Using smartphones is no longer possible without a variety of applications and games. Resourceful developers are constantly coming up with new Android applications that make our lives easier and allow us to pass the time.
However, their excessive abundance in the Play Market often forces us to download unnecessary or low-quality products. Therefore, it will be useful to learn about the 20 most popular free applications on the Play Market.
1. Instagram for Android (Download)
Photo: Instagram on AndroidIt's hard to find someone who doesn't have an account here. The application was created for quick publication of photos and videos. Before uploading, it is suggested to process the images with filters or other tools.
It is possible to communicate live, create personal stories, edit videos, and correspond with friends on Instagram Direct.
The application is very convenient, it allows you to keep abreast of the events and lives of your friends and easily share moments of your life with them.
2. Facebook (Download)
When Facebook moved to the Android mobile platform, 1 billion users immediately downloaded this application.
Photo: Facebook on Android The application largely duplicates the functionality of the web version of Facebook.
However, many users often complain about the imperfection of the program and various technical problems. It is hoped that all problems will be fixed in the new updated versions.
3. SHAREit for Android (Download)
A useful and simple application for Android.
The essence of its work is to transfer any files between different devices (smartphone, tablet, laptop, PC, Android, iOS). The transmission takes place only over a short distance, but requires absolutely no wastage of traffic or network connection.
This is a good alternative to bluetooth, as SHAREit transfers files much faster. It is clear that it is not used every day, but such an application should still be at hand.
4. My Talking Tom (Download)
One of the most popular games that resembles a modern and improved version of Tamagotchi.
Raise your virtual pet, monitor its health and mood, give it a name. Choose your own coat color and various accessories for the animal. Many functions and capabilities give real emotions and a good mood. There are also a dozen entertaining mini-games available in the application.
Photo: My Talking Tom 5. 100 doors (Download)
Continuing the theme of games, it is worth noting the application 100 doors (100 rooms). This is a whole series of entertaining puzzles, each of which requires you to complete exactly 100 levels.
These Android applications will appeal to those who love challenging tasks. Solve challenges and puzzles to open the next door. Interestingly, you can use all the capabilities of the phone - tilt it, turn it over or shake it. Hours of gaming will pass unnoticed.
Photo: 100 doors on Android 6. Snapchat (Download)
This is another social mobile app that has surpassed 500 million downloads. The developers managed to create a bright and simple program for communication.
Various effects for photos, unique stickers and pictures, easy communication with friends, as well as publications from famous publications.
Photo: Snapchat on Android 
They not only allow you to quickly access the Internet, use mail, maps, a translator, download and store various files and photos, but also set up useful functions on your phone (for example, etc.)
Photo: Google on Android 9. Line free calls (Download)
An excellent communication application that is popular in many countries.
Photo: Line free calls The principle of its operation is practically no different from many other messengers. Free messages, calls, video calls, group conversations and chats (up to 200 interlocutors simultaneously). Simple and colorful design, unique and themed stickers for your mood. The optional Keep feature saves important files, photos, or forwarded messages.
10. Shazam (Download)
One of the best Android applications in the Music category.
Photo: Shazam on Android Instantly identifies the song currently playing, finds its lyrics and video. Now you don’t have to rack your brains for days, remembering the melody stuck in your head.
You can add your favorite songs to the playlist. The collection of songs and videos for them is constantly updated. The latest new releases, top and time-tested legendary hits are always available to listen to.
By the way, many famous artists also use Shazam (for example, Pitbull).
11. Clean Master (Download)
Cleaning Wizard will be a useful assistant in every phone.
The application filters and deletes various spam, cache, and unnecessary notifications. Improves and speeds up phone performance, optimizes memory. Additional features include battery saving, device cooling, and virus scanning.
Photo: Clean Master on Android 
Judging by the reviews and the number of downloads (almost 1 billion), this application can be considered one of the best in its category. The program is free and works through paid advertising.
12. AliExpress Shopping App (Download)
The application is popular among all fans of this trading platform.
