Key Takeaways
- Google’s plethora of apps on the Play Store face stiff competition from third-party developers.
- Many third-party apps rival or surpass Google’s default offerings.
- Here are some of the best alternative apps available for the Android operating system.
As the owner of the Android mobile operating system, it’s no secret that Google software has a major impact worldwide. The search giant has published a wide array of apps in its Play Store storefront over the years, some of which have proven successful and others not so much.
By default, Google provides a number of utilities and services, which ship on just about every Android-based smartphone. While the company’s apps tend to be great showpieces for Android and its app framework, third-party app developers offer fierce competition.
Here are five third-party Android apps I gravitate towards using instead of Google’s out-of-box offerings.
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1 Material Files
A lightweight and open-source file manager with a clean aesthetic
Material Files
A free and open-source Android file manager that utilizes Material You theming.
Google’s default Android file manager is called Files by Google — and it’s perfectly adequate for most purposes. That said, the free third-party Material Files app has the search giant’s offering beat.
As the name suggests, Material Files leans heavily into the modern Material You Android design language. The interface is even simpler than what Google provides, which I appreciate. The app is lightweight, snappy, and overall pleasant to interact with.
Material Files is open-source, which is always a plus in my eyes.
In addition, Material Files is open-source, which is always a plus in my eyes. And for the real power users, the app supports the viewing and managing of files with root access, assuming you’ve rooted your Android device.
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2 Vanilla Music Player
Relive the iPod experience with a modern dash of Material You
Vanilla Music Player
A fluid and aesthetically pleasing app Android app designed for local playback of music files.
Google recently depreciated its Google Play Music app, which had served as the go-to destination for playing back offline music files. Instead, the company has reoriented towards music streaming far more aggressively than in the past, releasing the YouTube Music app in the process.
The problem is that YouTube Music makes for a terrible local music playback experience, with an interface that pushes you towards the company’s streaming service. Thankfully, the free third-party Vanilla app perfectly fills this important niche.
Vanilla offers a gorgeous Material You design language, and is tailor-made for music listening in the pre-streaming sense. There’s nothing wrong with music streaming — Spotify and others make music discovery a breeze — but I appreciate Vanilla’s simplicity and back-to-the-basic approach.
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3 Weather Today
A great solution if you don’t own a modern Pixel phone
Weather Today
A simple and visually pleasing Android weather app that rivals the default Pixel weather experience.
Google’s lack of a native weather app was the subject of much frustration in the past, but the company has since introduced an all-new Pixel Weather app. The problem, however, is that the experience is Pixel exclusive, with compatibility limited to newer Pixels at that.
The solution here is a quick download of what is by far my favorite third-party Android weather app: Weather Today. Unlike so many other forecasting apps that feature cluttered interfaces, Weather Today embraces simplicity. Its Material You theme is excellent, and information is presented in an easy to digest format.
Weather Today embraces simplicity.
The one caveat here is that Weather Today includes ads in its free tier — upgrading to Premium will net you no ads, the ability to swap weather providers, and more. The ads aren’t overly intrusive, and so the experience is pleasant even without parting with your money.
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4 Proton Mail
It’s like Gmail, but far more secure
Proton Mail
A privacy-focused email service provider app that features end-to-end encryption, tracker blocking, and more.
Google’s Gmail service, along with its corresponding Android app, are ubiquitous in the modern world. Popularity isn’t always indicative of quality, of course, and that’s certainly the case here when it comes to matters of privacy.
The third-party Proton Mail is an alternative email service provider that focuses on user privacy. Its Android app equivalent is well-designed, and offers the same benefits as its desktop equivalent: end-to-end encrypted mail, open source code, email tracker blocking, and more.
Proton Mail is a free service for basic personal use, with optional subscription tiers that offer additional features and cloud storage.
Proton Mail is a free service for basic personal use, with optional subscription tiers that offer additional features and cloud storage. As with Gmail, the free tier is going to be enough for most people, and the developers claim that the experience will always be ad-free.
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5 Compass
A true interface for taking advantage of your phone’s magnetometer.
Compass
A delightful compass app for Android that looks and feel native to the platform.
This one is a bit of a cop-out, as Google hasn’t actually published a first-party compass app onto the Play Store yet. However, modern Android phones — Google Pixel handsets included — feature a compass (magnetometer) at the hardware level.
By default, the third-party Compass app is a superior solution to Google’s. It costs a couple of dollars to download, but it’s worth every penny. The app is delightfully fluid, fully embracing Material You’s aesthetics. The use of haptics is a nice touch, as is the included level tool.
The app is delightfully fluid, with a full embrace of Material You’s aesthetics.
It’s pretty strange that Google built a Pixel Thermometer app before tackling the humble compass, but here we are. It may not be an everyday tool, but a dedicated interface for tracking coordinates is a must-have utility for travelers, hikers, and campers.
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