Database Users

The Top Free Android Apps

Hi folks,
I've posted about this in the Hero forum some time back, but I'm rocking the Desire now and I hope that you might have use for it as well. I've tried to gather the top free apps Android has to offer, with descriptions, links back to the developers' websites, QR codes and hands-on videos. It's currently more than a 100 apps divided in 11 categories, and I always try to keep the list up-to-date.
What do you guys think of it? Any ideas on how I can improve the guide? Did I miss to include any great apps?
Here's the URL if you want to check it out:
The Ever-Growing List of Awesome Android Apps
Cheers
-- Lars

nice
Nice list, i really liked Buzz Deck and issuu

Have made some major updates to the top free Android apps guide, and it now includes the best widgets and live wallpapers as well. There are of course some good apps missing, but it should be pretty complete and up-to-date.

Running isn't the only form of working out.
JEFit is a fantastic weight lifting application.
VPlayer is a great video player for playing non-native video formats and is vastly superior to rockplayer.
Colornote is a good notes application.
Movies is fantastic if you're into cinema.

thnx 4 ur effort=)

found a few nice apps, also saw some I already had.
thanks

Great idea, thanks. I honestly read these and find them helpful from time to time, which says a lot since I ignore the vast majority of typical low quality internet publications in general.
Nru is another AR app similar to Layar.
------------------------------
- Sent via HTC Desire -

MapleDouglas said:
Hi folks,
I've posted about this in the Hero forum some time back, but I'm rocking the Desire now and I hope that you might have use for it as well. I've tried to gather the top free apps Android has to offer, with descriptions, links back to the developers' websites, QR codes and hands-on videos. It's currently more than a 100 apps divided in 11 categories, and I always try to keep the list up-to-date.
What do you guys think of it? Any ideas on how I can improve the guide? Did I miss to include any great apps?
Here's the URL if you want to check it out:
The Ever-Growing List of Awesome Android Apps
Cheers
-- Lars
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
found this ...

diggsnicca said:
found this ....any app for free
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Reported due to linking to a video of a warez app, to glorify it. Any website/app/software etc. that provides people to get paid apps for free is prohibited in this site.
Sent from Sony Xperia S using XDA Premium
Join my threads here and here.
Check out this [GUIDE] How to be a New User (and not a noob)

Thanks found some nice apps

Thanks found some nice apps, very useful links.

Feedback for Desire HD webpage

Hey Guys,
I fell in love with my new Desire HD recently so I've just started building a hobby website and it will have a few pages or resources for the HTC Desire HD.
It's far from finished or optimized but I'm happy to host any related files or ROMS if it helps any of You or the Community out..
Please let me know what you think it should include. In time I hope it will have many Desire HD resources and links and quite a few Android things too.
Any criticism is welcome - I'm more after function as opposed to fashion. Cheers.
Feel free to PM me with advice. I'm sure XDA doesn't need a thread about my personal site, Desire HD related or not.
Grant

Stunds like a good idea. Put up some guides on rooting and roms. Gonna root my dhd now in the holidays when I get some spare time over
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App

If you have a disassembly guide i would be very happy.
Afaik there is no one (searched with google and YouTube)
Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk

Nice website with good user friendly design
Would like to more apps in the "andorid" section of the site such as Springpad or Tunein Radio.

When were at it with audio apps I would recommend subsonic. If you want to stream your music library
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App

if you want more apps inbox me as i have in excess of 5 Gb worth to be added on
depends if you have enough space on the server for lots of them

and because im nice and have ALOT of free time on my hands at the moment, if you need and resources and building let me know and im sure i can provide you with what your looking for (such as guides or articles about things for the DHD, )