Photo: AliExpress Shopping App The application is simple and clear, there is complete confidentiality, and it supports the conversion of many currencies. It is in no way inferior to the full version of the site. Directly from your mobile device, you can select a product, place an order, pay, and then track your parcel. In addition, some products have an additional discount in the application.
13. Microsoft Word (Download)
A useful application for Android that allows you to use a convenient text editor on any smartphone.
The program was created specifically for those people who need to work with documents quickly and on the go. The design is quite familiar, practically no different from the PC version. Convenient touch controls allow you to use numerous functions. In a word, this is almost a full-fledged Word on your phone.
Photo: Microsoft Word on Android 
14. Tinder (Download)
The Tinder dating app has been recognized by Forbes magazine as one of the most popular and successful.
Tinder allows you to find new acquaintances for pleasant communication or romantic relationships. Browse through a huge number of photos of participants and choose your favorite ones. Their contacts or location will immediately appear on your screen. Since the release of the application, the concept of “getting acquainted” has changed a lot. Now finding friends while traveling or quickly organizing a party will not be difficult.
The application is easy to use. Due to its specifics, it has an age limit of 18+.
15. Weather (Download)
Weather is a very functional and fairly accurate weather forecast application.
The data is updated regularly, so it is possible to find out the current temperature in real time. Forecasts can be short-term (hourly) or long-term (up to 9 days).
If necessary, additional information is displayed on the screen, such as humidity or atmospheric pressure.
It is worth noting the colorful design and convenient widgets for the main screen of your Android.
16. You Tube (Download)
The official YouTube app for Android provides quick access to all videos on the site.
Convenient design and navigation helps you find the videos you need, subscribe to channels, and upload your own videos. Videos you watch or like are saved in separate tabs.
Photo: YouTube on Android 
17. liters (Download)
The most popular free book reading application.
The virtual library contains more than 50,000 works, and its range is constantly updated. All books are divided into many categories for ease of searching.
The pleasant interface does not irritate the eyes after long reading. All books are completely free, so you will have to endure 5 seconds of advertising.
Photo: liters application 18. Fitness plan 30 days (Download)
Android apps that help you lose weight, eat right, and exercise are becoming incredibly popular.
One of the best in this category would be the 30 Day Fitness Plan.
This is a personal home trainer. The training course is divided into a month. Clear and high-quality video tutorials teach you how to perform all the exercises at home. The set of exercises is composed correctly and competently. Physical activity increases gradually, which does not harm health.
It is possible to record your achievements and parameters. Convenient notifications and reminders won't let you miss a workout.
19. Marvel Contest of Champions (Download)
Let's return to the most popular games again. Marvel: Contest of Champions is a colorful and realistic role-playing game based on your favorite comics.
All the Marvel heroes are present here, constantly fighting evil. Gather your team, invite friends, develop a battle strategy.
20. Hay Day (Download)
The list ends with the very kind and no less popular game Hay Day.
This is a well-known farm that is popular with more than 100 million users. Take care of your land, harvest crops, trade, buy equipment and equipment. Gorgeous graphics, interesting tasks, new features and capabilities will draw you into the game for a long time.
Photo: Hay Day on Android 
This was a selection of the best free Android applications that will be useful for all occasions.
Dear readers! If you have any questions or comments on the topic of the article, please leave them below.
As of May 2016, there are more than 1.5 million programs in the Google Play brand store for Android. Among them are 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 needed Android applications 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, simple setup, and supports full-screen mode with one click (which is important for weak smartphones, where the web version is slow).
- 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. It differs from its “big brother” in 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 of the world-famous tool for working with text documents in Windows.
- Adobe Acrobat Reader . The official tool for working with documents in PDF format.
- Google Docs . An online service adapted for smartphones for working with office documents.
- Microsoft Excel . Another official Microsoft Office application, 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 . The official navigation application 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 . An alternative to the standard Google service. 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 public transport routes 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 . An alternative to the stock Android dialer with a customizable keyboard and other cool 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.
