21 Best Apps for Android That Will Help You Make Your Life Easier

Most of us end up with phones full of apps we used once and forgot about. They sit there, taking up space, sending notifications we ignore, and making us feel guilty about that fitness app we swore we'd use.

We tested hundreds of Android apps to find 21 that actually earn their spot on your home screen. These aren't random picks. They solve real problems, from remembering passwords to learning new skills to finding the cheapest gas on your route.

Speaking of learning new skills — we put Headway at the top of our list because it turns those dead moments (waiting rooms, commutes, lunch breaks) into growth time. Over 50 million people already use it to learn something new every day without the guilt of unfinished books piling up.

The other 20 apps cover everything: staying healthy, managing money, and having fun with your phone. And yes, most of these work on iPhone too, so you can share recommendations with your Apple-obsessed friends.

Level Up Your Android Experience with Headway’s Top Picks

Replace doomscrolling with easy learning.

Try now

Ready to make your phone work for you instead of against you? Let's dive into the apps that deserve your home screen space. And if you want to start with just one, grab Headway while it's fresh in your mind — it's the easiest win on this list.

Quick answer: What are the five must-have Android apps in 2025?

1. 1Password — Never forget another password or panic about security breaches

2. Spotify — Your entire music library plus podcasts, all in your pocket

3. Headway — Turn those waiting-room moments into learning time with 15-minute book summaries

4. Google Calendar — Keep your life organized without the mental load

5. Duolingo — Learn that language you've been promising yourself you'd master

21 best apps for Android to consider in 2025 

Apps for learning and personal growth

1. Headway 

Headway is a book summary app that transforms bestselling nonfiction books into short summaries you can read or listen to on the go. If you want to learn and grow but don't have time to read full books, Headway makes personal development fit into your busy schedule. Key features include:

• text and audio summaries of 2,000+ nonfiction books.

• Personalized learning paths based on your goals (self-love, productivity, relationships, career).

• Daily insights and motivational content.

• Progress tracking with streaks and achievements.

• Offline mode for learning anywhere.

• Collections curated by topic and life situation.

Join over 50 million people and download the Headway app to start your journey of self-growth and become the best version of yourself.

2. Duolingo

Going on holiday abroad or want to learn a new language? Duolingo is a top-rated app that helps you learn a new language with concise lessons. This free app has all you need to learn efficiently and includes the following:

• A choice of over 40 languages to learn (every course is free).

• Help with speaking, listening, reading, and writing in another language.

• Fun lessons and characters to build strong language skills.

• Science-based methods to encourage retention for the long term.

• A community of over 300 million users.

• Progress tracking, including achievements and awards.

3. Moon+ Reader 

This next app is an e-book reader with many powerful tools and features included. Moon+ Reader allows you to access thousands of e-books at zero cost and supports local libraries. Functions of this reading app include:

• A selection of over ten themes.

• Extensive visual options include font size, shadow, colors, and line spacing.

• Brightness adjustment.

• Options for long-time reading to protect eye health.

• Dozens of languages are localized. 

• Five auto-scroll modes.

• Realistic page-turning effect with smooth animations.

• Ability to highlight and annotate.

Moon+ Reader also offers a 'Pro' version with additional benefits like an ad-free experience and reading statistics. It's compatible with various file formats, making it a versatile choice for Android users who want an alternative to Amazon's Kindle app.

Apps for health and wellness

4. MyFitnessPal

If you are interested in fitness and nutrition, consider MyFitnessPal, a health and food tracker app. This award-winning app helps you to understand your habits, make better food choices, gain support and encouragement, and realize your health ambitions. Included in this app is:

• A fitness tracker to record physical activity.

• A food tracker to monitor your food intake.

• A tracker to monitor your water intake.

• Viewable calorie and nutrition progress.

• 'Meal Plans' tailored to your target calories.

• Over 500 healthy recipes and 50 workouts to browse through.

• Customizable goals, such as weight gain, loss, and maintenance.

MyFitnessPal is an excellent choice for those looking to improve their fitness, nutrition, and overall health. It even excels at scanning barcodes to log food items quickly.

5. Daylio Journal

Daylio Journal is a mood tracking and micro-diary app that helps you understand patterns in your life without writing long entries. This interactive app makes journaling fun by using emojis and simple taps instead of typing. Features of Daylio include:

• Quick mood tracking with emojis (from 'Rad' to 'Awful').

• Activity logging to see what affects your mood.

• Habit tracking and goal setting.

• Statistics and charts to identify patterns.

• Customizable colors and mood icons.

• Achievement system.

• Data export and backup options.

Daylio helps you discover what makes you happy by connecting your activities with your moods. 

6. Blue Apron

Blue Apron is a recipe and fresh ingredient delivery app that makes cooking delicious and fresh meals easy. The service uses a chilled box to deliver guided recipes and fresh ingredients to your home. Key features of Blue Apron include:

• How-to videos with real-time playback.