Thanks for the ideas and feedback so far guys.
Defectus: Yes. I'll put up some recommended Guides on Rooting and Roms. This will help me learn too. I'll check out Subsonic as well. Feel free to suggest any other apps you are passionate about, if and when.
malte41: If I see a Disassembly Guide - I'll certainly add it - if the maker doesn't mind. (or I'll link to it). Cheers.
karthics4: Thanks. I'll certainly be adding more apps in the Android section. (I'm trying to get hold of some beta programs too so I can maybe do a review or two.) Keep the app ideas coming if you want. I'll try them out too.
fkofilee: Thanks. Server space or bandwidth shouldn't be a problem. (Unlimited) I'm not sure if I will host other people's apps. I'm happy to, if it's easier for the end user/visitor, but I want to also stay true to the Android Market so people can always get the latest app version. Having said that - I'll keep an eye on updates and attempt to keep everything up to date. Thanks for your offer. I'm certainly open to suggestions and links to resources and helpful info.
Feel free to email me at any time from the site or through XDA or even this thread etc.
Also, thanks to the ROM makers whom quite a few have given me permission to host their roms.
I'm hoping to change this username to Grant Barker (which I've registered) so please don't be offended if my name changes in this thread or somewhere else. It depends on the mood of the Gods. I mean the Mods.
Anyway, thanks for the advice. Please feel free to keep it coming. I don't have as much free time as I'd like - so please be patient and I'll get things done as soon as I can. (This includes dead links, no links, image optimizations, broken CSS etc.) Your feedback inspires me more, so I appreciate it.
Cheers.
Grant

If you want some tips on some games.
2 player reactor
Angry birds (of course)
Spaghetti and marshmallows
reckless racing
Skies of glory
ScummWM
M.I.G
Cheers
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App

Gingerbread SIP

just a link to another thread, thought everyone might be interested.
I followed all instructions, got it working..signed i...cool, now to see if we can video chat with IM desktop clients.
Peace.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=10155958
app is also in the market as HQ Video SIP/IMS client (VoIP)

This thread is either in the wrong place or you forgot what you're typing about. Please remove it or add worthwhile content.

chrisrotolo said:
just a link to another thread, thought everyone might be interested.
I followed all instructions, got it working..signed i...cool, now to see if we can video chat with IM desktop clients.
Peace.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not Android Development
Please Post in the Correct Forums
Moving to General

Where's the link to the Gingerbread SIP?
This is pretty much the only reason I moved to android- no more third party sip app to remember to start. Got the streak on sale for 400 but Gingerbread hasn't been ported yet. But I see a lot of features have been backported to run on 2.2.
Google paid for my Gizmo5 account for the next 5 years so got this to replace maemo NIT.
Edit:
n/m
This is an app like sipdroid. Gingerbread has this built in- I thought that the topic was about a backport to 2.2

[Q] What happened to threads like WP7 for Android?

Hey I am a longtime fan of XDA, it has been a cornerstone of the phone hacking and app development scene for years. I was looking through the threads and noticed an app development program that had been picking up steam and even released a private beta was closed. This thread if anyone was wonder is the WP7 Android suite by TheRedDrake. It seems as though there was some strife with the mods and they have moved off site to "wp7android.com". I was wondering what caused this and why an app development cycle that was making headway towards a market release got banned? I hope someone can explain this to me because I think if there is some policy against projects like this why does this forum exist if not to mod and release apps that we can all enjoy? I don’t want to incite any anger, I am just genuinely curious about what happened and why.

The answer to your question can be found in the last post of the thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=13290726&postcount=930
The developers have no intention of providing the passwords or removing them, so the project has moved off of XDA and is now entirely maintained on their website, wp7android.com. From what I know, the thread had been closed and re-opened at least once before as well.

bear831 said:
Hey I am a longtime fan of XDA, it has been a cornerstone of the phone hacking and app development scene for years. I was looking through the threads and noticed an app development program that had been picking up steam and even released a private beta was closed. This thread if anyone was wonder is the WP7 Android suite by TheRedDrake. It seems as though there was some strife with the mods and they have moved off site to "wp7android.com". I was wondering what caused this and why an app development cycle that was making headway towards a market release got banned? I hope someone can explain this to me because I think if there is some policy against projects like this why does this forum exist if not to mod and release apps that we can all enjoy? I don’t want to incite any anger, I am just genuinely curious about what happened and why.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its simple, they were violating forum rules. Its unfortunately, but the expectations for developer threads have been very clearly hashed out by the Admins of this site, and TheRedDrake didn't abide by them, and instead tried to use a loophole. Fortunately they managed to get a different site, because project is a cool one, but they should have just opened their own site in the first place since they knew they had no intentions of abiding the rules.