- In contact with. 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. The 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 the location of mail items by number.
- 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 the standard interface and basic functionality of the Android OS. The best Android personalization programs will allow you to customize your smartphone to suit you. 
Every day, PlayMarket is updated with dozens of programs for Android: almost any software has several analogues (sometimes they number in dozens). Searching for really good software in a colossal catalog is sometimes too difficult, as it takes too much time. Often we lack patience and perseverance, and we choose the best from the worst. But it shouldn’t be this way! Therefore, especially for you, we have selected the best programs for Android and compiled the TOP 10 applications. It is quite possible that in such a list you will find what you have been looking for for so long.
Call recording from Appliqato
If you are interested in recording calls on Android, the best program is Appliqato. Thanks to its good functionality, this unique application has won the favor of a huge audience of users all over the world.
The first thing that attracts you to Appliqato is its pleasant interface and simple design. The main page of the program - there are only two folders called “Saved” and “Inbox” - all your recorded conversations are located here. There are several operating modes available for users of this software: “Ignore all”, “Record all” and “Ignore contacts”. In the first case, only those phone numbers that are entered in the settings are recorded. In the second - absolutely all conversations. And in the third - only calls that came from unknown numbers.
The program is very easy to use, but is not without its drawbacks. It's about advertising. However, you can disable it, but to do this you will have to purchase a paid, more functional version.
QR Droid Code Scanner
The purpose of this software is to decipher QR codes using the camera built into the Android device. Also, QR Droid Code Scanner can successfully handle the most common barcodes. Thanks to this feature, you do not need to download an additional application, thereby saving space on your phone. The scanner is quite convenient to use.
Even the most inexperienced user can understand the settings. The principle of working with this utility is completely simple: just point the camera at the desired object and wait a few seconds until identification occurs and the contents of the code are reflected. In addition, this QR code reader for Android allows you to find out the data hidden in travel guides, as well as read personal information contained in the QR code. For example, contacts or email address.
GPS Anti-Radar from AIRBITS & Reactive Phone
Thanks to its excellent functionality, such software is a good replacement for its stationary counterpart. The radar detector application for Android is the best among many similar ones. It identifies control cameras along the route and provides data about all traffic police posts. In addition, the program immediately warns that the speedometer has exceeded the permitted speed limit by more than 19 km/h. 
The main advantages of GPS AntiRadar are:
- Simple and very convenient interface;
- Complete with detailed maps of the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan;
- Ability to work together with other software in the background;
- The utility does not take up too much space and does not consume much battery; it can also work on weak devices.
Lightroom Mobile
Lightroom Mobile tops the ranking of the best Android apps for photo editing. This is a universal photo editor that allows you to professionally process images directly on your smartphone. To use the program's functionality, Android version 4.1 is required. and higher.
The program also allows you to organize your pictures and synchronize them with other devices. It is possible to edit any photo using the potential of Adobe. In this case, you can use a whole set of tools, ready-made presets and more complex filters. The program interface is quite simple - as a rule, no difficulties arise with them.
Roadly
Roadly (radar detector) is an excellent program for Android, a video recorder that was created to help drivers on the road. In addition, this unique utility includes traffic sign recognition and a radar detector that warns about cameras. Roadly is equipped with a warning function about the location of fixed cameras and their coverage area. The program options allow you to send the recorded video to YouTube with just one click.
The unique functions of this software are: recording coordinates, current speed directly into a video file, automatic stop/start when stopping or moving. Since the application actively uses the smartphone's resources, it is important to ensure a constant connection to charging.
Secret Video Recorder HD
An excellent modern program for Android spy, this is one of the best secret video recorders. This unique software is very convenient and simple to use. It only takes one click to start and then stop video recording. However, the application does not reflect on the screen what it records. In addition, you can use your smartphone as usual at the same time, playing games or browsing pages in the browser. The phone does not produce any sounds, but the video will be of very high quality. You can download this software completely free of charge.
