Android phones and tablets are some of the greatest innovations of human beings. They are the best handheld devices capable of so much more than just clicking pictures and scrolling through social media.
You can do wonders and convert your mobile into a movie theatre, designing canvas, a mobile workstation, and almost everything designed to work and play with the right application.
However, downloading an application is easy but finding the right one is not. Do not worry. We have made your work easy. Here in this post, we have organized applications from 13 different categories, including music, entertainment, productivity, security, and utilities, making it easy for you to find the right one. If you are looking for the best word processor to make your work easier, there is an application for that as well.
If you are worried about the price, do not worry. The applications mentioned in this blog are free. Each mobile application is best in its way. So let us get started without much ado.
What is Mobile Application? [Definition]
A mobile application is a software designed to work well on mobile devices, such as smartphones or tablets. Mobile applications offer similar services to those accessed on PCs.
Mobile applications are usually small, individual software units with limited functions. The use of app software was popularized by Apple Inc. and its App Store offers thousands of iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch applications.
Best Mobile Applications in 2021
1. Airbnb
If you are looking for rooms, apartments, homes, and other unique accommodations while traveling, Airbnb should be your go-to option. It is the best one if you are looking for a hotel with a modern ambiance and look.
The best thing about Airbnb is that your stay need not be short-term. Many hotels listed on this app allow you to book rooms for several months that might be the best for people pursuing jobs in new places. This application also highlights the experiences and restaurants. So you can find out the best locale offers.
2. Asana
Asana is the king of every task management application designed for teams dwarfing other services like Trello. Asana is everything about creating workflows and managing tasks with checkboxes that can be assigned to individuals. The android application allows you to take tasks online and offline and then syncs your progress when you are back on the network. It is a powerful tool that comes with an excellent interface and gets updated regularly.
3. Dropbox
Dropbox is a personal cloud service that allows you to store your data anywhere, no matter what device you use. For Android users, it is still considered necessary even against the highly integrated Google Drive. Dropbox also offers a seamless backup for your images and automatically uploads every photo to the cloud.
It even offers light image editing tools. If you are the one who keeps losing photos and files, then Dropbox is a must-have.
4. Duolingo
If you are passionate about learning another language, Duolingo is the best application for learning languages. It offers bite-sized lessons and a friendly interface. From simple and basic vocabulary to becoming an expert, Duolingo guides learning a new language or brushing up on the one you already know. The more you use this application, the more features you will unlock, and with practice, you will learn more.
The free version of this application also supports Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Irish, Spanish, Portuguese, and Swedish. It also offers other choices like Esperanto and Klingon.
5. Brave Web Browser
Brave Privacy Browser offers security and privacy while you are browsing the web. For example, it provides a built-in ad blocker, pop-ups, scripts, and third-party cookies. It also implements an HTTPS extension, so now you are assured that your connection on the site is secured. It is lightweight, has minimalistic designs, looks great, and offers an easy-to-use experience.
6. Blue Apron
Sometimes it can be annoying to go grocery shopping. If you want to cook but do not want to go out and shop for essentials, Blue Apron is the best option. It offers reliable deliveries and great meals to choose from. This food delivery service saves you from the trip to the grocery store.
Its easy-to-use mobile interface allows you to manage your account, schedule deliveries, and save recipes you want to try later.
7. Adobe Lightroom
Adobe Lightroom is a robust and popular photo-editing application with many features similar to the desktop version. Its unique features are raw camera file profiles, noise reduction, profile-based lens correction, and advanced color and lighting sliders. Lightroom also syncs all these edits between the mobile and desktop applications.
8. Calibre Companion
Caliber is the most extensive ebook management tool, and this application is the perfect companion for ebook enthusiasts. You can add a book from your computer to your eReader over USB and Wi-Fi in just a few clicks.
You can also store your ebooks on the cloud for easy access from wherever you are. It is very easy to use. If you have a lot of ebooks on your mobile and are ready to cast off the shackles of Amazon, then this application is for you.
