There are hundreds of thousands of apps floating around the internet. One of the best ways to find them is to either be informed by another user you have in your network of connections, read about them in the news or blogs, or check out the latest in the Google App Store.
However, not every app is useful, and there are many versions of each app, and each has a specific set of requirements and preferences for the functionality of their apps.
This is why we look at both reviews and top of the list downloads when combined these two key performance indicators (KPI’s) provide you with a clear and concise picture of the overall value the app has on the market.
In this article, we reviewed online sources and came up with this list of the top 100 apps for July 2018.
FIVE NEW APPS YOU NEED TO TRY (JULY)
Google Podcasts
Driving Detective
Rundogo
IGTV
Adobe Spark Post
BEST ANDROID APPS: MOVIES AND VIDEOS
Netflix
Hulu
YouTube
HBO Now/HBO GO
BEST ANDROID APPS: MUSIC AND AUDIO
Spotify
Soundcloud
bandcamp
Google Music
Apple Music
BEST ANDROID APPS: NEWS
NYTimes
VICE News
NPR News
The Washington Post
Nwsty
BEST ANDROID APPS: SPORTS
theScore
ESPN
CBS Sports
Yahoo! Fantasy Sports
BEST ANDROID APPS: SOCIAL MEDIA
BEST ANDROID APPS: MESSAGING
Skype
Messenger
Snapchat
Messenger Kids
BEST ANDROID APPS: DATING
Tinder
OkCupid
Coffee Meets Bagel
Happn
BEST ANDROID APPS: READING
Kindle
Comics
Perfect Viewer
BEST ANDROID APPS: BLOGGING
Medium
Tumblr
WordPress
Blogger
BEST ANDROID APPS: GAMING
Steam
PlayStation App
Xbox One Smartglass
Twitch.tv
theScore eSports
Part II
ANDROID APPS: NUTRITION, COOKING, AND FOOD
Zomato
You can set your location, the type of food you want, and your budget to find suitable local restaurants. There’s also a handy shake feature to get a random suggestion if you just can’t decide.
MyFitnessPal Calorie Tracker
If you want to lose weight and get in shape, then you need to start counting those calories, and this app, from MyFitnessPal, is an easy, accessible, and completely free way to do it.
Yummly
Browse over one million different recipes to find exactly the meal you’re craving. You can even set dietary preferences, so the recipes you see fit to your lifestyle or restrictions. Once you find a recipe, you can add all the ingredients to a shopping list.
Food Network
Find thousands of recipes from your favorite food network chefs and personalities, including recipes featured on their TV shows and specials. How-to videos and shopping list features will equip you with everything you need to make a great meal.
Simple Macro
Tracking your macros is an important aspect of fitness. Whether you’re trying to lose weight, gain mass, or maintain your body composition, eating the right balance of protein, fats, and carbs are key. Macro tracker lets you set your preferred macro ratio, and track the foods you’ve eaten.
BEST ANDROID APPS: FITNESS, ATHLETICS, WORKOUTS
Runtastic
Runtastic is a smartphone staple, with a simple interface that doesn’t sacrifice advanced features. The no-frills app uses your smartphone’s sensors to track metrics, such as your distance and relative pace, as well as calories burned and your heart rate. A few extra features, such as 3D mapping and a workout diary, only complement the app’s wearable integration.
Strava Running and Cycling GPS
Strava is an excellent tracking app that monitors your runs or cycling routes via GPS. It gamifies your cardio workout and pairs with leaderboards, achievements, and challenges, bringing a competitive spirit to your routine. It also has Android Wear support.
Daily Yoga
Yoga is unbelievably powerful. It strengthens your core, increases flexibility and focus, and decreases stress. Plus, it can help you lose weight and stay healthy. This app will guide you through daily yoga routines of varying difficulty and length, and step-by-step, HD videos showing exactly how to do each pose.
RunKeeper
Turn your phone into a personal trainer and track your runs via GPS. You can get detailed stats on your workouts, listen to music, get audio cues to spur you on, and share your progress.
BEST ANDROID APPS: SELF IMPROVEMENT
Headspace
Headspace is a meditation app created by an ex-Buddhist monk and TED Talk alum Andy Puddicombe. Users can choose between lesson packs centered around various goals such as focus, health, creativity, and advanced meditation techniques. The app requires a subscription but offers a free 10-day guided lesson pack to get you started.
