Key Takeaways
- The Google Play Store is filled with high-quality apps, some of which are completely free.
- Subscription and advertisement fatigue is a real thing, and so I cherish the times when I stumble across a great free app.
- These apps are high on my list for installation as soon as I set up any new Android-based device.
Nothing feels quite as satisfying as getting something for free, and this can certainly be said about smartphone apps. In a world saturated with in-app purchases, subscriptions, microtransactions, and ‘freemium’ business models, free software feels like an absolute breath of fresh air.
There are a number of apps out there that I consider to be non-negotiable whenever I set up a new Android phone, and, luckily, some of them come at no cost whatsoever. Here are 5 apps that I personally always install on day one.
1 KineStop
The go-to app for reducing motion sickness
KineStop: Car sickness aid
A well-built app for reducing motion sickness when in a vehicle.
Back in May, Apple announced plans to incorporate a new ‘Vehicle Motion Cues’ feature into both iOS and iPadOS. The feature embeds a variety of animated dots onto your screen, which shift in accordance with vehicle motion to reduce car sickness in those afflicted with the issue.
Luckily, Android users are able to experience a very similar feature using the completely free KineStop app from the Play Store. The concept is roughly the same, and the interface is simple and easy to set up. If you’re prone to feeling motion sickness when using your Android phone in the passenger seat of a car, KineStop is simply a must-download.
2 Feeder
A wonderful and open source RSS reader
Feeder
A free and open-source RSS reader app that works without fuss.
Really simple syndication readers, usually acronymized as RSS readers, are streamlined systems for viewing news articles across your favorite publications. In the age of social media, these apps aren’t as popular as they once were, but they’re still a useful tool for when you want to reduce distractions while still keeping up with current events.
Feeder is one such RSS reader available on Android, and it’s completely free and open-source. For an open-source app, the interface is genuinely gorgeous, and the user experience is equally intuitive. The one caveat here is that it forces you to manually enter RSS feed links to get started, but that’s a fairly small complaint overall.
3 AntennaPod
An excellent solution for streaming your favorite podcasts
AntennaPod
A free and open solution for all your podcast streaming needs.
In the same vein as Feeder, AntennaPod is a completely free and open-source Android application — but instead of aggregating news articles, it’s designed with podcast streaming in mind. The interface is clean, simple, and effective, and I have no usability complaints.
Important inclusions like shownotes, casting support, and a sleep timer are all present, which makes this a fairly full-featured experience. If you love listening to podcasts but want to steer clear of major players like Spotify, Apple, and Google, then AntennaPod is an excellent choice that I’d highly recommend.
4 VLC
The infamous Windows program is also at home on Android
VLC for Android
A well-known local media player that’s compatible with a wide variety of file types.
VLC requires no introduction — the iconic media player is a favorite among Windows desktop users, due to its open-source nature and its impressive file format support. If there’s ever an audio or video file on your computer that simply refuses to open, you can count on VLC to play the file without skipping a beat.
VLC on Android is equally open-source and powerful. If you’re looking for a no-nonsense multimedia player for local playback, then it’s a must-download. The interface lacks some of the refinement of some other competitors on the market, but it’s pleasant enough and makes up for this in its sheer flexibility.
5 Cloud Backup Checker
An invaluable utility for confirming whether apps are backed up
Cloud Backup Checker
A simple tool for checking which apps are being backed up to your Google Account.
Google offers a native cloud backup solution for its Android operating system, but many app developers also offer an ‘opt out’ choice. Unfortunately, it can get somewhat confusing to keep track of which apps are backed up and which ones aren’t.
Where Google doesn’t offer a great native tool for checking the status of backups, the free Cloud Backup Checker app steps up to the plate. The software is lightweight, speedy, and does exactly what it says on the tin. If and when you upgrade to a new Android phone, it’s worth downloading this app so you aren’t left blindsided.
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