1.BROWSERS

Brave Privacy Browser

Brave Privacy Browser offers many features aimed at protecting your security and privacy on the web. For instance, it includes built-in blockers for ads, pop-ups, scripts, and third-party cookies. It even implements the HTTPS Everywhere extension, so you can ensure that your connections to sites are secure. The lightweight, minimal design looks great, too.

2.DuckDuckGo

Based on Google’s Chromium codebase, DuckDuckGo is a minimalistic browser designed to keep your online activities private. DuckDuckGo defaults to the highest encryption available for whatever site you visit, and lets you wipe your browsing history with a button tap. If you’re tired of trackers hounding you for advertisement purposes, and want to browse the web with a bit of freedom, give DuckDuckGo a download.

3.Firefox

Firefox is lickety-split fast, and has a clean design that is a joy to use. Mozilla makes a big point about how it doesn't collect your data, and we are pleased to see that the app comes with a full complement of security settings—including an option to protect your information from advertisers and a private browsing mode. Like the desktop version, Firefox for mobile has a robust plug-in selection, excellent tab management, and a dynamic start page for bookmarks and the latest headlines. You can even sync settings, history, and tabs with the desktop variant

4.Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge lets you easily sync web pages, bookmarks, and browsing history between your Android device and the Edge browser on your desktop. Top features of the mobile browser include an integrated reading view, news ratings (handled by NewsGuard), and a content blocker (powered by Adblock Plus). You can search with Bing using your voice or by selecting a photo, as well as earn points via the Microsoft Rewards program. Both Microsoft Edge's dark and light themes look elegant and are easy to navigate

5.Tor Browser

Privacy stalwarts, rejoice! Tor now has an official (and modern-looking) Android app. The Tor project operates under the principle that "internet users should have private access to an uncensored web." Make sure to read the overview of how Tor works before you start using it, as it addresses specific types of privacy threats (and does so very well). The Tor browser may perform more slowly than other browsers, given its complicated inner workings, but that drawback should be negligible for the users who appreciate and rely on its protections.

6.Duolingo

If you're looking to learn another language, Duolingo gamifies language learning with bite-sized lessons and a friendly interface. Starting with simple vocabulary and building from there, Duolingo is your guide to learning a new language or brushing up on one you already know. The more you use the app, the more you unlock and—with practice—the more you learn. This free app currently supports Danish, Dutch, French, German, Irish, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swedish. Or more practical choices, like Esperanto and Klingon.

7.Facebook Messenger

The problem with most mobile messengers is convincing your friends to sign up. That said, there's a good chance that most people you know are already on Facebook. This is handy, because the Facebook Messenger app is fantastic. It's simple, clean, and easily handles voice and video calling. Check out our feature on Facebook Messenger to discover its other capabilities.

8.Google Translate

Many people fear not being unable to communicate with people from another country while traveling. Google Translate takes a bit of the edge off, quickly translating either written text or spoken words. You can even use the app to do the speaking for you, and input text through your camera or handwriting. The app can translate 103 languages with a data connection and 52 when you're offline. It can't handle Tamarian, but it's sure to be a handy tool here on Earth. Another option is Microsoft Translator, which offers 60 offline languages, travel phrasebooks, a real-time conversation mode, and actually translates Klingon

9.LingoDeer

LingoDeer is a fantastic language-learning tool with a strong Asian-language focus (though it includes a few major European languages, too). The app's courses are multilingual, so if you wish to learn Japanese as a German speaker, this is the app for you. That said, LingoDeer is also quite challenging, as it features specific, high-level terminology and detailed grammatical explanations. Nonetheless, it is a superb resource, and the developer is constantly improving the app based on community feedback.

10.LinkedIn

Most people are probably familiar with LinkedIn as a service only visited in times of desperation—after being laid off, maybe, or after a day in the office so bad that you're just not going to take it anymore. The LinkedIn app aims, however, to be a companion to the LinkedIn web service that you check every day. Sure, there's the all-important profile pages showing off your work experience, and the handy tools for networking, but the service now includes visitor metrics and a newsfeed for a decidedly more social feel. It's sometimes the easiest way to reach out and make a business connection. It's like Facebook for grown-ups.

11.Signal

There are many apps that pay lip service to security and privacy, but Signal was built from the ground up with the goal of letting people easily communicate without having to worry about being overheard. The Signal app is a complete phone and SMS client replacement (though it works just fine as a standalone app, too) for sending and receiving encrypted calls and messages. The app's look and feel continues to improve, too.

12.Textra

Textra is an excellent alternative to Messages on Android. The app includes numerous customization options that you won't find with the stock messaging app, including custom contact colors, text bubble styles, and notification icons. Additionally, you get extra features such as text scheduling, the ability to blacklist contacts, and the option to rename group conversations. Textra also has excellent light and dark modes.