9. Bitdefender Mobile Security
If you are looking for an Android antivirus software, it is hard to find anything similar to Bitdefender. This is the perfect antivirus application that scans your phone in just a few seconds. It also offers phishing protection, powerful anti-theft tools, and android wear integration.
10. Amazon
Amazon is the best online marketplace, a place where you can buy anything at a low price. On the Android platform, Amazon offers features like integrated Alexa voice commands and photo search that make it easy to compare prices in Amazon to those of the brick and mortar stores.
Amazon also offers video-related functionalities that have moved the application to a different level. Apart from shopping for clothes, electronics, household, and more, it also allows you to shop for fresh fruits, veggies, groceries, and essentials.
Moreover, the Amazon Prime member feature is a blessing. It offers amazing discounts and free delivery options. It is the best way to stay connected with Amazon.
11. Grammarly
Grammarly is a keyword that corrects your grammar and spelling errors quickly while you type. This keyboard is handy for writing professional emails, social media posts, and editing long-form documents.
Using Grammarly makes it easy to accept changes or access the card-based interface with an in-depth explanation of an error. It also offers some of the best visual customizations, such as choosing between the light or dark theme options and the keyboard height. It also provides other features such as auto-correction and capitalization features.
Although it offers a paid version, the free version is sufficient to write professional and error-free content.
12. Hulu
Hulu has been the major player for on-demand streaming platforms and has the largest content library for existing and previously released shows. Hulu’s Live TV feature is quite impressive and offers a wide range of channels and well-designed apps. Hulu’s on-demand movies and live TV services add excellent value.
13. Firefox
Firefox is one of the fastest browsers and offers a clean interface making it easy to use. Mozilla does not collect your data and comes with complementary security settings- including the options that protect your information from advertisers and have an effective private browsing mode.
Like the desktop version, Firefox for mobile also offers a robust plug-in selection, effective tab management, and a dynamic start page with bookmarks and the latest news headlines and updates. You can also sync it with your setting, history, and tabs with that of the desktop.
14. Facebook Messenger
The major problem with most of the messengers is asking friends to sign up. So there are chances that most people you know are already on Facebook. This application is handy because the Facebook Messenger application is fantastic. It offers a clean and straightforward interface and allows to manage voice and video calls easily.
15. Flickr
Flickr is a photo-sharing service available as a web service and an Android application that many people recommend. It is more about showing off your photography skills rather than sharing memes.
It offers a well-designed interface and excellent photo and video editing tools. It also allows you to connect with an extensive online community of photographers on the service. Moreover, it automatically backs up your photos from your phone.
The free users can upload up to 1000 photos and a $50 per year subscription offers an unlimited online photo storage platform.
16. Google Pay
Google Pay as a mobile application has seen many ups and downs. Formerly known as Google Wallet, this P2P payment app from Google allows you to send money without cash or debit/credit card easily. It is the best option for making UPI payments and sending and receiving money.
17. Groupon
Groupon is the original deal locator for mobile phones. It partners with many small and big businesses and offers great offers and products and services at a very low price for a limited period. It offers discounts on many new restaurants or new activities in and around your area.
18. Netflix
Despite the controversies on the quality of the library, Netflix still stands on top of the world’s best TV shows and movie streaming platforms. This application has created indispensable content like some Netflix original comedy shows, cartoons, dramas, movies, TV shows, and documentaries.
Some of the shows and movies are so inspiring that they became the “Netflix must-have”. Shows such as Black Mirror, Stranger Things, and more are the best shows available online. You can also download movies and TV shows to watch them later.
Did you know that it was available only for TV, laptops, desktop, and tablets when Netflix was launched? However, due to its increased demand, the mobile version of Netflix was launched at the cheapest rate starting at ₹199.
