© Pe3k / Shutterstock.com

Key Points:
  • With the Google Messages app, MMS has been edited to send images, videos, emojis, GIFs, etc., easily. It’s also been remodeled to integrate internet access directly via links shared.
  • The Bitdefender Mobile Security and Antivirus app has built-in VPN, anti-theft features, a secure App Locker, and even a tool that keeps an eye on your Google accounts.
  • YouTube Music is Google’s invention that replaced Google Play Music, and has grown to include over 80 million songs, giving Spotify a run for its money.

So, you’ve just bought a new phone, but don’t know what apps to download on Google Play Store to make the most use of your device. Play Store has over 2.65 million apps. With so many options, picking the best apps to download for new android device can be an uphill task.

Here are the best 10 apps to download on your new android device:

  • Best Weather App For Android: Carrot Weather
  • Best Security App: Bitdefender Mobile Security & Antivirus
  • Best Messaging App: Google Messages
  • Best News Reader For Android: Feedly
  • Best Video Streaming App: Netflix
  • Best Android App For Streaming Music: YouTube Music
  • Best Designing App: Canva
  • Best Image Editing App: Snapseed
  • Best Financial App: Mint
  • Best File Explorer: Solid Explorer

Best Weather App For Android: Carrot Weather (Free)

Since the weather can be unpredictable, downloading a weather app on your new android phone would be an excellent idea. Dark Sky used to be the best Weather app before it malfunctioned. However, Carrot Weather has taken its data from Dark Sky, which then means Carrot Weather is now better and transcends the former. With the Carrot Weather app on your phone, you can trust its current, hourly, and 7-day forecasts, while infographics give you the most helpful information in an easy-to-digest format. Carrot Weather comes at no price other than your mobile data; you’ll need to download the application and access the information.

Best Security App For Android: Bitdefender Mobile Security & Antivirus ($14.99/year)

bitdefender antivirus mobile app on a smartphone screen
Bitdefender antivirus ended its free edition for Windows PCs on December 2021.

©Piotr Swat/Shutterstock.com

When you buy a new android phone, the last thing you want is for viruses or malware to attack your device. We strongly recommend that you install antivirus software for protection. Our pick is Bitdefender Mobile Security & Antivirus, the best security app for android devices.

Bitdefender has built-in VPN, anti-theft features, a secure App Locker, and even a tool that keeps an eye on your Google accounts. This app covers all the basic security features and more. You can tweak the app locker to prevent third-party access to confidential data and browser activities.

Bitdefender subscription costs $14.99/ year. That may seem a lot, but considering all the security features squeezed into this lone app, it is worth every penny. Remember, no price is too much for your privacy! So, try to download this app on your new android device.

Best Messaging App: Google Messages (Free)

The Google Messages app is another app recommended after getting your new android device. This app is usually pre-installed on some devices, but not all. Should you not have it pre-installed, it has to be among the first apps installed on your device. The app has been updated from the old boring SMS-only feature to include amazing unique features. The MMS has been edited to send images, videos, emojis, GIFs, etc., without hassles. Also, it has been remodeled to integrate internet access directly via links shared.

The developers are also trying to update the app to have cross-OS access to send messages to Samsung Messages users. There is no limit to how far they can push this instant messaging app regarding features. Hence, getting it will help diversify the various ways you can reach out to others without using the internet.

Best News Reader For Android: Feedly (Free)

Want to keep up with what’s happening around you making headlines? Download the Feedly app. It’s one of the best news reader apps on the market. With Feedly, you can easily attach any RSS feed from different fields to this app, and get endless news. What’s more, you can select different viewing styles available -size, display, view, and many more. This is an excellent app for any news freak, and it’s worth checking out.

Best Video Streaming App For Android: Netflix (Paid)

closeup of Netflix signup page
Netflix, the #1 streaming service, has over 200 million subscribers worldwide.

©Dennizn/Shutterstock.com

Netflix is a popular video streaming service with a downloadable app for those using android devices. Documentaries, series, blockbuster movies, standup comedy – you name it – you will find it all on Netflix. However, you can only enjoy all the entertainment when you download their app on your android device.

Netflix produces some unique, branded content while offering movies and TV shows from other channels. If you enjoy watching movies on the go, download, install and subscribe to use the Netflix streaming service on your phone. The app works similarly to the desktop and web versions. So, you are guaranteed seamless streaming sessions with HD-quality videos.

Best Android App For Streaming Music: YouTube Music (Free)

YouTube Premium
YouTube Music is a music streaming service developed by Google.

©Postmodern Studio/Shutterstock.com

YouTube Music is Google’s invention that replaced Google Play Music, and the replacement was successful as YouTube Music has proven its excellence. With over 80 million songs, YouTube Music is giving Spotify a run for its money.

You can access the songs on your device or subscribe to the app for exclusive music and podcast library use. Also, it can read your device to load songs for free without the hassles of using an internet connection to stream.

Best Designing App For Android: Canva (Free)

Canva mobile app on a smartphone
Launched in 2012, Canva has over 130 million users worldwide.

©FellowNeko/Shutterstock.com

Should you want to create designs for your friend’s birthday or design an event’s invitation, amongst other things you can put yourself through to show your creativity, Canva is the best app that can help bring out your creativity. From thousands of free templates for design, stock photos, and video editing tags to improve your outputs, Canva has it all.