• Insights and tips into cooking techniques.

• Seasonal recipes.

• Preference selection for recipes, such as 'Wellness,' 'Veggies,' and 'Chef Favorites.'

• Menu personalization.

• Free delivery and delivery management.

• Over 1,000 Blue Apron recipes in the app's library.

If you're looking to up your cooking game or just want fresh inspiration for meals, try Blue Apron.

Apps for staying connected

7. Telegram 

For any messaging need, Telegram is a great free app. Its interface is easy and syncs across all devices. Over 500 million users currently enjoy its services, which include:

• Unlimited sending of files and media regardless of size or type.

• Excellent security with end-to-end encryption.

• Group chats of up to 200,000 members.

• Robust video and photo editing tools.

• Customized themes and wallpapers.

• Animated emojis and stickers.

• 'Secret Chat' messages with enhanced privacy features.

Telegram is one of the fastest messaging apps available and is a great choice for interacting with friends or coordinating teamwork.

8.  Instagram

It is a photo and video sharing app that lets you connect with friends and discover content from around the world. This social media platform combines content creation, editing, and messaging all in one place. Key features of Instagram include:

• Photo and video posting with built-in editing tools.

• Stories that disappear after 24 hours.

• Reels for creating short-form video content.

• Direct messaging with friends and groups.

• Many opportunities to discover new creators.

• IGTV for longer video content.

• Shopping features to buy directly from posts.

• Privacy controls to manage who can engage with your content.

Instagram helps you stay connected with friends, follow your interests, and share your life through visual content. 

9. Tinder

It is a dating app that connects you with people nearby. Whether you're looking for romance or just someone to grab coffee with, Tinder helps you meet new people in your area. Features of this dating app include:

• Swipe right to like, left to pass on profiles.

• Match only with people who like you back.

• Chat feature that opens after matching.

• Photo verification to ensure real profiles.

• Distance and age preferences you can customize.

• Super Likes to show extra interest.

• Passport feature to connect with people before traveling.

• Free and premium subscription options.

Tinder is perfect for singles looking to expand their social circle, date casually, or find something more serious — all at their own pace.

10. Snapchat

Snapchat lets you communicate through pictures instead of text. Here photos and videos disappear after viewing. Main features of Snapchat include:

• Snaps that disappear after 1-10 seconds

• Stories that last 24 hours before vanishing

• Fun lenses and filters that change daily

• Snap Map to see where friends are hanging out

• Chat and video calls with up to 16 people

• Memories to save your favorite snaps privately

• Discover section for news and entertainment

• Snapstreaks to track consecutive days of snapping

Snapchat is ideal for sharing unfiltered moments with friends without the pressure of permanent posts. 

Apps for productivity and organization

11. Google Calendar 

The Google Calendar app is a fantastic way to organize your schedule and keep you apprised of upcoming events. The app is part of Google Workspace and offers many capabilities. For instance:

• Select either month, week, or day view.

• Create and manage tasks alongside your Calendar events.

• Schedule work meetings by viewing colleague availability.

• Publish calendars online.

• Access from your phone, tablet, or computer.

• Share calendars so others can see your schedule and future event details.

Google Calendar helps you stay organized, manage your schedule, and increase productivity. It also integrates well with other Google apps like Gmail and Google Drive, and can also sync with some Microsoft products like Outlook with additional setup.

Level Up Your Android Experience with Headway’s Top Picks

Replace doomscrolling with easy learning.

Try now

12. Zoom

Zoom is a communications app that combines phones, whiteboards, and meetings so you can work and communicate efficiently with your team, even if you're not in the same room or country. Zoom allows you to:

• Send SMS texts.

• Make and receive phone calls.

• Schedule and join video meetings.

• Chat with contacts (internal and external).

• Annotate and share during meetings.

• Use whiteboards for brainstorming and presentations.

• Bounce between devices without any interruption.

• Multi-task with the 'Split Screen' feature.

Try Zoom if you want an app with great communication channels and features.

13. 1Password 8

1Password 8 is perhaps the best Android app for security. This secure password manager lets you store credit cards and passwords, keeping your data safe. It remembers and secures the passwords you provide behind the 'Master Password.' Other features include:

• Secure password sharing with your business or family.

• 'Fingerprint Unlock' for quick access.

• Creation of robust passwords for all your online accounts.

• Information storage across various categories, such as addresses, credit cards, passports, bank accounts, and logins.

• Alerts when you need to change a password.

For added security, consider pairing 1Password with a reliable authenticator app to protect your most sensitive accounts. You can try 1Password 8 for 14 days for free, and it works seamlessly across Android devices, iOS, Windows, and Mac.

14. Adobe Lightroom

Adobe Lightroom is a highly recommended choice if you're looking for an excellent free photo and video editor. It includes AI-powered features to help you edit quickly and efficiently. Key elements of this app include:

• Editing of photos and videos with filters and simple tools.

