5 Entertainment Apps Every Android User Should Have Installed
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There are a lot of apps available through the Google Play store that are designed to keep Android users entertained. They provide access to all sorts of different media, from music, videos, and podcasts, to audiobooks, sports, news, and games. You could spend a lifetime consuming content and still never run out. Looking at the long lists of apps in the Play Store can be a little overwhelming, though, especially when you're first getting started. Every service has its own app, and it seems like every single one of them is trying to convince you that it's the end-all-be-all of entertainment.
Most users will probably end up with dozens of different entertainment apps installed on their Android devices. That's simply the nature of the beast. The menagerie of streaming service apps alone is more than enough to fill your home page. That said, a handful of these apps offer an incredible variety of different sources of entertainment if you're looking for a place to get started. Downloading these can give you a ton of different options without over-cluttering your home page. Here are a few of the best.
YouTube
Starting out with a bit of a softball, we have YouTube, Google's online video service. You probably don't need anyone to explain what YouTube is, but you might not be fully aware of everything the YouTube app has to offer. It's a lot more than cat videos and cinema deep dives.
In addition to hosting the largest online video library in the world, YouTube allows you to listen to music, stream live content, and generate videos of your own. Sometimes people forget that YouTube is an entire social media platform in addition to being a place where you can watch compilations of "fail" videos. There are some really unique communities centered around all kinds of content that users can watch, interact with, and even create — all on a single platform. YouTube has even been trading blows with Twitch in the live gaming content department in recent years, bringing several of the world's most prominent streamers to Team Red.
On top of all that, you can rent movies, and those who are willing to pay the subscription fee can get YouTube TV which gives them access to over 100 live television channels. That's a lot of different features for a single app, so it's definitely a must on any Android device.
Plex
There are so many different television streaming platforms these days that it's hard to recommend one over any of the others. Many still consider Netflix the top dog, but Hulu, Disney+, Max, Prime Video, and dozens of other platforms have tons of viewing options for their subscribers. Those with the means to subscribe to so many different streaming apps might still be frustrated that they have to juggle so many different apps just to find something they want to watch though.
That's where Plex comes in. This app serves as a central hub for all of your media needs. After downloading it, you can use Plex to synchronize all your different streaming services so that all of their media can be viewed in one place. You can also download the app on your home computer and turn it into a home media server. This allows you to stream movies, TV, music, audiobooks, and photos to any device logged into your Plex account.
Another great thing about Plex is that it allows you to curate your media library. Other streaming platforms might allow you to make a "to-watch" or "save-for-later" list, but Plex allows its users to create entire categories and subcategories within a completely customizable Home page so that all of their favorite things are just a few taps away.
Spotify
There are a handful of different applications for streaming music on the market, but few of them compare to Spotify. Taylor Swift, Beethoven, the neighbor kid who swears he's going to make it big but still hasn't quite figured out how to tune his guitar — Spotify has pretty much everything. One of the main reasons it's managed to outpace so many other music streaming apps is the abundance of customization options.
Spotify has stations designed to use algorithms to figure out what kind of music you enjoy and curate playlists, like Pandora, but it also allows you to curate your own playlists. This means you have a much greater amount of control over what you're listening to at any given time. On top of that, Spotify also functions as a platform for listening to podcasts, so you can listen to the Beach Boys and your favorite True Crimes talk show all on the same app.
The free version of Spotify comes with ads and shuffles all playlists. Spotify Premium allows users to listen ad-free, download music to listen offline, listen to higher-quality audio without shuffle, and personalize their queue in pre-made playlists.
Kindle/Audible
The readers among you will be happy to know that there are tons of options for eBooks, digital comics, and audiobooks. It shouldn't come as a surprise to learn that the biggest fish in that particular pond is Amazon. Though it is one of the largest corporations in the world now, Amazon started out as a humble online book dealer, and books have remained a big part of the company ever since.
You don't have to buy an Amazon-brand Kindle to take advantage of the Kindle store, though. All you have to do is download the Kindle app on any Android device, and you'll be able to choose from one of the largest databases of digital books in the world. You can also use this app to get a Kindle Unlimited subscription. This allows you to choose from a massive library of books you can read in exchange for a monthly subscription.
Those who prefer to listen to their books in an audio format might consider trying Audible. This is another app owned and designed by Amazon, but it sells audiobooks instead of ebooks. You can purchase books as you go or sign up for one of the Audible membership plans. The cheaper of these allows you to listen to certain books from a curated list for free, while the more expensive one gives you a token for one free download per month on top of that.
Audible also has sleep tracks, meditation programs, and podcasts available as well.
PlayStation/Xbox/Steam Link
An incredible number of games are available in the Google Play Store for those who want to download something quick and easy. Mobile gaming has come a long way in recent years, but it's still hard for them to compete with the titles available on consoles and PC. The good news is that you can still play these using your Android device by streaming their gaming content right to your phone or tablet.
The Nintendo Switch is already portable, but PlayStation, Xbox, and Steam all offer remote play options in their primary apps or via a dedicated app. These allow you to stream games from your console or computer — right to your favorite Android phone or tablet. This can save you money since you can play the titles you already have, and it also opens your gaming options up considerably. The Steam library alone hosts over 50,000 games.
Many of these titles might still require a controller, but there are highly affordable rigs available that allow you to attach your phone to the controllers you already have. Using any of these apps is a cheap and easy method for getting the best games available on your phone.