For those of you who are new to Android, I have decided to give a few recommended top FREE Apps which you may find very useful. Note that this is just a few apps from the top Apps category on the market. If this is your first time on the Android platform and you are lost or confused as to which apps to use then you may find this thread helpful.I have decided to just include a few of the category on the market so all the categories are not listed. Those are the most used category and with some many different variation of those apps it's good to having an understanding or some sense of direction in terms of the top apps to use.
Note: This was started with the intent to help new users of the Android family get acquainted with a few of the top FREE Apps
Note: This thread is ONLY free recommended Apps, I will be starting a thread soon with the Recommended paid Apps for new users.
Finally: Note that other can use this thread to also share and recommend some of their most love apps to other users.
communication
Dolphin Browser HD
This is one of the best browser for android in terms of features and customization. This is most certainly a heavy favorite on the market to replace your default stock browser.
About:
Dolphin Browser HD2 highlights twice the speed, powerful add-on and innovative user experience. V2.1: +On Demand option for Flash (Android 2.2) +Cache to SD +Keep Screen On +Orientation option +Private browsing without history +Delete All bookmarks +FC Recovery +Set as default browser option(Android 2.2)
Google voice
If you're looking for a visual voice mail apps to replace your stock one or just need a good alternate option to manage your voice-mail, SMS and phone calls then look no further. If you already have a Google voice number then this app would be even more useful to you. You can set it as an option and use it as your outgoing calls rather than your default phone number.
About:
Place calls and send SMS showing your Google number. Listen to voicemail and read transcripts. Google Voice account required, currently only available in the US. v0.3.4 fixes several bugs. See http://goo.gl/zTy7 for details. IMPORTANT: You must open Google Voice at least once after upgrading to route calls.
New Version (2.1) FREE mobile video calls -1st ever on Android! Now: new devices X10, Streak +fixes fring gives you FREE Video Calls, voice calls & chat to friends over 3G & WiFi (Video calls only on capable devices) Communicate with friends on fring network + other services: MSN®,GTalk™,Twitter,SIP,Yahoo!™,AIM®& ICQ®
Handcent SMS
This is a more refine SMS/MMS app than most stock messaging app. This has so much more customization over your stock app that once you try it you may not want to go back to your stock messaging app. Note that if you use this apps you will need to display the receive notification in the settings of your default/stock app.
About:
Handcent SMS is a free sms tools for android,unleash the full power of your phone: Full support SMS & MMS ,great customize options,different style and power function(search sms,sms popup,speak sms & T9) Send animated greeting by handcent greeting View news.handcent.com for release notes *Independence day greetings added
MuiltiMedia
DoubleTwist Player
Double Twist is a default upgrade from your stock music player. This app can play both your music in an Ipod like interface along with your videos. You can also sync and play audio with makes it even more desirable than the stock media player.
About:
Free for a limited time! The doubleTwist Player is a fully featured music and video app that seamlessly integrates with the free doubleTwist desktop client on Mac/PC. Import your iTunes playlists, ratings and playcounts; sync and play your audio and video podcasts and more! Changes: http://twist.to/androids
Last.fm - Personal Radio
Personal radio just got better with Last.fm for android. This is another great streaming radio you can use along side Pandora. Remember you only get 30 hours of radio per month on Pandora so this makes last.fm a worthy option.
About:
Your personal radio station on your phone: Choose an artist or genre and Last.fm builds the perfect playlist just for you! Contacts are only used if you enable syncing on certain Android 2.x devices, logs are used by our bug reporter, location is used to find nearby concerts. Changes: http://bit.ly/lastfm-android
Pandora Radio
The famous radio is also available on android so get it now, enjoy hours of non stop internet radio. Choose your own station be your own DJ. Remember you got 30 hours per month with a free account so enjoy.
