
IT system administrators should bookmark an application with the self-explanatory name Web Monitor, designed for monitoring and diagnosing servers on TCP/IP networks. The program periodically at a given interval time, sends requests to the sites set in the settings, records the responses received from them and generates detailed statistics operation of network nodes. When using such a mobile tool, it will not be difficult to find out whether the server is functioning, whether it has frozen and when it was unavailable, as well as to analyze the quality and congestion of the communication channel. In essence, Web Monitor is an improved version of the Ping diagnostic utility, included with all modern operating systems and designed to check connections on TCP/IP-based networks.
A more advanced and technologically advanced analogue of Web Monitor is Pulseway - a software package for comprehensive monitoring of workstations and servers managed by Windows platforms, macOS and Linux, as well as Microsoft Hyper-V, VMware and XenServer virtual environments, MS SQL Server database management systems, IIS, Exchange servers, Active Directory and other enterprise-level services. With its help, you can remotely monitor the operation of devices and tasks being performed, view screenshots, analyze equipment performance, obtain information about the status of services, as well as emerging errors and system failures. Pulseway allows you to send commands to remote machines: reboot them, suspend processes, send messages to authorized users and perform other operations with full list which can be found on the product website pulseway.com. The collection of necessary information and management of computers is carried out through special software clients installed on workstations and servers.
Well, that closes our selection mobile instrument WiFi Analyzer, which allows you to use your smartphone as network scanner. The program scans the air for Wi-Fi signals, determines the signal level of each of the detected networks, as well as their characteristics (SSID, channel, encryption method, router MAC address, etc.) and based on collected information draws visual graphs that show a clear picture of wireless networks. WiFi Analyzer supports various frequency ranges and can be used to determine optimal settings and location of Wi-Fi devices in order to improve the quality of signal reception and properly build wireless local networks in the organization. The application can serve you well when conducting network security audits and troubleshooting network equipment.
As of May 2016, there are more than 1.5 million programs in the Google Play brand store for Android. Among them - system utilities, multimedia applications, widgets, games and many other categories. But to determinewhat are the most needed applications for Android?, it is not easy for a simple user. After all, many programs are a kind of “Hello World”, that is, a test of the pen of amateurs and novice programmers. Another part is functionally a duplicate of popular software with similar functionality, but differs in the implementation method (the creators simply write applications that are more convenient for them than mass-produced analogues). Choosethe most required applications Android 2016Our material will help.
The top hundred included software for solving the most popular problems.organized by categories to make it easier to choose among them. The selection does not include antiviruses or similar utilities. Whythe most necessary applications for Androiddo not include protection against malware – we wrote earlier.
The most necessary applications for Androidthat play media files are simply necessary if the “native” player in the smartphone is not satisfactory.
- TTPod . An advanced player from Chinese developers that supports changing themes, working with online services, searching for covers and lyrics, as well as displaying lyrics in karaoke mode.
- AIMP . A high-quality audio player that supports all popular formats, interface customization, work with playlists, control from the “blind” and work with streaming audio.
- YouTube . The official video player from the popular video hosting site. Compared to the web version, it has improved optimization, easy setup, supports full screen mode in one click (which is important for weak smartphones, where the web version is “stupid”).
- Daroon Player. Multifunctional audio and video player that supports playlists and working with DVD files (with graphical menu).
- Radio Ukraine . A program for online listening to Ukrainian radio stations. It has more than 100 all-Ukrainian and local channels in its database.
- MX Player . A powerful video player with support for hardware (including multi-core) decoding.
- KMPlayer . Another computer video player program ported to Android. From " big brother" has more modest functionality, but equally good optimization.
- BSPlayer FREE. A free video player for Android that supports hardware decoding, working with archived videos and the contents of OTG drives.
Office software
It was unfair not to includebest programs for Androidand office tools for working with documents on a smartphone or tablet.
- Microsoft Word . Mobile version world famous tool for working with text documents on Windows.
- Adobe Acrobat Reader . The official tool for working with documents in PDF format.
- Google Docs . A version of the online service adapted for smartphones for working with office documents.
- Microsoft Excel . Another official application Microsoft Office, this time for working with tables.
- CamScanner . A program that will turn your Android smartphone into a scanner. It can be used to scan and digitize a paper text document.
- Cool Reader . A powerful e-book reader in most popular formats.
Typing and printing
Comfortable work with instant messengers and office documents is impossible without a good keyboard. For those who are not satisfied with the standard Google keyboard - a selectionbest programs for Android,intended for typing.