13.WhatsApp

In a world rife with messenger apps, WhatsApp is among the most successful, boasting an enormous and dedicated user base. Add to that an integrated web version that lets users take their chats to the desktop. This Facebook-owned app is bolstered by encrypted messaging provided by the minds behind Signal. It might just be the largest secure messaging service out there.

14.Your Phone Companion

Microsoft's Your Phone Companion app lets you link your Android phone and text from your Windows 10 PC. As a bonus, you can also quickly access photos from your camera, as well as manage your device notifications. The app setup is easy, and it's certainly more comfortable to type out longer responses on a physical keyboard than craft a message on your phone.

15.Blue Apron

If you don't want to think about buying ingredients, but still want to cook, Blue Apron is an excellent option. With reliable deliveries and great meals to choose from, this food delivery service lets you skip the trip to the grocery store. The sleek mobile app allows you to manage your account, schedule your deliveries, and save any recipes you want to revisit.

16.Adidas Running by Runtastic

The Adidas Running app, formerly called Runtastic PRO, can do much more than just track your favorite running routes. This excellent fitness app keeps track of all sorts of useful data and can return information-rich maps to help you plan future outings. Use it for cycling, hiking, and walking, too.

17.Fitbit

You might know Fitbit from its popular fitness trackers, but the app that powers those devices works well on its own, too. Using your just your smartphone (assuming you meet the minimum hardware requirements), this fitness app can count steps and log activities to help you achieve daily goals. There are also social features, so you can compete against your friends. It's a must-have (really, you must have it) for Fitbit users, but also a smart choice for anyone looking to be more active.

18.Spotify

With its huge inventory of music, Spotify has become a mainstay for free, legal music streaming. You can shuffle through smartly selected songs, find your favorite albums, or explore one of the service's excellent playlists. Close ties with artists means that new tracks are sometimes available the same day they hit the shelves in record shops. Those still exist, right? Spotify also offers a limited free version.

19.Adobe Lightroom

Adobe Lightroom is a powerful photo-editing app for mobile that retains many of the features from its desktop counterparts, Lightroom, which earned a three-and-a-half star rating, and Lightroom Classic, a five-star Editors' Choice winner. Some of its standout tools include raw camera file profiles, noise reduction, profile-based lens corrections, and advanced color and lighting sliders. Lightroom also notably syncs all these edits between the mobile and desktop apps.

20.PicsArt Photo Editor

If you want one of the best free Android apps that's better geared toward proper photo editing, consider PicsArt Photo Editor, another past Google Play Awards winner (from when the app was known as PicsArt Photo Studio.)

PicsArt puts a ton of editing tools straight to the palm of your hand, from standard editing tools that stretch, distort, and crop images, to filters, beautifying tools, cutout tools, collage makers, double-exposure mixing tools, masking selections, drawing tools, and more. In short, it's a collection of tools that's useful for everything from cleaning up quick snapshots to making a share-worthy social media piece. 

While you already get a good selection of features for free, a PicsArt Gold premium subscription provides a wider array of tools along with more filters and fonts and video editing; the subscription also removes ads.

21.Snapseed

The latest version of Snapseed combines the old selective area edits with one-touch edit tools and filters, transform and brush editing tools and a powerful layer for working on your image edits. All told, Snapseed boasts of 29 tools and filters including Healing, Brush, Structure and HDR.

Snapseed works with both JPG and RAW images and delivers the kind of depth and flexibility you normally don't see with free photo-editing tools.

22.VLC

The best free Android apps include a versatile, all-in-one media player that'll play just about any file format that you can throw at it VLC for Android is the mobile version of the popular desktop media player.

VLC is designed to play just about any file format out of the box, from ubiquitous .mp3 and .mp4 files to more unusual formats such as .mkv and .flac. In addition to playing local files, VLC for Android also supports network streaming and media library organization.

23.Zocdoc

Zocdoc makes it easy to research nearby doctors on your health insurance plan and book appointments from your phone. When you first sign up for the app, you can enter your insurance information manually or scan your card to get started. The app itself looks slick too, with a modern, bright design that makes the experience of scheduling visits less stressful. Zocdoc even saves your history of appointments and makes recommendations for future ones, so you can stay on top of your health history

24.Anchor

If you want to record your own podcast, Anchor is likely one of the easiest ways to do it. This app lets you record by yourself or with friends and build out entire podcast episodes entirely from your phone. Anchor even implements some basic audio editing tools for perfecting each clip in the app. Recently, the service announced a monetization program for creators on the platform.

25.LiveXLive

While Pandora may have introduced the world to streaming radio, LiveXLive has refined it. 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, such as Yacht Rock. If you aren't ready to subscribe to LiveXLive quite yet, you can try out its free version.