Seems cool but it was definitely the right move. If they p/w protect rar's guess they wanna charge? Not sure how many Android heads are going to pay for win7 to replace a better OS (IMO) with more programs, especially when there's a great launcher that's customizable and spot on to 7. Maybe a dual boot but not for this guy. I can't remember what that launcher is called but it looked nice if I didn't love Android so I'd have dl'ed it ^_^ goog " window phone 7 Android launcher " I'm sure it was here on xda (free-donate if u like it), if it sounds like something you'd like. Cheers
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App

dubyajaysmith said:
Seems cool but it was definitely the right move. If they p/w protect rar's guess they wanna charge? Not sure how many Android heads are going to pay for win7 to replace a better OS (IMO) with more programs, especially when there's a great launcher that's customizable and spot on to 7. Maybe a dual boot but not for this guy. I can't remember what that launcher is called but it looked nice if I didn't love Android so I'd have dl'ed it ^_^ goog " window phone 7 Android launcher " I'm sure it was here on xda (free-donate if u like it), if it sounds like something you'd like. Cheers
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be fair, their project was a hell of a lot more than a launcher. They basically built an Android equivalent to WP7 from scratch, including the Zune player.

WP7Android project is one of the best projects. As it is aiming to change the whole UI of android to WP7, not just the UI. They are also working on apps for the gallery, mail, dialer, camera, browser.. and more than i can't remember right now. It's going to be a big project!
The project has been moved from XDA to the WP7Android forum. You can check out their website where they have all the details about this project, you can also donate if you want to get access to all the beta apps. www.wp7android.com
I donated to TheRedDrake at the start of this project, and i have no comments on all the apps they provide, they are really great (Considering they are still in Beta stage..) also, donating helps the devs and keeps the project alive, and keeps the process of it going along the way.
http://twitter.com/#!/TheRedDrake
Donations that were made for this project made it possible and made it exist. Not free apps or lite versions. There are already versions of other WP7 styled apps not part of this project that have as much features as a lite version. I understand the devs not wanting to waste their time on making lite versions.
As i have read, the three apps that TheRedDrake wanted to make them free, will not be free anymore, and this is because the mods of XDA closed the thread of this project..

ms7p said:
WP7Android project is one of the best projects. As it is aiming to change the whole UI of android to WP7, not just the UI. They are also working on apps for the gallery, mail, dialer, camera, browser.. and more than i can't remember right now. It's going to be a big project!
The project has been moved from XDA to the WP7Android forum. You can check out their website where they have all the details about this project, you can also donate if you want to get access to all the beta apps. www.wp7android.com
I donated to TheRedDrake at the start of this project, and i have no comments on all the apps they provide, they are really great (Considering they are still in Beta stage..) also, donating helps the devs and keeps the project alive, and keeps the process of it going along the way.
http://twitter.com/#!/TheRedDrake
Donations that were made for this project made it possible and made it exist. Not free apps or lite versions. There are already versions of other WP7 styled apps not part of this project that have as much features as a lite version. I understand the devs not wanting to waste their time on making lite versions.
As i have read, the three apps that TheRedDrake wanted to make them free, will not be free anymore, and this is because the mods of XDA closed the thread of this project..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice to see someone is supporting me. People like him bring my project to life
Well since the original topic was closed I have to explain here somethings:
Q: Why do you password protect the rar files?
A: I said that only contributors are allowed. If you help this project in some useful way I will grant access. This means everybody could enter if they helped.
Q:Why don't you post free apps? .....or lite versions?
A:For first question go to previous Q&A, for second it goes like this: we won't spend time making any sort of lite versions. There are already apps in the market by other developers not involved in the project that have the same amount of features as a lite version.
Q:Why don't you obey the XDA forums rules like all devs do?
A:I do obey them but putting the apps for free just because of that ain't going to do. As I already said if you help you can get them for free.
Q:You know people get frustrated by your policy. Many devs offer apps for free. What do you say about that?
A: True they do. But many devs don't offer their work for free. Not all in this world is for free and most quality software is paid. You should realize that.
Q:Are you still going to release 3 apps for free for XDA users?
A:No, maybe for our forum users 1-2 apps.
Q:Have you any intention of trying to reopen the thread?
A:No, it has been moved to the official site forum at http://www.wp7android.com
Q:Are you in any way upset at the moderators for closing the original thread?
A:Nope, not at all. I understand why they did this. It is their job to make sure XDA forum rules are followed by everybody even if sometimes those rules are nonsense.
Q:There have been similar devs who got kicked from XDA from the same reason. Are you aware of them?
A: Yes Ultralinx is such case. Banned from trying to sell his work. Well he is sympathetic to our cause and offered free advertising on his site. I'm certain he is angry at the XDA mods.
Q:Finaly what do you think of the XDA policy of free apps?
A:Here is one example: SPB Shell beta apk was available here even if it was a closed beta and SPB didn't permit the apk to be freely distributed.The moderators didn't do anythin about it. I will let you judge by yourself this one.

