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.

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1. Instagram for Android (Download)

It'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.

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)

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.

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.

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.

7. Dr Web (Download)

Any device needs a high-quality antivirus, since constant use of the Internet can pose a threat of virus infection. Free Antivirus Dr. Web Light is able to detect all types of threats, saves traffic, quickly scans files and applications, and does not overload the battery.

There is no paid content in this program; it is sponsored by advertising.

8. Google applications (Download)

It is impossible not to mention applications from Google, which are simply necessary for any Android smartphone. Google, Google+ (Download), Google Drive (Download), Google Photos (Download).

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.)

9. Line free calls (Download)

An excellent communication application that is popular in many countries.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 lessons 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.

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.

The basic equipment of the smartphone includes not only pre-installed applications, but also those that you can download for free from Google Play, including in the form of APK files.

Our “must-have apps” are intended primarily for those who have just received a new smartphone with the Android operating system. At the same time, application experts from the CHIP editorial team thought about all areas of use of a smartphone: managing files, reading news, downloading videos from YouTube and even watching television.

30th place: Clean Master

Clean Master removes unused files from your smartphone - this way you maintain order and get rid of garbage that eats up the memory of your Android device.

The utility will delete the application cache and also free up memory from unused running applications.

Also, there is a function for analyzing the performance of the device and files on the SD card. The full version has an antivirus built into the program.

In addition, the application has an AppLock function, with which you can block access to Facebook, SMS, contacts, photo gallery, as well as any other applications.

29th place: AirDroid

With AirDroid, you can wirelessly sync your Android device with your PC.

The only thing you need for this is the appropriate version of the program on your PC.

28th place: RIA Novosti

It is always worth having an idea of ​​the picture of events in the world. With the free RIA Novosti application you will always be up to date with the latest news.

27th place: Adobe Reader

With the Android version of Adobe Reader, you can now open and view documents in PDF format on any phone and tablet PC with the Android operating system.

26th place: Navitel Navigator 9.6

The Navitel Navigator navigation system has high accuracy of positioning on the ground, a unique system for laying out and guiding the route, and also has a convenient search for objects on the map. Moreover, the program does not need the Internet to plot and guide the route. All infrastructure facilities are already integrated into the map database, including gas stations, workshops, banks, shops, cafes, theaters, etc.

When you connect to the Internet, traffic jam data becomes available, as well as current gasoline prices at many gas stations.

The user can purchase a program with a map of Russia or individual districts (from 800 rubles). It is possible to buy maps of other countries.

Those who do not intend to spend money on a full-featured version, after a 7-day test mode, can continue to use the program for free, but in freemium mode. At the same time, he will not have access to: routing; voice accompaniment; 3D map mode; information about traffic congestion (traffic jams) and lane indicators.

25th place: MAPS.ME

The free MAPS.ME package will help you plan a trip from your current location to a train station, metro station, specific address or other place of interest.

24th place: Evernote

Anyone who places a high value on being well organized can rejoice at the free Evernote app. It allows you to create, edit and retrieve notes for offline use, as well as create voice memos.

In addition, you can import the resulting images into the application and then process them using Skitch.

23rd place: Snapseed

Snapseed is a versatile image optimization app suitable for both beginners and experienced photographers.

22nd place: Spotify Music

With the Spotify streaming service, you can legally and freely listen to several million songs.

21st place: TripAdvisor

To avoid staying at a hotel that disappoints you, simply check the TripAdvisor app's many user ratings beforehand. At the same time, you can choose not only hotels. Here you will find ratings of restaurants and other leisure activities.

20th place: Instagram

Pump up your photos with 20 effects available to give your images a Gotham-like style. During the test, this worked smoothly and quickly.

Then the photo is given a short title, the current GPS location is assigned, and now your friends can see photo news in your Instagram app.

19th place: Translator Translate.Ru

The free Translate.Ru Translator scores points primarily when translating entire phrases and expressions. The history stores the last 50 translations, which are available offline. The dictionary provides especially practical assistance when translating texts.

18th place: Gismeteo lite

With the free Android app Gismeteo lite, you will be aware of the weather conditions in your region and the 10-day forecast. The GPS location feature tells you where you are at a glance.