- TouchPal . Customizable input with support for predictive typing and Emoji emoticons. For those who can’t get used to YTSUKEN after a push-button dialer, the ability to turn on the T9 keyboard will be an invaluable option.
- Flexy . A customizable keyboard with large buttons and faster typing speed than a standard keyboard.
- Kika Keyboard . A keyboard that is highly customizable in terms of functionality and interface. Supports various fonts, dictionaries, animated emoticons and keypress sounds.
- Ginger Keyboard . An interesting keyboard for Android that supports, among other things, text translation.
Working with finances
To manage finances without leaving home, modern banks and payment systems offer software for remote access to accounts and wallets.
- Credit history . A program from UBKI that allows you to view your credit rating and assess your chance of success in obtaining a loan.
- AndroMoney . A free program for managing the budget of a family or a small emergency, the strict reporting of which is not required by law.
- Bitcoin Wallet . A program for managing the wallet of the popular cryptocurrency Bitcoin.
- Vitrat Magazine . A program for managing a family budget that allows you to keep track of income and expenses.
- Exchange rates Ukraine. An application for monitoring foreign currency rates in Ukrainian banks.
Navigation
The best free programs for Android2016, responsible for working with navigation, will be useful for those who travel a lot and often visit unfamiliar cities, using a smartphone or tablet instead of a navigator.
- Google Maps . Official navigation app from Google, which, unfortunately, is not always preinstalled on smartphones.
- AndroidTS GPS Test . A program that allows you to test the operation of the navigator, shows the number and type of detected satellites, determines the speed, coordinates and altitude above sea level.
- Yandex.Maps . Alternative standard service Google. It is distinguished by a higher quality of detailing of satellite images of Ukraine and neighboring countries.
- Navitel Navigator . A shareware application with support for online maps, display of traffic jams, cameras and traffic police posts, as well as 3D display.
- Google Earth . A program from Google that supports three-dimensional navigation and displays all corners of the Earth in the form of satellite images.
- Roads of Ukraine . Atlas of Ukrainian roads, supporting a user database on the condition of the pavement of important highways.
Transport and travel
This category presents applications designed to make life easier for both travelers and those who simply do not know the city well enough.
- Car DVR & GPS navigator . A program that allows you to use a smartphone mounted in a car as a DVR.
- Train timetable Ukraine . A program for viewing schedules of suburban and passenger trains in Ukraine.
- Foursquare - Best City Guide . A program for travelers that allows you to search for short descriptions of cities around the world and find information about infrastructure facilities ((cafes, hotels, clubs, shops, train stations) in them.
- EasyWay public transport . Detailed information about routes public transport in major cities of Ukraine (56 cities), Russia (20), Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Serbia and Croatia.
- Airbnb. A program designed to find affordable accommodation for travelers around the world. The database includes more than 35 thousand cities around the world.
- Booking.com. Booking hotel rooms around the world. More than 750 thousand hotels in the database, with filters and descriptions.
Internet
Web surfing is one of the main functions of an Android smartphone.The most necessary applications for Android2016 in this category include a selection of good browsers.
- Opera . A mobile version of the well-known computer browser, which has expanded functionality (compared to Opera Mini), but also supports information compression.
- Google Chrome . A popular browser from Google, adapted for mobile devices.
- Adblock Browser . A browser from the creators of the popular extension, which allows you to enjoy browsing websites without annoying ads.
- UC Browser . An application from Chinese developers, featuring support for traffic compression, a powerful loader and a user-friendly interface.
- UTorrent . Mobile version of the popular torrent downloader for PC.
- Firefox. A fast cross-platform browser with synchronization, extensions and a powerful bookmarking tool.
Communication and social networks
L the best free programs for AndroidIt’s impossible to imagine without online messengers.
- Telegram . A popular online messenger from the creators of VKontakte.
- Skype . The official client of the popular messenger from Microsoft, supporting text, voice and video communication.
- Viber . Another popular cross-platform communication service.
- Kate Mobile . VKontakte client with advanced functions: support for downloading audio and video, as well as a stealth mode.
- Dialer One . Alternative to standard Android dialer with a customizable keyboard and other interesting features.
- Swarm - by Foursquare. The application allows you to share your location with friends and find out where they are now.
- Facebook Messenger. Free messenger from the creators of the world's largest social network, with contact integration.
- Facebook. The official client for communication in the world famous social network.
- VKontakte. Client of a popular social network, without downloading music, but official.
Photo and video
The selection includes the best Android programs for working with photography and video, as well as related online services.
- Adobe Photoshop Express . Mobile version of the world famous professional tool for working with images.
- Z Camera . An alternative to a standard camera, characterized by an abundance of filters, rich settings and good performance.
