The Android tablet is one of the most popular mobile devices on the market. Whether you’re looking for a device to use for work or play, there are plenty of great apps available for your tablet.
In this article, we’ll look at some of the best apps for Android tablets. We’ll start with some general purpose apps that will help you get things done on your tablet, then move on to some more specialized tools that can help make your Android tablet even more useful.
Best Apps For Android Tablet: General Purpose Apps
If you’re looking for an all-in-one solution that covers just about anything you might need from an app, these two are great choices.
Best App For Productivity: Google Docs
Google Docs lets you create documents from scratch or upload existing files from other sources such as Dropbox or Google Drive. You can also collaborate with others by sharing documents with them and allowing them to edit them at any time. You can even share your screen with others using Hangouts Chat! This makes it easy to share ideas and make changes together in real time without having to worry about sending attachments back and forth via email or other methods which can be time consuming and difficult when working with large files like PDFs etcetera).
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26 of the best tablet-optimized Android apps in 2022
BY
CORBIN DAVENPORT
UPDATED MAR 15, 2022
Apps that actually are designed for large screens
This article is part of a directory
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26 of the best tablet-optimized Android apps in 2022
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More apps for 2022
Unlike Apple, Google hasn’t shown much of an interest in tablets since the days of Honeycomb. This creates a situation where it is difficult to find the best Android apps that are optimized for tablets (and Chromebooks) on the Play Store. We here at AP aim to help, and so we’ve compiled a hand-picked roundup of our favorite tablet-optimized apps, freshly updated with new listings to continually grow the list (changelog at the bottom of the page), ensuring Android users will have the ability to find the worthwhile apps that are indeed optimized for large screens. So instead of testing an excessive amount of apps to find the ones that properly fit your tablets and Chromebooks, let AP do the heavy lifting for you.
Amazon for Tablets
It’s right there in the name. This is the Amazon shopping app exclusively designed for tablets. Much like how the phone app displays the site on phones, this tablet app fills the entire screen of tablets with shopping goodness. There are even a few exclusive features in this version, such as a press and hold option to fling items to the bottom of your screen, saving them to an always accessible tray, like a fancy bookmark for all of your favorite items.
Seven to ten-inch tablets are recommended, and even though the app is pretty old, Amazon is still updating it diligently. One thing’s for sure; it’s nice to see other companies support tablets on Android even when Google doesn’t feel it’s necessary.
Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPs
3 Images
Amazon for Tablets tablet roundup (2)
Amazon for Tablets tablet roundup
Amazon for Tablets tablet roundup (1)
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Microsoft Office
Microsoft’s Office applications are some of the best examples of tablet-optimized Android apps that I’ve ever come across. Sure, you might not need to edit an Excel spreadsheet on the go very often, but the apps have the same ‘Ribbon’ interface as the desktop equivalents. There is also extensive support for keyboard shortcuts if you regularly use a keyboard with your tablet.
In 2020, Microsoft released a new combined Office app that included PowerPoint, Word, and Excel in a single package. The app initially didn’t properly support tablets, but that has since been fixed. Microsoft has also integrated the Office Lens scanner and notes that sync with Windows 10, but I don’t use those features.
The only downside is that creating and editing documents requires a paid subscription to Microsoft 365, formerly known as Office 365. The cheapest plan is $70/year (or $7/mo) and includes the web, mobile, and native desktop versions of the most popular Office applications, plus 1TB of OneDrive storage.
Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $6.99 – $99.99
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VLC for Android
VLC is the cross-platform media player that can open just about any video or audio file ever created, and the Android app functions very well. It has an integrated file browser (with the ability to view network drives!), Picture-in-Picture support, and other nice features.
The interface only has minor tweaks for tablets, like additional columns in the file viewer, but you’re going to spend most of your time watching media anyway. VLC is also one of the few media applications I’ve tried where tapping the spacebar on the keyboard actually pauses the content.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
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Pocket
Pocket is a simple app for saving text content you find on the web for later. Pocket displays these stories in a very readable form, distraction-free. Best of all, the app offers a tablet interface that’s great in portrait and landscape, with multiple rows of content. Even the stories display well for large screens, though it would be nice if images weren’t always centered.