19. Microsoft OneDrive
Microsoft OneDrive is another best cloud storage application. It offers a clean interface and excellent organization tools that help to store files safely and access them from wherever you go.
The free plan offers 5GB storage, and the paid plan offers 1TB storage. It also comes with a personal vault feature that helps store sensitive files and information with an additional layer of security.
20. Google Translate
Many people have a fear of not being able to communicate with people from different countries. Google Translate quickly translates the written text and spoken words into the language you are looking for. You can use the app to speak for you and enter text through a camera or handwriting.
The application can translate your input in 103 languages with a proper data connection and 52 languages when you are offline.
Another substitute for Google Translate is Microsoft Translator, which offers 60 offline languages, travel phrasebooks, real-time conversation mode, and Translator Klingon.
21. Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Edge easily syncs web pages, bookmarks, and browsing history between your Android and Edge desktop versions. The main features of the Edge mobile browser are the integrated reading view, news rating offered by NewsGuard, and a content blocker offered by Adblock Plus.
Edge allows you to make use of Bing and search the web. You can surf the Internet with the help of photos or voice searches. It also allows you to earn points via the Microsoft Rewards Program. Both the light and dark themes of the application are elegant and easy to navigate.
22. Eve Period Tracker
Remembering your period date can be very annoying. Most of the time, we forget the dates. However, tracking your period is not always about knowing your cycle but also the factors surrounding it.
Eve Period Tracker by Glow Inc. tracks the physical and emotional states, which can be an eye-opener and insightful when you interpret your data.
This application also offers a large community and so much information about sexual health.
23. Evernote
Evernote is a powerful application for taking notes and organizing them. Notes can be in the form of text, images, audio, or a mix of all. You can also organize them into notebooks.
One of the unique features of Evernote is the optical character recognition that makes the text in images searchable.
Cloud-storage makes it the perfect tool for organizing the little pieces of a project into a finished draft.
24. Google Photos
Google Photos puts the search giant’s powerful magic into your phone and can identify the faces, as well as the animals, places, or objects. You can also search for photos from specific dates or locations.
The built-in assistant also detects the images and creates collages or animations automatically. Moreover, it also offers editing tools and unlimited cloud storage.
Google Photos allows you to extend the photo print. You can digitize the physical photos with the built-in Photo Scan or even order a custom photo book.
The Google Lens application can report back information related to your images or photos by scanning them.
25. ESPN
What is more impressive than having an application that offers coverage for different sports? One such application is the ESPN Android app. It covers everything from American football to Brazilian soccer to the Indianapolis 500.
You can also set alerts and follow specific matches as they unfold. It allows you to connect with videos and news headlines from the popular sports cable network. You can also check ESPN’s streaming service called ESPN+.
26. Dashlane Password Manager
If you are the one who is bad at remembering passwords, it is okay. Dashlane has got you covered. It generates, saves, and replay login credentials whenever they are needed. This smart and cross-platform service makes sure your password, payment information, and other important information are stored safely.
27. Pinterest
Pinterest is a social network of stuff, a place to pin pictures that interest you on the themed boards. This android application is one of the best ways to gather things from around the web for making lists or a collection of things that catch your eyes.
You can use it to help you redecorate your living room or even to help you choose the best tattoo design. It integrates with your browsers for fast pinning. You can also view pins of others for more inspiration.
28. Tor Browser
Tor now offers an official Android application. The main principle of Tor is that “the Internet users should have private access to an uncensored web”. It addresses the different privacy threats. Although it is slower than other browsers due to the complicated framework, this drawback should be negligible for users who appreciate and rely on its protections.
29. LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the most popular and important platform for interacting with professionals from different industries. It is one of the best platforms for finding a job. Most of us join LinkedIn after being laid off, or after a bad experience at the workplace. It is also the best growing platform for freelancers.
The LinkedIn application aims to be a companion to the LinkedIn web services that you use every day. It allows you to create a professional profile page for yourself to show off your skills, education, and work experience.
