Whether you’re looking to learn a language, track your fitness or gaze at the stars, smartphones do remarkable things thanks to apps. Many of these come free.
Samsung Free is a content aggregator that comes preinstalled on Galaxy phones running One UI or newer. It replaces the previous Daily app and offers news feeds (from Upday and Taboola), podcast episodes and casual games.
1. Music Streaming
Streaming allows you to listen to digital copyright-restricted music without having it physically stored on your device. It’s a great alternative to downloading and can be used with a variety of devices. Streaming services such as Spotify and Pandora are well known for their personalized radio-style streams. They’ll recommend songs based on your taste and learn over time. They may have a free tier with ads or a paid subscription with more privileges.
Some apps specialize in particular genres like BeatportLink for electronic music, GimmeRadio for Metal or QoBuz for high-fidelity streaming. Some of these also allow users to upload their own audio files to be streamed. It’s a convenient and quick way to access your favorite music when you don’t have much space or are on the go.
2. Podcasts
Podcasts are essentially audio files that are played via your phone or computer. They are a great way to learn about new things, keep up with news and events, or simply just pass the time.
Stream or download episodes, or find the ones you want to listen to in your queue. You can also trim silences, enhance voices for better listening in noisy environments and set custom playback speeds.
Discover podcasts that entertain, inform and inspire you. Get recommendations curated by Apple Podcasts editors, tailored to your interests. Plus, easily connect subscriptions to access shows in Apple Music, Apple News and more. And pick up right where you left off with seamless syncing across your devices.
3. News
News mobile apps are the perfect way for users to get their daily dose of current affairs without having to scour the web. They offer a more convenient way of getting the latest headlines and can also be tailored to match user interests.
Popular examples include Flipboard, which aims to be more like a social magazine than a standard news app. It lets you arrange a curated news feed with stories that interest you and also provides personalized push notifications.
Google News is another good example, with its curated must-read news bulletins. It allows you to pick topics and sources that interest you and it also learns from your search history so it can provide more relevant recommendations. Moreover, it lets you save articles to read offline.
4. Weather
The built-in weather app on most devices can give you basic information, but third-party apps often offer much more. They can give you severe weather alerts for your location, provide hourly forecasts, and even show you how a storm will affect the local landscape.
Some of the best weather apps also include air quality information, allergy tips, and more. Others are geared towards specific situations like flying, hiking, or biking.
To succeed in the market, a weather app needs to have a unique selling point (USP). This can be anything from an unusual design to a clever monetization strategy. A great example is Dark Sky, which focuses on tracking conditions for multiple locations and uses color shading to instantly relay current conditions. It is free, but users can upgrade to a premium ad-free version.
5. Gaming
Gaming is a fun and sociable hobby that can be used to escape into a virtual world. It can also be a way to build resilience and overcome challenges by embracing different identities in character and in game worlds.
There is a risk that some games can become addictive and lead to gamers ignoring their personal lives or becoming isolated. There is also a risk that some players can be lured into paying large sums of money to purchase random rewards, which are often compared to gambling.
Luckily, there are a number of free apps that can help players get the most out of their gaming experience. These include MSI Afterburner, f.lux, and Plink. Plink is a new app that connects gamers based on their skill, playstyle and demographics. It even has a feature that lets users swipe each other to find the best gaming teammate.