Got a new Android phone and searching for essential applications to make the most of it? Here’s a list of applications you can download. For this list, we’re only considering apps that help you become more productive or can help you in day-to-day tasks.
Table of Contents
Traffic Navigation Apps
The traffic situation in major cities in the Philippines has become worse over the past few years. Instead of spending long hours to rest right after work we need first to conquer the traffic jam. While we can only hope the government will find solutions to this problem as soon as possible, there’s Waze to help us navigate through the traffic for now.
Traffic navigation apps provide real-time traffic situation on your route, helping you find the fastest way to your destination. It has made navigation easier since it saves drivers from having to ask people on the streets for directions.
Google Maps and Waze are the most common apps in this category.
[appbox googleplay com.google.android.apps.maps]
[appbox googleplay com.waze&hl=en]
Cloud Storage Apps
It used to be that the only way to share files off computers was through flash drives or other physical media (CDs, DVDs, floppy disks). Nowadays, these cloud storage services allow us to back our files up securely and sync these across multiple desktop and mobile devices. It is particularly useful for smartphone users who always run out of storage space because of photos or videos, as these save us the pain of having to worry about removing our photos to make room for other apps or system updates. Some services offer the ability to collaboratively create and edit content aside from giving you the control over how the content shared.
These providers offer services to individual users for free, with plans starting at 2GB for Dropbox, 5GB for Microsoft’s OneDrive, and 15GB for Google Drive. Paid plans are available, giving users 1TB of storage on top of different services this company offers as an added benefit.
[appbox googleplay com.dropbox.android]
[appbox googleplay com.microsoft.skydrive]
[appbox googleplay com.google.android.apps.docs&hl=en]
Note Taking Apps
If the built-in notes app isn’t your thing, most likely you’ll be searching for a more powerful note-taking application. Microsoft’s OneNote, Evernote and Google Keep are currently the leading apps in the play store, allowing you to create notes that are formatted as text, photographs, voice memos and more. It helps you to be more organized especially if you have to-do lists. It can be your planner as well. These apps also give you the ability to synchronize via the cloud to your desktop or tablet.
[appbox googleplay com.microsoft.office.onenote]
[appbox googleplay com.evernote]
[appbox googleplay com.google.android.keep]
Online Banking Apps
Nowadays online banking apps make it more convenient to manage your bank accounts, credit cards, and investments, pay your bills, and even transfer money to your friends and loved ones. Some apps also allow you to control when ATM transactions can push through. Online shoppers who have to pay via account transfers find this useful because it saves them the pain of going to the bank and waits in line.
Mobile Payment Apps
While a lot of people in the Philippines still relies on cold, hard cash to fulfill transactions, mobile payment apps are slowly gaining acceptance as a means of payment and settling transactions. These apps act like a virtual, reloadable wallet you can use to pay for goods and services online and offline.
GCash and Paymaya are two of the leading services providing this functionality to the public, offering their services via the mobile phone service of their parent telco providers.
[appbox googleplay com.globe.gcash.android]
[appbox googleplay com.paymaya]
Bayad Center App
If you’re noticing the number of products facilitating transactions online, it’s because mobile devices have become the next frontier of bringing financial awareness and responsibility to the masses. These apps help you pay your different bills with ease at your most convenient time without the hassle of lining up at any of the other biller officers. These apps can help you avoid the hassle of forgetting to pay your bills on time, which can lead to service interruptions.
[appbox googleplay app.cbci.com.bayadcenter]
Utility Apps
Nowadays, our mobile phone plans, internet plans, and even our power consumption are monitored via mobile apps. These apps from Meralco, Globe, Smart, and PLDT enable us to monitor our consumption, facilitate payments, a report notified about issues on your service.
[appbox googleplay com.meralco.phone.move]
[appbox googleplay com.globeone]
[appbox googleplay smart.services.android.widget]
[appbox googleplay com.pldthome.askpldt]
File Transfer Apps
While Bluetooth has made transferring files between multiple devices easier over the years, file transfer apps have taken things to a whole new level. SHAREit is one of the most reliable file transfer apps for Android users;Â it allows you to transfer files including photos, videos, music, contacts, and apps through your phone’s wifi connection. File transfer speeds are generally faster than your standard Bluetooth connection, and some have an added benefit of being able to share with iOS devices, bypassing the latter’s restrictions.
[appbox googleplay com.lenovo.anyshare.gps]
Password Managers
Password security is important. We can get confused what passwords to use especially that we have a lot of accounts from multiple emails, social media, cloud storage, and online shopping apps. Password Managers help you to manage your passwords without worrying that you might forget those passwords, or having them stolen. Having a password manager app saves time also because you’re one click away, and it has an added benefit of generating passwords that are hard to break.
[appbox googleplay com.lastpass.lpandroid]
Music Streaming Apps
Music on our mobile devices has become a commuter’s travel companion, especially with the traffic around the city. There are some music streaming apps containing with millions of songs in their catalog. It allows you to listen to your favorite artists and albums, curate your playlists, and discover new songs based on your listening habits.
Users can sign up for a free account that would allow them to play any artist, album, or playlist on shuffle mode. Premium users enjoy the ability to play any song, any time on any device — mobile, tablet, or your computer, and enjoy better sound quality.
Spotify and Deezer have an extensive presence across multiple devices and platforms.
[appbox googleplay com.spotify.music]
[appbox googleplay deezer.android.app]
VPN Apps
If you’re becoming extra conscious about ads suddenly knowing about your web browsing activity, VPN apps might be your thing. These apps allow you to securely browse the internet, bypass proxy restrictions, and make it appear that your web surfing activity is happening from a different IP address than the one you assigned with on the public WiFi network.
[appbox googleplay com.nordvpn.android]
So there you have it. If we missed something, let us know in the comment section below.
You did not include Grab and the like. It is also important as this expedite commuting time and helps us a lot not to wait for so long for a taxi to passby. :)
waze is a must too!
I have 9 out of the 11. I’m becoming a millennial tita, thanks!
TNVS Apps
How about apps like grab? It’s handy too when you need a ride and can’t take commute in the city anymore.
Shareit is malware. Stop promoting that disgusting chinese software along with ES File Explorer
On your cloud storages, why you only mentioned those popular ones? you forgot the other best cloud storages like pCloud and the most secured ones like Mega and Sync.com.
And on your VPN , you must include the likes of NordVPN, ExpressVPN and Cyberghost VPN
And lastly, for the best password manager out there, don’t forget the DashLane.
Weather monitoring apps are important also. Windytv app is a good example.