What’s great is that anyone can use the app for free (and it even ties into Firefox, making things that much simpler to save content to the platform). However, if you’d like a better search and a permanent library of content, then a subscription is necessary. Luckily it’s only $4.99 a month should you need the extra features.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 – $44.99
3 Images
Pocket tablet roundup
Pocket tablet roundup (1)
Pocket tablet roundup (2)
Collabora Office
If you prefer open source apps, then you’ve probably heard of LibreOffice and OpenOffice. Well, and enterprising developer has built an open source office app called Collabora, and it’s based on LibreOffice/OpenOffice. As you would expect, the download is completely free, and it supports a plethora of extensions, including .odt, .odp, .ods, .ots, .ott, .otp, .docx, .pptx, .xlsx, .dotx, .xltx, .ppsx, doc, .ppt, .xls, .dot, .xlt, and .pps.
Conveniently, Collabora Office uses the same engine as LibreOffice, with a front-end based on Collabora Online, which results in an app that’s suitable on small and large screens. Google Drive is supported out of the box, and this even works seamlessly, making for an intuitive way to store and edit files while on the go.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
3 Images
Collabora Office LibreOffice, OpenOffice & more tablet roundup
Collabora Office LibreOffice, OpenOffice & more tablet roundup (1)
Collabora Office LibreOffice, OpenOffice & more tablet roundup (2)
Gmail
Gmail is one of the few remaining Google apps that have a dedicated tablet interface. On large screens, Gmail has a two-column design, with your inbox shown on the left and the current message on the right. There are also a few keyboard shortcuts available for quickly managing messages.
Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPs
3 Images
Gmail tablet app roundup (1)
Gmail tablet app roundup (2)
Gmail tablet app roundup
Microsoft Outlook
If you’re not a fan of Gmail, or you’re just looking to try something new, Microsoft Outlook is another great email application for Android tablets. It works with third-party email services in addition to Microsoft’s own Outlook.com, so you can use it without switching email addresses.
Outlook has a similar layout to Gmail on tablets, with columns for both your inbox and the currently-selected message, but there are a few differences. The list of accounts is always pinned to the left side, and a third column for inboxes/folders can be toggled by pressing the hamburger menu at the top-left.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $6.99 – $9.99
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MyScript Nebo
MyScript Nebo is one of the best note-taking applications I’ve tried on Android. It can convert your hand-written sentences into text, and just like Evernote and OneNote, you can embed images, drawings, and other resources into your notes. The full list of features is honestly staggering.
There’s one catch to Nebo: to use all the features, you need an Android device with an active stylus pen, like a Galaxy Tab S6 or S6 Lite. Nebo has a list of some compatible models here.
Monetization: $11.99 / no ads / no IAPs
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Twitter Lite
The regular Twitter app looks absolutely terrible on tablets, with tweets taking up the full width of the screen. You’re better off with Twitter Lite, a repackaged version of the Twitter web app. It’s not a native Android application, which is a bit annoying, but it looks significantly better on tablets.
Twitter Lite is only available from the Play Store in select regions, so if you can’t download it, just open twitter.com in your mobile browser of choice and find the option to install it to your home screen (in Chrome, tap the menu button at the top-right and pick ‘Add to Home Screen’). It’s the same exact experience — just remember to enable notifications from Twitter’s settings for full functionality.
Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPs
2 Images
Feedly – Smarter News Reader
Feedly is one of the most popular feed reader apps on Android, and I’d like to think that has a little to do with the fact the app properly supports large screens. The tablet layout is fairly similar to a magazine layout, which should be familiar to most, making for a comfy app to peruse as you digest your daily news.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $7.99 – $69.99
3 Images
Feedly – Smarter News Reader tablet roundup (2)
Feedly – Smarter News Reader tablet roundup
Feedly – Smarter News Reader tablet roundup (1)
Google Duo
Google Duo is probably the best video chat application on Android, and it works just as well on tablets as it does on phones. In fact, you no longer need a phone number paired with your Google account when using it on tablets, which comes in handy for young children and other people without a phone.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
3 Images
Solid Explorer File Manager
Solid Explorer is an excellent file manager application, and it’s one of the few options with a clean tablet interface. It has a dual-panel mode for viewing (and moving files between) two directories at once, support for network drives, batch operations, integration with various cloud storage services, and much more.
