5 free Android apps I at all times set up

Nothing feels fairly as satisfying as getting one thing at no cost, and the identical feeling can actually be utilized to smartphone apps. In a world saturated with in-app purchases, subscriptions, microtransactions, and ‘freemium’ enterprise fashions, really free software program appears like an absolute breath of recent air.

There are a selection of apps on the market that I take into account to be non-negotiable each time I arrange a new Android phone, and, fortunately, a few of them come for gratis in any respect. Listed below are 5 apps that I personally at all times set up on day one.

1 KineStop

The go-to app for decreasing movement illness

KineStop: Automobile illness support

A well-built app for decreasing movement illness when in a car.

Again in Might, Apple announced plans to include a brand new ‘Automobile Movement Cues’ characteristic into each iOS and iPadOS. The characteristic embeds quite a lot of animated dots onto your display, which shift in accordance with car movement to scale back automotive illness in these with the problem.

Fortunately, Android customers are in a position to expertise a really comparable characteristic utilizing the utterly free KineStop app from the Play Retailer. The idea is roughly the identical, and the interface is easy and simple to arrange. In the event you’re susceptible to feeling movement illness when utilizing your Android telephone within the passenger seat of a automotive, KineStop is just a must-download.

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2 Feeder

An exquisite and open supply RSS reader

Feeder

A free and open-source RSS reader app that works with out fuss.

Actually easy syndication readers, often acronymized as RSS readers, are streamlined methods for viewing information articles throughout your favourite publications. Within the age of social media, these apps aren’t as fashionable as they as soon as have been, however they’re nonetheless a great tool for while you need to cut back distractions whereas nonetheless maintaining with present occasions.

Feeder is one such RSS reader out there on Android, and it is utterly free and open-source. For an open-source app, the interface is genuinely beautiful, and the consumer expertise is equally intuitive. The one caveat right here is that it forces you to manually enter RSS feed hyperlinks to get began, however that is a reasonably small grievance total.

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3 AntennaPod

A wonderful answer for streaming your favourite podcasts

AntennaPod

A free and open answer for all of your podcast streaming wants.

In the identical vein as Feeder, AntennaPod is a very free and open-source Android utility — however as an alternative of aggregating information articles, it is designed with podcast streaming in thoughts. The interface is clear, easy, and efficient, and I’ve no usability complaints.

Essential inclusions like shownotes, casting assist, and a sleep timer are all current, which makes this a reasonably full-featured expertise. In the event you love listening to podcasts however need to keep away from main gamers like Spotify, Apple, and Google, then AntennaPod is a wonderful alternative that I would extremely advocate.

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4 VLC

The notorious Home windows program can be at dwelling on Android

VLC for Android

A widely known native media participant that is appropriate with all kinds of file sorts.

VLC requires no introduction — the enduring media participant is a favourite amongst Home windows desktop customers, as a consequence of its open-source nature and its spectacular file format assist. If there’s ever an audio or video file in your pc that merely refuses to open, you possibly can depend on VLC to play the file with out skipping a beat.

VLC on Android is equally open-source and highly effective. In the event you’re in search of a no-nonsense multimedia participant for native playback, then it is a must-download.

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5 Cloud Backup Checker

A useful utility for confirming whether or not apps are backed up

Cloud Backup Checker

A easy device for checking which apps are being backed as much as your Google Account.

Google affords a local cloud backup answer for its Android working system, however many app builders additionally supply an ‘choose out’ alternative. Sadly, it might get considerably complicated to maintain monitor of which apps are backed up and which of them aren’t.

The place Google would not supply an amazing native device for checking the standing of backups, the free Cloud Backup Checker app steps as much as the plate. The software program is light-weight, speedy, and does precisely what it says on the tin. If and while you improve to a brand new Android telephone, it is value downloading this app so you are not left blindsided.

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