About:
Pandora Radio is your own FREE personalized radio now available to stream music on your phone. Start with the name of one of your favorite artists, songs or classical composers and Pandora will create a "station" that plays their music and more music like it. Already a Pandora User? Just log in to enjoy your stations
Photoshop.com Mobile
Need no introduction, it PS for Android get more option for managing and touching up your photos with this useful apps
About:
Edit and transform photos easily. Touch to crop, rotate, blur, add photo effects. Upload/Share photos with free Photoshop.com account. Needs SD card. From Adobe, the makers of Photoshop. By downloading you agree to the Terms of Use at www.photoshop.com/misc/terms.html. Developers, see mobile.photoshop.com/android/developers
Scanner Radio
Listen to live broadcasts from around the world, broadcasts from police,fire and other emergency signal in your area and around the country
About:
Allows you to listen to live audio from over 2,200 police and fire scanners, railroad communications, and weather radio broadcasts from around the world (with more being added daily). Audio is provided by volunteers, see the menu in the app for information on how to get your area added. Follow ScannerRadio on Twitter
Productivity
Dropbox
Have files and apps on your computer? wish you could sync them on your android phone? Then dropbox would be your best option. This allows you to view your files share files with other drop box users and more..
About:
The Dropbox app syncs your files between your computers and your mobile device. Now you can browse the files in your Dropbox folder from anywhere! Share links to files with your friends, save photos and video from your camera to your computers, and open files using your favorite Android apps. Small bug fixes.
EStrongs File Explorer
Just another file explorer for your android device. manage files, edit file names, compress files delete files and much more.
About:
V1.4.3(appear soon) ES Security Manager Donate Entrance, Please donate if you like it Free,Featured File manager & Appmanager & taskkiller which explores the phone & PC. *copy/cut move *thumbnails *multiselect *edit text *manage apps *send as *search *(de)compress *media on ftp *access home PC *bluetooth
LauncherPro Beta
A favorite for many users, this is a much smoother and customizable launcher than the stock found on your phone. Customizer your luncher, home screen and animation with this great Apps
About:
Based on the stock Android Launcher (Home app) - Super-smooth scrolling - Animated screen previews (like Exposé or HTC Sense) - Up to 7 home screens - App drawer (2D and 3D!) with a fly-in effect and smooth scrolling - Scrollable shortcut dock You can see the change log at my website below. For support, visit our forums.
Tools
Speed Test
The Famous speedtest.net is now on android. This is certainly an app for you if you are always concern of speed or would just like to know what your speeds are from time to time. Are you getting the best out of your 3g or 4G connection? you can surely use this app to find the answer.
About:
Speedtest.net is now available as a free Android application with no advertising! Use it to measure the network speed of your Android device. With over a million tests performed every day, Speedtest.net is the ultimate resource for bandwidth testing and related information. Visit it on your computer today to find out why
Google translate
Your favorite language translation right at your finger tips, now includes more voice inputs..
About:
Use Google Translate to instantly translate text between \u003e 50 languages. Featuring: * Dictionary results * Text-to-speech * Voice input * Romanization (e.g. Pinyin, Romaji, etc) * History/star favorite translations New in v1.1.1: * New voice input languages: French, Italian, German, and Spanish
Reference
Kindle for Android
Kindle for android are more usefully on the bigger screen phones but nevertheless it's for us all, Sync, browser and purchase books right on your phone or android device.
About:
Read more than 620,000* Kindle books on your Android phone including thousands of free books. No Kindle required. Automatically synchronizes your last page read between devices with Amazon Whispersync. Adjust the text size, color mode, or brightness. * If you are a non-US customer, book availability may vary.
Dictionary.com, LLC
The name def.ly speaks for itself, just keep in mind you need a data connection to use this wonderful app.
About:
New: Bug fixes The Dictionary.com app delivers trusted reference content from Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com. The app includes phonetic and audio pronunciations, spelling suggestions and our popular Word of the Day. 375,000 words & definitions 300,000 synonyms & antonyms Word of the Day home screen widget
Wikidroid for Wikipedia
Now you got Wiki on your phone, never be uninformed, features includes voice search. Great apps for doing your basic and quick research on your phone without opening up a browser.
About:
View all of Wikipedia's articles formatted perfectly for your device. Never be without the answer to an argument again! Features: - 64 languages - Jump to a random article - Share articles over email or SMS - Voice search - Search suggestions - Add bookmarks + home screen shortcuts to articles Keywords: wiki encyclopedia
Google sky map
Need to know more about the sky? The cosmos? Then Google sky map is for you.