- Camera MX . Another alternative camera that supports “hot” image processing, many filters and shooting “live photos”.
- Instagram . A well-known online service for posting photos in real time, as well as viewing galleries of other users.
- Pics Collage . A tool for editing and combining multiple photos into one collage.
- Pencil Sketch . A program that converts ordinary photographs from a camera into graphic drawings “a la pencil”.
- . A feature-rich and completely free alternative to the standard Android camera.
- Google Photos . The official tool for working with the popular photo hosting site from Google.
- Coub. The application allows you to create short looping videos and share them with friends.
- Pinterest. Photo service for uploading images to thematic collections and viewing images of other users.
Purchases
To make shopping online not only convenient, but also profitable, we present the mostnecessary applications for Android, in the field of trade.
- Price.ua . The official application from one of the largest price aggregators in Ukraine, allowing you to compare prices in online stores.
- AliExpress Shopping App. Official client of the largest Chinese trading platform, allowing you to make purchases at a discount.
- eBay . Client of a world-famous online auction that allows you to shop around the world.
- Barcode Scanner . Strip and QR code scanner program to determine information about products.
- Shopping list . A simple application that will come in handy before going to the supermarket.
- Shopping List. A program for making a shopping list before going to the store.
Delivery services
In the era of the development of online trading, programs that allow you to track the status of parcels and monitor the performance of delivery services are becoming necessary for Android.
- TrackChecker Mobile . A program that supports tracking the location of parcels from many logistics services from around the world.
- Where is the parcel . Another tracker that allows you to track your location by number postal items.
- 17TRACK. Tracker program for tracking postal items. Supports work with more than 200 delivery services in China and around the world.
News and media
News reading programs will help you always keep abreast of current events in Ukraine and in the world.
- XSPORT . All sports news in one application, with photos and the ability to discuss.
- Ukrainian Truth. The application allows you to follow the news of politics, economics and finance in Ukraine.
- Google news and weather. The official news aggregator from Google, working with more than 75 thousand sources from around the world.
- Yandex.News. All news by category - in one place, in Russian or Ukrainian.
Personalization
Not everyone likes it standard interface and basic Android OS functionality. The best Android personalization programs will allow you to customize your smartphone to suit you.
Users are increasingly installing two SIM cards on modern smartphones. Firstly, this feature is already supported on almost all new phones, and secondly, the separation of work and personal calls, as well as messages, is very convenient. But, unfortunately, developers of instant messengers and applications for social networks often do not take into account the need to separate accounts, and at the moment I only know that such a possibility is presented only in Telegram. But don’t get upset and buy an additional smartphone or clutter personal number unnecessary correspondence. You can simply download the Android application - Multiple Accounts:...
We continue to analyze official applications from Google. It's no secret that they are ideal for Android smartphones and personal computers on the Windows operating system. Thanks to this, you have the opportunity to synchronize absolutely all information between your devices and feel complete control over any situation. One such application that helps every day is “ Google Calendar" Completely free, lightweight, intuitive and with a nice design. Looking ahead, I want to note that there are quite a lot of interesting functions here that I have previously seen in individual applications. It’s nice that the company was able to collect all the essentials in one...
Despite the presence of YouTube and specialized applications for listening to music online, sometimes you want to turn on the radio and listen to what is happening in the world, as well as discover previously unknown artists or certain genres of music. Today, the “TuneIn” application will come to your aid, which has collected hundreds of radio stations from different parts of the planet. I want to say right away that using the application on your Android smartphone will be as easy and convenient as possible. Thanks to simple menu You can understand the functionality in a few minutes and enjoy the selected radio station. By the way, "TuneIn" is completely free application for Android...
It doesn't matter at all you graphic designer who can’t imagine his life without realizing his ideas or an active user of social networks who wants to surprise his friends with something interesting, today’s application can satisfy all your desires in terms of working with design. Adobe Spark Post - relative free program on Android smartphones with a large number various functions, understandable and simple interface, also with huge opportunities for each user. Turn any idea into reality with Adobe Spark Post. This application is from Adobe developers who specialize in creating software for working with photos and videos...