Everyone should definitely join the new forum we just launched . We also started a Facebook fan page the other day . http://www.google.com
There is some absolutely fantastic work being done by everyone . As stated above , this isnt just a launcher . This is going to be the whole enchilada . If you're a fan of the UI , then this project is for you .
We are all very excited to be doing this , and this is NOT something that will be dropped and no longer supported ( like most of the other wp7-like apps ).
We are in it for the long haul . Join us for the ride . We are going to start having prize giveaways , developer blog spots , etc.
One of our devs will be presenting our project at the Happy Go Techy Expo in Seattle.
We still have much work to do , but this is one of the few UI overhauls here at XDA where progress is actually being made and YOU can be a part of it . Thanks to everyone that has already helped and has joined our rapidly growing community .
Don't forget, http://www.google.com/
Join the forums and let us know YOUR thoughts . Thank you .

put you ads somewhere else... hope you get banned from xda for that.
@dubyajaysmith agreed!

As someone who was critical initially, I want to say that I've donated to the project. TheRedDrake has returned personal PMs to him, and I think my concerns have been put at ease.
The last thing I think anyone wants to do is lose good devs in the Android community. After learning some more about the work behind the scenes, I'm definitely supporting this project.

I partially agree with the decision to close the old thread. Yes, it is a bit against the rules, but some other devs are putting non-free non-lite apps here too, and their thread won't get closed. The WP7 team was working hard on the whole stuff, I've been able to take a look at their source, and help them here and there, and I have to say, what they did, is pretty impressive.
The Zune Player is almost ready, the Launcher looks good as it is, functional, works as it should. Everything else is in order, and the whole pack will definitely worth the money they ask for it.
The whole UI is being replaced, and hopefully it will extend to some other applications too (currently the Contacts app is finished, the Zune Player, Messaging, Launcher has work on it AFAIK, and the others are being written too, I have no further info on it though).

I think the mods need to calm down and get over themselves. There are developers who are doing the same thing they accused TheRedDrake of who haven't had their threads taken down. That just makes the mods seem as though they are immature and play favorites to projects they personally like. I love XDA, but when they take unjust actions like I just described, it disappoints me to see them contradict their own definition of a developer community.

TheRedDrake said:
Q:Why don't you post free apps? .....or lite versions?
A:For first question go to previous Q&A, for second it goes like this: we won't spend time making any sort of lite versions. There are already apps in the market by other developers not involved in the project that have the same amount of features as a lite version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So why exactly did you release a lite version of the wp7launcher now in the market?
Glad you did it though...

Launcher7 is way better than this launcher...