About:
Google Sky Map turns your Android-powered mobile phone into a window on the night sky. New: 1.5.2: Move app to sdcard (Android 2.2 users) Find us elsewhere: http://www.google.com/sky/skymap http://twitter.com/googleskymap Keywords: planetarium, astronomy, skymap
Hope you find a few of these apps useful and again I will be starting a thread for recommended top PAID apps soon...
aldiko is better than kindle and adw launcher is better than launcherpro but besides that great list
Arcus Dictionary i think is better then Dictionary.com, it doesnt require a Data plan to do look ups and is very fast
launcherpro is ok, zeam is better imho.
themapleboy said:
adw launcher is better than launcherpro but besides that great list
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Having tried both, and several others (Zeam, Sweeter Home, and touchwiz) I stuck with Launcher Pro. Personal preference.
E_man5112 said:
Having tried both, and several others (Zeam, Sweeter Home, and touchwiz) I stuck with Launcher Pro. Personal preference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True. Launchers are completely down to personnal preference
Thanks for the list! I'll have my first Android phone (Captivate) coming in the next day or two so this will be very handy to refer to!
Thanks for the list! I just got a notice from VZ that I'm eligible for an upgrade (over a year early, so I guess they're really trying to sell those already unavailable Droid X and Incredibles...), and I'm planning on getting a new Android phone to replace my HTC Touch Pro2. Now I'll have a list of a few apps to try out!
Besides Dolphin browser, I would reccomend xscope. It is a free alternative to the regular browser and is pretty much just like Google chrome. Even set up to look like it. Not as much in the customization area as dolphin, buy definitely very easy to use, and most definitely faster.
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
I can't find Pandora Radio. Does it still exist?
Pandora radio is still on the market, if you can find it then use the link provided below to install it. You will need to use a barcode scanner app to scan the barcode. Once this is done it will take you directly to the app on the market and you'll be able to install it.
http://www.androidzoom.com/android_applications/multimedia/pandora-radio_bcmb.html
Sent from my EVO using XDA App
themapleboy said:
adw launcher is better than launcherpro
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe it's the other way around. LauncherPro is WAAAAY better. IMO
HTC Legion said:
I believe it's the other way around. LauncherPro is WAAAAY better. IMO
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, but Federico's work needs some work before its perfect.
Xiialive a lot better streaming music app than pandora, last.fm, or slacker. Pick from over 100 channels on shoutcast. So, less repetitive than the previous mentioned apps.
good list!
I like Gmote for streaming music from my home PC to my phone. You can do it over data connection (3g and 4g) or LAN. The only shortcoming is that it won't stream remotely via wifi, only LAN.
It also works as a remote control for your PC. Great for media servers!
jahnile said:
Pandora radio is still on the market, if you can find it then use the link provided below to install it. You will need to use a barcode scanner app to scan the barcode. Once this is done it will take you directly to the app on the market and you'll be able to install it.
http://www.androidzoom.com/android_applications/multimedia/pandora-radio_bcmb.html
Sent from my EVO using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If they can't find it on the market, another link to the market won't help. Could be Pandora is protected and their phone isn't showing protected (and likely paid) apps.
Do try out my free apps here:
http://slideme.org/user/mlbl
Ok you put time and effort into your games or apps but still cant seem to get downloads. You might even see a game or app similar to yours but for some reason they are charting but your not. There are over 100,000 developers and over a million apps on googleplay. What are they doing that your not?
1) Website- I see a lot of developers that have a single blog page for all their apps. Look at the format of google play and match your website as close as you can to what google play has. Why? Customers are use to a certain format and like things that look familiar . Think like a customer when building a website and put the same effort as you were in programming your apps.
2)Social Networking-Make a twitter and facebook account. Any app release you have or updates post them.You can even interact with customers and get feedback directly from them. Use this as a tool to learn from real people and adjust your game or app based on feedback.
3)Make Niche Apps- There is no way indie developers can match the power of big companies. Rather than try to take on gameloft or EA focus on niche apps. Small apps like car locators or how to cook books. Small apps like these have been know to get more downloads vs making a game going against a bigger company. Small focused apps or simple games with great graphics can draw people to your app.
