10 Most Popular Android Apps You Can Download From Google Play

By Don Reisinger

Flappy Bird deserves to be on this list because the free game is not only the most popular title in Google Play, it’s dominating other mobile marketplaces, as well. The game is simple: Users must flap the on-screen bird’s wings and get it through the stage while avoiding pipes. It’s easy—and addicting.

Kik Messenger has become another popular way for people to communicate on Android. The free app, which has over 100 million users, lists a person’s username rather than phone number, effectively allowing the user to freely message people on mobile devices, regardless of platform. It’s a free way to get around costly text messaging. And it’s becoming increasingly popular.

Snapchat has become a craze among the younger Android crowd. The free app allows users to share an image or video, add a caption, and send it to others. The interesting thing about Snapchat is that the clips are given a shelf life, and when they expire, the recipient can no longer view them. Snapchat is wildly popular among teens—and a hugely controversial app for parents worried about what their kids are doing on mobile devices.

At $6.99, Minecraft is one of the more expensive applications in this roundup, but it’s also the most popular paid app in the Google Play store. The game allows users to place blocks to build things in the Minecraft world. The nice thing about the Pocket Edition of Minecraft is that users need only to pay once and they’ll have access to the game free of charge on any and all future devices. That makes its steep price tag a little easier to swallow.

SwiftKey Keyboard might shock users when they first open up the app. The $3.99 program predicts what a person will type next without forcing the user to even type a single key. It’s not always correct, as users point out, but judging by its 4.5 stars from 360,000 reviews, it seems that it’s doing an awfully good job at predicting a user’s next word.

Root Explorer is the ideal solution for those who want to dig a little deeper into their products. The application is a file manager that provides root access to different device components, permissions, scripts and other features. The app costs $3.99, but has earned its stripes among hacker types. Image 6: Root Explorer

Titanium Backup Pro comes with an odd price—$6.58—but it’s worth the investment. The app includes multiple backups per program, support for batch restore, and the ability to back up and restore SMS, calls and other data. It even works on devices that support multiple users. It’s a must-have.

It’s rather funny that a Microsoft-owned service is tops on a Google platform. Skype, which provides support for voice, instant messaging and video calls, is one of the top free apps on Android. And for good reason—the program works quite well, communicating with others is simple, and it has a vibrant community of 250 million people. It’s a great app, all around.

Those looking for a free way to speed up their Android device should consider Clean Master. The application, which has more than 100 million users, includes the ability to clean cache, boost RAM performance and clean out malware. It’s a hugely popular app with an average rating of 4.5 stars from 5.3 million reviewers.

The Swype keyboard has been around for a while, and it’s still quite popular. The $3.99 app lets users swipe around a virtual keyboard to type out messages, rather than tap on individual keys. Opinions are mixed on the technology, but the folks behind Swype—Nuance Communications—say it’s a better way to quickly type out documents.