13 Cool Gadgets You Can Use With Your Android Phone

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

If there's one thing you should know before buying an Android phone, it's that these bad boys are capable of virtually anything. They are more or less Linux devices, after all. Aside from having all the customization that iOS devices lack, Android phones aren't limited by their small, low-power APUs. Your Android phone could be your next desktop gaming device, and we may soon see Chromebooks running Android instead of Chrome OS. Case in point, Android can do a lot, and you can expand those capabilities by an order of magnitude with the right gadgets.

Everyone knows Android phones support Bluetooth earbuds, portable speakers, and other plug-in gadgets. Instead of telling you about obvious stuff — cases, wireless chargers, etc. — to get, we want to go further with cool gadgets for your Android phone that you might not have known your device supports. Everything on this list works with Android and will add capabilities to your phone that really prove it can do anything.

The best phone cameras available in 2025 include phones with the best image and video quality, sure, but we'd say an equally important feature is image stabilization. Knowing that your footage won't look like a shaky mess from the "Blair Witch Project" is vital for preserving your videos for future generations. Android and iPhone both do an impressive amount of software image stabilization, but the next best thing is to buy a gimbal stabilizer.

Gimbals excel in those busy, movement-heavy shots that require a steady hand. Think vlogs while walking down a street, or filming a game of volleyball at the beach. Your phone stays mounted on an arm that rotates on all axes, making it very hard to film something poorly.

The only downside here is that gimbal stabilizers can get a bit pricey, at least if you want a good one that you can use reliably for years. For example, DJI makes the excellent Osmo Mobile 7P, but it costs $149. The $89 Osmo Mobile 7 may be a better option if you don't mind fewer features. Both options come with a convenient set of buttons to control the camera without touching the screen. You'll be hard-pressed to find options that go cheaper than that, so this one is definitely for photography enthusiasts.

The baseline iPhone 16 wowed everyone with its ability to play AAA games like "Resident Evil: Village," but it's not just the iPhones that can push such impressive graphics. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra can run games like "Fallout 4" at high resolutions and frame rates. Just one thing is missing: actually good controls. If you game a lot on Android, grab yourself a controller to make it a lot more enjoyable.

One of the best options out there is the GameSir X5 Lite Mobile Gaming Controller. It's compatible with most USB-C Android phones, and features ergonomic grips, Hall-effect joysticks, and can even work with a small Android tablet if you have one. The X5 is highly portable, collapsing down so you can fit it in a pocket or your backpack and take it almost anywhere. There are, of course, cheaper gaming controller alternatives that still get the job done. Some brands also support a full controller with the phone mounted on top, for better ergonomics and viewability, like this aghi Bluetooth Controller.

Do keep in mind that some mobile games were not designed with controllers in mind, and therefore don't support them. Don't buy a controller for one specific game only to find out it doesn't work. Check if your favorite game does — many of them do.

Thermal cameras seem like they should be costly, high-tech gadgets reserved for special forces, but thanks to tech consumerism, you can get one for your phone. The FLIR ONE Gen 3 is a stand-out example. Though expensive at $204, it's convenient, user-friendly, and really works. Simply attach it to the bottom of your phone with the USB-C connector, open the FLIR ONE app, and away you go. Smartphones can't yet be used as thermal cameras as-is, so until that day comes, this is the most portable, convenient, and affordable means of visually observing heat sources.

The use cases for a thermal camera go a lot farther than pointing it at your friends to see them turn into glowing demons. FLIR markets itself towards professionals who might be inspecting a home to figure out where, say, air is leaking. It doesn't take much imagination to find your own ways to use it. For example, you might point it at your gaming PC to figure out where you're getting heat buildup, or quickly check if your kid has a fever. But thermal cameras don't have magic x-ray technology that can see through walls, so know the things a thermal camera can (and can't) capture.

Unfortunately, there aren't many cheaper alternatives in this space quite yet. Most sit around the $200 range, with a few iffy alternatives going as low as $100. Further, FLIR has few competitors in this space, like the Topdon TC001 Thermal Camera for Android.

Move over AirTags. This cheap AirTag alternative uses Apple's Find My network, and it's only one of many alternatives. On the Android side of things, your options can be more varied thanks to Google's new Find My Device network for Android. Tracking tags are practically a must-have whether it's to know if your luggage made it with you to the destination airport, to relocate your car in a crowded parking lot, or a million other use cases for tracking items.

A great all-rounder is the Tile Tracker for $24.99. It claims to have a 3-year battery and IP68 water resistance. When you get up close, ping it to find it even if it's in the cracks of a sofa. The only downside is that you need the Life360 app to get full functionality, which introduces privacy concerns. It appears that Tile is not guaranteed to be compatible with the Google Find My Device network.

