If somebody has correctly answered your question, please remember to accept an answer and vote them up if you can! Read more at the FAQ
Featured question: what's your favorite game?
vote up 8 vote down
star
4

What's your favorite Android app?

flag
2 
 Meta Suggestion: have one app per answer, to allow the voting mechanisms to work. Also, perhaps tagging this as subjective or poll may also be a useful convention (esp since the CW for polls has been adopted). – jamesh Nov 22 at 7:42
1 
 I guess I'm confused: how can a CW have a bounty? – Stevoni Nov 24 at 1:24
@jamesh - I tagged it as poll and subjective - good idea. @Stevoni - You don't earn any rep from CW questions / answers, but you still get badges and can win bounties. – Isaac Waller Nov 25 at 4:39
2 
 One app per answer will turn this into a giant thread that will still be filled with duplicates. Btw, I re-linked my post to AndroidZoom.com database. – Chahk Nov 25 at 16:12
I accepted the highest-voted answer. – Isaac Waller Nov 27 at 20:45

13 Answers

vote up 7 vote down
check

Apps that I use all the time:

Social

  • Facebook - the pre-installed Facebook app has nice integration on Android 2.0
  • Twidroid PRO - Twitter client
  • Seesmic - New competing Twitter client to Twidroid
  • eBuddy - multi-IM client
  • Meebo IM - Another great multi-IM client
  • Foursquare - Foursquare Android client

Music

  • DoggCatcher - Awesome podcast app
  • Pandroa - music streaming!
  • Last.fm - more music streaming
  • iheartradio - even more music streaming
  • Ringdroid - Useful for making ringtones out of your songs
  • Tunewiki - Displays lyrics of your current song
  • Shazam - Use mic on a song you hear on the radio and it'll identify it for you
  • Listen - Google's app for podcasts
  • gStrings - instrument tuner

Video

  • Flixster Movies - Great information about upcoming movies in theaters, including local show times
  • PhoneFlicks - Access your Netflix account, add movies to queue, etc.

Pictures

  • Photshop.com Mobile - Simple photo editing and effects
  • PhotoBurst - decent replacement of default gallery app

News / Information

  • SportsTap - Score updates on sports games
  • The Weather Channel - Weather information
  • NewsRob - Google Reader app
  • ReaderScope - Another Google Reader app
  • Quickpedia - Wikipedia search app
  • Wapedia - Another Wikipedia search app
  • Evernote - Sync your notes to the cloud with Evernote
  • Aldiko - eBook reader
  • gTasks - Google Tasks app
  • AP Mobile - AP news

Tools

  • APNdroid - shut off/on all data usage to save battery power
  • ConnectBot - SSH app
  • Phonalyzr - Useful information about your call history
  • NetCounter - Useful information about data usage
  • TasKiller - Kill/manage running programs
  • AK Notepad - Simple note taking app
  • Barcode Scanner - Scans barcodes with camera
  • PdaNet - Tether your phone to computer via USB
  • handyCalc - powerful calculator
  • Locale - GREAT APP! Do things (turn off/on wifi, gps, screen, etc.) based on certain conditions (gps location, time, etc.). Lots of plugins for this!
  • DockRunner - enables docking station app without using a dock
  • OI Filemanager - SD card file manager app
  • Screebl - Keeps phone screen from timing out when held at a certain orientation (helps save battery)
  • MotoTorch - Moto-Droid only: uses front LEDs as a flashlight
  • Dolphin Browser - alternative web browser. You can use multi-touch pinch zoom!
  • AndFTP - FTP Client

Games

  • GameBoid - Gameboy Advance emulator
  • Nesoid - NES emulator
  • SNesoid - SNES emulator
  • Gensoid - Sega Genesis emulator
  • Robo Defense - Desktop tower defense game
  • Retro Defense - Another tower defense game
  • Word Up! - word search game
  • UniWar- My favorite game ever. I had this for iPod touch. It is an online turnbased multiplayer strategy game. You can play cross-platform too (i.e. I play against my brother who has an iPhone). Check out www.uniwar.com