Features of Secret Video Recorder HD are:
- No preview;
- Unlimited video recording;
- Support rear and front camera;
- Night mode support.
Lime HD TV
The best programs for watching TV on Android in our rating are represented by Lime HD TV. Such an innovative program is an excellent way out of a situation where, due to the lack of an antenna or for some other reason beyond your control, there is no access to television. You can watch your favorite movie or TV show absolutely free, but there are some restrictions on the list. Although among the 140 free information, children's and sports channels there will certainly be something to watch.
The highlight of Lime HD TV is the ability to voice search, as well as quickly switch between channels. Thanks to this utility, you will not be bored on the road or in a situation where you need to while away an hour or two.
Noom
The Noom pedometer automatically counts the user's steps around the clock, using only two percent of the battery charge per day (this is very economical, because per day of use such software uses energy similar to twenty minutes of display operation). This pedometer program for Android is a real find for those who are actively involved in sports, trying to lose weight or maintain weight at a certain level.
By downloading Noom you will always be aware of your daily activity, sometimes being surprised at how much or little you move. The features of the pedometer are that it works in the background and that the interface is available in Russian, the program is free for users, consumes very little energy and, most importantly, is a good motivation for doing sports.
Keeper
The top programs for Android also include the password manager Keeper. It is the leading software for secure digital storage and easy password management. Not only individual users, but also organizations will be able to use such a utility. To protect confidential information, the presented software uses strong encryption and multi-factor authentication.
Keeper offers users cloud-based, encrypted password storage that is accessible in any situation. In addition, you can use your account on any other gadget, including a personal computer.
VK Live
VK Live is software for VK live broadcasts. This is a real find for bloggers, including beginners, who dream of popularity. The service allows you to publish video broadcasts on your VK page and in a group. In addition, using such software, you can watch live broadcasts of celebrities and your friends, chat live, responding to comments, adding stickers and hearts, create your own broadcasts, and make money from it. VK Live is quite easy to use. To record, just connect and then configure the camera and microphone. As soon as you start broadcasting, all users who follow you will receive a corresponding notification about the start of the broadcast.
In addition to its advantages, the program has some disadvantages. In particular, we are talking about the inability to block individual users, as well as the lack of information about who has already viewed your posts. In addition, there are no age restrictions on VK Live.
Free, popular and the best - all these programs have found their place in our ranking. It is quite possible that among such a list you will find exactly the optimal software that you will use in the future.
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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 useful programs are worth downloading for Android. 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? I think no. 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 serious drawback of the application.
Alternative: you can also look towards the Yandex.Maps program. It contains navigation maps of 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. Google Now provides them. 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 information resource of the same name. 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. It understands subtitles of different formats, and allows you to 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 the best products from Google - it has full synchronization (even passwords are transferred from the computer), and Internet pages open 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 differ from Google development by supporting 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 and RAR formats.
Alternative: You can also download and install X-Plore. This file manager first appeared on the Symbian operating system. Its main difference lies in the special display of the 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 meteorological 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 receive 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? It’s all very simple: they charge 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 his 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, PowerAMP might be a good choice. Yes, after 14 days of using the application you will have to pay. But you will get a music player with very wide functionality. There is a competent sorting of tracks, cutting off areas with silence, a well-thought-out equalizer and many other useful features. 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 (there are more and more of them lately). 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.
Summarizing
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?
One of the reasons why smartphones have got huge widescreen screens is for watching videos. Processors today are able to consume almost no energy when the smartphone is operating in video player mode, and in terms of the number of formats that a typical Android smartphone can handle, it is even cooler than computers. In theory, it can handle both ancient videos from the early 90s and new 4K videos.
In theory, because standard video players in smartphones are made according to the principle “as long as something is played somehow.” If you manage to record a bunch of movies from your computer to your smartphone to watch them on the road, you run the risk of finding that half of the videos either cannot be opened or are played back without picture and/or sound.
