5 free Android apps I at all times set up

Nothing feels fairly as satisfying as getting one thing without spending a dime, 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 seems like an absolute breath of recent air.

There are a variety of apps on the market that I take into account to be non-negotiable at any time when I arrange a new Android phone, and, fortunately, a few of them come without charge in anyway. 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 help

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

Again in Could, Apple announced plans to include a brand new ‘Automobile Movement Cues’ characteristic into each iOS and iPadOS. The characteristic embeds a wide range of animated dots onto your display, which shift in accordance with automobile movement to scale back automotive illness in these stricken with the difficulty.

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 straightforward to arrange. Should you’re susceptible to feeling movement illness when utilizing your Android cellphone within the passenger seat of a automotive, KineStop is solely 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 widespread as they as soon as have been, however they’re nonetheless a useful gizmo for once you need to cut back distractions whereas nonetheless maintaining with present occasions.

Feeder is one such RSS reader accessible on Android, and it is utterly free and open-source. For an open-source app, the interface is genuinely beautiful, and the person 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 criticism 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 a substitute 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 help, and a sleep timer are all current, which makes this a reasonably full-featured expertise. Should you love listening to podcasts however need to keep away from main gamers like Spotify, Apple, and Google, then AntennaPod is a superb 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 well 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, resulting from its open-source nature and its spectacular file format help. If there’s ever an audio or video file in your pc that merely refuses to open, you may depend on VLC to play the file with out skipping a beat.

VLC on Android is equally open-source and highly effective. Should you’re on the lookout for 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 instrument 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 ‘decide out’ alternative. Sadly, it will possibly get considerably complicated to maintain observe of which apps are backed up and which of them aren’t.

The place Google does not supply a fantastic native instrument 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 once you improve to a brand new Android cellphone, it is value downloading this app so you are not left blindsided.

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