Maps

  • MyTracks - Hiking app
  • GeoBeagle - Geocaching app, use with Radar Now
  • Google Sky Maps - Map of the stars
  • Places Directory - find restaurants and other interesting places based on your GPS location

Phone

  • Missed Call - For missed calls/SMS, have the phone do "reminder" notifications (vibrate, ringtone, etc.)
  • SMS Popup - Modal popup on receiving SMS messages. Also has reminder settings.
  • Google Voice - Google Voice app
  • SMS Backup - Sends your SMS to your gmail acount as a label (SMS). Great backup of your SMS.

Widgets

  • Beautiful Widgets - The best clock/weather widget out there!
  • Battery Widget - 1x1 widget that shows current battery % and click for options to turn off/on GPS, wifi, bluetotth
  • Digital Clock Widget - looks like iPhone clock, comes in 1x2 and 1x4
  • DigiClock Widget - Date and time in one small 2x1 widget
  • RetroClock Widget - two widgets 2x1, one for date, one time
  • Twidgit - 4x1 Twitter widget
  • Weather Widgets - 2x2, 1x2 and 1x1 widgets. Looks very clean
link|flag
hey if you have an invite for goole voice could you send one to me please @ thetokenblack1@gmail.com. thanks! – token Dec 11 at 22:16
Do you still need an invite? Just noticed your comment! – Bryan Denny Feb 11 at 13:45
vote up 5 vote down

Apps:

  • aTrackDog - tracking updates to installed apps from Market and other sources.
  • Twidroid Pro - one of the best Twitter clients.
  • K-9 Mail - awesome e-mail client with PUSH.
  • FeedR - advanced RSS reader.
  • NewsRob - better RSS reader with Google Reader integration.
  • AdFree Android - ad blocker (via hosts file).
  • FBReader - awesome and free eBook reader.
  • SU File Browser and Terminal - file browser and terminal for root users.
  • Advanced Task Manager - task manager.
  • BetterCut - advanced interface for creating shortcuts on home screens.
  • eBuddy IM - one of the best multi-IM clients available.
  • Facebook for Android - the "official" Facebook client (Eclair version not on Market yet).
  • Babbler - arguably the best 3rd-party Facebook client. More feature-rich than the official client.
  • Movie Finder - find local movies and theater showtimes.
  • CoPilot Live - GPS navigation. Paid but worth every penny. Available in USA and Europe versions.
  • AnySoft Keyboard - replacement for stock virtual keyboard with many languages (switch on-the-fly) and transliteration for hardware keyboard.
  • FML Widget - widget to display www.fmylife.com entries.
  • Pure Calendar/Pure Grid Calendar widgets - widgets for Google Calendar. Agenda and Month view. Much better than the stock widget. Multiple sizes.
  • WeatherBug - weather in Notification bar.
  • Wireless Tether for Root users - tethering via WiFi or Bluetooth (for rooted phones only).
  • Google Voice - no introductions necessary.
  • GDocs - document editor that syncs to Google Docs.
  • MyBackup Pro - backup and restore various system settings and user data.
  • Screenshot - take screen shots of your phone (rooted phones only)
  • GoodFood - excellent front-end to www.goodrec.com. Find and submit recommendations for local restaurants.

Games:

Whew!

link|flag
+1 for BetterCut - it's great. – Isaac Waller Oct 7 at 19:32
+1 for links, though just seen they're all cyrket links :( – jamesh Nov 22 at 7:43
This was posted when cyrket was sill up. I'll re-link to AndroidZoom when I get the chance. – Chahk Nov 25 at 0:18
1 
 Re-linked to AndroidZoom.com and added descriptions. – Chahk Nov 25 at 16:09
vote up 4 vote down

Barcode Scanner - one of the apps featured in the first set of Android videos.