Of course, it also offers some handy tools for networking, but now LinkedIn allows you to check the visitor metrics, a news feed making it look like a social feed. It is the easiest way to reach out, make a business connection, and convert it into a prospective lead. It is designed for professionals from different industries.
30. Fitbit
Fitbit is one of the most popular fitness tracker applications, but the application that powers those devices works well on its own. If you use this application just on your smartphone, this application counts steps and logs activities that help achieve daily goals.
They also offer social features so that you can compete against your friends. It is a must-have for all fitness enthusiasts and all Fitbit users.
31. LiveXLive
LiveXLive is a streaming radio platform. With this application, you can listen to what the service thinks you’ll like or try out one of its human-curated channels and playlists.
It also has hyper-specific playlists that appeal to particular tastes and moods of the listener. If you do not want to subscribe to LiveXLive, you can try the accessible version of the application.
32. Instagram
Instagram by Facebook is one of the best social media platforms that allow you to interact with people. When they started up, it was only an image-sharing platform. Now it is used by brands for business promotions. Moreover, it is also famous among the youth.
The other features of Instagram include direct messaging, creating posts, adding stories similar to Snapchat, creating reels, and more. The anti-bullying features and tools make it a more reliable platform. It offers a clean and minimalistic interface making it the king of all social media applications.
33. Google Maps
Google Maps has been in the market for years now and is considered the best application and keeps getting better. With just a few simple clicks, Google Maps will tell you how to reach your destination.
It also supports walking, bicycle, and mass-transit direction. It also works well with Uber. This application’s road knowledge is so perfect that it will tell you which lane to use. The main reason behind this is that Google can easily search for locations nearby.
Yes, this application comes pre-installed on your Android smartphone. It is still the best map application you will find online.
34. Snapchat
Snapchat is another application that is popular among the youth. With Snapchat, you can send and receive snaps with one or more friends. The application also allows you to record videos, make voice and video calls.
The main catch is that the messages disappear when someone has read them, it tells you if your friend has saved a snap, screenshotted a snap, and more. The snaps you send come with a timer ranging from 1 second to 10 seconds. Snapchat ensures privacy, and it is fun to share and capture amazing moments around you.
35. Yelp
It is the most popular and reliable reviewing application. Yelp tells you more than what people think about a restaurant, bar, or other places where you spend your money. Many locations listed on Yelp also mention the hours of operation, contact information, and menus. It makes it easier for people to find the right place to visit in their neighborhood or a new city.
36. Picsart
Picsart is one of the best photo editing applications for Android smartphones. It offers tons of effects, layer controls, drawing tools, and collages. It can compete with Photoshop. If you think it is similar to the Instagram editing tools, then you are wrong. If you want to take your photos to the next level with editing, then Picsart has got you covered.
37. Kaspersky Mobile Antivirus
Kaspersky for Android is an on-demand malware scanning and active web protection application. It implements many anti-theft features, including remote locate, lock and wipe, and sound an alarm.
You can also lock the application with a PIN, protecting your app and data when your phone is stolen. Although you need to have a paid version of Kaspersky Internet Security to use all the advanced features, some basic features are free to use. Subscribing to Kaspersky is worth it because it is the best and most popular Android antivirus application.
38. YouTube TV
YouTube TV is the best video streaming platform for streaming live channels that offer different content types, including news, sports, entertainment, and more. It offers DVR functionality and has the best user interface. It also has an excellent app performance.
39. Signal Private Messenger
Although many applications offer top-notch security and privacy, Signal Messenger was built to make communication easy without worrying about your information being leaked.
The Signal Private Messenger is a complete phone and SMS client replacement for sending and receiving encrypted calls and messages. However, it works fine as a standalone application. The interface of the application keeps improving and updating regularly.
40. Zocdoc
Zocdoc is an application that helps discover doctors based on your health insurance plan and easily book appointments from your phone.
