Android is great, if you don't like the way a certain app does something, chances are there is an alternative. Here on the my top apps. Some of them replace stock apps and others push the limit of what Android can do.

Note: I use an HTC One (m7)

Replacement Apps

There are many alternatives to these replacement apps but these are the ones I use. All replacement apps free unless stated otherwise.

  • Gallery App - QuickPic
  • Text Message - Google Messenger, QKSMS
  • Lock Screen - AcDisplay
  • Launcher - NovaLauncher (Prime: $4.00)
  • Camera - Google Camera
  • Email - K-9 Mail, Google Inbox
  • Browser - Google Chrome
  • Keyboard - SwiftKey

Utilities

  • AllCast - Free/$4.99: Broadcast almost anything to your media device (Chromecast, Apple TV)

  • CamScanner - Free/$4.99: Create awesome scanned documents, free with a .edu email address

  • Feedly - Free: Great RSS reader with a web client as well

  • IFTTT - Free: A great tool to automate task with your phone, complete blog post incoming

  • Tasker - $2.99: The single most powerful automation app on Android, easily one of my top 3 apps of all time

  • Microsoft Office Mobile - Free: It's Microsoft Office on your phone!

  • MX Player - Free/$5.99: A great media player than can play most any format and has awesome controls!

  • Pocket - Free: Like InstaPaper this app saves blog post, websites, etc for later reading

  • Pocket Casts - $3.99: A great podcast player with a lot of podcast built in and the ability to add RSS feeds

  • Pushbullet Free: One of the greatest apps for use between phone and computer. Copy links, text, media between your phone and computer and vise versa

  • Google Opinion Rewards - Free: Get paid to take surveys, has paid for a lot of my apps

  • SimpleNote - Free: My go-to note taking app, simple interface is key here

Games

  • Banner Saga - $4.99: A great RPG now on your phone, very reminisant of early Fallout games
  • Breach and Clear - $0.99: Play as various special forces units and take down enemies with tactical gameplay
  • Godville - Free: A halarious RPG with a twist!
  • Retry - Free: Fly a plane much like Flappy Birds
  • Rotate - Free: Shoot a ball from a rotating wheel to another rotating wheel, seems easy enough right?

Widgets & Customization

  • Arcus - Free/$2.73: Very detailed weather widget, can take up a whole page
  • EventFlow Agenda - Free: A really minimal calendar widget, looks great on large screens
  • Muzei - Free: Custom backgrounds updated daily with lots of plugins, I use the NASA image of the day plugin
  • Power Toggles - Free: Control almost all of your settings right from a widget
  • TeslaUnread Plugin - Free: iOS style notificaions on the app icon
  • UCCW - Free: Awesome widget creator, the sky is the limit
  • WidgetLocker - $2.99: Create the lock screen of your dreams with widgets, passwords, patter locks, and much more
  • ZooperWidgets - Free/$2.49: Like UCCW create awesome custom widgets