17th place: Runtastic

The best running app on the market.

16th place: Amazon App Store

In the Amazon App-Store, you get one paid app for free every day.

15th place: Netflix

Even if you don't have a huge TV nearby, Netflix works on both your smartphone and tablet.

14th place: QR & Barcode Scanner

Take photos and compare: With the company's QR & Barcode Scanner, you quickly receive independent product information directly on your Android smartphone.

Using the integrated scanner, you can photograph the code that is located on almost every product. This can be a European barcode (EAN), a two-dimensional barcode (QR) or an International Standard Book Number (ISBN).

The product and all available information about it, such as price and customer reviews, will quickly appear on your smartphone.

13th place: OneFootball

The OneFootball app is a must-have app for any football fan's mobile phone, providing match information and much more.

You can also get detailed reports on all major European championships, Champions League, Europa League and cup competitions here.

If desired, install Toralarme. The application will notify you about the starting whistle and you will never miss a game.

12th place: Chrome

Probably everyone knows the desktop version of Chrome. Google itself has also released a mobile version of the popular browser for Android smartphones, which, however, only works on devices with Android 4.0 (“Ice Cream Sandwich”) and later versions.

11th place: VLC for Android

The Android version of “VLC Media Player” - like the original - stands out for its support for a variety of audio and video formats.

10th place: Snapchat

Through Snapchat you send photos to your friends. The trick is that all the pictures you sent will appear only for a few seconds, and after that they will be automatically deleted.

So, you can send your wildest selfies seamlessly through Snapchat and not worry about the consequences later.

9th place: WhatsApp messenger

Without further ado: you need to install WhatsApp, if only because all your friends have it.

8th place: Dropbox

The online service Dropbox puts at your disposal 2 GB of free disk space on the Internet, which you can use from anywhere. Including, of course, from your mobile phone. Is there any reason to refuse such an offer?

7th place: ES Explorer

ES Explorer is one of the best file managers for Android. Additionally included are the following functions: copy, cut, move, image thumbnails, multiple selection, text editing, program management, search, work with ZIP archives and access to an FTP server.

6th place: avast Mobile Security

Viruses lie in wait for you not only on door handles and handrails on the tram - there are plenty of them on the Internet. Therefore, it will not be superfluous to protect your mobile phone.

The free Avast Mobile Security app offers a scanner that will check your apps for malware. In addition, you also get a web screen that warns you about dangerous Internet sites.

Among other things, there are call and SMS filters, as well as a practical task manager. Moreover, as the owner of the “hacked”(gerooteten)??? smartphone, you can benefit from a built-in firewall as well as a practical anti-theft feature.

5th place: Skype

With the Skype VoiP application you can make free calls and communicate via the Internet with millions of other Skype users.

Thanks to the ability to purchase Skype credits, you can also make calls to landlines.

4th place: Facebook / Messenger

Without the official application from Facebook, perhaps, a smartphone would bring only half the joy. The messenger gives you direct access to your profile and contacts. Additionally, it shows who messaged you and friends' status updates.

With Messenger for Android, you can quickly send a message without having to open the Facebook app.

3rd place: Plus Messenger

Upgraded version of the Telegram messenger.

2nd place: SPB TV Russia

The free SPB TV Russia application gives you access to many domestic TV channels.

1st place: TubeMate YouTube Downloader

TubeMate YouTube Downloader allows you to download YouTube videos to any Android device. It is also possible to download files in MP3 format.

Photo: manufacturing companies

If you buy a smartphone based on the Android operating system, then in any case you will receive a device with a certain set of applications. However, not all of them will be useful, and some important programs will not be on the device at all. In this collection we want to talk about those utilities that you need to install first. Their presence on any smartphone can now be called virtually mandatory.

In the old days, it was a rare person to install additional programs on a mobile phone. Usually the user thought about Opera Mini and ICQ, and that was where his fantasy ended. But modern smartphones offer hundreds of thousands of applications. Here, willy-nilly, you think about which of them you need to download after purchase. In this article we will talk about the most useful applications for Android. All you have to do is click on the button leading to Google Play in order to install this or that program on your device.

