Now that Christmas is over and the new year is about to begin, it's time to check out the best Android apps released in 2019. So if you recently received a new phone, tablet, or Chromebook that runs Android, you may be looking for a few quality apps to push your new device to its limits. This is why I've painstakingly hand-picked 30 of the (in my opinion) best apps of the year. I've tried to select an assortment of titles that should interest a wide selection of readers, all while sneaking in a few lesser-known apps to round out the selection. On top of that, I've also selected the best live wallpaper of the year as well as the best WTF app of the year, both of which you'll find at the bottom of today's list. So without further ado, here are the best Android apps that were released on the Play Store in 2019!
Best apps of 2019
Spark – Email App by Readdle
Since Inbox was sunsetted by Google this year, many users were scrambling to find the next best email app on Android. This is where Spark entered the picture. It was already a reasonably popular email client on both iOS and macOS, and the developer finally brought the app over to Android in an instance of perfect timing. So if you're looking to jump ship to a new email client, I wholeheartedly recommend giving Spark a try since it is easily one of the best email apps to arrive on Android this year.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Recorder
Currently, Google Recorder is a Pixel-only release, and only just this month was this availability widened to support the Pixel 2, 3, and 3A. Still, this means most people won't be able to use the app, though if you do happen to own a supporting device, the recorder is indeed worth the download. Not only can you record anything anytime you want, but you can also use Google's AI to auto-transcribe these recordings, and amazingly, the tech is pretty accurate.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Tor Browser
The Tor Browser for Android has been a work in progress since last year, but as of this past May, the stable version officially landed on the Google Play Store. This browser exists as the de facto resource for not only browsing onion sites but as a tool that ensures your traffic is encrypted while you're online. So if you're security conscious and would like to use a secure browser on Android, Tor Browser is indeed what you are looking for.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Adobe Premiere Rush — Video Editor
The release of Adobe Premiere Rush on Android this past May was indeed a welcome one. Sure, there are already many dependable video editors on the Play Store, but how many of them can boast seamless support as you jump from a phone to a tablet to a PC? Well, that's precisely what Adobe Premiere Rush offers, which should hopefully make for some strong competition in the mobile video editing game.
Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs $9.99 a piece
Infinity for Reddit
Infinity for Reddit is a newer Reddit app that's focused on offering a smooth browsing experience, and it's completely free to use, plus there are no advertisements. This way, you can browse your favorite subreddits without having to worry about any distractions. There's even a lazy mode for those who would rather let the app scroll itself instead of continually doing so manually. So not only is this a fantastic open-source Reddit app, it includes a feature that will surely appeal to those who enjoy reading in bed with as little screen interaction as possible.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Scribbl - Scribble Animation Effect(Video & Pics)
Scribbl is a fun little photo editor that excels at adding animations to your photos. When using this app, you can draw all manner of effects on top of your photos thanks to a variety of tools. You can even choose the output quality of your edited pics as well as adjust how many times your animations loop, which is convenient if you need to condense things down for MMS.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $9.99
AnyList: Grocery Shopping List & Recipe Organizer
AnyList has been glaringly absent from the Play Store for many years, but since it arrived on Android this past April, we can finally sync up with iOS users that choose to use the app as their primary digital shopping list. Having dated more than a few gentlewomen that loyally use iPhones, it's always been a struggle to find a competent shopping list app that syncs across Android and iOS. No longer will this be an issue now that AnyList is available on Android.
Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $9.99 - $14.99
Shade Launcher
Shade Launcher comes from Amir Zaidi, the same person that maintains the Rootless Launcher. This particular launcher differs from its predecessor as it has been personalized by the dev to offer precisely what a "home screen should be." So expect a few extra beneficial features on top of standard features, such as a widget that can display all of your relevant notifications, as well as a bunch of customization options that should appeal to those that enjoy theming their homescreen setup.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Walmart InHome Delivery
In case you haven't heard, Walmart is now offering home delivery for in-store items, such as groceries. So, of course, there's an app for that, appropriately named Walmart InHome Delivery. As someone that works from home, home delivery is a godsend. So if you happen to live around a few of the cleaner stores out there, Walmart InHome Delivery should provide those with time constraints an easy way to have food and other necessities delivered to their front door.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Steam Chat
Valve decoupled the chat function from its primary mobile app to release a new app that's focused only on communication, and it arrived on the Play Store this past May. The app offers a clean UI and a boatload of features, so if you've been looking for a way to easily communicate with your Steam friends and were nonplussed with the older app, you're going to want to check out Steam Chat posthaste.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Omnia Music Player - Hi-Res MP3 Player, APE Player
Omnia Music Player is a new music player for Android that was released earlier this year. The app supports mp3, ape, aac, flac, opus, ogg, wav, and includes a 10-band equalizer. It also includes gapless playback, lyrics display, crossfade, play speed adjustment, tag editing, last.fm scrobbling, Chromecast support, voice commands, Android Auto support, Freeverb, audio balance, ReplayGain, and a sleep timer. So as you can see, this is a competent music player that sports many different options for all of you audiophiles out there.
Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs $2.99 a piece
Squarespace
This past August, Squarespace released a new app designed for website editing. So if you've been looking for an official app that will let you edit and publish on your Squarespace site, this is it. The app even supplies easy access to customer support; should you ever require help with your Squarespace website or account.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Chiaki - Open Source PS4 Remote Play
Chiaki is an open-source PS4 remote play client for Android, and you can play in real-time as long as there is a network connection through your Android device. So far, user reviews are positive, and it would appear that this release is a port, so the app already has a consistent track record. You can play over a mobile internet connection as well as wifi, though with how these things go, if you plan on playing anything that requires precision, you'll probably want to stick to wifi. While many new game streaming apps have been released this year, such as Stadia and the Xbox Game Streaming preview, the reason Chiaki made today's list is because it's completely open-source and comes from a third party while surprisingly delivering competent game streaming.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
NYT Cooking
NYT Cooking is the paper's answer to the many foodie apps on the Play Store. The official release this past October left a lot to be desired, but in the last few months, the app has started to really take shape. There are now over 19,000 recipes from The New York Times on offer, and you can even add your own recipes and then share them with friends. You can even comment on recipes, should something prove not to be as good as advertised, which really rounds this recipe app out into something just about any foodie can enjoy.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $4.99 - $39.99
Actions by Moleskine
Actions by Moleskine was released on the Play Store at the beginning of the year. It's basically a task app from the well-known notebook maker, complete with a unique Moleskine aesthetic, intuitive gesture navigation, reminders, and log activities. One thing to keep in mind is that this is a task app that requires a subscription, so you're going to have to pay $2 per month or $12 per year if you'd like to use this release past its one-week trial period. While it would appear that there are still a few bugs that need squashed, at the very least, the devs have been consistently updating the app to address any issues.
Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $1.99 - $11.99
MIUI-ify - Notification Shade & Quick Settings
The larger our smartphones become, the harder it is to reach the very top of the screen with one hand when holding the device in portrait. This is something that can make it difficult to interact with the traditional notification drawer on Android. Luckily an enterprising developer has created an app that can move this info to the bottom of your screen, and it's called MIUI-ify - Notification Shade. So not only can you move your notification bar to the bottom of your screen, but you can also choose your own quick settings tiles as well as set your own theme.
Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $7.49
Swoot – Podcasts with friends :)
Two of the co-founders of HipChat have created a podcast app called Swoot. It's a social app designed to encourage podcast discovery by sharing your favorite shows with your friends and acquaintances. You can sign in with your Facebook or Twitter account, which should make it easy to find people you know who are also using the app. So if you're looking for a new podcast app, Swoot is a competent podcatcher released this year that offers an enjoyable social design.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Volume Control Panel Pro
Volume Panel - Pro offers a fully configurable overlay that replaces your system volume panel. So if you've ever struggled with the default volume controls on your device, or would simply like to replace them with something a little more intuitive and feature-rich, Volume Panel sports an intuitive design filled with options that should mitigate any issues with Android's built-in volume panel.
Monetization: $0.99 / no ads / no IAPs
Expenses: Simple Tracker
Expenses: Simple Tracker offers precisely what its name implies. This is an uncomplicated finance tracking app that just so happens to be completely free to use. The UI is rather minimal, but that doesn't mean the app lacks features. Whether you want to keep track of all funds going out, or simply want to track what your checking account expenses, you can, and you can even do this when you are offline, which makes this app an excellent choice for all of you financially conscious commuters out there.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Post-it®
If you've ever wanted the simplicity of a Post-it note on your phone, I have some good news. An official Post-it note app was released earlier this year on the Google Play Store, and you can use it to take all manner of colored notes, to then store them on a digital whiteboard for later use. It's a simple note app that offers precisely what you would expect of an official Post-it app, and it's entirely free to use.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
MyScript Calculator 2
There are a lot of people out there that hate math, and you can count me among them. Luckily MyScript Calculator 2 can help with this affliction. It's an app that can turn your device's screen into an interactive piece of paper. Essentially it's a calculator app that can read handwriting. What this means is that you can write math problems on your screen as you would on a piece of paper, and if your writing is legible enough, this app will solve the problems automatically. We are indeed living in the future people, and it is glorious.