I don’t often have to deal with moving files around on my Android devices, but if that’s something you regularly do, give Solid Explorer a try. You can use it for 14 days before you have to pay the $1.99 in-app purchase for full access.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 – $3.99
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Samsung Internet Browser
Samsung Internet is one of the most popular web browsers on Android, and it seems to have one of the best tablet interfaces as well. That’s hardly a surprise, given that Samsung is about the only company left producing high-end Android tablets, but you don’t necessarily need a Galaxy Tab to use the browser — it’s available on the Play Store for any device.
Samsung Internet is based on Chrome, but it does have a few features not present in Google’s browser. You can move the buttons around to your liking, force a dark theme on all web pages, and install select add-ons. Tabs can either be displayed below the address bar (similar to Chrome) or hidden behind the tabs button for more vertical space.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
3 Images
Gboard Keyboard
Gboard is the default keyboard application on many Android devices, and it has one feature that is especially nice on tablets — one-handed mode. With Gboard open, tap the detached keyboard icon in the toolbar to move the keyboard to a floating window. It’s much easier for me to type while holding a tablet in one-handed mode, especially when I swipe between letters instead of tapping keys individually.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
3 Images
Vivaldi Browser
Vivaldi is another web browser that works slightly better on Android tablets than Chrome. It shares the same core engine as Chrome but offers a tracker blocker, an option to always view desktop sites (super helpful for sites trying to load mobile layouts on tablets), a speed dial, and a built-in screenshot utility.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
2 Images
Comixology
Comixology is a comic/manga reader for Android and other platforms, featuring integration with Kindle libraries (if you login with your Amazon account) and offline support. The app works great on tablets, though comics won’t look quite as crisp on lower-resolution devices. Still, the fact Comixology is one of the few comic readers out there that offers high-res imagery is why it’s considered one of the better comic reading apps on Android. It’s the perfect choice for high-end tablet users, even as Amazon throws its weight around with new designs. So while browsing the Comixology store may not be as useful as it once was now that Amazon is in charge, there’s no denying Comixology is still one of the most convenient storefronts to make all of your digital comic book purchases.
An optional subscription is available to those that would like to subscribe to a selection of readable books each month ($5.99). Otherwise, you will have to purchase your content piecemeal, as the majority of books on the store are paid.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
3 Images
Comics & Manga by Comixology tablet roundup
Comics & Manga by Comixology tablet roundup (1)
Comics & Manga by Comixology tablet roundup (2)
SketchBook
SketchBook is one of the most feature-packed drawing applications on Android. It’s designed for everything from industrial design sketches to digital art, and it works best with tablets and active stylus pens.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
3 Images
Amazon Kindle
Since Comixology is in today’s roundup, it makes sense that the Amazon Kindle app should also get a mention. Not only can you read comics with the Amazon Kindle app, but you also have access to Amazon’s entire e-book store, which ranges from books to magazines to newspapers. Of course, the app is optimized for tablets, making use of the entire screen, and you can even dial in your reading settings to ensure text fills as much of the screen as possible. There’s a warm lighting option, and you can even dim your screen independently of the device’s global settings, which is super convenient. All around, the Kindle app is one of the best e-reader apps on the platform, and since it offers tablet support, it’s definitely a go-to for power readers who enjoy reading on large screens.
Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPs
3 Images
Kindle tablet roundup p (1)
Kindle tablet roundup p
Kindle tablet roundup p (2)
Adobe Lightroom – Photo Editor & Pro Camera
I’m always hesitant to recommend products from Adobe, especially given the company doesn’t support Linux (my desktop OS of choice) and likes to charge monthly subscriptions for applications that have barely changed in a decade, but there really isn’t any cross-platform competitor to Lightroom.
Lightroom is a fantastic image editor that I use for all work-related photos, and because Android lets me connect my Sony Alpha camera over USB to transfer files, I can do my entire image editing workflow from my Galaxy Tab. Best of all, Lightroom for Android supports image watermarks, making for a professional-level image editor that should suit just about anyone’s workflow.
Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $1.99 – $119.99
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Google Keep
Google Keep is another application in the elite “Google app that looks okay on tablets” club. It’s a cross-platform note/list application with support for attaching files and creating reminders. There are definitely more capable note applications, but Keep strikes a great balance between features and simplicity.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
3 Images
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Corbin Davenport (3631 Articles Published)
Corbin is a tech journalist and developer who worked at Android Police from 2016 until 2021. Check out his other work at corbin.io.
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