12:19 AM
Dr STUD
The 50 apps that made the cut for this list are the ones that have shown outstanding performance, have been almost universally liked by users young and old, or have had a solid history of being among the first apps we'd recommend new users download. In some cases, we list two similar apps that are both known for doing a good job, and let you decide which you prefer.
Most of them are free, a few cost a buck or two, although the priciest one on this list will set you back a cool $25. Left out are any apps specifically designed for people who have "rooted" their phones, or given themselves more permission than is intended for consumers, which can void the phone's warranty.
If you're a long-time Android user, some of these apps will look familiar, although in a few cases, we noticed that the best apps in a certain class aren't necessarily the ones that have been most popular for a stretch of time. Newcomers are supplanting some tried-and-true favorites. Finally, if you have more recommendations, post your suggestions in the comments—they may make it into a future update of this article. And a special thanks to those who have posted comments since the last version of this article. Your suggestions are truly appreciated! You can navigate our selection of top Android apps by clicking through the pages of this article.
Utility
Beautiful Widgets
$2.89
The Beautiful Widgets app lets you customize your phone’s homescreen,
with weather reports, clocks, battery status, and different elements.
It’s a simple app that makes your Android’s homescreen more useful to
you, based on what information you want to see. And, as the name
implies, it does it with grace.
Days Left Widget Pro
99 cents
Days Left is a very simple widget that can be both useful and fun. Use
it to count down the days left until a big event. Note that this “app”
is technically a widget, so it will behave slightly differently on your
phone (if you have trouble after downloading it, try pressing and
holding the screen anywhere on the homescreen, then go to add Widget and
select "Days Left").
Dolphin Browser HD
free
Dolphin Browser HD is a veritable trickster of a mobile browser. You can
change this Android app's look and feel through custom themes, add
capability with Add-ons, or even navigate by gesture. When you encounter
a pesky mobile site, you can don a disguise—for example, you can
masquerade as an iPad—to unlock the un-cropped page. Flummoxed by Flash?
No more, so long as you're running Dolphin and Android 2.2. The browser
lacks a full synching service, but it does support Google Bookmarks.
History Eraser Pro
$1.49
History Eraser Pro makes it so simple to delete junk off your phone. The
app lets you pick and choose what you want to delete, from text
messages to browser history to cached files, and then wipes them in one
shot, freeing up more space on your phone.
LastPass Password Mgr Premium*
requires $1 per month subscription
LastPass manages and fills in your usernames and passwords for you
automatically. You'll only have to remember one password ever again: the
one to get into LastPass, so make it strong. Another advantage of using
a password manager is it ensures you use a different password for all
the sites you visit, as recycling passwords leaves you prone to identity
theft and other online crimes.
Launcher Pro
free
Launcher Pro is a third-party application that does something your phone
already does on its own (launch apps), except that it adds the ability
for you to customize your phone in more ways than you normally can so
that you can launch apps quicker and more easily. For example, you can
create up to seven different homescreens, giving you quick access to
more apps than before.
Tiny Flashlight + LED
free
Tiny Flashlight + LED turns your phone into a powerful little latern. It
can use both the screen’s brightness and the flash bulb for the camera,
the latter providing enough light to see in even the darkest places.
Wheres My Droid
free
How many times have you claimed your phone was stolen, only to find it,
days later, wedged between the couch cushions, muffled from ringing loud
enough to hear when you called it? If you're prone to losing your
phone, Wheres My Droid [sic] will put your mind at ease. The app helps
people find their lost or stolen Android phones by forcing it to ring at
maximum volume or vibrate when the phone receives a text message
containing a specified phrase, such as "Where's my Droid?" The app can
also tell you the phone's location, as long as its GPS is enabled.
Dictionary.com
free
What makes the Dictionary.com app useful is that the information is
local. Rather than wait for the website Dictionary.com to load, you can
look up dictionary definitions immediately from the app. There free
version of the app has advertisements, but the $1.99 paid version does
not.
Google Maps
free
Whenever I ask people to name their five favorite Android apps, "Google
something" almost always makes the list. Google Maps may be one of the
most popular of the Android apps from Google. A few of its signature
features, such as navigation and layers, work better on Android than
most other mobile operating systems. It's indispensible for finding
addresses, service providers nearby, and just for simply getting around.
Google Translate
free
Every now and then, I have a moment when I technology still makes me
marvel. Despite all the amazing advances I’ve seen, there are certain
tools that just leave me speechless. If you haven’t tried Google
Translate yet, an app that can translate text in more than 50 languages,
put it on your Android phone today and give it a whirl. Most impressive
of all, you can even use the phone's microphone to pick up spoken
dialogue and have it translated into another language. It’s a remarkable
thing, even when it’s not 100 percent perfect (as machine translations
are a long way from being flawless).
IMDb Movies & TV
free
"What was the name of that movie?" The next time you can't remember the
name of an actor, television show, or film, IMDb Movies & TV saves
the day. One of the handiest reference websites on the planet, IMDb
never fails when it comes to looking up anything that has to do with TV,
film, or Hollywood. The app also lets you find which movies are playing
at your local cinema, and even purchase tickets. With an IMDb account
(free or paid for Pro), the app provides even more features, like the
ability to create a watchlist of movies you want to see.
Shazam
free
If you hear a song and don't know what it is (or for the life of you,
can't remember who sings it)—Shazam to the rescue! Launch Shazam and
hold it as close as you can to the speakers, then let her rip. Within a
few seconds, the app will tell you the title, artist, and sometimes even
find the album art, too. Shazam is a whiz with most radio-play songs,
new and old, originals and covers, but it occasionally gets stumped by
obscure b-sides. You can get Shazam Encore for $4.99, which has a few
additional features.
WebMD for Android
free
WebMD is much more than a diagnosis app, although you certainly can use
it to input symptoms you are experiencing and find some clues as to
what's ailing you. It also contains listings for healthcare
professionals and pharmacies in your area, as well as first-aid
guides—simple instructions for dealing with an emergency that everyone
should have accessible at any time. This free reference app is one you
hope you don't need, but, the moment you do, you'll be glad you
downloaded it.
Wikidroid for Wikipedia
free
Looking up information on a smartphone should not only be easy, but also
something you do frequently. Otherwise, what's the point of having so
much data at your fingertips? Wikidroid pulls articles from Wikipedia
and optimizes their display for easy reading and searching from your
mobile phone. The app has elegant search functionality, too.—
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