We’re kicking off this round-up with what might be the most important app there is for your Android-based device. As its name suggests, ROM Manager lets you save and restore your current ROM. But this app also allows you to restart in Recovery mode, install a ROM from the SD card, and partition the card. It's simply a must for anyone who enjoys playing around under the hood of Google's operating system.
What we like: Easy ROM switching, and the fact that you can restore a device’s original ROM.
When it comes to modifying certain system settings as root, you risk crashing your smartphone and losing all of your data, forcing you to reinstall Android. Fortunately, Titanium Backup lets you backup and restore all of the information on your device: apps, settings, SD card contents, and so on. This app might just prevent you from making a costly mistake.
What we like: Knowing that our data is safe, even from us!
JS Backup is a clear, simple, and intuitive data storage tool that allows you to save and restore contacts, call histories, text messages, calendars, bookmarks, system settings, shortcuts, alarms, dictionaries, apps, pictures, songs, playlists, and videos. In other words, it lets you save pretty much everything.
What we like: Uses the widely-accepted CSV format.
A graphical interface is nice, but everyone knows that nothing beats a good old command-line interface (CLI) when you want to get into the guts of an operating system. Android Terminal Emulator lets you to do just that by providing access to Android’s CLI, where you can type in a host of commands, each one more exciting than the last.
What we like: Full access to Android’s underlying Linux command line interface.
ConnectBot is an SSH client capable of managing several SSH sessions simultaneously, creating secure tunnels, and copy/pasting to and from other apps.
What we like: The possibility of accessing our home PCs while travelling.
Go Launcher EX allows you to change the Android interface completely. It updates the widgets and icons, and makes folders behave just like those on the iPhone. The launcher, gestures, animations, and screen management receive an overhaul as well, and almost everything is customizable, letting you create a truly unique and personal user interface.
What we like: The ability to customize a device's UI beyond what Android typically facilitates.
System Tuner is one of those do-everything apps. Although it's a task manager at heart, this app also allows you to select what programs start with the phone, set the cache size for SD cards, tweak the CPU frequency, and monitor memory usage. It’s also possible to modify apps that are integrated into the ROM, moving them between the “user” and “system” space, though these functions are only available on a rooted device.
What we like: Being able to customize both a device’s hardware settings and OS internals with a single app.
Spare Parts Plus! is a free app that makes it possible to modify a handful of hidden Android parameters. For example, you can enable or disable the “compatible” display mode, adjust haptic feedback, transitions, and animations. This app can also display a history of battery usage on certain devices.
What we like: The multitude of animation controls.
BusyBox enables many standard Unix commands (like dpkg, ls, mount, su, and so on) on a rooted Android device. Essentially, BusyBox is a collection of useful command-line tools conveniently packaged into a single app.
What we like: Being able to use classic Unix command-line tools in Android.
Superuser provides access to the protected areas of your rooted Android device, allowing you to choose the apps allowed superuser (also known as “su”) access to the system.
What we like: Being able to customize the exact privileges for any app.
CatLog provides a GUI front-end for Android’s logcat command on rooted devices. This app provides an easy-to-read, color-coded version of the Android system log that is searchable and sortable. You can even save system logs to an SD card and send them as email attachments.
What we like: The color-coded column view and system log export.
Battery Spy provides a visual representation of several key battery usage statistics. It can check the current state and charge level of the power source and track consumption over several days. Notifications can also be set when the battery level or temperature reaches user-defined thresholds. Battery Spy supports profiles, so you can monitor your primary and backup batteries.
What we like: Customizable 2D or 3D graphs representing usage statistics over time.
Cool Tool allows you to monitor numerous system parameters right from Android’s Action Bar. Some of the subsystems that Cool Tool monitors include CPU load/frequency, memory usage, Wi-Fi/cellular network traffic, SD card capacity, battery level, cellular signal, temperature, and more.
