As 2015 comes to a close, it’s that time of year for the annual “best of …” or “favourite thing of 2015.”

This post will be focusing on the apps that I used the most this year, so much that I consider them my favourite apps of 2015. Some of these apps might not have come out in 2015 but some have been significantly since last year’s post: Favourite Apps of 2014.

Some of these apps are just available on only one platform (just Android or just iOS) but some of them are multiplatform in which they are on both Android and iOS and have a web app as well.

The links to download these apps will be in the form of “Get on Google Play” or “Get it on the App Store” pictures after each app description.

Action Launcher 3

Action Launcher is designed to replace the look of your Android device’s home screen. The third version of the launcher offered a complete  redesign with a new material design look while in addition quick access to all of your apps and widgets.

 

 

 

Fenix for Twitter

Fenix is a great alternative to the standard Twitter app. It offers both a clean design and light/dark mode options.

 

Sync for Reddit Pro

Reddit Sync is a great reddit app for Android. It is the most fully featured and offers the best value for the money.

 

Android Central

When I’m not writing post for TheCanadianTechie, I’m usually reading other tech news site. One of my favourite ones that specifically focuses on Android is Android Central. Their app was first released in May of 2013 but this year brought a material design overhaul of the app which is for the better.

 

Pocket Casts

If you are one of those people who love listening to podcasts, here a awesome app for you. Pocket Casts has a clean design and lots of features including Chromecast support. It is available on Android and iOS, you can even start a podcast on one device and continue listening on another by utilizing the app’s sync feature.

 

 

 

Pocket Casts is also has a web app, it’s available on their website for a one-time fee of $9.

Pocket Casts Web

Google Photos

Google introduced a new way to organize your photos. There are so many ways that your photos organized. If you want to just view photos of one particular person, you can because of the facial recognition that’s built into Google Photos. You could even just find photos from certain places that you’ve been to.

Also Google is also offering unlimited storage of your photos at high-quality or you can store them at full-size but that takes up your Google Drive space.

 

 

 

Google Photos is also available on the web: Google Photos (Web)

AZ Screen Recorder

This is one of the best screen recorders out there on Google Play. The best part is that all the features are free. The in-app purchases are for features that make the app even better but they aren’t necessary.

 

 

 

 

Solid Explorer

My go-to file explorer app was ES File Explorer but I wasn’t a big fan of their so called “material-ish” redesign. That’s when I found Solid Explorer which offered the same features as ES Explorer but with a better implementation of material design.

The app is free to download but you only get a 14-day trial then you’ll need to purchased a $1.99 in-app purchase to unlock everything permanently.

 

 

 

Unclouded

Unclouded is essentially a file explorer but more specifically for your cloud accounts like Google Drive, OneDrive, DropBox etc. The app also offers a material design look.

 

Manual Camera

Manual Camera brings manual controls to your smartphone camera. It almost like making your device a DSLR (but without the bulk).

Microsoft Hyperlapse

If you disappointed by Instagram and how they said that they couldn’t bring their Hyperlapse app over to Android because the “APIs aren’t there”, then here is a worthy Android alternative for you. The app allows you to record a hyperlapse video or make an existing video you already have into a hyperlapse (which is a feature that Instagram’s Hyperlapse app cannot do).

 

Weather Timeline

Weather Timeline is a great weather apps that offers a clean design.

 

Stocard

Are you tired of carrying all of those rewards cards? Here’s an app for you, Stocard will allow you to scan those reward cards and make them digital so you always have them with you even if you forget your wallet. It works with a wide variety of loyalty cards around the world including popular ones such as Air Miles or Menchie’s.

 

 

Aftership

AfterShip allows you to track all of our packages all in one app. All you have to do is put in the tracking number for your shipment and that’s it. You’ll get notifications when your package is in different stages of the delivery process.

 

80 Days

80 Days is based on the story Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne from 1873. It is available on Android, iOS as well as Windows and Mac OS X via Steam.

 

Bitcoin Billionaire

Bitcoin Billionaire has all the fun of becoming rich of bitcoin mining but without the risk.

 

Walloid Pro

Walloid Pro is a wallpaper that has a material design based ui. It collects wallpapers that would come stock with Android and iOS devices. The pro version of the app gets rid of ads and unlocks all the features.

 

Plex

Plex is a great way to organize your media collection. Plex will automatically pull-in metadata so you have more information about your movies, tv shows and music. The mobile apps make it so then you can watch your stuff while on the go or even cast it to a Chromecast or Apple TV.

 

Google Authenticator

Google Authenticator is for those who have enabled two-factor authentication to their account and it’s not just for Google accounts, DropBox, WordPress, Microsoft, Apple are just some of the companies that allow you to enable two-factor authentication.

Two-factor authentication just adds an extra layer of security to your online accounts. How it works it that whenever you log into an account that has two-factor authentication enabled, a code will be required to access that account. The code is generated by apps such as Google Authenticator. The Google Authenticator app even works offline.

 

Hound

Hound is a voice search app that is made by the creators of Soundhound. In some cases, it works better than Google Now’s voice search or Siri.

Currently the app is in beta and only in the U.S. If you want in, you’ll need a U.S Google Account and request an invite via the Hound website or within the app. An iOS version of the app is coming soon.