Price: Free

A very useful application. But its effect can only be seen on older smartphones. Or on new ones, but with a minimal price tag and weak components. The essence of the program is to regularly unload applications from memory so that they do not consume battery power. You can also find out what temperature the battery has reached right from the main window of the utility. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi modules are also controlled here.

In a word, Battery Doctor will increase your battery life. But you shouldn’t count on incredible results - on average, the increase is no more than 5-10%. And there is no point in installing this program on any Samsung Galaxy A5, which already has a well-implemented energy saving mode.

Advantages:

• Increases battery life;
• Possibility to download for free;
• Availability of a task manager widget;
• Possibility to find out about the battery temperature.

Flaws:

• The meaning of the application on new powerful smartphones is lost.

Degree of usefulness: depends on device

360 Security

Price: Free

Nowadays it is impossible to use a computer without some kind of antivirus. A similar program can also be useful on a smartphone, especially if you have not asked your operator to block the sending of SMS messages to four-digit numbers. This product will prevent a malicious application from sending SMS without your knowledge, emptying your balance.

You need to download 360 Security not only for protection, but also to speed up your device. The fact is that this utility has a full-fledged optimizer built into it, which tries to speed up the performance of the smartphone. Of course, this works best on inexpensive devices, and also if there are too many applications installed on it.

Finally, 360 Security allows you to locate your device if it's lost or stolen. However, such a function is already built into the Android operating system - it’s just that not every user suspects its existence.

Advantages:

• Not a bad antivirus;
• Help in finding a smartphone;
• Optimizer with automatic cleaning capability;
• The interface has been translated into Russian;
• Distributed free of charge.

Flaws:

• In some cases, the antivirus will be useless;
• Optimization is not needed on new versions of Android.

Degree of usefulness: depends on device

Price: Free

The Internet is replete with a variety of interesting articles. After all, even now you are reading exactly this kind of information material. But often the reading process using a browser is somewhat difficult. Advertising may interfere here, and the layout may not be designed for a mobile device. In this case, the easiest way is to use Pocket by moving the Internet page there.

The most necessary applications for Android cannot but include Pocket. In fact, this is a service containing various texts that you decide to save for later reading. The program requires registration, but then you can access articles from several devices at once. And you can even save a web page on your computer by providing the browser with the appropriate extension.

It should be noted that Pocket displays only text and pictures - nothing extra. This makes the reading process much easier. There is also a recommendation system implemented here, but it works best so far only with English-language texts. What is important is that the application developers do not require money and do not introduce annoying advertising into their project.

Advantages:

• The interface has been translated into Russian;
• Easy reading of articles;
• Using the program without access to the Internet;
• Access to texts from different devices;
• Distributed free of charge.

Price: Free

Price: Free

If Pocket saves ready-made articles, then Evernote is a kind of “cloud” notepad. You can save the notes you need in it. In the future, you will have access to viewing and editing them from any platform where you install Evernote - this can be Android, iOS, or even Windows Phone. The corresponding program is also available on the PC. The creators also offer to use their website, in which case you only need a browser, and this opens up the possibility of creating notes even on outdated platforms.

All notes can be divided into separate notebooks, which act as folders here. Evernote is free to download and use. However, every month the creators provide you with a strictly limited space on their servers. If you want to create notes with many photos, you will have to sign up for a paid subscription annually. And it is very expensive!

Advantages:

• The interface has been translated into Russian;
• Distributed free of charge;
• View your notes on different devices;
• Offline viewing of recordings (paid subscription required).

Flaws:

• Not the richest text design options;
• Notes with photos will require a paid subscription.

Degree of usefulness: depends on lifestyle

KMPlayer

Price: Free

Each smartphone has a standard player created by the device manufacturer. But most often its capabilities are not enough. In this case, irreplaceable video players come to the rescue. For example, you can download and install KMPlayer as it. It is capable of playing video content of any format - even .flv, which many other video players do not recognize, will not be a hindrance.

The application can provide a background playback function. This allows you to read some magazine saved in .pdf format, from time to time being distracted by events in a series or movie. Previously, this could only be achieved by using several gadgets - for example, a tablet and a TV.

