There are 263 applications installed on my phone. Out of this massive list of applications, the following are the ones that I love the most. You may not have used these before. Go on and try these and if you like them, do let me know. If you have an application that I do not know, that is very good, do let me know.
TV Time – Track Shows & Movies
I love watching TV shows (not the Indian soap that drags on for thousand episodes) and given the sheer number of TV shows that air and the TV shows that have aired in the past, it is hard to keep track of each show. TV Time is the tool you need to help organize all the shows and movies you love. You can mark episodes are watched so that you will know later which episode to watch next. You can get alerts/notifciations when new episodes are available. You can also see what the best TV shows are right now.
Blue Mail – EMail, Calendar & Tasks
Blue Mail is one of the best Email clients for Android if you are looking for a unified inbox. This application supports all major email services and you can even configure a mailbox for your private mail server. Blue Mail supports an unlimited number of mail accounts and there is no limit on the number of accounts per provider as well. You get a single list of emails from all your accounts. There is an integrated calendar if you want to view and edit your calendar events from various providers, in a single application. Thanks to backup/sync, you can now sync the configuration of Blue Mail to multiple devices. Other features include people toggle switch, group mail, email clusters, unified folders, spam management etc.
Lookout antivirus
Before I moved on to paid Antivirus solution, this is the application I used to have on my phone. Lookout Mobile Security is one of the free Antivirus applications for Android devices. Basic free version gives you mobile security, antivirus, application scanning, system advisor, locate ‘n’ alert, signal flare, find my phone features. Premium subscription on the other hand gives data privacy features, Safe wi-fi feature, breach report theft alert, safe browsing, privacy advisory, lock ‘n’ wipe feature. Overall, if you do not want a paid antivirus application, this is one of the best free ones that you can get.
Wallet
After trying various expense trackers, I finally decided to stick with Wallet. The best part is that I can update my expenses from Android or iOS and you can even update from a web browser. Wallet is loaded with features. The free version comes with a decent feature set but if you want to unlock the full feature set, go with a lifetime subscription.
- Automatic Bank Updates.
- Automatic cloud sync.
- Flexible Budgets.
- Insightful reports.
- Planned Payments.
- Sharing selected accounts.
- Imports or manual updates.
- Multiple currency support.
- Receipt and warranty tracking.
- Categories and templates.
- Shopping lists.
- Export to csv/xls/pdf.
- Notifications.
Strava
Strava is not just about tracking fitness activities. When I started cycling, I was looking for an application that does more than track kilometers. There are segments defined for which you get leaderboards and it is a nice challenge to try to beat the top times. When you go for a subscription, you get detailed statistics of your workout. Thanks to a very active community, I get the push required to continue to do workouts.
1. Record routes, track running & analyze: Track distance, swim pace, cycle speed, elevation gained & calories burned
2. Map your route: Mix up your run, swim or ride with the world’s largest trail network
3. Training challenges: Push yourself with monthly Challenges & compete with others
Bitwarden
Password manager is an essential tool these days. A strong password is hard to remember and harder to type. A password manager can help you generate very strong passwords and store them. Bitwarden password manager came into the limelight when Lastpass decided to restrict free accounts to a single device. Bitwarden is open-source password manager that is more secure than Lastpass, has better features in free version and paid version costs just 10$ a year. Remember, do not store your financial account passwords in any password manager. Those passwords should only be stored in your brain.
Kite by Zerodha
Zerodha is one of the best brokerage if you want to invest in share market. Kite is Zerodha’s flagship trading platform. The UI is super clean, feature rich and fast. Do note that Zerodha charges ₹0 brokerage for investments and flat ₹20 for F&O trading. Even if you are not into buying shares and just want to keep an eye on share market, the intuitive UI will give you very good insight on how each stock is going. You will also have access to technicals, historical share price changes. Give it a try if you have interest in share market.
Windy
I came across Windy during storm season. The sheer amount of visual data that is available on Windy is just extraordinary. Even when everything is normal, you can see in which direction wind is blowing across earth. You can see high resolution satellite images. Windy also shows weather and wind forecast for few weeks. You can see detailed airgram and meteogram (temperature, dew point, wind gusts, wind speed, pressure, precipitation, cloud cover etc).