Shadewalkerz said:
Launcher7 is way better than this launcher...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You made that determination from a lite version? And how about the zune, email, and dialer apps?
Your last two posts have been awesome .. I'm sure you're third will be just as good. No reason to hate man, move along if you don't like our work .. that's very disrespectful.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App

Appear then Disappear
Why was it pulled off the market (lite)? it was there yesterday but now its not...
I did get to try it out though... LWP didn't work for me and there was no add widgets button when I press the menu button on my phone.... personally its just like L7 not to dog the hard work people put into this (I really would like to see how this project turns out) its just an opinion.

Yeah there are Widgets, multiple home screens, live tiles, folders, etc that weren't in the lite version.
We pulled it from the market because in less than 24 hours it was up on the warez (piracy) sites.
We are putting security in place before we put anything back on the market. Good thing it was a really stripped down version
Thanks for the support. We are all spending crazy amounts of time on this.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App

lucas.scott said:
Yeah there are Widgets, multiple home screens, live tiles, folders, etc that weren't in the lite version.
We pulled it from the market because in less than 24 hours it was up on the warez (piracy) sites.
We are putting security in place before we put anything back on the market. Good thing it was a really stripped down version
Thanks for the support. We are all spending crazy amounts of time on this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good Call don't want all of the hard work to be wasted on pirates, Could you give an estimate how much It would cost... the whole package meaning

Can't really give that just yet ... we are bouncing around ideas .. bundled prices and stuff. We are working on an aosp rom, that we would like to include everything and be themed and such, just trying to decide what makes sense still.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App

We should have the paid apps in the market in one week or less. Cheers!

How to Promote Android Apps?

Hi, I'm a new app developer and I recently published my first app on the android market. Unfortunently I'm not getting any downloads besides those from friends. I've tried posted in app development forums like this one but that did not create an downloads. I also tried running an admob campaign and that did not create any downloads. I've been reading through the forums here and at other sites and it seems people won't download unless you have reviews and other people downloading. If others won't download because no downloads then nobody will download. I would really appreciate any advice. I'm not expecting or hoping for 10000 + downloads but I was hoping for at least 5 downloads since it's been almost 3 weeks now. Thanks for the suggestions.

go to smaller android blogs and ask them to review it. create youtube video and show how it works

This blog post documents my experience in App Marketing
This blog post documents my experience in App Marketing
http://karim-ouda.blogspot.com/2012/05/android-app-marketing-dumping-my.html

Submit your app to http://50bestandroidapps.com/
Submit your app to 50bestandroidapps.com
It's a good web site to get your apps promoted. :fingers-crossed:

the_main_app said:
Hi, I'm a new app developer and I recently published my first app on the android market. Unfortunently I'm not getting any downloads besides those from friends. I've tried posted in app development forums like this one but that did not create an downloads. I also tried running an admob campaign and that did not create any downloads. I've been reading through the forums here and at other sites and it seems people won't download unless you have reviews and other people downloading. If others won't download because no downloads then nobody will download. I would really appreciate any advice. I'm not expecting or hoping for 10000 + downloads but I was hoping for at least 5 downloads since it's been almost 3 weeks now. Thanks for the suggestions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Increase SEO of app..
In app details, enter large no. of keywords related with the app. Also, enter name of other similar popular apps as keyword.
It'll not just increase visibility in built-in search results, but also on external search engines and curators!

I might be able to help?
If you are looking to get your app promoted, I actually own and operate a website called Droid App of the Day, so if you would like a free app review visit my site (I cant post links as am a new member). A google search won't fail you!

the_main_app said:
Hi, I'm a new app developer and I recently published my first app on the android market. Unfortunently I'm not getting any downloads besides those from friends. I've tried posted in app development forums like this one but that did not create an downloads. I also tried running an admob campaign and that did not create any downloads. I've been reading through the forums here and at other sites and it seems people won't download unless you have reviews and other people downloading. If others won't download because no downloads then nobody will download. I would really appreciate any advice. I'm not expecting or hoping for 10000 + downloads but I was hoping for at least 5 downloads since it's been almost 3 weeks now. Thanks for the suggestions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello friend, I have the same problem as you! I also have a new android app, but cannot promote it properly. Could you please, share your experience on promoting your app. It would be interesting not only for me Good luck!

