11 great apps for your new Android 2020 device

The first thing to do when purchasing a new phone is to log back in to all of your accounts – email, Facebook, Signal and so on – to make sure you’re getting all the important notifications you need and messages from friends. But after that, you’ll want to install apps that replace the standard tools (like the web browser or weather app) with something better, along with apps that just make your daily phone use a lot more useful.

Here are our suggestions on where to start when setting up an Android phone.

We’ve put together our favorite and most used games, apps and entertainment. Check out our app choices for iPhones, Android Phones, Windows PCsand Macs equipped with M1; our favorite mobile games from Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass; and our best choices for Gaming PCs, a PS5, Xbox One and X / S Series, Nintendo Switchand VR. We also list our favorite streaming programs on the Disney Plus, Hulu, ESPN Plusand Netflix; some great science fiction books; and exciting new podcasts. (Note: the price was correct at the time of publication, but may change.)

Microsoft Edge

There was one thing I wanted from a mobile browser this year, and Microsoft Edge had it: access to the tab switcher at the bottom of the screen. Google Chrome and Samsung Internet require you to move your hand to the top corner of the screen when you want to switch to another tab. Positioning the edge of the guide selector at the bottom is much more convenient to reach. It is also a solid and versatile browser with integrated tracking prevention options and quick access to features like reading the page out loud and finding text on a given page. (Since I last tested browsers, Firefox has also moved its tab switch to the bottom and offers tab syncing from the phone to the desktop, so it can also be a great alternative to the built-in and difficult-to-handle browser on your telephone .)

JustWatch

JustWatch is not a great app – has many bugs and is often very slow – but it is a necessity: the app is basically a TV guide for streaming services. Want to know where you can watch A Christmas Story? Enter and JustWatch will inform you that it is available for broadcast if you are a DirecTV subscriber, to rent for $ 3.99 on almost any platform you want and to buy for as low as $ 8.99. The application can also recommend programs and movies currently available on the services you subscribe to. This will not prevent you from spending an hour just examining all the options, but it will save you from switching between half a dozen applications.

RainViewer

I tried at least ten different weather apps this year in search of a replacement for Dark Sky – the best weather app out there – because it was pulled from Android in August, after being purchased by Apple. After all this searching, I only found one application that could competently replicate Dark Sky’s game-changing feature: providing accurate minute-by-minute weather forecasts. This application is RainViewer and, although it is not great as a day-to-day weather app, it is mandatory to install as a replacement for Dark Sky. I didn’t think it was as reliable as Dark Sky, but it reliably informs me when the rain is about to start and shows a graph predicting how heavy the rain will be in the next few hours.

1Password / LastPass

I must have written this a dozen times in The Verge now, and fortunately I will write again: you must be using a password manager. It’s not really about remembering your passwords, it’s about security – I couldn’t tell you what my password is for Facebook, Gmail, my bank account and so on, because my password manager created strong, random passwords for each one and automatically connects them when I visit these sites. All I need to remember is my own strong password to unlock the password manager itself. LastPass is a great free alternative, but my favorite service is 1Password. I started using the company’s family subscription plan this year, and it offers a really simple way for my wife and I to share passwords for joint accounts. Just a warning: setting up a password manager for the first time can be a bit costly, but when you’re done, it’s easy to continue from there.

Track

Clue offers an easy way to track your menstrual cycle and predict when your next period will be. The application also allows you to monitor your energy level, sexual activity and other details that may be associated with your cycle. Most importantly, the app has one of the clearest privacy policies on the market for a service that collects this personal data. The company says it does not sell user data and that “only a few people” within the company can access their information. Some data may be shared anonymously with researchers, however.

Pocket

I admit that, in 2020, I found myself waiting much less in line, sitting on the train and generally killing time looking for something to read on my phone. But whenever I need something to read, nothing better than Pocket. The service allows you to archive stories you find online so you can read those long readings later (because, you know, you totally reach them all later). I find a ton of stories that I want to read while working every day, and Pocket is the only thing that helps me remember to check them out later.

VSCO

Every year, I write that I have a love / hate relationship with VSCO (enough that I was apparently angry enough not to include VSCO in last year’s version of this list). But I’m back on board with VSCO again, so here we are. VSCO is the best photo filter app that exists if you want to create vivid, filmic images. The app’s interface is even more confusing than it should be, but VSCO is your best bet if you want to take a bland picture and make it pop. The app has a bunch of built-in filters (and a ton of paid and premium filters) and enough basic editing controls to make a photo look like the one you wanted to take, not the most dull version your phone came across.

Google files

Google files must be integrated directly into Android. Whether you need to see what’s taking up space on your phone or find a recent PDF that has been lost in your downloads somewhere, Files is the way to go. It offers a simplified file browser for your phone, organized into categories such as images, videos and documents, making it easier to find what you need and get rid of what you don’t need.

TickTick

TickTick is the only thing that keeps me organized today. It is a free task application that allows you to create a simple list of what’s to come in your schedule. The app supports event entry in natural language, so you can simply type “Meeting at the cafe Monday at 8 am” and it will automatically schedule a reminder for the day and time; if you pay for the premium service, it can also be synchronized with a calendar. Complementary apps are available on Windows, macOS, iPadOS and almost everywhere else you want to sync your to-do list, so you’re ready when you want to check your schedule.

Outlook

Images: Microsoft

If you receive a lot of email notifications, Outlook can save you. The application has a “focused” inbox that tries to classify what emails really matter to you, and can be configured to send only notifications for emails that you believe are important. He tends to err on the side of caution, so you may be notified of some emails that are not important to you, but I found that he is a general winner. I am alerted when important work emails arrive, but my phone screen is not constantly populated with alerts about all the spam I am receiving.

Pocket Casts

Pocket Casts remains one of the best (and most beautiful) apps for listening to podcasts. Its focus on podcast art makes the app easy and fun to navigate, and the app’s discovery screen offers a place to find new programs you might want to check out. It also supports adding RSS feeds directly, so you can listen to exclusive subscriber programs for which you can pay.