The best thing about the Android platform is not just the fact that it can be highly customised to suit your taste, but the barrage of applications at your beck and call from the convenience of the Google Play Store.
There is rarely a category you get into where you won’t be faced with hundreds, if not thousands, of apps. That said, this can also be one of the most overwhelming places you can find yourself in.
If that sounds like you, but you would like to have cool apps on your Android device, here are the top categories to consider.
How We Picked the Apps
Like we said earlier, almost every category in the Google Play Store comes with tons of apps for you.
We believe you already know that not all of these apps are great for you. Likewise, more than one of them will be awesome.
That is why we have decided to choose the top categories you should browse, and some of the best apps in that region.
Where You Should Get These Applications From
There are a lot of websites on the internet that promise you some of the apps we will mention here. We do not recommend downloading any applications from these websites at all.
Besides the fact that they could be ridden with a virus of many kinds, many of these apps could contain other malicious software with the intent of stealing your data.
If you cannot find any app you want on the Google Play Store, it is usually recommended that you go for an alternative instead. Fortunately for you, there are almost always alternatives.
Which Apps Should I Download?
Ready to make your Android device as powerful as can be? Here are the apps you should get:
Games
It goes without saying that if you don’t have games on your phone, you are missing out on a lot.
One of the biggest advantages of having an Android phone is that you get a lot of high-quality games, no matter what it is you are interested in. You can browse through the various gaming categories on the Play Store to get the desired games.
If, like us, you are a lover of heavy gaming (and your device can handle it too), below are the recommended options:
Racing – Asphalt
Football – Pro Evolution Soccer, FIFA, Real Football
Adventure – Assassins Creed, Mission Impossible
Board – Scrabble, Monopoly, Chess, Mah-jong, Checkers
Action – Mortal Kombat, Marvel’s Game of Champions, Clash of Clans
Simulators – SIMs, etc.
Photo Editing
You don’t need a professional photographer to touch up your images before they come out as stunning as you want. You can now take amazing pictures, apply beautiful effects to them and clean up blemishes, if need be.
In short, you get to have as much creative freedom on your images as you want.
If you want your WhatsApp status updates to be the envy of your contacts, here are some of the picture-editing software you want to get:
Adobe Photoshop Express
Cartoon Photo Editor
Photo Grid
Color Splash Photo Effect
Security
Your password is not the only security you need on your phone. There are a lot of attacks that could be carried out against your device and information while connected to the internet, and you would not even know about it.
For example, you could download a rogue attachment via email that would start recording your key strokes – which could in turn be used to determine passwords to sensitive accounts (such as online banking platforms).
To combat this, you not only need a solid antivirus and a malware checker, but a VPN for your Android phone too.
Here are our recommended picks:
Avast Antivirus
ExpressVPN
Security Master
AppLock
Entertainment
Besides gaming, your Android phone is also an alternate source of entertainment. To get the most out of your device would be pimping it up with the latest and best apps in this niche.
The ideal entertainment apps are those focused on rendering the best audio and video experience, depending on what you want. Rather than just playing your media files, they should also come with a slew of features that aid ease of use, manipulation of media output to your taste and so much more.
That is the criteria behind the following choices:
VLC Media Player
Musixmatch
Social Media
Wait a minute. You’re yet to start using social media apps on your device? What have you been waiting for?!?!
In this time and age, the internet is almost incomplete without social media. I know some will argue that social media is a time-wasting machine, but these people do not see the bright side of these platforms.
A lot of users are making serious money on the platform, so that tells you something. Of course, not everyone will make money from social media, but you can enjoy the platforms in other ways.
Depending on what you like, you will get satisfaction with any of these apps:
Snapchat
Telegram
Productivity
A phone is not just there for you to make and receive calls, text, play games, consume media and surf the net. It could also be the top factor in keeping you accountable, thus increasing your productivity.
Personally, I have enjoyed some productivity apps and how they have helped transform my life in such little time. From personal experience, here are the productivity apps that will help you get the most out of every day, week, month and year – over and over again
Spendee – Track your spending, income and know how best to budget for the coming month
24me – A good way to schedule your tasks and make sure you never forget anything
Usage Time – Tracks how long you use each app on your phone, helping to inform you of whether or not you are being more productive due to your phone usage
Browsers
We cannot power though this list without mentioning browsers.
One thing I have come to find out, across multiple users, is that browsers are an acquired taste. We all usually have one that we love more than the other, and we might not even be able to explain that love.
However, of all these, a handful of browsers stand out over the years. While you might have Google Chrome come with your Android units out of the box, you might not know that there are a slew of other cool browsers out there:
Firefox – For those who would like a higher level of privacy on top of the browser’s functionality
UC Browser – The ideal browser for downloads, especially if you want to run multiple downloads consecutively
Google Chrome – Best for the seamless browsing experience with its impeccable UI
Wrap Up
There you have it.
Although this list is by no means exhaustive, adding at least one app from this category onto your Android device will make it a homely place in no time.
If there is any other category you love that didn’t make it onto this list, do let us hear about it in the comments.