The period of social networks is ending. This opinion is put forward by many famous people, and users of the global web themselves increasingly prefer communicating in various instant messengers instead of the usual VK or Facebook. No one argues that such projects will end their existence, but statistics show that it is precisely for communication that they fade into the background. Therefore, today let’s look at another application for Android smartphones, which allows you to exchange messages and make calls completely free of charge, and most importantly, very convenient. WhatsApp is a lightweight, stylish and multifunctional program that does not clog up the smartphone’s memory, can surprise with its functions, and…
It often happens that the standard file manager Your smartphone is not able to cope with all the functions necessary for convenient work. Personally, my manager simply shows a list of files and folders without sorting, which is not very convenient when you want to remove unnecessary and unnecessary things. “ES Explorer” for Android smartphones allows you to see all the files that are stored in the device’s memory and are conveniently divided into categories. Plus, the application has a built-in editor for text notes, a function for quickly cleaning the system from junk, access to cloud storage from Google, remote broadcasting of photos and videos...
What programs should be present on every smartphone? Read the article about the most useful applications for Android and why you should download them.
No smartphone or tablet comes with a completely bare operating system. No, you can immediately use at least a couple of dozen applications. However, pre-installed options are often limited in their functionality. And some tasks cannot be handled at all by any of the preinstalled programs. For example, with your smartphone running by default, you most likely won't be able to open a PDF document. In a word, let's find out which ones are worth downloading for Android useful programs. At the same time, do not forget that this is a strictly shortened list - on our website you will find much more detailed collections of Android applications dedicated to specific topics.
Navigation and maps for Android
How many of us still use paper maps? It seems that none of the readers of “Smart Beaver” are definitely involved in such a matter. All of us have a smartphone in our pocket that is equipped with a GPS chip. And by default, Google Maps is installed on it. But is it the best navigation app? Probably not. Although the product of an American company is close to this status. We recommend installing 2GIS. Especially if you live in a large Russian city. With this program you will receive the most detailed map. Here you can visually determine the height of the houses, see almost all the paths, and learn about all the organizations present in each building.
With 2GIS it is not difficult to find a cafe, restaurant, sports ground, cinema and other establishments. The construction of the route can also surprise you - the program will take you to the very door! In total, the application is capable of working with maps of approximately 300 cities in 9 countries. Of course, the whole of Russia is not yet covered by the project - sparsely populated areas are left behind. This is the only one serious drawback applications.
Alternative: you can also look towards the Yandex.Maps program. Contained here navigation maps a huge number of settlements, including very small ones. Some of the maps can be downloaded to your device so you can view them without connecting to the network. But if you are interested in this particular function, then it is better to pay attention to OSMAnd+. This application uses the OpenStreetMap service, developed by users themselves. But for the most comfortable work with the program, you will have to pay a small amount - after that, absolutely all restrictions will be removed from you.
News
The most useful applications for Android in 2017 should also be able to provide a person with information. You can now read the news on various websites. Supplies them Google Now. Some branded shells also show them. But sometimes even this is not enough. In this case, we recommend that you download RIA Novosti. This application is from the same name information resource. Here all the news is sorted into categories. But most importantly, the program has a “Photo Gallery” section. It is a must-visit for anyone who wants to see the agenda but doesn't want to read the text. RIA Novosti also creates excellent infographics that will appeal to absolutely everyone.
Alternative: There are hundreds of news aggregators on Google Play. For example, Flipboard commands respect. This is a kind of digital magazine with appropriate layout and animation, compiled, among other things, by the users themselves. An equally interesting option is Meduza. It contains not only text notes, but also tests with mini-games.
Video players for Android
Smartphones and tablets are often used to watch movies. In this case, you need a video player. By default, the device is usually installed with a low-functional application that is not even capable of displaying subtitles. Therefore, we recommend downloading VLC to your device. This is an excellent player with a lot of features. He understands subtitles different formats, and you can customize their display. Among the supported video formats, there is almost everything here, right up to DVD ISO! Now this is a real hit, which has been downloaded by more than 100 million people.
Alternative: many video players have approximately similar functionality. For example, MX Player performs well. And some will prefer the paid nPlayer, which officially supports DTS Headphone X and DTS HD. It also allows you to work with streaming services and cloud storage.
Internet browsers
By default, many smartphones are equipped with a relatively good Internet browser. But many people lack its capabilities. In this case, it is better to download Google Chrome to your device. And you definitely need to get them if you have a similar browser on your computer! This is one of best products Google - it has full synchronization(even passwords are transferred from the computer), and Internet pages are opened to them as quickly as possible. The application also has a traffic saving mode, when pages are first compressed on the developer's server. In a word, you can talk about this program for a long time - you better familiarize yourself with it.
Alternative: Free, useful Android apps include many browsers. Some of them are different from development Google support plugins that expand the capabilities of the application. For example, the Firefox browser can boast of such a function. And some people also like UC Browser, which makes searching for videos much easier and adequately blocks ads.