Eclipse Calculator 2
If you want to keep track of solar and lunar eclipses across the globe, this is your go-to application. For a given eclipse, you can find out which regions get to see the total eclipse and which regions see the partial eclipse. You will also get an eclipse timeline.
uDemy
Udemy is one of the best portals for online courses. Most of the trainings are available under 500 regularly (offers). I have purchased a variety of technical courses and I was never disappointed. The community is massive here. There is no subscription model here. You purchase a course and you own it for as long as your account exists on udemy. This is much better when compared to subscription model where you get access as long as you pay monthly or yearly fees. Get the app to explore our expansive library of thousands of topics with cutting-edge online video courses in Coding, Development, Python, Java, Business, Marketing, SEO, SEM, Drawing, Photography, and much more.
Habitica
If you are looking for some fun way to start develop new habits and have new daily routines, look no further than the Habitica application. Habitica creates game like setup where you level up as you accomplish your daily goals. As you finish more goals, you unlock features like armor, pets, skills and you even unlock quests. You can play fun games like fighting monsters with friends Flexible, social, and fun, Habitica is the perfect way to motivate yourself to accomplish anything.
Mimo
If you want to learn coding Python, JavaScript, HTML, SQL or CSS< this is one of the best way to learn. This is not a watch our video and code on your computer type of application. You do everything in the application in an intuitive way. You have to try it out once to really understand how good this is. With Mimo, you get to learn, solve bite-size programming exercises that fit into your daily routine, build real-world projects on the go, practice coding challenges, get certificate when you finish course. Mimo also give you access to strong developer community.
fresh to home
FreshToHome Daily is the application that we use to get milk. Available only in limited cities, FTH Daily is a subscription-based e-grocery app. You add money to your account, schedule what time each day you want milk or other groceries to be delivered, leave a basket outside your flat door or on your gate. Also, you can choose from over 10,000+ products and enjoy a hassle free shopping experience. If in any case, one of your ordered items are not available that day, you will get notified that that product will not be delivered.
Licious – Fresh Fish, Chicken & Meat Home Delivery
During the lockdown, we were not really comfortable going to meateries to purchase meat. Another problem that we have is identifying fish that is fresh. We tried Licious to get Pomfret and the fish was fresher than what we get in nearly fish stores. Since then, we became regular at ordering meat on Licious. If your location is supported by Licious, give it a try for fish.
Signal Private Messenger
Whatsapp has been here for nearly 12 years and yet the UI looks bit like the one from the first version. Enter Signal and Telegram and I ended up getting rid of Whatsapp. Signal UI is far better than that of Whatsapp, is a lot more secure, you can host your own Signal variant on your server if you are a geek. Most important part is that Signal is not owned by a company that makes money from your data.
Feedly – Smarter News Reader
With Feedly, you can easily organize all your publications, blogs, YouTube channels, and more in one place and consume and share more efficiently. No more zig zagging. All the content comes to you in one place, in a clean and easy-to-read format.
Reddit is the place where people come together to have the most authentic and interesting conversations on the internet—Where gaming communities, nostalgic internet forums, bloggers, meme-makers, and fandoms mingle alongside video streamers, support groups, news junkies, armchair experts, seasoned professionals, and artists and creators of all types.
Microsoft Authenticator
A strong passwrod is not enough to secure your logins. You need something called two factor authentication wher eyou enter code that is generated by 3rd party application or code sent as SMS. Microsoft Authenticator is one such application that you can use to generate 2fa codes. Use Microsoft Authenticator for easy, secure sign-ins for all your online accounts using multi-factor authentication, passwordless, or password autofill. You also have additional account management options for your Microsoft personal, work or school accounts.
Telegram
Telegram is without a doubt one of the best instance messaging applications. Comes with better features when compared to Whatsapp, you can have group chats with up to 200,000 members, share large videos, documents of any type (.DOCX, .MP3, .ZIP, etc.) up to 2 GB each, and even set up bots for specific tasks. This is the IM that I use the most. Unlike Whatsapp, the experience on a desktop is as good as that on a phone or a tablet.
DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser
One of the scary aspects of browsing on a browser like Chrome is that all your browsing data is collected by Google and used to generate ads for you, violating your privacy. This is why having a privacy-focused browser is essential. DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser is one such application that is fast and is packed with privacy essentials. At one click, you can clear all your browser tabs and browsing data. Unlike browsers like Chrome, the duckduckgo browser by default blocks third-party trackers. You can enforce TLS/SSL (HTTPS) so that any site without HTTPS will not open. Other features include private search using duckduckgo search engine, global privacy control, decode privacy. Keep the search enging to Duckduckgo and you have a solid combination that respects your privacy.
Kindle
If you love reading books, Kindle is a must-have application. I have been using a Kindle e-book reader for more than half a decade. Though Kindle for smartphones came out many years ago, I never really liked reading books on the Kindle app. But, the features that are now added to the Kindle app make it worth reading books on a phone. If you have an Android tablet or iPad, reading books on the Kindle app is a lot more enjoyable than reading on a Kindle e-book reader. To start with, you can take a trial subscription to Kindle Unlimited where you get access to a lot of good books (not every book is available for free on Unlimited). If you read a lot of textbooks, it is better to read such books on a tablet instead.
Backdrops
Backdrops and Wally 4K are my go to applications for phone wallpapers. There are hundreds of amazing wallpapers that you can choose from. If you have a phone with high quality AMOLED display, you should seriously check this application. If you are good at making wallpapers, you can upload wallpapers to this application. Backdrops premium subscription will give you access to better original designs.
Walli 4K
Backdrops and Wally 4K are my go to applications for phone wallpapers. There are hundreds of amazing wallpapers that you can choose from. If you have a phone with high quality AMOLED display, you should seriously check this application. If you are good at making wallpapers, you can upload wallpapers to this application. Backdrops premium subscription will give you access to better original designs. You can also set automatic wallpaper change for you phone.
CRED credit card bills, rewards, free credit score
For those who hold multiple credit cards, Cred is one the easiest way to pay your bills. You add your credit cards to Cred and then pay credit card bills using UPI. For every payment, you will get free Cred coins. Unlike a year or two ago, you get very few perks with these coins. Cred also has in-app store from where you can purchase partner products like coffee, electronics, garments etc.
DiskUsage
With the number of apps that we install on phone and amount of data that we coffee to and fro, it is hard to keep track of phone storage usage. DiskUsage shows how much space each folder in your phone is taking in a easy to understand interface. If you never used this before, try it out and you will be surprised at how easy it is to know how your phone storage is utilized.
Phonepe
PhonePe is a payments app that allows you to use BHIM UPI, your credit card and debit card or wallet to recharge your mobile phone, pay all your utility bills and also make instant payments at your favorite offline and online stores. You can also invest in mutual funds and buy insurance products on PhonePe.
Urban Company
This is one of the applications and service that is well known for most of you. Need not mention more.
Microsoft SMS Organiser
SMS Organizer from Microsoft is the best SMS application on Android. My SMS messages are organized automatically into personal, transactions and promotions tabs so that all my unwanted messages are pushed aside. You can even track your expenses and bank accounts. This application also takes backup of your SMS to google drive so that you can restore all messages and not lose anything.
Samsung Internet
If you are looking for alternative to Chrome that is not too privacy focuses, Samsung Internet is the best you can get. For me, the best features of this browser Samsung Internet are quick access bar, previous/next page arrows in bottom bar, great list of add-ons and of course, the speed. If you want privacy features as well, you can activate ad blocker, enable Smart Anti-Tracking and Protected Browsing features. If you have installed Samsung Browser on other apps, you can use ‘Continue apps on other devices’ feature.
Accubattery
Once in a while, we all want to know how our phone’s battery health is and how the battery usage is. Imagine my surprise when, after I installed this app on my phone, battery health showed 90% for my OnePlus 8 after few charge-drain cycles. You can also set alarm so that you can unplug the charger after battery reaches 80% of capacity. One niche feature is the ability to see current and voltage of current charge cycle.
TRAI dnd
TRAI has setup a process to report any spam call and SMS that you get on your phone. That involves sending SMS in a specific format to 1909. There is an easy way. Do Not Disturb (DND 3.0) App lets you report spam calls/sms without composing SMS. All you have to do is open the app, select the number that gave spam call, select the type of call and submit. If it is a message, you just have to select the message in DND app and submit. A messages goes to your service provider and it takes up to 3 days for them to take action.