You can also consider installing other video players. In particular, they perform well MX Player And BSPlayer. Ours, which contains a corresponding comparison, will help you make your choice.

Advantages:

• The interface has been translated into Russian;
• Distributed free of charge;
• Background playback;
• No problems with AC3 audio codec;
• Ability to create playlists.

Flaws:

• Problems with playback on some devices.

Degree of usefulness: required for installation

ES Explorer

Don't listen to those people who say that a modern smartphone or tablet can do without a file manager. No, someday you will definitely need such a utility. And it will be better if it is already in the device’s memory. Now there are a large number of file managers, we even wrote about the best of them. Theoretically, you can install any of these utilities. But if you are going to use it often, then it is better to pay attention to ES Explorer.

This program was developed by ES Global and is regularly improved. Now it includes very rich functionality. The creators even introduced support for themes! The utility allows you to instantly go to the “Downloads”, “Videos”, “Music” or “Pictures” folders. And in a separate tab there is the entire file system of the device - this should be of interest to experienced users. The application also boasts a built-in archiver, FTP client, support for cloud storage and some other useful functions.

Advantages:

• Working with cloud storage and FTP protocol;
• The interface has been translated into Russian;
• Theme support;
• Distributed free of charge;

Using this application you can easily get directions. You can also view panoramas here. Otherwise, this is a typical navigation program. One can only regret the lack of ability to download maps for subsequent offline navigation. More precisely, such a function is present here, but only for maps of the most popular Russian cities. By the way, in a separate article you can get acquainted with other navigation applications.

Advantages:

• Detailed maps of most Russian settlements;
• Distributed free of charge;
• Russian-language interface;
• A large number of POI points;
• View panoramas;
• Support for the Yandex.Traffic service.

Flaws:

• Difficulties with offline use.

Degree of usefulness: required for installation

What are the most needed applications for Android?

Perhaps, we have mentioned almost all the most necessary applications. But we deliberately forgot about instant messengers. The fact is that every owner of an Android device gives preference to his own messenger, and therefore we do not undertake to recommend a specific one.

We recommend that immediately after purchasing a smartphone, install such necessary programs for Android as Yandex maps, ES Explorer And KMPlayer. The extent to which you need to download the remaining applications discussed today depends on how you use your smartphone and its specific model.

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A large number of new programs appear on the application market every day. Applications for devices with the Android operating system occupy a significant share, partly due to the fact that they allow more functions to be implemented on it compared to other platforms.

So that you don't get lost among the huge variety, website made a review of the most useful applications for Android that are really worthy of attention and space in your mobile device.

Save web pages for reading

Pocket was voted one of the best Android apps of 2014. This service allows you to save articles, videos and other materials for viewing later, and this information will be available on all devices. If you save content in Pocket, it will be on your phone, tablet, or computer, even if you're offline. This app is ideal for use on your way to work or while traveling.

Message exchange

There are plenty of messaging services. To the popular Viber, iMessage and Telegram, Facebook Messenger has also been added, the audience of which has already exceeded 200 million users. It features a minimalist design and excellent functionality: in addition to sending text messages, the application allows you to share photos, audio recordings and videos, as well as make and receive calls.

Alarm

Waking up in the morning is easy for few people. We all, of course, set the alarm clock for the right time, but as soon as it starts to ring, we snooze the call again and again with our usual movement. The Puzzle Alarm Clock app, available on Android devices, will help you overcome this bad habit. To turn off the melody, it offers several options: solving puzzles, mathematical problems, unpleasant flickering of the flash, and, in especially severe cases, a monetary fine for each change in the alarm time!

Physical activity

Physical activity tracking services are gaining popularity. So Google launched its Google Fit application, which allows you to collect the activity statistics you need and monitor all indicators using sensors. The program keeps track of how far you have walked, run or cycled and counts the calories burned.

Increased Productivity

If you are familiar with the concept of procrastination, the Focus Lock app for Android can help you increase your productivity. It allows you to temporarily block all “harmful” applications that distract you and prevent you from focusing on important things. All you need to do is set the time intervals for work and rest, and the program itself will give a signal when you have the opportunity to use blocked services. If you try to launch a prohibited application, you will not succeed, and you will not be able to remove the lock in Focus Lock itself. For some, such a radical method can be a salvation.