Duolingo
Anyone looking to learn a language should start here because it’s fun and accessible to all ages. It has free courses for Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, English, and more.
Fabulous – motivate me!
With science-based coaching as its backbone, Fabulous – Motivate Me! Will help instill healthy, positive habits and routines into your life — everything from better sleep, sticking to a morning routine, finding time for creativity, daily meditation, losing weight, and more.
BEST ANDROID APPS: FINANCES AND MONEY
Mint
Mint is our favorite money management website, but it also has a kickass app. Mint can keep track of multiple bank accounts or credit cards to help you stay on budget and out of the red.
Acorns
Looking to save a little more money? Acorns help you invest by rounding off your credit card or debit purchases to the nearest dollar. Once you’re accumulated a little money, it’s easy to transfer the funds to your bank account.
Venmo
Venmo allows users to send money for free. The transactions can be sent to any bank and occur overnight. This makes paying back your friends simple and quick.
Square Cash
Create your “Cashtag,” and you can receive payments for just about anything. Square Cash lets you quickly transfer money between other users for free, using a passcode of your choosing and 128-bit encryption as an added security measure.
Google Pay
Mobile payments are slowly becoming commonplace, and Google Pay is Google’s latest attempt at a mobile payment app. Using Google Pay, you can purchase items at any NFC-capable payment terminal, provided you’re in a country that supports Google Pay and have previously set it up on your NFC-capable phone.
BEST ANDROID APPS: SHOPPING
Depop
Depop’s ultra-minimal, online marketplace takes little more than a photo to get started. Once captured, share it on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter before striking a secure deal with a host of potential buyers via the built-in chat function.
eBay
There’s very little that you can’t buy or sell on eBay. The app is full-featured and much easier to use than the website. Bid on items, track your orders and sell all of your unwanted stuff right here.
Amazon Prime Now
While the selection on Amazon Prime Now may not be a good as what you find on Amazon, the upshot is free delivery within two hours. If you’re in a real time crunch, some products and locations offer one-hour delivery available for a small fee. With Amazon’s recent acquisition of Whole Foods, Amazon Prime Now even offers a decent selection of groceries.
PayPal
The easiest online checkout method right on your smartphone. You’ll be able to manage your PayPal account, send and receive payments, and more. The app can also notify you of transactions, offering handy reminders and alerts when you use PayPal as a payment method or have an upcoming bill due.
BEST ANDROID APPS: TRAVEL AND EVENTS
Google Maps
You’re never lost with Google Maps. Get voice-guided navigation for trips, different instructions for driving, walking, cycling, or taking public transport, and search for anything you need.
Uber
If you need to get somewhere and don’t have wheels of your own, hop in someone else’s ride. Uber allows you to call upon a private driver in your city who will help you get to where you need to go.
Lyft
Lyft is another private cab service, helping find a, well, lift whenever you need one. You’ll be able to hail a cab and pay directly in the app and can even split the tab with a friend easily.
Airbnb
Forego the headache of trying to find and book a hotel, and instead find an open room or home to stay at on your travels. Users can search for accommodations, communicate directly with hosts, and book all through the app.
Google Translate
Translate speech or text between more than 70 languages with this app. It can act as your interpreter, enabling you to decipher signs and menus and enable two-way conversations.
BEST ANDROID APPS: GOING OUT
Yelp
Craving a decent microbrew, a breakfast burrito, or a good latte? Yelp will help you scratch that itch. It’s packed with user reviews, directions, and tips for almost every place around.
StubHub
Buy and sell tickets to virtually any event. StubHub protects its users with it’s “FanProtect Guarantee,” meaning you can buy and sell tickets on their app without risk.
Fandango
A streamlined glance at your local theater listings with trailers and reviews of all the top releases, this app can also work as a mobile ticket at participating cinemas. You can buy tickets, too.
Yellow Pages Local Search
If the title of the app wasn’t clear enough, this is a robust tool to help you find local businesses, venues, and restaurants, browse menus, and even book tables or nab tickets so you can plan your next evening out with ease.
Foursquare
With over 60 million quick reviews of the best (and worst) places to eat, drink, and more in any city all over the world, you’ll know exactly where to go — and where to avoid — while you’re out and about.
BEST ANDROID APPS: DEVICE PERFORMANCE
Avast!
