Most of us don’t want to pay for software, which is how we’ve ended up with intrusive ads and free-to-play addiction traps. But for just a few bucks, your mobile experience can be much, much better. I pay for my Android apps, and here are some I can easily recommend as being worth their price.
Moon+ Reader Pro
Moon+ Reader is one of my favorite and most-used apps. I open it daily to read my sizable collection of DRM-free ebooks and comics. Thanks to Humble Bundle, it’s easy to quickly amass a large collection, and there are other sources of DRM-free media as well. Plus, it’s not exactly difficult to strip the DRM from a book you’ve legally purchased and read on your own device, even if that’s technically breaking the terms of service (I don’t buy books from Amazon, but here’s how to remove DRM from Kindle books if you have).
Moon+ Reader offers nearly every feature and option I want from an ebook reading app, putting even most dedicated eReaders to shame. It’s the perfect companion to my book-style foldable phone.
PenCake
I’m currently typing these words in PenCake via the Galaxy XR headset that I bought to be my professional spatial computer. It’s a markdown app designed explicitly for creative writing. I’ve yet to encounter any other app that makes it so easy to begin writing and switch between texts, with minimal time spent on organizing where things go.
Writing is deeply personal, and the same kind of app doesn’t work for everyone. I used Obsidian for a while, and I still whole-heartedly recommend that expansive note-taking app, but currently the more minimalist PenCake helps me focus on my work the fastest.
As the screenshots above show, PenCake is also the primary writing app I use on my phone. This isn’t a problem, since the app syncs across both of my devices using Google Drive. Automatic syncing is unlocked by purchasing the premium version, along with other perks like 90 days of revision history and access to the desktop client. I unlocked lifetime premium access for $16.
MobiOffice
Virtually all Android phones come with Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. These apps all work fine, but I’m not a fan of the Google ecosystem, and I prefer to use software that prioritizes local files. I could opt for Microsoft Office 365, but I’ve instead settled on a $25 annual subscription to MobiOffice instead.
As someone whose primary computing devices are a Galaxy Z Fold 6 and a Galaxy XR headset, I need an office suite capable of doing all the tasks I normally would do from a desktop version. That’s largely a solved problem for someone like me who doesn’t need Office 365’s more specialized features, so the difference largely comes down to who has the most navigable interface. MobiOffice has the fewest quirks that get in my way and allow me to work with DOCX files and Excel spreadsheets without anyone knowing I’m not using a conventional PC.
Screen Master
This one is admittedly niche, but if you’re someone who needs to take and share screenshots often, Screen Master is a valuable tool. It brings to Android the kind of screenshot tools baked into most desktop operating systems and more.
For me, Screen Master provides the features I need to do my job, such as blocking out private information, adding arrows, or stitching multiple screenshots together side by side. It’s also a screen capture tool when you need to record actions occurring on-screen.
Infinite Design
On Android, I’ve yet to see a single app that’s good for all forms of image manipulation in the way GIMP or Photoshop might be (the mobile version of Photoshop is geared more toward photos than the desktop version is). For those kinds of edits where I need to create a blank canvas of a certain size, carefully mark up an image pixel by pixel, or get more hands on than Canva is suited for, I turn to Infinite Design.
Infinite Design is an app focused on creating designs and artwork in the SVG format. It can be used for graphics of all sorts, ranging from architecture drawings to website prototypes. And like many creative mobile apps, there are a surprising array of features on offer here. The full version cost me a one-time $8 payment.
FolderSync
You can find cloud storage apps for Android, but these operate differently from their desktop counterparts. Dropbox won’t sync in the background, and you’re instead limited to manually browsing what’s been previously uploaded to your folder. If you want to automatically sync the folders on your phone, well, FolderSync’s name gives it away.
FolderSync can sync folders to various cloud accounts and lets you decide whether to keep the two locations in sync or purely use the web as a place to back up files. I personally like using FolderSync to back up my phone to an external SSD or flash drive.
Outside my web browser, I refuse to use software that dishes out ads. I pay for ad-free streaming services, and if an app gives me the option to pay to remove ads, I will—assuming it’s an app I like. I want Android to have a vibrant app marketplace, and I’m happy to support it. I also happen to have a more pleasant relationship with my phone as a result.