What we like: An always-on, user-configurable system monitor.
Total Commander is the Android version of the famous desktop file manager by the same name. This app allows you to create/rename/copy/move directories, delete files, compress/decompress, search files, send files via Bluetooth, and basically every other primary function of a file manager. LAN, FTP, and WebDAV plugins for Total Commander are also available on Google Play.
What we like: The comprehensive file management options, and robust plug-in system for adding even more functionality.
File Manager HD is, as its name suggests, a file manager for Android tablets. Like all file managers, File Manager HD can cut, copy, paste, compress, decompress, and search for files and directories. But it also has a built-in text editor. File Manager HD supports networked file systems over LAN or SMB, as well as several major cloud storage solutions, including Box, DropBox, Google Drive, SkyDrive, and SugarSync.
What we like: The folders, sidebar, and navigation bar work well on tablets, and will be immediately familiar to any desktop user.
eFile is yet another file manager option for Android. On top of the usual capabilities enabled by most file managers, eFile allows file sharing via Wi-Fi and supports drag and drop (via press and hold). The top and bottom toolbars with pop-out make good use of the limited screen real estate available on smartphones.
What we like: Thumbnail view for image files, and drag and drop support.
Astro File Manager / Browser is one of the most popular file manager apps for Android. It allows you to browse or search for files on your Android device, local network, Box, DropBox, Google Drive, Facebook, or SkyDrive accounts. A directory path in the uppermost toolbar makes backward navigation a snap.
What we like: Integration with most major cloud storage services.
3G Watchdog measures your mobile data consumption over GPRS, EDGE, 3G, and 4G networks. You can also get a detailed daily, weekly, or monthly report on your usage.
What we like: The notification icon that changes color and historical usage reports.
Call Meter 3G gathers statistics on calls, text messages, and data consumption. This app also allows you to set limits for each type of communication service.
What we like: The simple usage breakdown and alerts.
Quadrant Standard Edition is a simple system (CPU, GPU, and I/O) performance benchmark.
What we like: Easy to compare devices...and brag to your friends about your latest purchase!
Anyone can install an app, but completely and fully uninstalling them often requires a helping hand. That’s where Uninstaller comes in. This app cuts through the sea of differing menus on the various Android spins to provide a simple way to uninstall software.
What we like: Simple and effective removal of unwanted apps.
Link2SD is targeted towards rooted Android smartphones running version 1.6 to 2.1 of the operating system. This app allows you to install aps on the memory card rather than internal memory, an ability that was introduced in later versions of Android. Aside from rooting, a second partition must also be created on the memory card.
What we like: Freeing up internal memory, which can sometimes improve performance.
AndroSensor provides a unified view of what your device’s various sensors are detecting. Supported sensors include: location, accelerometer, gyroscope, light, magnetic field, proximity, temperature, battery, orientation, and sound.
What we like: The option to see the results in graphs.
Network Discovery scans Wi-Fi networks to find computers and other equipment. This app also doubles as a port scanner.
What we like: The rapid scan speed.
Fing – Network Tools is the Swiss Army Knife of networking utilities for Android. This app includes a port scanner, network scanner, ping, traceroute, DNS lookup, Wake on LAN, and connectivity testing. Fing – Network Tools works on Wi-Fi, 3G, and 4G networks.
What we like: An editable list of tested ports.
G-MoN is a wardriving app capable of collecting and locating all detected Wi-Fi access points. G-MoN scans nearby Wi-Fi signals and saves their locations in a file on the memory card. It can also display information about the mobile data connection (2G, 3G, and 4G).
What we like: The ability to catalog and rate Wi-Fi access points.
Wifi Analyzer turns your Android smartphone into a... well, a Wi-Fi analyzer. This app is capable of finding Wi-Fi hotspots close to you, while also giving you the signal strength and the channel used, all in a convenient graph. A signal meter is available, too.