Messengers
Messaging applications were used even in the days of push-button mobile phones. Well, now such programs have reached a completely new level. One of the most popular applications of this kind is WhatsApp. Surely many of your friends have it - that’s the only reason you need to install it. It also makes it much easier to transfer media files to another person. You should also like the application interface, designed in a very nice manner.
Alternative: gradually more and more people prefer to download Telegram to their smartphone. The most intelligent encryption is implemented here - an unauthorized person will definitely not be able to gain access to your correspondence. And in terms of other functionality, this application does not disappoint at all. Viber is also very popular now, but most often this program is used for making video calls.
File managers
A very controversial type of application. No one argues that useful programs for Android should include utilities of this kind. But in fact, the vast majority of smartphones come with a pre-installed “explorer”, the capabilities of which are more than enough for many people. But if you are one of the select users who are trying to maximize the functionality of their device, then pay attention to ES Explorer. It is distributed free of charge, providing access to almost all files contained on the device or memory card. Moreover, the application can be connected to cloud storage- A variety of services are supported. There is also FTP support, which should appeal to site owners. Other features of the utility include support for working with archives in ZIP formats and RAR.
Alternative: You can also download and install X-Plore. This file manager first appeared in the operating room Symbian system. Its main difference is its special display file system- it is displayed in the form of a tree.
Translators
Quite often we turn to text written in a foreign language. For example, this can happen when visiting a foreign site. In this case, we need a translation of a note or an entire article. And certainly useful travel apps for Android should have this function. Google Translate is the best solution for this task. As they say, the search giant ate the dog on automated text translation. For some time now, his creation can even translate signs and road signs - you just need to launch the application and point the camera at them (or open a previously taken photo). And you don’t have to be connected to the Internet - 52 languages are translated offline. Interestingly, the application even recognizes handwritten input.
Alternative: Oddly enough, Google's product simply has no competitors. Almost all applications of this kind are very far behind in their development. But you can try Yandex.Translator - its developers are mainly busy improving the translation function into Russian, without scattering their efforts on other languages.
Weather forecasts
Nowadays, many people use their smartphone to check the weather forecast. We recommend installing Gismeteo Lite for these purposes. This is a program from a well-known weather service. It has installed hundreds, and maybe thousands of weather stations throughout Russia. In this regard, the forecasts of this service quite often come true. At the same time, in the application you can see the weather forecast not only for the next couple of days, but also for the whole week. You will also get a set of widgets that display the current weather.
Alternative: if you decide to download useful applications on Android by visiting Google Play, you will find dozens of all kinds of weather widgets. The best program of this kind is eWeather HD. Why didn't we mention it first? Everything is very simple: they ask for about 200 rubles for its use. But if you don't skimp, you'll get the most comprehensive weather forecast from two weather agencies. There is a barometer, geomagnetic storm forecast, earthquake information, surface temperature of oceans and seas, tide information, moon phases and much more.
Music players
Almost every smartphone owner uses their device to listen to music. And it is extremely rare that a pre-installed player is used for these purposes. Usually, a creation of third-party developers is installed instead. For example, good choice could become PowerAMP. Yes, after 14 days of using the application you will have to pay. But you will get music player with very wide functionality. There is a competent sorting of tracks, cutting off areas with silence, a thoughtful equalizer and many others. useful tips. You can upload covers manually or rely on automation - it will download them from the Internet. The program also has excellent widgets.
Alternative: If you need a free audio player, we recommend downloading AIMP. Many people use this application on both their computer and smartphone. There is support for playlists and many audio formats. In general, the program is only slightly inferior to its paid counterparts.
Useful Android apps for dessert
It's hard to put Shazam into any specific category. This is the most unusual application. It allows you to understand what is coming from nearby speakers right now - you just need to turn your smartphone towards the sound source. Some songs are identified literally in a matter of seconds! Others take a little longer to identify. There are practically no mistakes. The only disappointing thing is that the program will not let you download an MP3 - it will only give you a link to a track available for purchase on Google Music.
And also: a smartphone can even help in finding cheaper food products. To do this, you just need to install Edadil or some other similar application (they are in lately is getting bigger). In fact, the program is an aggregator of discounts in large supermarkets. Convenient sorting is implemented here; the products you like can be added to “Favorites”. By the way, the application contains not only food, but also cosmetics, children's products and many other everyday items. After all, supermarkets have been selling not only food for quite a long time.
Summing up
In this article, we tried to look at many useful applications for smartphones and tablets. But believe me, in reality there are many more. We did not touch on the topic of e-readers, alarm clocks, calculators, calendars, fitness applications and other global topics. However, stay tuned for new articles! Tell us in the comments: which apps do you find most useful?