Android apps I use

3 Replies

See also: Chrome extensions I like

Here’s a list of all the apps currently installed on my Android smartphone. My favorite ones are boldfaced. Please note that a few apps require root access; if your phone is not rooted, these apps will not work.

Let me know if you think I’m missing anything. I’m interested both in superior alternatives to the apps I currently use and in completely novel apps.

  • 7 Minute Workout. A simple, minimal exercise routine.
  • AdAway. An open source ad blocker for Android using the hosts file. It needs Android >= 2.1 and ROOT access.
  • Airbnb.
  • Amazon.
  • Android Pay.
  • AnkiDroid. Review your Anki decks remotely with this excellent app.
  • Anti SMS Spam. Prevent unwanted messages from any sender.
  • AppBlock. Blocks distracting apps, like Facebook.
  • Asana. For task-management.
  • Audible. A normal day contains plenty of activities that don’t occupy one’s attention, such as walking, washing the dishes, brushing one’s teeth, etc., which are ideal for listening to audiobooks.
  • Authenticator Plus. Better than Google Authenticator.
  • BodySpace. Useful (though imperfect) app for tracking gym workouts.
  • CamScanner. The best app I found for scanning documents with the phone’s camera.
  • Calendar. I’ve tried other calendar apps, but if you use Google Calendar on your computer it’s just easier to keep everything sync with the native Google Android app.
  • Chrome. The mobile version of Chrome used to be very unstable, but it has gotten much better recently.
  • Click Counter. Useful for running various experiments.
  • Coffitivity. Recreates the ambient noises of a cafe.
  • Compass. For use in combination with Google Maps, in cases where the GPS signal is lost or there is no internet connection.  An underrated tool.
  • Couchsurfing.
  • DiskUsage. Generates a spatial representation of the contents of the phone’s storage card.
  • Drive. My entire (~1.7 TB) drive is on Google Drive; with this app I can access any of these files from my phone.
  • Drive Autosync. I use this app to synchronize my entire PDF library (comprising about 6,000 files) between my phone and my computer.
  • Duolingo. A good app for learning languages.
  • ES File Explorer. A good file-management app.
  • ezPDF reader. My favorite PDF reader.
  • Feedly. As good as the now-defunct Google Reader.
  • Foursquare. For local recommendations.
  • Gmail.
  • Goodreads. I mostly use Goodreads on my computer, but occasionally use this app to check things on my phone.
  • Google maps.
  • Google translate.
  • Google trips.
  • gStrings. An excellent tuner. Will recognize any pitch frequency, on any instrument.
  • Habits. For keeping track of dailies.
  • Hangouts. On a couple of occasions I had trouble using Hangouts on my computer, but still managed to talk thanks to this app.
  • Hoy Milonga. An indispensable app for tango aficionados.
  • Instagram. For sharing pictures.
  • Instapaper. The best app of its kind; the text-to-speech feature is invaluable.
  • Kayak. Recommended for frequent travelers.  Recently I missed a flight to Oslo and managed to find another one quickly enough thanks to this app.
  • Keep. Great note-taking app.
  • Last.fm. I use it only to scrobble the music I play on my phone.
  • LoungeBuddy. Enter all your cards and this app will tell you which airport lounges you can access. invaluable for nomads and frequent travelers.
  • Lyft.
  • Memrise. Spaced-repetition app; supplements Anki.
  • Messenger. This app actually makes it easier for me to spend less time browsing Facebook, since I can answer messages without having to log in to the site.
  • Mycelium. Bitcoin wallet.
  • Mytaxi.
  • Nova launcher. Improves the home screen.
  • Podcast addict. Excellent podcast app.
  • Pushbullet. Send SMS messages from your computer and see phone notifications on your desktop browser.
  • Random number generator.
  • RealCalc Scientific Calculator. The native Android calculator sucks; use this one instead.
  • RescueTime. I mainly track time manually with Toggl, though I’ve found it useful to have an automatic time tracker as well, which I use on both my laptop and smartphone.
  • Revolut. A virtual bank/credit card that lets me pay in foreign currencies without fees or unfavorable exchange rates.
  • Rocker locker. Make volume keys control media volume by default.
  • Ruler.
  • Seconds Free. I want an app that vibrates regularly at custom intervals, that vibrates for long enough for me to notice, and that doesn’t drain my phone’s battery. I tried about eight or nine apps; this is the best one I found.
  • Shazaam. Will recognize most music playing in one’s environment.
  • Signal. Secure communication.
  • Slack.
  • Sleep as Android. Smart alarm clock with sleep cycle tracking.
  • Smart AudioBook Player. Are you looking for an audio player that allows you to play audiobooks at faster speeds without pitch alteration or sound distortion? This is the one.
  • Smart Voice Recorder. A good voice recorder.
  • Splitwise. For splitting bills and expenses.
  • Spotify.
  • TagTime. Beeps at random times. A handy tool for self-experimentation.
  • Tasker. Automate all sorts of tasks.
  • Titanium Backup. A powerful backup tool.
  • Toggl. By far the best time-tracking app I’m familiar with.
  • Toshl. The best app for managing finances I found.
  • TripAdvisor.
  • Twilight. F.lux equivalent for Android.
  • Uber.
  • WhatsApp.
  • Weather Underground. Hyper-local weather forecasts.
  • YouTube.

With thanks to Nicolás Valentino and Rochelle Harris for valuable suggestions.

Latest update: 5th July, 2017