10 Must-Have Android Apps For Your New Device

Cool Android Apps

If this holiday season brought you a new Android smartphone or tablet—as a gift from a loved one (or a gift to yourself)—your next move is to track down some cool apps. You'll be wanting the usual suspects (Uber, Instagram, etc), of course. But what about the less-obvious ones that will really help you get the most out of your device? There are tons of Android apps available, so once you've downloaded the basics, you may want to consider apps for workouts, e-books, meditation, podcasts, recipes and more. And we've got some to recommend: What follows is our roundup of 10 must-have Android apps for your new device.

Google Measure

Measure is Google's handy app for measuring the dimensions of objects with your phone, replacing the need for a tape measure. While the app had previously been available for AR-enabled Project Tango smartphones, Google this year added support for its ARCore standard—meaning that the Measure app now works with major Android devices such as recent generations of Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel and high-end LG devices.

Hoopla Digital

While there are more ways than ever to consume books these days, how many of them are both free and easy? Not many—with Hoopla Digital being one very useful exception. As long as you've got a library card to one of more than 1,600 participating U.S. library systems, the app lets you borrow e-books, comics audiobooks and more for use on your smartphone or tablet. And what's more, eBooks can be downloaded for offline reading on the go.

7 Minute Workout

This workout app has a big following for a reason: It really delivers. The 7 Minute Workout app guides users through a routine involving 12 exercises that last 30 seconds a piece, with a 10-second rest between exercises. The app also contains videos showing how to do each of the exercises, which require only a chair and a wall. Ultimately, the app offers users a high-intensity workout that can be done practically anywhere (and squeezed in whenever you have a few minutes).

Calm

One of the best things you can do for yourself with your new Android device is to download a great meditation app. While there are plenty to choose from, the most popular iOS meditation app of the moment is Calm. The app offers guided meditations, breathing exercises, classes, relaxing music and aids for sleep. You can choose from meditations between three minutes and 25 minutes in length, and can even tailor the meditation to specific topics such as managing stress, relationships, breaking habits and forgiveness.

NordVPN

NordVPN is among the most well-known providers of virtual private networks, which encrypt data transmitted from devices across the Internet--ensuring confidentiality and security. With an update this year to NordVPN's Android app, the app added a helpful auto connect feature so that the VPN will be automatically initiated any time a user gets on a WiFi network.

Hopper

Hopper specializes in offering money-saving airfare predictions, such as predictions on the cheapest times to fly and book tickets. Using Hopper saves an average of $50, according to the company (which can seriously add up if you fly often). Meanwhile, Hopper has expanded into offering predictions around hotel booking, as well. Hopper predicts when the best hotel prices will be available, along with a suggestion on whether to book right away or wait.

Genius Scan

This easy-scanning app allows users to export scanned documents as multi-page PDFs or JPGs. Genius Scan offers quick scans of multiple pages using smart page detection, automatic perspective correction, and image post-processing (in either color or black-and-white). Ultimately, Genius Scan compensates for many user errors that often lead to poor scans with a smartphone.

Yummly

This recipe app takes some of the struggle out of choosing what to make, by taking your diet, favorite dishes, and food allergies into consideration when serving up recipe suggestions. Yummly can pick from more than 2 million recipes to personalize your menu for the day. Features include adding an entire recipe to your shopping list, organization of favorite recipes and powerful recipe search.

Dark Sky Weather

You've probably already got a weather app pre-installed on your Android device, but Dark Sky Weather has something different to offer: forecasts on when it's expected to start raining or snowing down to the minute, at your precise location. Those forecasts also extend to when the precipitation is going to stop. Meanwhile, an update this year to Dark Sky Weather brought an improved user interface that places forecasts on a single page, while the update also offers new features such as an "umbrella reminder" and "sunscreen reminder."

Google Podcasts

At last, Google has stepped up to offer Android users a podcast hub akin to what Apple offers on iOS devices. The Google Podcasts app provides capabilities for subscribing to podcasts, downloading podcasts for offline listening, and automatic syncing across devices.