MX Player is an excellent omnivorous video player on Android
All this can be fixed by installing a truly omnivorous player. There are many of them, but MX is one of the most authoritative and sophisticated among its kind. It plays any video and music in a very economical mode, even on old smartphones, can make the volume in video recordings twice as high as a standard player (in films with a quiet soundtrack, this is very useful), switch between several types of voice acting, and zoom in with a pinch ", as in photographs, and open videos from sites in a convenient Android player.
MX Player itself is free, but full of advertising. The ad-free version already costs money. The only troublesome thing is that, due to the greed of patent holders, support for the AC3 format (multichannel sound in modern films) needs to be downloaded and “screwed on” separately. But take my word for it - the player is very good and deserves such trouble.
ES Explorer - cleaning your smartphone from junk and transferring files over Wi-Fi
A long time ago, when Android was a semi-finished product, there were no sensible file managers. In order to flaunt to iPhone owners the fact “look, I have everything organized into folders, like on a computer!”, it was necessary to download a separate application for managing files.
Those days are long gone, and now every smartphone has banal programs for renaming, moving or copying files. But there are no quality ones among them.
ES Explorer will help you transfer files over Wi-Fi and clean your system of junk
ES Explorer was one of the first noteworthy file managers on Android; today it has grown in breadth and can do much more than the average user needs. But an active Android phone user will definitely need the following “goodies”:
- Ability to open files from local network. For example, from a shared folder on your computer/laptop, or from a hard drive/flash drive that you plugged into the router.
- Working with archives. Someday they will send you a stack of photographs, a Word/Excel document inside .zip, .rar or something even worse. ES Explorer will be able to open such archives without problems.
- Drive analysis. If your smartphone is filled to capacity with files, and it’s not very clear why the space suddenly ran out so suddenly, just press the “analyze” key in ES, after which it will show how much space in memory is occupied by pictures/music/applications and games/documents, will arrange them from large to small and allow you to remove “garbage” right in the same menu. There is almost no alternative in terms of convenience.
- Transfer files between smartphones at Wi-Fi speed. It's unlikely that you send photos, music and videos to nearby mobile phones as often as in the era of polyphonic ringtones, but Bluetooth has always been a dull and slow method of communication, and the normal universal way to transfer files over Wi-Fi is not came up with it. More precisely, they came up with it, but only between identical applications. If you and your friend have ES Explorer, you can send large files in two clicks at the highest speed possible between mobile phones - the file manager has a “sender” function for this case.
WPS Office - Word, Excel and everything, everything, everything
During the existence of smartphones, Microsoft Office standard files (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) were at first an “overwhelming” exotic, then a revelation with which everyone tried to edit texts on tiny screens. Today, there are no miracles in viewing and minor editing of text in documents and presentations. Another thing is that such files (+ Adobe PDF documents) will be sent to your e-mail from all sides, and there will be nothing to open them on your smartphone. You can, of course, keep the intrigue until you get to your desktop PC, but it is wiser to spend several tens of megabytes of memory on a ready-made set for opening and editing everything “office”.
WPS Office - Word, Excel and PowerPoint in your pocket
WPS Office (formerly Kingsoft Office, if anyone is interested) is not the coolest office suite of its kind, but it is free, bug-free, fast and not lacking in features even compared to expensive alternatives. We recommend.
Weather/news widgets - so as not to turn on the TV
As in the case of file managers, smartphones are not deprived of information about the temperature outside the window and the latest news, but the quality of standard widgets almost always leaves much to be desired. Therefore, we advise you to decorate your desktop with information details from other developers.
The appearance and functionality of widgets is always a matter of taste, but in our opinion, the least catchy and at the same time functional options for weather and news are offered today by Yandex. The side effect is the constant “steaming” of search, the Taxi application and other company products.
Weather and news will make your smartphone desktop always an interesting sight
At first, it will be unusual to look at headlines and weather forecasts on your desktop instead of “wallpapers,” but take my word for it - very soon you will begin to enjoy the fact that you will know all the main events in the world before TV viewers and news readers on the Internet. It is also not necessary to delve only into political conflicts - lovers of cars or electronic devices can receive information only on their favorite topics.