This comprehensive package includes malware protection, privacy advice, anti-virus scanning, filtering to block nuisance calls, and anti-theft tools. There’s even a firewall for rooted devices.
Files Go by Google
Google’s Files Go an all-around excellent utility app that allows you to find files quickly and free up space on your phone. You can also easily exchange files with other people close by with Files Go, similarly to Apple’s AirDrop. While there are other similar Android apps on the market, Files Go is less cluttered and not bogged down with ads.
Android Device Manager
Google’s official phone tracking service helps you locate your phone, remotely erase its data, and reset the screen lock PIN, and it works with any device associated with your Google account.
SwiftKey Keyboard
You’ll never curse auto-correct again with the intelligent SwiftKey Keyboard. It’s packed with options, it learns your style, and it offers sensible suggestions and corrections that will speed your typing.
BEST ANDROID APPS: PHOTO EDITING AND MANAGEMENT
Lightroom
Lightroom, a program built upon Photoshop, is a powerful photo editing tool for photographers. The mobile app takes the features of the desktop application and puts them on your Android device.
Adobe Photoshop Express
While not as powerful or extensive as the desktop version, Adobe Photoshop Express still offers an impressively wide array of tools for editing and creating images directly on your Android device.
VSCO Camera
VSCO Camera has become one of the most popular photography apps, thanks in part to its powerful editing features that include impressive present lens settings, post-shot tweaks, and before-and-after comparison shots.
imgur
The official app for one of the most procrastination-friendly sites on the internet. Browse through near-endless GIFs and images from almost any topic you can imagine.
Google Photos
A centralized location for all your photos. Google Photos will automatically backup your photo libraries on your phone to your Google Drive, saving them in a special folder that only you can access.
BEST ANDROID APPS: DOCUMENTS, WEB, AND EMAIL
Office Suite + PDF editor
This app is the most downloaded app of the store, and for a good reason. It’s the most robust and fully featured Office solution for Android. Create word documents, PDFs, powerpoint presentations, spreadsheets, and more.
Google Inbox
If you’re a Gmail user and Google loyalist, Google’s Inbox app is a must download. It rethinks the inbox entirely, encouraging you to eliminate clutter, make it easier to stay organized and get more done.
Google Drive
The natural choice for anyone invested in Google’s apps and services, the streamlined Google Drive app lets you store up to 15GB of files and access them wherever and whenever you need to.
Dropbox
Maybe Google Drive isn’t for you. You might already be an avid Dropbox user, for example, and not interested in making the switch to a new ecosystem. If that’s the case, Dropbox’s official mobile app is the way to go. Using the app, you’ll be able to access all your files, and you’ll get 2GB of space for free.
Evernote
Here’s an elegant solution for all your note-taking needs, from simple to-do lists to voice reminders, to notes with supporting photos. Tag, sync, and organize for a real productivity boost.
Google Docs
Combined with Google Drive, this is an excellent choice for collaboration, especially given how feature-rich the mobile and web apps are. Once you create a document, you can add people to it, so that they can collaborate. Once they accept the invitation, you can create a multitude of documents — similar to what you can do with Microsoft Office — and have your team collaborate in real time.
ExpressVPN
Want to keep your internet activities on the down low, or simply don’t like the idea that the government could be spying on your every move? One of the best Android VPN apps is a great way to prevent that. ExpressVPN offers both a virtual private network and some advanced features — such as the ability to connect to servers in more than 100 locations around the world.
BEST ANDROID APPS: PRODUCTIVITY
Adobe Scan
Adobe Scan eliminates the need for you to have a dedicated scanner in your home or office — simply take a photo of the document, and the app will crop it and make it look like a scanned document.
Box
Box recently launched revamped web and Windows apps to better tackle online collaboration. Box takes things a step further by offering an overhauled web app that you can access through any browser by logging into box.com.
Google Assistant
This app doesn’t bring Google Assistant to your phone if you don’t have it, but it does allow for a much easier way to access Assistant — by adding a shortcut to your home screen. If squeezing the edge, long-pressing the home button, or using a dedicated key isn’t your style, you can add the shortcut to your home screen easily thanks to this app.
CloudCal
CloudCal offers one of the unique ways of showing you how busy you are on any given day. The Android exclusive use a system it calls Magic Circles, which turns the days of the month into clock faces and shows different colored circles, or segments of a circle. We also like that you can attach photos, audio files, and Dropbox files to specific events.