Must have apps?

[infrasonic]

Newbie here. Just bought my first smart phone (Samsung Galaxy Attain 4G).

At this point, I'm not sure what all I'll be using my phone for so I don't know what to load on it. Generally speaking, are there any apps that you would consider to be "must haves?"

Thanks

 

[lunatic59]

Hello and Welcome to Android Forums, infrasonic.

At this point, I'm not sure what all I'll be using my phone for so I don't know what to load on it.

That kinda says it all. Until you decide what you want to do, then it's almost impossible to recommend anything. That said, people find a file manager app helpful if your phone didn't come with one. Astro or ES File Explorer are commonly used. Angry Birds is probably on everyone's phone at some point, too

I currently have about 90 apps installed on my daily driver (Samsung Galaxy S2). If you want to browse my list it's here.

 

[chanchan05]

Samsung's default file manager is very good actually, except that it can't put shortcuts on the homescreen.

The first thing you could do to see what kind of apps you may want to put into your phone is to just go to the Play Store and look at the apps "recommended for you".

 

[infrasonic]

Samsung's default file manager is very good actually, except that it can't put shortcuts on the homescreen.

The first thing you could do to see what kind of apps you may want to put into your phone is to just go to the Play Store and look at the apps "recommended for you".

Thanks lunatic59


Play store?

 

[chanchan05]

Play Store is the name of the Google appstore. On your phone the icon looks like a shopping bag with a multicolored "play" icon on it. It also says play store.

 

[annebrooks64]

I always put Chrome on any device first then I have all my bookmarks wherever I go.

 

[GPSJoe]

Here is a brief list of apps that I use all the time:

Evernote (note taking, todo lists, etc) - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.evernote

Twitter - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.twitter.android

Foursquare (social position check-ins) - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.joelapenna.foursquared

Pandora (radio) - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pandora.android

Reader - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.reader

Google+ - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.plus

Bible - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sirma.mobile.bible.android

There are tons of apps out there that can be useful or just plain fun. If it is an "Editors Choice" it is probably a pretty good app. Most are free and you loose nothing in trying some out.

 

[solidsnake13]

Here is my "must have" apps list. Many are free, but some do cost money. Apps that cost money are marked with a $

Apps
4Shared - You can keep items in the 4Shared cloud for easy download from your PC or device. Also compatible with 4Sync.
B&N Nook - the standard reader for Barnes & Noble ebooks. Can also read pdf files.
Beautiful Widgets ($) - A lot of customization features and widgets. make your phone your own.
Dolphin Browser - A great fully featured browser for free. Several add-ons are available to enhance your experience as well.
FuelLog - Track all of your expenses for your car.
Gas Buddy - look up the best prices for gas near you.
Jota Text Editor - a free fully featured text editor.
Kingsoft Office - Free word processor, powerpoint and spreadsheet manager. Great compatibility with PC documents
MapQuest - a great alternative to Google Maps
Maxthon Browser - another great browser with full screen browsing and other tools
PowerAMP (Trial and $) - an awesome music center with several tools, like an equalizer, sound leveling, presets and more
NetFlix - a must if you have a subscription
Redbox - see what your local Redbox has in stock. You can even reserve and set up notifications in the app.
WinAmp - a free app that can sync with your PC's version

Utilities
Advanced Task Manager - So you can kill apps that are misbehaving quickly
App2SD - See and transfer any apps that can be stored on your SD card.
Battery Indicator - puts your battery's percentage left in your notification bar
BetterBatteryStat ($) - a tool that lets you monitor what is using your battery while in standby. Can really help maximize battery life.
JuiceDefender - Can auto-manage various features on your phone to maximize battery life.
Passdroid - Encrypted local storage for all your passwords.
Quick App Install - Good for installing apps that are from outside sources.
Rom Toolbox (Free and $) - A must for root users. So many great tools all in one.
Root Explorer ($) - A file explorer for rooted phones.
SD Maid (Free and $) - Several tools that can help you manage your internal (root needed) and external (SD card) memory.
Titanium Backup (Free and $) - A backup tool for rooted users. Paid version can also freeze bloatware and integrate updates into system apps.

Games
Angry Birds (there are now 5 games in the series) - launch birds at pigs that have stolen their eggs. Great physics engines in all games. Premium version available for Space and in app content for all. ($)
Bad Piggies - play from the pig's point of view to steal the eggs
Bard's Tale ($) - a PS2 and PC classic, ported to Android. Right now it is half off ($2.99)
ChuChu Rocket ($) - A mindbending strategy game, help the ChuChu make it to their rockets while avoiding the KapuKapu's.
Game Dev Story (Trial and $) - Manage your own software company to the top of the industry.
Great Little War Game ($) - Lead your troops into battle.
Great Big War Game ($) - See above.
Plants vs Zombies ($) - Defend your home from hoards of zombies and your crazy neighbor...

and last but not least:
Phandroid - you are registered here aren't you?