• Selecting from numerous camera filters.

• Cropping and rotating photos.

• Object removal.

• Photo timer.

• Color grading and color mixer tools.

• Adding filters and trimming videos.

• Ability to add video effects.

Adobe Lightroom is an excellent app for improving photos and videos. It also syncs well with other Adobe products across Android and iOS devices, and desktop platforms.

Apps for entertainment and media

15. Feedly

Feedly is a news reader app that helps to concisely inform you of all the news and topics you're interested in. It takes you through three easy steps:

1. Organize your trusted sources in one location, such as Twitter feeds, YouTube channels, Business and Tech publications, leading newspapers, and niche industry publications.

2. Use the AI assistant Leo to prioritize the information and knowledge important to you. 

3. Share industry insights with your team to help inspire them and make better decisions.

The Feedly app covers fifty industries and processes 100 million articles daily, making it extremely comprehensive.

16. Yahoo Sports 

If you're a keen sports fan, get Yahoo Sports to receive sports-related news, results, live updates, and scores to keep you updated with all the action. With Yahoo Sports, you can:

• Enjoy a personalized news stream of updates, news, schedules, and highlights.

• Get information on virtually every sport, such as football, tennis, boxing, NBA, and NHL.

• Play 'Yahoo Fantasy Slate,' where you can predict scores and win cash prizes weekly.

• Browse through 'Yahoo Sportsbook' with information about betting, such as odds and expert analysis.

You can also personalize your feed by choosing your favorite teams, players, and sports to receive alerts and live notifications. 

17. Spotify

There is no better choice for an app that caters to all your music and podcast needs than Spotify. It has been downloaded over one billion times from the Google Play Store and lets users play millions of albums, songs, and podcasts at no charge. Here are some stand-out features of the Spotify app:

• Great sound quality across all devices.

• Explore new music and podcasts.

• Find and create playlists for any mood or occasion.

• Play music from Netflix shows.

• Podcast subscriptions so you will never miss an episode.

• Sing along with Spotify's lyrics feature.

Spotify's algorithms will pleasantly surprise you. You may also like the search feature that finds songs by lyrics.

Apps for navigation and travel

18. Waze

Like Google Maps, Waze is a traffic and GPS app that keeps you updated on traffic reports. For instance, it notifies you about construction, crashes, hazards, police, or congestion. Waze will alter your route to avoid traffic and ensure you reach your destination quickly and safely. Other features of Waze include:

• Play your podcast and music apps from Waze.

• Estimated 'Arrival Time' based on current traffic data.

• Selection of voices to direct you.

• Visible speed limits to prevent you from getting a speeding ticket.

Nice to know before downloading: you can also save money on gas as it highlights the cheapest option on your route.

19. Overdrop 

Overdrop is a weather app powered by leading forecast providers like Weatherbit and Dark Sky Weather. Popular features of the app include:

• Alerts for severe weather.

• In-depth weather data.

• Rain alerts.

• Built-in privacy, so your location data is protected.

• A 24-hour and seven-day weather forecast.

• Weather radar allows you to view precipitation levels anywhere around the globe.

• Widgets for your home screen for easy access to weather data.

Overdrop is one of the most useful apps, helping you stay one step ahead of the weather.

20. Venmo

Venmo is a fast and secure payment app. You can send and receive money through Venmo and even include a note with each payment to communicate with friends. Excellent features with Venmo include:

• Splitting card purchases with Venmo friends.

• Crypto purchasing.

• Option to apply for a Venmo debit card through Mastercard or a Venmo credit card through Visa.

• Business profile creation on your account.

• Paying touch-free in stores (scan, pay, and go).

This app is a more social way of paying and getting paid.

21. Tripadvisor

Great app for planning and booking trips. You can explore where you want to go, what you want to do, and where you want to eat simply by reading advice from millions of other travelers. There are reviews of tours, restaurants, hotels, tourist attractions, and more. Through the Tripadvisor app, you can also:

• Plan experiences with free cancellation.

• Reserve tables at restaurants.

• Get great deals on hotels.

• Explore 'Travel Guides'.

• Use the 'Trips' planning tool to save and order recommended places.

• View health and safety information about locations and attractions.

Two quick tips before using any app while traveling: keep your apps updated (those bug fixes matter), and use a VPN on public Wi-Fi to protect your data from snooping.

Make your phone a growth partner with Headway

Apps from our list work on Samsung, Pixel, or any other Android phone (also named as "droids" by enthusiasts). The key is picking the ones that actually solve problems in your daily life, not just downloading everything that looks interesting. 

A mobile app that should be at the top of your downloads is the Headway app. It is designed to encourage self-development and personal growth in a fun and interactive way. To begin tailoring your growth plan instead of mindless social media scrolling download Headway here.

You can also check out Headway's reading lists online, such as compilation of the best nonfiction books for creating a growth mindset to help motivate you to better success.