What we like: The ability to find the most-ideal, least-jammed channel for your wireless network.
WiFi Manager not only lets you find wireless hotspots, but also allows you to manage and connect to them. This app displays the channel, signal strength, and type of password protection associated with the signals it finds.
What we like: The lightning-fast hotspot detection and ability to attach labels to detected networks.
Thanks to OpenSignal, you’ll know which way to walk when you’re losing signal strength. This app generates a map of mobile network antennas. It's able to determine the direction of the antenna you are connected to and the strength of the signal it emits. A compass points you towards the closest tower with the best signal. A Wi-Fi map also catalogs the location of open Wi-Fi hotspots.
What we like: The possibility of avoiding “dead zones”.
GPS Test is a robust utility that displays position, speed, altitude, universal and local time, sunrise and sunset times, and even the position of satellites. Thanks to GPS Test, you will now find a use for the GPS sensor in your smartphone.
What we like: Multiple color schemes and a non-cramped UI that is extremely easy-to-read.
GPS Essential brings together everything your phone’s GPS sensor and compass are capable of measuring: minimum and maximum speeds, actual speed, position, altitude, lunar phase, time, bearing, and climb. The map function of this app supports Google Maps, MapQuest, and OpenStreetMap. You can even take pictures that have a HUD watermark and embedded GPS information.
What we like: The ability to create waypoints and save routes.
Barcode Scanner is barcode reader that also supports the newer QR codes. Besides reading, this app can also save and send codes via email or text message. If a QR code contains data pointing to something on Google Play, Barcode Scanner will open the applicable product page.
What we like: Efficient code reading and the direct link to Google Play.
The AppBrain app lets you navigate Google Play more efficiently, while the complementary AppBrain website lets you download apps from a familiar PC Web browser. Installing and uninstalling are accomplished via AppBrain Market Sync.
What we like: The ability to rank apps according to popularity.
AndFTP is an FTP, FTPS, and SFTP client with functionality you'd expect from an FTP manager. It can upload and download files, update permissions, create and delete files, and manage custom commands.
What we like: Remembers your favorite FTP servers, along with user names and passwords.
Thanks to Samba Filesharing, it’s now possible to access the contents of your Android device from your PC, wirelessly! This app allows you to copy or even move files from your Android device to your PC via a network sharing folder.
What we like: Easy configuration, and one less cable to trip over.
MPC&VLC Remote lets you control Media Player Classic or VLC on your PC from your Android device over a Wi-Fi connection.
What we like: If you're using an Android smartphone, this app automatically pauses playback when you receive a call.
AirDroid lets you to take control of your phone or tablet via a Web browser. Using this app, you can copy, paste, delete, rename, or move files between your Android device and PC.
AirDroid can even access the SMS menu of an Android smartphone in order to read, delete, write, and send messages. This app also gives you complete control over your apps (install/uninstall), pictures, contacts, and music, all of which you can view, edit, read, or export to your PC.
What we like: User-friendly simplicity at every stage of use.
Who among us has never lost a smartphone? Have you had one stolen? How about spending an hour looking for your phone around the house while it's in silent mode? Enter AndroidLost. This app lets you control your Android-based smartphone from a computer or other Android device. You can send and receive SMS messages, lock your phone, locate it via GPS or the mobile broadband network, delete all the data on the SD card, and much, much more.
What we like: Being able to quickly uncover our phones hiding in their natural habitat: between couch cushions.
Skifta lets you remotely view and control the multimedia content on your Android device. You're able to view pictures, watch video, or listen to music via the Web, or even send media to a TV, PS3, or stereo using Wi-Fi connectivity.
What we like: DNLA certification and UPnP simplicity.
DiskUsage offers an original approach to visualizing the files and directories in your Android device’s internal memory or attached SD card. This app gives you a size-proportional graphical display of the directory tree, with the ability to preview or delete files.
What we like: Integration with the popular Astro and OI file manager apps.