Shazam - find out what song is playing
Every day you hear music, among which there are songs that seem to give you an electric shock. Because when you were a child, you were running under the Christmas tree to this very song/getting ready for a first date/getting a job/something else, but from the text in foreign it is still not clear what it’s about, and you also don’t remember who actually performs this song and what is it called.
With new smartphones this is no longer a problem - you take your Android “shovel” out of your wide trousers and press a key. The smartphone listens to the song and names the artist and song title after a few seconds. That's what an app called Shazam is for.
Shazam: You'll always know what music is playing nearby
Of course, Shazam, although he was one of the first, is far from the only one of its kind - Sony has similar applications, and recently even Google began to learn to recognize music. But Shazam has the largest knowledge base, so it is still the most reliable way to recognize music using a smartphone.
Now it seems to you that such a function will not be needed regularly - when you begin to suffer after hearing a fragment of your favorite song, but did not know who sings it, you will remember our words.
Currency converter - a tragedy starring the dollar and ruble
Why are you laughing? Have you already forgotten how you tore your hair out and rushed to the stores to buy equipment in order to buy it before the price tags were rewritten?
Of course, I would like to believe that the worst is behind us, and in the coming years we will not experience sharp fluctuations in the ruble against the US dollar, but it is not a bad idea to look at how the national currency is doing, so that later you do not find out the shocking truth as the last one, from the evening news reports. And in general, a convenient tool for converting between the currencies of different countries will be useful on vacation and on business trips.
How is our long-suffering ruble doing?
There are a great many applications that can convert currencies, we will recommend one of the most visual among them - Easy Currency Converter. Simple in appearance, with the ability to select your “favorite” currencies and a graph with exchange rate dynamics. That is, in addition to the current figures, you can always see how the ruble jumped/fell against the dollar over the coming days, months or even years. Gourmets, by the way, can even look at the so-called Russian Zen - the “holy trinity” of dollar, euro and the price of a barrel of oil.
Messengers - VKontakte, Odnoklassniki, WhatsApp, Viber, Skype and others
A very naive point in our selection, but if you have just recently bought a smartphone, you should know that “smart phones” differ from simple ones by focusing on constant communication, not only for calls and SMS in GSM networks, but also via the Internet. The ability to chat in ICQ existed in ancient times, but in new smartphones running Android you have the opportunity to share huge amounts of information, video recordings, and make video calls abroad completely free of charge!
A smartphone is an opportunity to communicate without regard to tariffs and distances
Because mobile operators have long switched everyone to tariffs with a monthly fee, to which the serious rubbish of the Internet is “nailed.” This will be enough to stop sending SMS and switch to communicating with friends and relatives online.
It is not necessary to install all instant messengers at once (although it is advisable) - choose those in which you will have someone to keep in touch with. It would be enough.
Online videos - TV, online cinemas or short jokes
Of course, with the limited amount of traffic in the new cellular tariffs (Russian operators have removed unlimited data further in order to more effectively milk subscribers), it does not allow much acceleration, but the Internet package is enough for a certain amount of video entertainment. And with occasional Wi-Fi at home or at work, you can get out even more efficiently.
If you didn’t know, the “Big Three” (MTS, Beeline, MegaFon) mobile operators have applications for watching television via 3G/4G without consuming traffic from the tariff. In MTS, for such pleasure they want a little money above the tariff, in Beeline there is a small number of free channels + paid ones, MegaFon varies the number of free tariffs depending on the amount of the monthly fee for your tariff. In any case, if you would like to watch television away from the “box”, pay attention to such services of cellular operators.
TV, cinema or short videos - Android has it all
And if, on the contrary, you don’t want the TV to reach you from your mobile phone, install an online cinema for yourself to watch feature films or music videos. The most popular applications of this kind remain ivi.ru And Megogo, among the unofficial (which are not on Google Play) and completely free clients we can note VideoMix , HD VideoBox And LazyIPTV.
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