Best Free Mobile Apps
Let's take a look into top free smartphone and tablet apps.
Security
Avast Free
Min requirements: Android 2.1+
File size: 1.8MB
Avast has brought its PC security to Android. Along with its standard anti-malware options such as Web Shield, which scans URLs for viruses, the app comes with a host of additional features to help you retrieve a lost or stolen phone. lf your phone goes missing , you can wipe your personal data using the Remote Access tools, and use GPS to pin-point your phone's location on a map, which you can b ring up on your PC or another phone. You can also ring your phone from another handset, and get your calls and messages forwarded.
The App Disguiser tool is a clever way to conceal the app from a thief or stranger. You can change the icon's appearance, change the app's name and make it impossible to see on the normal menus, so a thief won't be alerted to its presence and try to disable the Remote Access tools that will help you find your missing phone.
Vimeo
Min requirements: Android 2.3.7+, iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, iOS 4.0+, Windows Phone 7
File size: 4.1 MB
Vimeo's Android and Windows Phone versions were unveiled at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Nonsubscribers can watch and discover new videos on their smartphones, while subscribers can upload and edit footage in HD, see their page views and stats, and share videos over email, and on Facebook and Twitter.
Social Search
CloudMagic
Min requirements: Android 2.1+, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. iOS 4.0+
File size: 1.1MB
Cloud Magic saves you time when searching your online accounts. Type a name or keyword and CloudMagic searches your calendar, tweet s, emails, Google docs and all contacts (although, surprisingly, not Facebook). You don't even have to open each service to perform common actions, such as replying and retweeting, because they can all be performed directly from the app. It's incredibly fast and works across multiple Twitter and Gmail accounts.
Shazam Player
Min requirements: iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. iOS 4.3+
File size: 6.1 M B
Shazam, can be marked as best among entertainment apps, which identifies song titles by listening to them, has launched Shazam Music Player, which lets you stream music through your phone. You can also manage your iTunes account, create playlists and hide tracks you're not keen on (or are ashamed of!). The Lyric Play tool displays the words to songs that are playing. You can also find tour dates for your favorite artists.
Banking
Halifax Mobile Banking App
Min requirements: Android 2.1+, iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, iOS 4.0+, and Blackberry
File size: 3MB
Like Lloyds TSB, Natwest and RBS, Halifax now has an official app for managing your online account. Use your existing online login details to see current transactions, view your statements and make payments. If you're not a Halifax customer, you can still use the app, without logging in, to find your nearest cashpoint and local branch.
Video Converter Android
Min requirements: Android 2.0+
File size: 10MB
We know how much you love us including video-conversion software in our Best Free Software section, so this Video Converter app for Android should go down a storm. It lets you convert videos on the move, and turns almost any format into MPEG4 and H264, giving you greater control over the quality and size of clips. It's ideal if you want to email a video or watch on a slow 3G connection.
Ubuntu One Files
Min requirements: Android 2.1+, iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, iOS 4.0+.
File size: 1.2MB
Earlier, we showed you how to use Ubuntu One to manage your files online using a Windows PC. Now, the app is available on iOS and Android. It lets you securely access your PC's files and folders on the move, and has 5GB of free storage built-in. Each time you take a photo with your phone or make changes to files, they’re automatically backed up online. For £2.99 a month you can stream music, too.
Galaxy
Min requirements: Android 1.5+
File size: 4MB
This games is one of the best puzzle android games which tests your logic skills by getting you to connect stars to form real-life constellations. It sounds like a simple dot-to-dot exercise, but you can't let lines overlap or go back on yourself. As you complete constellations you find out more about them, including their official names and where to look in the sky for them
Cineworld
Min requirements: Android 2.1+, iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, iOS 3.0+
File size: 152KB
Phoning for cinema times is all but a distant memory for many of us, and buying tickets on your PC will be next to go, thanks to Cineworld's app. It lets you check times at your local cinema and save a favorite location. You can also read film reviews and write your own. Once you've made up your mind, buy your tickets directly and securely before collecting them at the cinema of your choice.
Weather
AccuWeather Platinum
Min requirements: Android 2.2+, iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, iOS 4.0
File size: 8.9MB
Price: £1.27
iSpy Cameras
Min requirements: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, iOS 3.0+
File size: 1.8MB
Price: 69p
See real-time images being captured by thousands of CCTV cameras, and zoom in and out for a better look. Most of the cameras used in this app are of scenic views in North America.
SkySafari
Min requirements: Android 2.2+, iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, iOS 3.0+
File size: 9.6MB
Price: £1.93
This awe-inspiring astronomy app lets you view over 120,000 stars and 220 star clusters and galaxies, plus the eight planets of the solar system, with detailed information about each.
Train Times UK
Min requirements: Android 1.5+, iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, iOS 3.0+
File size: 540KB
Price: £3.49
You can manage your entire journey with this app, from times and fares to getting directions to stations. There are live departures and arrival screens for all UK stations, plus real-time delay information and platform alterations.
GPS Phone Tracker
Min requirements: Android 2.1+
File size: 1.7MB
Price: £1.92
Not only can you track a lost or stolen phone with this app, but you can also track other people's moves if they have the app installed, and have given their permission. An excellent app for parents who want to keep track of their children.
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