Another option we recommend is the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2, though bear in mind it only works with Galaxy phones and tablets. It costs the same as the AirTag at $29, but the feature set may well make it worth it. Similar to AirTags, the SmartTag2 is IP67 water and dust resistant, and uses an easily replaceable coin battery. It also claims to have a much longer battery life of 500 days, which extends further when put in power saving mode.

Smartphones don't get enough credit for running entirely fan-free. Only a handful of gaming phones need fans, like the RedMagic 9S Pro. But smartphones can still get concerningly hot when you use them in direct sunlight or play demanding games. Whatever the reason, consider a cooling fan for your phone. The $49.99 Black Shark Magnetic Phone Cooler 5 Pro, in typical gamer fashion, is an RGB-lit device that sticks onto the back of your phone and pulls heat away with a fan almost as big as one you might find in your computer.

While it does require an external power source, it claims to cool your phone by a significant margin using its built-in smart temperature controls. Importantly, this is a fan designed to work on virtually any Android phone or tablet. Keeping your phone cool achieves two things: one, better performance, since it should thermal throttle less; two, keeping your battery in good health. Lithium-ion batteries hate heat. That's the reason they can catch fire and why high temperatures can permanently degrade them.

Now the big question is whether phone coolers actually work. That depends on who you ask and how they tested them. Some tests show coolers producing lower temperatures and higher frame rates. Other tests suggest they're effectively useless. Having said that, the Amazon reviews on the Black Shark 5 Pro do seem to almost universally praise its ability to keep your phone cool, so give this one a shot if you find yourself doing a lot of intensive gaming.

How often do you find yourself doing a video call in a dark room with poor lighting, making you look like the little girl from "The Ring"? Your special someone might understand, but for a work meeting with your boss or clients, you want to look your best. To solve this problem, we recommend the Altson 60 LED Portable Selfie Light. The brilliant LEDs can change any lighting situation into something more akin to a photoshoot set. It's similar to the effect you might get from a ring light, but in a much smaller package, and one that clips to your phone — so it works with virtually anything you can clip it onto, phone or otherwise.

This LED panel has the added benefit of being self-powered, so there's no need for a USB adapter plug-in. The battery lasts for about two and a half hours. Of course, this comes in handy for a lot of other situations like putting on makeup, filming TikToks or Instagram reels, taking group pictures, or serving as an ultra-budget lighting solution for a small film project. The 4.6-star average user reviews seem to agree that it gets the job done as advertised.

You likely knew that your Android phone supports Bluetooth peripherals, like keyboards. But these aren't ideal when the keyboard is five times the size of the screen. More fitting is a small keyboard/trackpad combination device. A hugely popular option is the Rii i4 Mini Bluetooth Keyboard. This literally pocket-sized, backlit keyboard includes function keys for things like volume control, F-keys, a scroll wheel, and a fully functional trackpad. You'd be hard-pressed to find a device with more functionality in the same form factor.

So who is this keyboard for? Probably for those who yearn for the days of physical keyboards that pre-date the smartphone. There's clearly a market for this sort of thing, if the Clicks Keyboard Case (a Blackberry-like keyboard that lets you type on your smartphone like it's 2005) is any indication. This keyboard is clearly not for a full typing experience, but rather a thumb-typing experience.

Aside from that, we recommend this keyboard to tech enthusiasts who often find themselves needing a single solution to control multiple devices. For example, maybe you need to quickly type something into your Lenovo Legion Go S or control your Raspberry Pi smart home setup. With one device, you have a full keyboard, function keys, and trackpad control, minus the cumbersomeness of actual peripherals.

Chances are, you're using a smartphone that followed Apple in ditching the 3.5mm jack, and you listen to all your music over Bluetooth headphones. Technically speaking, though, wired headphones sound better than Bluetooth, at least for audiophiles who can discern between a lossy and lossless file. Barring a wireless solution like Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound with aptX lossless, Bluetooth simply cannot deliver uncompromising audio. So even if you've got Spotify's lossless plan or Tidal, you're not really experiencing those songs to the max. That's where a USB-C DAC amp comes in, like the $23.99 Linsoul Kiwi Ears Allegro Mini.

Quick crash course on DAC amps: Digital devices produce jagged digital song files, rather than smooth, natural analog waves. A DAC (digital-to-analog converter) smooths things out into those analog waves. Most digital devices have built-in DACs these days, but a dedicated one usually does a far superior job. Plus, you'll need this if your headphones or IEMs require an amp to power their more demanding drivers. If not being able to charge bothers you, you might instead consider something like the Ugreen Magnetic USB-C to 3.5mm Audio Adapter. It includes an extra USB-C port to charge your device at the same time you're listening to your wired headphones.