I have wrote this guide for people like me. I have wrote almost everything I tried when I was promoting my app.
http://obscurant1st.biz/blog/how-to-promote-android-app/

obscurant1st said:
I have wrote this guide for people like me. I have wrote almost everything I tried when I was promoting my app.
http://obscurant1st.biz/blog/how-to-promote-android-app/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great article! Thanks for sharing this

Few words about google play app pronotion
Empirically, I determined that a new application has to be seen through search Google play. Search is all that we have without money for a marketing campaign.
Therefore,application should be optimized in the following order:
Application name in google play. This name may be different from the name displayed on the desktop device. The application name contains 30 characters, they should contain the main application keywords.
Description of the application must be clear and also contain keywords.
Attractive icons are very important.
The application must be beautiful and functional. No need to buy a device for $ 300-500 and install an ugly app. People want a beautiful application.
Publication of forums mentioned above.

Well if you don't mind paying for installations try appbrain. It features an option to pay per installation, for a small number of installations you can go as low as 0,20 per installation. They only allow to promote free apps though, and if your income is from ads you will probably not get your money back.
Other options are going to forums and telling the users about your app. Or contact review blogs. Appeggs usally posts good apps, or try app of the day blogs. But make sure your app is ready for the big public or else you might just end up getting bad reviews,

I wrote a little guide on how to promote your apps http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2225125

I wanted to add that the guide that i've been using (a small one) and that lead our team to initially post a thread here on XDA is: http://karim-ouda.blogspot.kr/2012/05/android-app-marketing-dumping-my.html
Interestingly enough, the author of that guide has posted here as well!

So keywords actually do stuff then? I only tried it in one app, I didn't tell anyone I built or released the app. Not even one or two people and admittedly it has had 200 downloads.
I thought it didn't really do anything. Think I have to add keywords to all my apps descs now.

Be careful with keywords: http://droid-blog.net/2011/06/13/how-to-not-get-kicked-out-of-android-market/
This is also interesting: http://droid-blog.net/2011/07/11/four-reasons-why-your-app-wont-be-successful/
And for tips: http://droid-blog.net/category/aso-2/
Ok. It is all from the same blog but I found it very helpful.

Advertising is one option, the other is to advertise your app on various forums, facebook groups. Making youtube video is also a good practice. It avoids you negative reviews as user has already been aware of all app features.

First of all, I want to say that I have no experience in promoting Android apps. But I did some work in promoting websites for businesses, and I can suggest some things.
Key is a having a functional app. If users download an app which is half done and has disabled functions because they aren't done yet, they are going to uninstall it. Second suggestion, a great design is makes a difference for a lot of people whether they're going to install it or not.
When you have both those things, you can get on with actually promoting the app. I would search for an SEO copywriter to get the description for your app. SEO copywriters are specialized in optimizing texts for Google. And I would look into advertising on Facebook. I think you can actually promote your apps, and advertise only on phones. This way your advertisement will only be showed to people who are using Facebook on their phone. User will probably more tempted to install the app.

My app is now having more 1600+ downloads! I am planning to do a major update which might increase the app exposure!
EDIT: I would like everyone to know that I have started a free review service, so if anyone in the process of promoting thier android app, they could consider requesting a free review from me!

the_main_app said:
How to Promote Android Apps?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello to all.
You can promote your apps at Appsorg.com :good:
Appsorg.com - Helps you share and organize your Android apps from around the web.
ps - This is my first post at xda, but this is not a spam )
I really think this site will be very helpfully to all of us

App promotion
Thanks for all the interesting links and posts on app marketing ideas. We're a new app developer & in the same boat.
It seems that App Store Optimisation along with submissions to as many review sites as possible are good starting points. We started looking at pre launch strategies as well focusing on building up some marketing steam.
Check out pre apps. It's a pretty interesting idea. We also submitted to any app dev competitions and as many journalists as we could. Paid reviews are worth a look at as well if you can scrape a few 100 bucks together but make sure the site has traffic
dinamotxt dot com