Monetization: $2.99 / no ads / no IAPs
Milkshake — Website Builder
Milkshake is an app tailor-made for Instagram creators that would like to create a stand-alone bio site. Primarily you'll use this app to build mobile-oriented sites, where a Milkshake site is the equivalent of a vertical video, and creation is tolerably simple. So if you'd like to build a mobile website in under 10-minutes, Milkshake is indeed the app to look for.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Sphaera - 4K, HD Map Wallpapers & Backgrounds
There are a few of these map wallpaper apps, and Sphaera is one of the better releases to cross my path this year. It's a premium app sans any in-app purchases, which makes for a pleasant user experience since you won't have to deal with any distractions when designing and setting a map-based wallpaper. And as of September, the dev added in live-wallpaper support, which means you can set static images as well as animated wallpapers that will update your map as you move from location to location.
Monetization: $0.99 / no ads / no IAPs
Automatic Dark Theme for Android 10
Automatic Dark Theme for Android 10 can force your dark theme to always show when using an Android 10 device, though you will have to unlock your device's developer settings in order to activate USB debugging, and then you'll have to connect your phone to your computer to run a simple ADB command. Once the app is set up, you can establish fixed times to switch between dark and light modes. So if you're eager to force dark mode on your Android 10 device, Automatic Dark Theme is the app you're looking for.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Aegis Authenticator - Two Factor (2FA) app
There are already more than a few authenticator apps to choose from on the Play Store, but what sets Aegis Authenticator apart from the competitions is its ability to simultaneously support a fingerprint sensor and a password unlock for a single sign-in. This way, you have an extra layer of security at your fingertips should you ever require it. It's also worth noting that this is an open-source app, which is generally my go-to when using apps that deal with security.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Zero - Fasting Tracker
Zero is an app that serves as a fasting tracker, and since fasting was a big trend this year, I figured more than a few people may get some use out of this release, especially since everyone's New Year's resolution is to lose weight. The app supports 16:8, 18:6, 20:4, and 36-hour fasts, so it should be suitable for beginners and seasoned fasters alike. You can even set up your own fasting goals if you can't find any presets that tickle your fancy.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
überliste - shopping list
If you're looking for a new shopping list app, I recommend checking out überliste. It's completely free to use, there are no ads or IAPs, and you can even share your lists with your family in order to collaborate efficiently. There's a set list of items included with the app, and you can add your own custom listings if you wish to round out the selection of items further.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Remote Fingerprint Unlock
There are plenty of Android devices out there that contain fingerprint sensors, and Remote Fingerprint Unlock is a new app that makes it very easy to leverage your device's fingerprint reading capabilities to unlock your Windows PC. So if you'd like to set up an extra layer of security for your PC, Remote Fingerprint Unlock is an excellent solution that will work remotely through any supported Android device.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs $1.99 a piece
Best live wallpaper of 2019
Betta Fish Live Wallpaper FREE
Live wallpaper releases may be few and far between at this point, but luckily there are still a few dedicated devs out there, such as the dev for Betta Fish Live Wallpaper. It's called Betta Fish Live Wallpaper because you can create gorgeous animated wallpapers that contain a very colorful Betta fish. Thanks to the black background of the wallpaper, the colors of the fish will pop off your screen, especially if you own a device with an AMOLED screen, and I have to say, the fish look absolutely beautiful when in motion, which is why this is my favorite live wallpaper released this year.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $1.99
Best WTF app of 2019
Fartr
Rita has quite the knack for finding the best WTF apps out there, and this year she sure found a doozy. The app is called Fartr, and it was designed from the ground up to analyze farts that are recorded through your phone's mic. Your fart will be judged by four criteria — pitch, duration, volume, meter — and given a score. The entire app is in jest, of course, but even when considering this fact, it's still quite surprising that it's taken this long for someone to create an algorithm that can rate farts.
Monetization: $1.99 / no ads / no IAPs