Google picks the best Android apps of 2018

The apps to download now 
mammela / Pixabay
Amelia Heathman3 December 2018

Need to budget, find a job, or manage your mental health? These days there is an app for almost everything.

To help you narrow down the apps which are actually useful, Google has released its official best apps of 2018 list. The rundown features the apps that have stayed consistently at the top of the Google Play Store charts and wowed fans around the worlds.

“These apps made our lives easier, our downtime more fulfilling, and our moments online more connected to others. Innovative, elegant, and intelligent – they’re Play’s Best Apps of 2018,” said Google.

Here are Google’s best app picks for the year.

Best app of 2018: Drops

In 2018, there’s only one way to learn a language: through an app. Yet, not all language-learning apps were created equal.

Drops, which uses fast-paced microgames and minimalist illustrations to help you learn from a selection of 31 languages, took the top crown.

“This is the app that we found ourselves returning to sharing with friends all year. Beautifully designed and universally useful, it’s our Best App of 2018,” said Google.

User’s Choice App: Reddit

For the user’s choice app of 2018, it had to be Reddit. There are over 100,000 communities on the social network where you can discuss opinions on topics such as relationships, the future, or why multi-level marketing schemes are all really a scam.

Given the vast amount of people that use Reddit, it’s no surprise that this app scooped the user’s choice award.

Most Entertaining Apps of 2018

Want to be entertained? Here are the best ones to try...

Vimage: Vimage is a cinemagraph animator and live photo editor, which allows you to integrate “live” elements into pictures such as moving steam in your coffee image. Perfect Instagram fodder.

No.Draw – Colors by Number: Colouring by numbers was one of the year’s biggest app trends and No.Draw is one of the best.

Neverthink: Forget scrolling through feeds on Twitter or YouTube to find video content, instead, this app serves up a daily curated list of the best videos to watch, handpicked by humans.

TikTok: The app, which absorbed Musical.ly earlier this year, allows its users to create bite-sized lip-synching videos, featuring comedy, dancing and songs.

Scout FM: Formerly Subcast, this Google’s top podcast app. You can search for shows to listen to via different stations, using categories such as subject matter or how long you have to listen, to find the best new episodes to tune into every day.

Best Hidden Gems of 2018

Always on the lookout for the hottest new app before anyone else does? Google says these are the apps building up momentum on the scene.

Slowly: Think email and social media replaced the beauty of snail mail and pen pals? Choose from a list of interests and Slowly will match up pen pals from across the glove. Send notes through the app and the delivery time will be based on the physical distances between you.

Unfold: With over 5 million downloads already, Unfold is making waves for allowing people to create stylish, unique Instagram Stories.

Just a Line: Augmented reality (AR) app Just a Line is part of the new wave of AR apps breaking into the mainstream. Draw on the world around you with the app and capture the creations in video.

Luci: An unusual pick for the list, Luci is the dream journal app, focused on achieving lucid dreaming. If you want to remember your dreams, then this is one to experiment with.

Lirica: another language app to make Google’s best of list, this app helps you to learn Spanish using music.

Best Self-improvement Apps of 2018

With people spending up to four hours a day on their smartphones, they might as well do something useful with it.

Mimo: This handy app will teach you how to code, with a colourful, simple interface that breaks down the information so you can understand the concepts.

10% Happier: Grasp the basics of meditation, tailored at even the fidgety of sceptics.

Keep: If it’s an at-home fitness app you’re looking for, Keep has a range of workout plans, full of step-by-step instructions to help you improve your training plan.

MasterClass: Learn to cook with Gordon Ramsay or how to take amazing pictures with Annie Leibowitz with MasterClass. It will cost you though: unlimited access costs £170 a year, or purchases a single class for £85.

Best Daily Helper apps of 2018

These are the lifesaving apps, full of practical tips to make your day-to-day go smoothly.

Tasty: Buzzfeed’s hit food app is full of delicious recipes with step-by-step instructions and those signature fast-motion videos.

Canva: Become a graphic designer on the go with Canva, offering templates to create social media posts, logos, invitations and more.

Notion: The note-taking app to rule them all. Take notes, track tasks and turn text into lists, links and tables.

Otter Voice Notes: Hate transcribing? Otter lets you transcribe interviews, lectures and meetings in real time. You can also search notes by keywords and specific actions – genius.

Woebot: Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) app features a cute, cartoon robot named Woebot, who is on hand to help you learn about your mood and emotions as well as how to manage them through daily check-ins.

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