You can design from scratch or process using the free templates. One perfect side is that after creating your plan, you can download it to your device and upload it for the world to see how creative you are without a dime. This is surreal and game-changing for any artist.

Best Image Editing App For Android: Snapseed (Free)

If you are into photography and want to bring natural beauty out of your snaps, download Snapseed, an excellent app for your image editing work. Thankfully, some smartphones offer great cameras these days. After taking pictures, you can head to Snapseed to edit the images and bring the best out of them.

A range of filters and editing tools on Snapseed can transform an ordinary image into a professional oneone. Using the application is very easy and less complicated. Meanwhile, the application also uses Google’s image editing, which is quite remarkable.

Best Financial App For Android: Mint (Free)  

Have you been looking for a less-stressful means to manage your finances without losing track of anything? Or optimize your budget without creating another long and stressful excel spreadsheet? Mint is an excellent application designed for that purpose. It can track, budget, and manage your money in one place. Mint also keeps track of your incomings and outgoings and presents this to you clearly—it presents your finances in attractive charts and tables.

Best File Explorer For Android: Solid Explorer ($1.99)  

Bought a new phone? It’s also essential to think about how your files are sorted. While free file explorer lets you manage your device’s external storage, most of them come with ads and bloatware. That can be very frustrating. However, spending a very reasonable $1.99 on the Solid Explorer can be wise.

This ad-free file manager packs features such as drag-and-drop controls, a multi-tab and multi-pane interface, compressed archives, network and cloud storage support, and more.

How To Pick The Best 10 Apps For Your New Android

Before you go ahead with downloading applications on your new android, you should take note of the following:

  • Use
  • Storage/Memory
  • Price

1. Use

We all have a reason or motivation for downloading some apps. So, think about why you want to download an app on your new android. Some download games to beat boredom, while others to keep track of the weather, and so forth. Ultimately, the choice of app to download comes down to use.

2. Storage/Memory

Before downloading android applications, ensure your phone has enough storage space and memory to accommodate your apps. This can prevent your phone from lagging. If you want to play some games, create designs, trade Forex, and so on, you might need a minimum of 6GB of RAM when buying a budget smartphone. For upper-mid-range or high-end devices, 8GB will provide a good multitasking experience and future-proofing.

3. Price

Another thing worth considering is the price. Smartphone prices depend on the features squeezed into a phone. Your budget will determine the type or model of android phone to buy. If you have cash to splurge, go for premium devices. However, if you are on the other end, you might need to get a budget phone, which means sacrificing some features.

What To Know Before Installing Android Apps

Keep the following in mind before installing mobile apps on your phone:

1. Source of the App

Find out the source of the application before installing it. Some third-party applications don’t make it to Playstore. So, installing them would put you at risk.

2. App Reviews

Whatever you do, do not resist the urge to check for users’ reviews of an application before downloading your app. Experience, they say, teaches. App stores such as Google play store have a review listing system that displays the top positive and negative to help you know better.

3. App Permissions

You also need to know the permissions an app would request of you before installing it. App permissions are a way of gatekeeping apps from accessing portions of your information. For instance, why would a game you’ve just downloaded request the permissions to modify and delete SD card content? That’s fishy. Be wise and safe!

Using Applications On Your New Android Device: What It’s Like

Android apps help us accomplish many things from talking with family to watching our favorite TV shows. Each of these apps serves an entirely different purpose. Each app in this article is probably the best in its field. Most of them have intuitive user interfaces and are easy to navigate. Also, some will give a detailed introduction by explaining what each section and icon represents and how to use them. So, go ahead and download them on your new Android phone!

Up Next…

The Best First 10 Apps to Download on Your New Android FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) 

What is the first thing to do when you get a new phone?

As soon as you’ve gotten your new phone, you best want to check out the device to know your way around it: the storage memory, the battery capacity, and some other helpful information you can get which would help you to understand how best to use your new device.

Which app is trending now?

At the moment, the top trending application, as deduced from Forbes, is Instagram. Tiktok has in the previous year been trending, but Instagram seemed to have arisen and fought its way back up.

What is the most used app?

TikTok retained its spot as the most downloaded app in 2021, although total downloads decreased by 194 million in 2021. As of now, both Instagram and Tiktok are at loggerheads as being the most used app today.

What should you not do with a new phone?

Some of the things you should not do with your new phone are you should not leave your phone unprotected. Secure your phone with password protection; this will to some extent, keep prying thieves out of your device. Another thing is that you do not download apps from unknown sources. It saves you third-party risks or getting attacked by malware and viruses.

What happens to apps when you change phones?

Once you change your phone, your new android phone will request to install your previously available applications to ensure continuity. By developer choices, some apps will recognize you via your email address or anything linking to you and thus allow you to log right in. Some other apps might not be able to do this.

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More from History-Computer

  • Toms Guide Available here: https://www.tomsguide.com/features/first-apps-for-new-android-phone#section-security
  • Google Play Available here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bitdefender.security
  • Google Playstore Carrot weather Available here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.grailr.carrotweather
  • Android Authority Available here: https://www.androidauthority.com/how-much-ram-do-i-need-phone-3086661/
  • Forbes Available here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkoetsier/2022/03/23/top-apps-of-2022-by-installs-spend-and-active-users-report/?sh=6988ee0cd3ac
  • Android Authority Available here: https://www.androidauthority.com/how-to-switch-phones-901221/