The days of tablets flooding the market are gone, but that doesn’t mean that there still aren’t use-cases for them. Samsung has been driving this point home with its Tab line of devices, but there are still even more tablets to choose from. But what are you supposed to do after you get your tablet and are signed in? We have found the best apps to take advantage of the screen real estate and processing power of your tablets.
Edit on the big screen
Adobe Lightroom
Staff Pick
Lightroom has become one of the de-facto choices for editing photos on the go, and with a tablet, this is improved even more. Adobe packs in many different tools for you to take advantage of so that your photos turn out absolutely perfect.
Free w/IAP at Google Play
Get another display
Duet Display
If you’re tired of running out of screen space on your computer or laptop, then Duet Display helps to solve that. This app turns your tablet into an extra display for your Mac or PC with “zero” lag and you can interact with your PC using the tablet’s touchscreen.
$10 at Google Play
Read your news
Feedly
It can be tough to keep track of what’s going on in the news, but with Feedly, you can customize your news to your liking. Feedly makes it easy to follow sources and blogs that you care about, regardless of whether they are tech-related or if you are just following the “standard” news.
Free w/IAP at Google Play
Stay up to date
Fenix 2 for Twitter
The standard Twitter is fine for most, but it doesn’t offer much in the way of customizability to create a timeline you’re interested in. With Fenix 2, not only can you add multiple accounts, but you are given full control of customizing your main screen and can choose different themes.
$5 at Google Play
Relax with Reddit
Relay for Reddit
Reddit is the playground of the internet and with an app like Relay, you can now customize how you interact with it. Regardless of whether you’re just a lurker or even a moderator, you can use Relay at your leisure and customize it to your liking.
Free w/IAP at Google Play
Read it later
Pocket is great for those who don’t have the time to read an article they find on Feedly, Twitter, or anywhere else. Simply share the article with Pocket and it will save it for later, allowing you to read it at your pace without forgetting the link or accidentally closing the article out. Pocket even makes it possible for you to listen to the articles that have been shared on your list with a tap of the headphones button.
Free w/IAP at Google Play
Split the keyboard
Fleksy Keyboard
Fleksy Keyboard has been around for quite some time and has seen some vast improvements. This includes the ability to create a custom keyboard while allowing you to install add-ons for a GIF keyboard, Emoji Keyboard, and even “mini-apps” easily accessible without opening another app.
Free w/IAP at Google Play
Take some quick notes
Google Keep
If you are trying to just get reminders and notes out of your head and into another service, Google Keep is perfect. There are multiple formats for your notes, and you can even use the app as a task manager if you’re so inclined. Plus, Google includes a few different widgets so that you can keep an eye on your notes and access them with ease from the home screen.
Free at Google Play
Interact remotely
Join by joaoapps
With an app like Join, you are likely a power-user, or just want to be able to remotely access your Android tablet. There are features such as clipboard sharing, SMS messaging, and the ability to receive notifications without having your device in front of you. But really, the app does so much more than one would expect and unlocks the capabilities of Android.
Free w/IAP at Google Play
Catch up on comics
Comics by Comixology
Are you a comics buff and want a better way to read comics than just on your phone? With Comics by Comixology, you get access to more than 100,000 digital comics, and you can even save downloaded books to a microSD card for offline reading.
Free at Google Play
Read your favorite books
Amazon Kindle
Amazon’s Kindle app has become the de-facto choice for reading your favorite books, magazines, and even comics. You can find new books directly from the app, and can even take advantage of books that include Audible narration for audio playback.
Free at Google Play
For those weird formats
Moon+ Reader
There are times where you get access to a book that won’t be imported into another app. With Moon+ Reader you can read those books with ease and get access to customizable visual options, along with 10 different themes and so much more.
Free w/IAP at Google Play
Access notes everywhere
Microsoft OneNote
Microsoft has made strides to turn OneNote into a great note-taking application, and there is now support to write or draw notes with a stylus. This digital notebook makes jotting down your ideas a breeze and then making them available across many more devices than just your tablet.
Free w/IAP at Google Play
Like pen and paper
MyScript Nebo
More tablets are released with stylus support, removing the need to carry a pen and notebook with you. Thanks to MyScript Nebo, you can carry your notes on the go with you, and have them sync across multiple devices with ease. Then, the notes can be converted to different formats for quickly sharing them with others.
$10 at Google Play
Organize your music
GoneMAD Music Player
Admittedly, GoneMAD is for those who have music downloaded to a microSD card or directly to your tablet. This music player makes organization and playback easy and supports a vast amount of formats along with Chromecast support and a customizable interface.
Free w/IAP at Google Play
Watch all the videos
VLC for Android
Not all videos are made equal and it’s those times where you’ll need an app like VLC to play those different formats. VLC is a full-media player, giving you access to play different file types along with syncing with network streams to watch something on your home server from your tablet.
Free at Google Play
Binge and chill
Netflix
Netflix is still the king of streaming services (for the time being), and the Netflix app makes it easy to catch up on your favorite shows. You can also download movies, shows, and documentaries directly to your tablet, giving you the ability to watch even if you don’t have a network connection.
Free w/IAP at Google Play
Paint and draw forever
SketchBook – draw and paint
SketchBook by Autodesk is one of those apps that was designed with the creatives at heart. Whether you just like to doodle, or are a full-fledged artist, SketchBook gives you all the tools you need to create works of art, on the go, wherever you take your tablet.
Free at Google Play
Get the best apps that work for you
The Play Store includes thousands of different apps for you to install and try, but not all of them have been optimized for tablets. However, when you dive deeper and find an application like Adobe Lightroom, you’ll truly see the benefits of having a bigger screen to get work done. Lightroom makes photo editing a breeze and allows you to take your basic photo and turn it into a masterpiece.
Then, when it’s time to kick back and relax, what better way to do that than with Netflix? Netflix gives you access to more movies, TV shows, and documentaries than you’ll know what to do with. Plus, the application gives you the ability to download your favorites directly to the tablet so they can be viewed even if you don’t have a network connection.