10 Must-Have Android Apps for 2016
In the show Cosmos, Neil deGrasse Tyson says that there were more atoms in the tip of your pinkie finger than all the stars in the sky. The number of apps in Google Play hasn't risen quite that high, but it's still an awful lot. More than one mind, let alone one phone, could comprehend. I've spent many hours refining that unmanageable mass of apps to come up with the 100 Best Android apps, but for some that's still too many, so I've whittled the list to the just the most essential.
What's Here
Simply put, this list doesn't have everything. It doesn't even begin to touch the swirling, cosmic majesty and near infinite variety of the Google Play store. What it does cover are the apps that you should install on your Android phone or tablet as soon as it comes out of the box. With these ten apps installed, you should be able to tackle just about anything.
But these ten are just the beginning. Evernote is an enormously versatile tool, but maybe you find that it's not meeting your needs for to-do lists and you want to move to a refined organizational app like Any.do. Or maybe after reading tons of comics in Comixology, you're curious to read the massive backlog of Marvel available with Marvel Unlimited.
This list of apps is a starting point, or a baseline, that I think any Android user should consider. From there, you'll want to customize and fine-tune the list to your own most-essentials apps, of course.
How I Choose Apps
When I'm not divining the 10 best Android apps, I'm usually testing Android security apps. When I'm finished, I typically wipe the phone in preparation for the next review. That means I spend more time with fresh, empty phones than the average Android user. It also means that I have to fill that phone back up with essential apps.
My first thought goes to what apps are necessary to get work done—so I turn to Google Drive and LastPass. I also need to write quick notes and manage my email, and I need a keyboard app that helps me do that, which leads me to SwiftKey.
Next I think about what kinds of apps are popular, and how I can fill those categories. Instagram, for example, is a great app for creating miniature masterpieces out of your cell phone pictures. But there are lots of other apps that provide far more options and opportunities for expression, such as PicsArt Photo Studio. There are also innumerable apps to entertain your ears, but only a few that offer powerful management tools and clever playlists, and that's where Slacker Radio comes in.
What's Missing
First, there are no games. I hear you moan, but 10 slots is simply not enough to even scratch the surface of Android games. There are simply too many of too great a variety. If you want games (and I know you do), you should read our slightly longer guide to the 15 Best Android Games. That'll take care of all your thumb-twiddling, screen-swiping needs.
Second, there are only a few Google apps on here. It's really easy to just default to them since many are, well, default on Android devices. Regarding the Google apps that did make the list, I've carefully balanced their utility against that of competitors in the space to make sure they really are the best. For example, Google Drive doubles as an excellent mobile office suite.
Finally, even though I don't eat or drink anymore, I'm only human, and that means I am weak and fallible. If I've left out a critical tool that you use every day, let me know in the comments below.
This is just the tip of the Android iceberg here at PCMag. You'll find many, many more excellent apps in our 100 Best Android Apps, and we have many more roundups where that came from. Consider the best apps to replace text messaging or everything you need to know about digital comics. We're all about apps, you see. This list will get you started, but our other reviews and roundups can take you much deeper into the galaxy of Android apps.
Free
Are you tired of schlepping all the way to the comic book store? Heck, is there even a comic book store in your town anymore? Comics, the excellent app from digital comics groundbreakers Comixology, is both storefront and long box. You can browse the seemingly endless lists of titles, and then buy new books with a tap. It's wonderfully easy! Depending on the state of your wallet, it may even be a bit too easy.
Free with premium plans billed monthly
Evernote is your digital multi-tool. It's a great list keeper, note taker, voice recorder, to-do manager, and Web clipper. It's so open and powerful that it can be overwhelming at first, but you'll quickly find smart ways to use it. My favorite feature is optical character recognition (OCR), which makes text in photos searchable. Next time you get handed a business card, just snap a picture.
Be sure to read our organization expert Jill Duffy's advice on how to use Evernote better.
Free
Google Reader was the best thing to happen to the Internet since sliced blogs, but it has passed on to the big Google graveyard in the sky. If reading news and blog posts on your Android is your jam, you need Feedly. It's a versatile platform, but what I like about it is that you can do all your reading in a single app. If you're looking for something a bit more stylish, try the magazine-style Flipboard. And if you're still mourning the end of RSS as we know it, we may be able to help you find areplacement for Google Reader.
Free with additional costs for increased storage
Google Drive is a great cloud storage service, but it does double duty as an excellent mobile office suite. With Drive, you can access your important files from anywhere; create new spreadsheet, text, and presentation documents; and collaborate with other people, all from your Android device. It might not replace your desktop office utilities, but it comes darn close.
Free
I long ago realized that email is the worst thing on the planet, and have waited patiently for everyone else to get the memo. Thankfully, there's been a renaissance of email and Google Inbox is among the best options for Android. Instead of ignoring messages (as I used to do), Inbox lets you quickly manage your inbox. Its best feature are groups called bundles, which put all your finance, shopping, and low priority mail in their proper places.
Please note that our review is of the iPhone version, which is nearly identical to the Android app.
Free; $12 annually for the Premium version
Everyone knows they should be using a complex, unique password for each and every website and application. Oh, you didn't? Thankfully, there are password managers like LastPass. With a password manager, you let the app generate unique, complex passwords for each site or app that requires one. When you need to log in, LastPass can fill in the correct information, even into other apps. A new feature lets you safely bequeath your passwords to a trusted person in the event of your demise.
Though the app and service are free, using it on more than one type of device costs $12 per year, or $1 per month. Trust me, it's well worth the price of admission.
Free
When you think of mobile image editing, you probably think of a certain Facebook-owned property modeled after old timey cameras. I'm talking about Instagram, in case you couldn't tell. But where Instagram ends, PicsArt Photo Studio begins, bringing not just filters but many more powerful tools. And if you're already a fan of Insta, you can share your PicsArt creations there to the envy of all your followers.
$3.99 Podcast fans, rejoice. Your frustrations have been heard and your prayers have been answered. "I bring you good tidings for an, excellent podcast app has been created: Pocket Casts. With this app, you can manage all your favorite podcasts and even sync them between devices. And it was good.
Free with paid, ad-free plans
There are many, many ways to get music onto your phone, but we like Slacker Radio best. This service has a huge library of songs, but it also stands out for its excellent curated playlists and wide variety of streaming content. There's a little bit of something for everyone in here, but check out Spotify if you must have on-demand Led Zeppelin.
Free
Are you still tapping your thumbs against the screen like some kind of rube? Get with the times, grandpa, and let the words flow. With SwiftKey, you can drag you thumb or finger from letter to letter on the screen to create words, and predictive text makes shooting off short messages even faster. Since the rise of Google Keyboard and competition from the original gesture keyboard app Swype, SwiftKey has stayed ahead by packing in lots of excellent extras. You'll wonder how you ever got by without it.
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