Sync apps

The amazing IFTTT automation app is now available on Android. The service allows you to save your time by creating connections between actions in different applications. For example, you can duplicate all the photos you added to Instagram on Twitter, or save files received by mail to Dropbox. There are a huge number of recipes, you can find ready-made ones in the application, or you can create your own.

Weather

Now Android device owners have the opportunity to use the amazing weather app from Yahoo! - Yahoo Weather. It has one of the most beautiful interfaces: beautiful photos from Flickr are selected for each city and weather. In addition to air temperature, there is also animated data on wind strength, a city map, moon phase and the current position of the sun.

Convenient calendar

Users of Android mobile devices can use various applications to organize their day. This can be either a full-fledged calendar planned for months in advance, or a simple to-do list containing simply a list of tasks. Accomplish combines both of these approaches: You can drag tasks directly from your to-do list onto your calendar and schedule when it's convenient for you to do each task.

Time management

Another useful application that allows you to plan and organize your time. MyLifeOrganized will become your personal secretary, who is constantly next to you, keeps a list of tasks and promptly reminds you to complete them. Tasks can be combined into groups and the dependence of the implementation of some tasks on the execution of others can be established. There's even an option to specify the location where the reminder should go off (for example, to remind you to buy batteries when you're in the store).

Learning new words

Lingo Vocabulary Trainer is a fun and effective way to learn and repeat important words in many languages. During the learning process, you will simultaneously see a card with an image of an object denoting its foreign word and will be able to listen to the pronunciation. And when you see or even just think about this object again, the right word will come to mind. Even if learning a language is difficult for you, this method will help develop your memory.

Storing personal information

With the 1Password app, you can securely store passwords, credit card information, passport information, and other important personal information. The program also creates complex and unique passwords for each site, remembers them and enters them with just one click. This application is like a multi-platform safe for important information, a worthy alternative to which is difficult to find.

Brain training

The Lumosity app creates a workout program that challenges your brain. Train your memory and attention with exciting mini-games. This keeps track of your results, allowing you to track your progress over time. Thanks to this application, mental gymnastics turns into a daily habit, rather than a burdensome duty.

Numerous is an interesting application for Android that tracks important numbers: both the most banal ones - currency and stock rates, and more personalized ones, such as the number of days until the release of new films and TV series. If the number changes, the application notifies you about it. If configured correctly, the application can become really useful.

Switch between tasks

The Pintasking app makes it easy and convenient to switch between different running programs on Android. Sometimes mobile devices just need to be used in multitasking mode. Thanks to this application, you can minimize windows into small floating buttons, and then expand what you need back. Try it, this method is much more convenient than standard switching between tasks.

Entertaining tasks

If you're tired of your usual routine life, the cool app Shuffle My Life will help you overcome boredom and bring a little spontaneity into your every day. The application will offer you to complete one of the random tasks, of which there are currently more than four hundred. For example, take a photo of five unusual objects on the way to work, read a new book, or write a speech on an arbitrary topic and record it on a voice recorder. The program controls the execution of tasks, so don’t try to cheat.

Task Manager

Random reminders

Randomly RemindMe is a simple app designed to remind you of something several times a day. For example, drink a glass of water, do exercises or a break from work, have a snack or take medicine. You can add as many reminders as you like, and the options for customizing them are more advanced than the functions of a standard calendar.

Recording telephone conversations

The function of recording telephone conversations is sometimes simply necessary, but it is not provided in devices with the Android operating system. But by installing a special application Automatic Call Recorder, you can record telephone conversations and save them. Once installed, complete all the necessary settings, minimize the application and it will run in the background and wait for an incoming or outgoing call to start recording. After the conversation ends, a notification will appear indicating that the recording was successfully saved.

World of Cinema

This application contains a huge amount of information for real movie fans: detailed descriptions of films, trailers, actor profiles and various ratings. But even if you just want to choose a movie for the evening, MDb Movies & TV will be a great help.

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, 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.