Market Link

link|flag
1 
 Already on some answers with multiple apps; however, one app per answer would actually show what are the most popular apps, not the highest voted (or likely biggest) list of apps. – Tim Lytle Nov 23 at 18:21
vote up 3 vote down

ConnectBot - one of the first apps I installed. SSH (including port forwarding) client for Android.

Android Market QR Code

link|flag
1 
 I know it's on some of the existing lists; however, following the suggestion at the top, this question would be alot more useful with a single app per answer format. – Tim Lytle Nov 23 at 18:19
+999999 - ConnectBot is my one essential app to SSH into my MacBook. – Isaac Waller Nov 26 at 4:55
vote up 3 vote down

Google Maps - Now that it has real-time directions, layers, and many other features.

QR Code

link|flag
vote up 2 vote down

I don't think I'd be able to make it without aTrackDog. This version updater allows me to track applications installed from any location and cuts me relying on the Market to tell me when to update. I've been using it since December (when I got my phone) and I don't think I could go without it.

link|flag
I love aTrackDog too - very useful. – Isaac Waller Oct 6 at 14:38
1 
 Every time i used aTrackDog it failed to work properly. it ALWAYS tells me i have updates, and i never do =/ – FckingAllen Oct 8 at 22:09
1 
 FckingAllen, you need to read up on how aTrackDog works. It doesn't just check the Market, it also checks the version of the app other people are running. Basically it will find any alpha/beta versions that developers or testers are running even though the version hasn't been published to the Market yet. – Chahk Oct 9 at 0:20
vote up 2 vote down

It has no practical use, but lately I just can't get enough of Ethereal Dialpad, a touch-based ambient/noise synth. It may not be the best or most useful app, but it is definitely currently my favorite.

link|flag
vote up 1 vote down

The ones I use the most: Google Listen, Twidroid, Huffington Post, Foursquare, Advanced Task Manager, Useful Switchers, Beautiful Widgets, Barcode Scanner (for QR codes for apps, mostly), Snap Photo Pro, Pandora.

Here's the first part of a nice list of fifty good apps: http://androinica.com/2009/08/31/50-best-android-apps-lifestyle-and-productivity-apps-1-15/

link|flag
vote up 1 vote down

My favorite apps are ADC 2, DaraIRC, ConnectBot (my very favorite), Wikidroid, Qik, MarketEnabler, and Locale.

link|flag
vote up 1 vote down

Twidroid (Twitter client)

ConnectBot (ssh/telnet/terminal client)

MarketEnabler (paid apps in the market even in areas where they aren't enabled)

Locale (Toggle settings or send SMS/HTTP events/wake on lan/twitter/other things depending on events (calls/battery status/your location/...)

TouchPal (GREAT soft-keyboard)

DolphinBrowser (best browser ever)

aContacts (great contacts app)

SnapPhoto (great photo app)

Handcent SMS (great SMS app)

WeFi Connect (connect to Wifi automagically)

link|flag
vote up 1 vote down

The apps I can't live without!

ChompSMS
ToggleSettings
Dolphin Browser
Swift Twitter
EasyDialPro
AdFree
Advanced Task Manager
Barcode Scanner
My Collection
Contact Sender
Download Crutch
Gscript
Missed Reminder
Movie Finder
MYBACKUPPRO !!
Weatherbug
AnyCut
K-9Mail

link|flag
vote up 1 vote down

What I use the most is My New favorite is superdial wish my phone came pre-installed with it. Then I use Handcent, AndBank, Kiwi Shop, and BBC News.

link|flag
vote up 1 vote down

The ones I love the most are actually the ones I hardly know are there...just hanging around in the background doing their stuff. Like: Locale, SMS Backup, etc.

The ones I use the most are: Spotify, Last.fm, BeyondPod.

link|flag

Your Answer

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.