15 Android Apps You May Have Never Used

Just as soon as you get your brand-new Android smartphone, there are a few apps you are probablygoing to download immediately, Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, maybe Kindle, along with your favoritegames. But with more than a million apps in the Google Play store, it’s pretty much assured thatthere are going to be a lot of options that you never even thought of, either because you’re not surewhat they do or you simply don’t even know they exist. Here’s a list of some top picks that youprobably don’t about that you might want to try:

Wikitude

Wikitude is a free browser that will open up your eyes to the world around you using your device'scamera. This augmented reality browser is neat because it lets you explore and interact with yoursurroundings. You can search for places around you, like "restaurants" or "accommodations," orlook up nearby events, tweets, Yelp recommendations or even a relevant Wikipedia article or two.Vendors in the area also serve up mobile coupons through the app so you'll know when you'relocated near a good deal. Wikitude also comes with a bunch of cool AR games, like “Alien Attack”,"Swat The Fly," and "Bubble Tap."

Tasker

Whether you're interested in keeping your phone screen on while you read an e-book or you want itto ring a bit louder, Tasker is ready to do your bidding. Take advantage of this clever app'snumerous triggers, such as time, day and location, to save yourself some time and make yoursmartphone even smarter.

Buzz Launcher

Tired of the way your phone's interface looks? Wish you could change more than just the wallpaper? From app drawers and calendar widgets all the way to home-screen layouts, BuzzLauncher lets you change the look of your interface so it feels like you're using a completelydifferent device. You can choose from one of more than 200,000 beautiful user-created designs, orjust create your own. You can even build your own widget and personalize your phone even morethan you thought possible.

A.I.type

It would be nice if your keyboard were smart enough to know what you want to enter, but not sodarn presumptuous that it auto-corrects your words all the time without even providing any notice.A.I.type features a context-based next-word prediction engine that warns you before (and after) itcorrects your text. With different skins, such as iPhone 4s and Windows 7 layouts, you can emulateother devices and operating systems. A.I.type also offers you navigation and editing buttons, like

Back and Undo, so your fingers will never have to leave the keyboard again. It also learns fromyour typing habits, refining its prediction engine as you type.

CamDictionary

Whether you're getting ready for a trip to Japan or just want to understand the menu at a fancyFrench restaurant, CamDictionary can be a lifesaver. This app translates the words it sees throughyour device's camera, in real time, so you don't have to worry about taking a picture just to get yourexplanation. Thirty-six languages are supported, and you can use CamDictionary almost anywherein the world. You can even learn a new language, thanks to the pronunciation guides and audio clipsthat play through your native speakers.

Google Goggles

Google Goggles is a cool program that lets you look up anything you see around you by justsnapping a photo with your phone's camera. Shoot pictures of bar codes, QR codes or any imagesuch as a famous landmark, billboard or movie poster. The app will do a Google Images search, andthen return information such as movie titles, locations and even translations of foreign text in yourpictures. You can also use this app to add additional contacts by taking a snapshot of a businesscard, thanks to built-in Optical Character Recognition (OCR).

WeChat

Messaging apps that send texts, photos, videos and location information are everywhere these days,but WeChat's claim to fame is fun. A cool live chat walkie-talkie-style feature will allow you and agroup of friends to send short voice messages to each other. It also has a robust library of free andpaid stickers that make messaging pals truly entertaining. The free app works on iOS, Android,Windows and BlackBerry devices, plus there's a web client for the desktop.

Accupedo

Accupedo is a pedometer that does exactly what you’d think, and does it very well. Unlike manyother fitness apps, this step tracker doesn't ask you to set up an account and log in before you starttracking. Accupedo tracks your steps, the distance you’ve walked, calories burned, and the timeyou’ve spent walking, then shows you weekly, monthly and yearly reports of your progress. Youcan share your daily walking log on social media, or have it emailed to yourself for safekeeping. Setgoals based on the number of steps you take, distance walked, or the amount of weight that youwant to lose.

PasswordBox

Security breaches are more common than even burglaries and muggings nowadays. Guard yourselfagainst would-be identity thieves with PasswordBox, which lets you manage the credentials ofservices like Facebook, Netflix and your bank account. The app generates secure passwords for newprofiles that you create while you browse the web, and guards your information with AES-256 bitencryption. Access all of your accounts with one master password. You can also store your creditcard, banking and ID information inside the app and have it covered by the same protection.

FoxFi

With FoxFi, you can make full use of your phone's data plan without paying extra for tethering. Theapp turns your smartphone into a hotspot for all your other devices, so now you can surf on the go

with your laptop or tablet. You don't even have to root your phone to use this app, and your carrierwill never know the difference.

Avast

It’s easy to keep your Android safe with Avast. The program offers tools like virus scanner, virusremoval, firewall, app manager and app lock. It protects your smart phone from phishing attempts,prevents spyware and viruses from installing, and even features a web-based phone locate feature ifyou happen to have lost your device. If your phone is swiped, you can remotely wipe it and preventsensitive information from being accessed.

AllCast

AllCast lets you stream your device's photos, music or videos to almost anything else. Cast to yourRoku, Chromecast, Apple TV, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Amazon Fire TV or Smart TVs directly fromyour Android. You can control playback and volume options while never without getting up fromyour couch.

Addappt

You probably know how much of a pain it is when you've changed your phone number or homeaddress, making sure the right data gets to the people you want. Addappt takes the pain out of thatprocess by letting you share your contact information directly with your friends. When you updateyour details, the changes are automatically synced on your contacts' phones so they don’t even haveto lift a finger. The app pulls initial information from your device’s address book and subsequentlyupdates it so you'll have the same information across the board.

Opera

If you're still using the stock Android browser or Chrome, you've been missing out. Opera is nowthe best browser for Android, and not just because it's the fastest. The app offers three differentbrowsing layouts -- Phone, Classic and Tablet -- so it can focus on easier one-handed use, or morespace for content. Tabs are conveniently docked in an overlaid carousel, so you can quickly scrollthrough them. A Flipboard-like Discover feature puts stories from the Internet's most popularcontent providers in one convenient panel as well.

Toshl Finance

Toshl Finance helps you organize your expenses in a fun and easy manner. Its quirky roboticcharacters and easy-to-use interface make entering daily expenditures simple. Just set a dailyreminder to fill in your spending for that day, create custom, separate budgets, plan for upcomingbills and then track your spending while you travel. You can also sync your info across differentdevices and monitor your finances with some nice colored charts. A monthly $1.99 subscriptionunlocks several premium features such as multiple budgets and more graphs on the web version.