Once you sign up, you need to enter your insurance information manually or scan the card to get started. The application interface is a modern, bright, and simple design that offers a less stressful user experience.
It saves your appointment history and offers recommendations for further appointments, helping you stay on top of your health history.
41. Snapseed
Undoubtedly most of us love Instagram, but if you are looking for more photo editing features than what Instagram offers, then Snapseed by Google has got you covered.
It fulfills the gap between a full-fledged image editor and filter app and offers a sleek and attractive package. It offers full control and allows you to add any type of filter and effects to your images. It also allows you to make amazing edits to raw camera files, make exposure adjustments, and add extra details to your image.
42. Kindle
Kindle by Amazon is an application that allows you to purchase Amazon ebooks and offers you to access the store from your mobile and fulfill your impulsive book purchasing. It is the best app if you want to sync your notes, bookmarks, and more.
43. Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word is the alpha and omega of word processing and is an actual application of Microsoft Office 365. It is pre-installed on every computer and now is also available for free on all the Android versions.
It works with the Microsoft Cloud Framework to manage your documents safely, but the main selling point is that it is Word.
What is more amazing than having an Android version of the desktop application that helps people work from anywhere on the go!
44. Spotify
With a huge inventory of music and podcasts, Spotify has become a mandatory application for free and legal music streaming. You can shuffle through your selected songs, find your favorite album, or explore some amazing playlists.
The best part is that new music tracks are sometimes available on the same day they hit the shelves in the record shops. Spotify also offers a limited free version.
The only drawback of this app is that music ads pop up frequently, sometimes even between the songs.
45. NordVPN
If you are using NordVPN, you can stay assured that no one can track your online behavior. This application offers an excellent interface, handy server selection tools, and hundreds of VPN servers across the globe.
The main feature of this application is its assortment of specialized servers that are optimized for activities such as peer-to-peer downloading, video streaming, and use the Tor browser.
46. WhatsApp
With hundreds and thousands of messenger applications, WhatsApp is the most successful application with a dedicated million users.
Apart from being the best, it also offers an integrated web version that allows the users to chat via the desktop. This application is owned by Facebook and will enable you to send encrypted messages from the brilliant minds behind the Signal app. With time it has become the largest, 100% secure messaging service in the market.
47. Uber
No matter which city you are in, Uber has got you covered. Suppose you are looking for a way to get a ride. You can even use it to order food in some areas. Moreover, it also allows you to request a wheelchair vehicle via Uber.
Although it has some specific problems like business tactics and bad media image, it is still the go-to application for many to book cabs for traveling inside and outside the city.
48. SwiftKey Keyboard
SwiftKey Keyboard is the best replacement for a boring Android keyboard. It suggests what it thinks is the most likely next word while you type.
This app can also speed up your typing by inserting whole words with a tap. Additionally, it supports swipe inputs, is compatible with 100 different languages, and offers 80 colorful themes.
49. Slack
Slack has gone from hotness to a controversial tool to an essential office tool faster than any other application. Slack offers an instant messenger feel and is very easy to get started with.
This application became popular because of its advanced features. It allows you to set customizable alters and comes with a DND function.
You can also host VoIP calls with your team via this application. A free account is enough to get started. However, if you want to unlock certain advanced features, then you have to subscribe.
50. TunnelBear VPN
Although using a VPN is easy, finding the right one is very difficult. However, if you are looking for a VPN, then TunnelBear VPN is the best one. It offers an amazing user experience with bright colors, clear options and is very user-friendly.
This application undergoes an annual third-party audit and offers some unique features such as Split Tunneling on Android. It also offers a traffic-limited free version to all users.
Conclusion
Mobile applications have evolved a lot with time, and there is an application for every need of yours, ranging from ordering food, cabs, watching movies, VPN, and so much more. There is an application for everything. Since finding the right mobile application in the sea of applications can be very difficult, here in this post, we have mentioned the 50 best and must-have mobile applications on your Android smartphone.