Best Apps 2018 « Smartphones

Gaming: The 9 Best Free Action Games for iPhone & Android

Smartphones and tablets have become so powerful in recent years that they're now approaching PCs and game consoles in terms of gameplay and graphics. Thanks to sharper and more responsive touchscreens along with powerful processors, iOS and Android devices like the OnePlus 5 have become gaming rigs in their own right, letting mobile gamers experience action games as never before.

News: The 5 Best Free Email Clients for iOS

You're a busy, on-the-go professional, so you deserve an email client that keeps up with you. If the iOS Mail app isn't cutting it, you're in luck — there are plenty of alternatives that offer more features. Better yet, these apps are free. You won't need to spend a dime to try them out for yourself.

News: The 7 Best Weather Apps for Android & iPhone

Checking the weather ranks among the most mundane but essential tasks you can do on your smartphone. Thankfully, both the iOS App Store and Google Play are loaded with weather apps that add some much needed spice to this daily routine, giving you less of a reason to be caught unaware.

Secure Messaging: The 4 Best Apps for Private, Encrypted Communications on Android & iPhone

Smartphones are still "phones" first, which means communicating with others is usually the primary use. Ranging from a simple "hi" to a more personal conversation and even sharing passwords, our messages should remain private so that only the intended recipient sees its content. While many apps tout end-to-end encryption, not all apps prioritize security and your privacy.

Compared: The Best Antivirus & Security Suite Apps for Android

The Play Store hasn't been the most secure place for apps lately. A quick Google search for "Play Store malware" will give you a taste of some of the malicious apps that snuck their way onto Android's official app store. Google is aware of the problem and they're tying to fix it, but their new Play Protect program doesn't have a great track record, so you might want to look elsewhere.

Ranked: The 7 Best Paid Word Games for iPhone & Android

Word games can expand your vocabulary skills in all sorts of exciting and creative ways. Because of this, both the iOS App Store and the Google Play Store are awash with word games, making it hard to differentiate between good and bad titles. This is especially troublesome if you're looking to purchase a game, as everyone hates to waste hard-earned cash.

How To: The Five Best Apps for Streaming Movies on Your Phone

There are more than a few subscription-based movie streaming apps available for Android and iPhone, each with different benefits and varying pricing plans. Needless to say, it can get expensive fast if you sign up for multiple services because you can't decide on what's best. Hopefully, we can help you out with choosing the right video-on-demand app to spend your hard-earned dollars on.

Best TV Streaming App: Netflix vs. Hulu vs. Amazon Prime vs. HBO Now vs. Showtime

Who here binges TV on a regular basis? I know I do. Never before have we had so many options for watching our favorite shows, especially when you consider how easy it is to stream from anywhere on a mobile device. But sometimes, all that choice gets a little overwhelming. What services are really worth the money? Where should you be investing your Friday-night binges?

How To: The 4 Best Apps for Downloading Movies & TV Shows

Streaming is all the rage these days. But what about when you're on a plane, or have a limited data plan? You probably want to download your movies and TV shows instead. While Netflix is great, you can't rent Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and download it yet. What you need is an app that lets you do just that.

Gaming: The 10 Best Free Shooting Games for Android & iPhone

There's something extremely satisfying about hunting down your online adversaries and knocking them out with a well-placed shot, which probably explains why shooting games are still one some of the most popular time killers for iOS and Android.

News: The 5 Best Free File Managers for Android

One of Android's biggest strengths, when compared to other mobile operating systems is its open file structure. Google introduced a built-in file manager with Marshmallow that provides basic file management, but like with most apps on Android, there are alternatives. Third-party file managers are readily available, providing deeper access and control of all your files.

Ranked: The 5 Best Home Screen Launchers for Android

One of the best things about Android is the ability to customize your phone to your liking. From changing the layout of icons to finding the perfect wallpaper to reflect your current mood, there's a wide range of tools to make your phone yours.

Gaming: The 9 Best Free Puzzle Games for Your iPhone or Android

Puzzle games are a great way to kill time and exercise your brain in one fell swoop. They challenge you to think strategically and plan ahead, whether that's to create killer chain combinations for maximum points, or to plain old keep from getting killed.

How To: Top 7 Free Wallpaper Apps for Android Phones & Tablets

Out of all the questions that we receive from our readers and viewers here at Gadget Hacks, the most frequently asked one is "What wallpaper is that?" On occasion, our wallpapers may be personal or images from the web, but for the most part, they come from dedicated wallpaper apps.

How To: The 4 Best Password Managers for iPhone & iPad

Using a strong password is critical to the security of your online accounts. However, according to Dashlane, US users held an average of 130 different accounts in 2015. Memorizing strong passwords for this many accounts is impractical. Fortunately, password managers solve this problem.

How To: 4 Android Apps That'll Help Start Your Morning Off Right

Starting your morning right is an essential first step to a productive day. Whether you're running late, rushing to catch up on the day's news, or lagging behind with early emails, little hiccups like these can have a trickle-down effect and ultimately ruin your day. Like with many problems, though, your smartphone can help.

Gaming: The 7 Best Paid Shooting Games for Android & iPhone

With the release of the Pixel 2 XL and the iPhone X, smartphones have hit a new high not just in price, but also raw processing power. These new flagships not only cost more than twice as much as an Xbox One or PlayStation 4, they have also become almost as powerful as far as gaming goes. Because of this, a lot of games once reserved for consoles and PCs have made their way to our smartphones.

Ranked: The 9 Best Paid Puzzle Games for iPhone & Android

Puzzle games are great at giving your brain a workout while keeping things fun and killing time. They stimulate your noggin as you strategize and plan your next move, whether it's to keep your character from getting killed, or to get that special item to finally complete your collection and unlock a new feature within the game.

Compared: The 5 Best Reddit Apps for Android

Whether you've celebrated multiple cake days or you're just now getting your feet wet with Reddit, it's a rite of passage to choose your preferred smartphone client.

News: 100+ Apps iOS Users Need on Their iPhones in 2018

While there aren't as many ways to customize your iPhone like there is on Android, there are still a lot of apps out there that can help streamline and enhance your experience beyond Apple's own default options — and we've hand-picked over 100 essentials.