As to which one of these DACs does a better job, that's going to be a highly subjective answer that you will have to figure out for yourself. USB DACs are generally poo-pooed by the audiophile community, so if you want the best aural experience out there, you'll have to get a dedicated piece of hardware — though it will never beat the portability of the Linsoul or the Ugreen.

It's somewhat ironic that smartphones brag about being able to record 4K video, despite having a screen that can't truly appreciate that 4K content in its full glory. To truly realize all the potential of your smartphone's HD content, especially when it comes to watching movies and series, you might consider getting a projector that supports a smartphone. The TMY 1080P Full HD Portable Mini Projector might be just the thing at $79.99.

The projector bundles full HD support with Bluetooth 5.1 and its own built-in speaker, plus a portable projector screen. It may not be the be-all end-all projector for your living room, but it could be an excellent choice for viewing content in a smaller room, or away from home. 1080p is already considered the bare minimum for HD content these days, so don't expect this thing to look amazing when you use it as a full 80-inch screen. But for a sub-$100 price tag, you really can't ask for more — especially if this is intended to run primarily off your smartphone. The 4.2-star average rating gives it credit for doing what it sets out to.

Love it or hate it, the era of filming TikTok dances in public spaces is here, and it's probably here to stay. But instead of propping your phone up on a dirty table or — worse — the ground, get yourself a tripod. The Sensyne 62" Phone Tripod is a highly rated solution. Aside from extending to be very tall, it's got a solid base that'll hold even big phones like the iPhone 15 Pro Max steady. The mechanism that holds your phone works in landscape and portrait orientation, so it's ideal for group pictures, TikTok dances, and anything in between. Even big phones can fit here, and the 5.7-inch clamp could probably fit other devices like tablets. Add on the wireless camera shutter controller and there's not much else you could ask from a tripod.

This particular model gets glowing reviews at 4.5 out of 5 stars. The only real downside we can think of is that the price might be a bit high at $29.98. However, the fact that this also doubles as a selfie stick probably seals the deal.

Fixing your posture is one of those things that's way easier said than done. You can buy a new chair with lumbar support, raise your monitors, follow all the advice out there, and still find yourself slouching. It takes an incredible amount of conscious effort to remind yourself to pull your shoulders back, especially when your mind is preoccupied with your work. Rather than using posture straps or some other inconvenient method, you might try the Upright GO 2.

Basically, you put this device on the base of your neck, and whenever it detects that you've begun slouching, it vibrates to remind you to correct your posture. The idea is that after constant vibrations — initially perhaps a little annoying — you'll eventually start subconsciously correcting your posture regardless of the situation. Perhaps best of all, this is something you can wear anywhere without others realizing what it's for. It connects to your Android phone via an app, and you'll probably feel a lot more motivated when you see detailed statistics of how your posture has improved over time.

The data is clear: Poor air quality leads to a smorgasbord of negative health effects in the short and long term, even for people who have no history of respiratory problems. Problem is, even when you're inside, seemingly safe behind your HVAC filters, you may still be spending a lot of time in a room with unsatisfactory air quality. So, a home that feels comfortable and breathable might secretly be negatively impacting your health. Find out what your local air quality is like with the Amazon Smart Air Quality Monitor.

Amazon claims this monitor can measure particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, humidity, and temperature. It uses algorithmic wizardry to take this information and compute a generalized air quality score. Where it really comes in handy, though, is with other smart Amazon devices in a smart home. For example, if it detects poor air quality, it can switch on an air purifier or control the temperature. The portability and the fact that it feeds all that information to your smartphone make it an excellent tool for a single room or any other place you frequent.

This Wireless Digital Microscope by Skybasic with up to 1000x magnification is right up the alley of anyone who's fascinated by the microscopic world. Of course, this won't allow you to see literal microscopic levels, but it does provide a highly convenient and fun way to examine things close up. It might be the perfect gift for a young child, but we can think of a number of ways that something like this could come in handy for adults, too.

As one example, you could use it for micro-soldering. It won't be as good as a dedicated soldering microscope setup, but it could come in handy for the odd job where you need better visibility and a very steady hand. It could also be used to check for dead pixels in a display or see whether those scratches on the back of your smartphone are permanent or can be buffed out. The list goes on, but this is perhaps the most affordable and convenient way to appreciate the world from an ant's point of view.