4)Post in Forums- Post your game or app in several forums. Be careful as many forums are not really indie friendly. Most forums have a section where you can post games or apps away from where regular forum users cant see. Also you might run into jealous developers who have nothing better to do then degrade your game. Post in several forums to bring in users but remember this is only a small part of your marketing efforts. This forums is very developer friendly though.
5)Rate Me Button- In your apps your should have a rate me button and a googleplay button that points to only your apps in google play. You can also have a button to your website to give the customer a more personal touch.
6) Paid vs. Free- I would suggest you make 4 to 5 free apps before making a paid app. Most customers do not want to pay and only enjoy free apps. You can make a paid version but be warned if you make a paid version users might
1) uninstall the free version
2)buy the paid version
3)refund the paid version but keep the apk on thier device
4) Now they have the paid version for free.
I will make another how to market your android apps part 2 soon. Till then good luck with your games and apps.
These are helpful tips seeing as me and a friend just released our first app a month ago, thanks!
yoshihat said:
These are helpful tips seeing as me and a friend just released our first app a month ago, thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your welcome hope your friends apps does well
From Nokia, a re-imagined way to use your Android. Adapts to you. Launches anything in one second.
Throughout the day, Nokia Z Launcher is learning how you use your phone and promoting your favorite apps so you can get to them faster. The more you use it, the better it gets.
IT’S SO SIMPLE
*Scribble – Scribble a letter to find what you want
*Launch – Apps, contacts, or websites
*Adapt – It learns to promote the right stuff at the right time
What’s New
– Removed Nokia weather and music widgets because standard Android widgets are now supported
– Bug Fixes
Requires Android: 4.1 and up
Mod Edit: Link removed
Also, found on the play store.
Thread closed. Pay per click links are not allowed on XDA.
AppValley is tons of type of apps for iOS and Android which can be evolved by means of exceptional developers. You can download positive range of them from the iOS app shop and nonetheless there are a number of exclusive apps and games which doesn’t come up in App store. Here we are talking about a software if you want to give you the get right of entry to download the ones top rate apps and games. AppValley VIP is an software wherein you could download your favorite iOS and Android applications and video games that aren’t available in iOS store or play store and that too free of charge. We can quick out about App Valley for iOS, Android and pc. This going to be a super one and preserve reading. AppValley App is an application is a brilliant standby application for Apple App save. AppValley for iOS will permit you to download number of tweaked and mod iOS applications.
Colin_kennon said:
AppValley is tons of type of apps for iOS and Android which can be evolved by means of exceptional developers. You can download positive range of them from the iOS app shop and nonetheless there are a number of exclusive apps and games which doesn’t come up in App store. Here we are talking about a software if you want to give you the get right of entry to download the ones top rate apps and games. AppValley VIP is an software wherein you could download your favorite iOS and Android applications and video games that aren’t available in iOS store or play store and that too free of charge. We can quick out about App Valley for iOS, Android and pc. This going to be a super one and preserve reading. AppValley App is an application is a brilliant standby application for Apple App save. AppValley for iOS will permit you to download number of tweaked and mod iOS applications.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
from the website you`re advertising I read this
As of Now AppValley VIP Apk version is not yet released. And we will let you know once its gets released to android users. We will update this article with latest AppValley VIP English Apk or Regular AppValley Apk version and after that do follow below steps to get it into your android mobiles/tablets.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So this thread is closed now as Apple apps has no place here on XDA especially on the Android Apps section
moreover you have opened another one here https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/apps-games/download-appvalley-ios-apk-t3718086
thread closed
Hello everyone!
Samsung has launched a new suite of device optimization apps for Galaxy smartphone and tablet owners called Galaxy Labs. Like Good Lock, which lets you customize various elements of the user interface, Galaxy Labs is a container of sorts that lets you access the actual apps that let you optimize your device from a single location. There are four apps: File Guardian, Battery Tracker, Battery Guardian, and App Booster.
You can read the full article at @SamMobile
They seem to work on my S9+. Only Battery Tracker is crashing. Going to play with them a little bit later. If anyone wants to try, can download them from @SamMobile or my mirror from MEGA below
Download: LINK
Battery Tracker not working!!?
Yeah, It seems to crash, I forgot to mention in the first post. But, also, with all my respect...After testing, I could say those apps, at least for the moment, are useless and can be considered bloatware.