The Google Pixel is a brand new phone, and it’s the first Google-branded phone. It has some pretty cool features like unlimited storage for pictures and videos, but the real selling point is what comes out of the box.
The Pixel phones run Android 7.1 Nougat and make use of Google’s latest software features like the Google Assistant and Daydream VR. They also come with exclusive apps that make use of the hardware in unique ways. Here are some of our favorite apps for Pixel phones.
Table of Contents
Best Apps For Pixel
The Google Pixel showcases stock Android software without the bells and whistles added by other smartphone makers. There’s no such thing as a Pixel-only app; all Android apps work on Pixel hardware just as they do on any other manufacturer’s hardware. Still, the superior specs of Pixel devices give it a performance edge that makes even resource-intensive Android apps run with ease.
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Remember Your Songs on Google Pixel: Now Playing History
Now Playing History app
What We Like
Connect your favorite music player to the app and redirect when you want to play a song.
What We Don’t Like
It takes a few moments for songs to save in the app.
To complement the standard Now Playing feature on Pixel devices that helps users identify a song playing nearby, the Now Playing History app keeps a record of those songs in one location.
Instead of taking a screencap of the Now Playing feature or jotting down the song details with a pen and paper, Now Playing History keeps a record of the song, as well as the time and location where it was identified. This paid app can be used in conjunction with several music players to switch to those apps to play newly discovered music.
Download Now Playing History
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Powerful Photo Editor for Google Pixel: Snapseed
Snapseed app
What We Like
Professional grade brushes and filters.
What We Don’t Like
No autosave function.
Google Pixel devices have some of the most powerful cameras on the market. Even with built-in photo editing features, other apps take photo editing on Pixel devices to another level. One such app is Snapseed, which is also developed by Google, but it doesn’t come installed on Pixel devices.
Snapseed is a free app. It’s comparable to Photoshop or Lightroom in terms of editing quality but was developed specifically for mobile editing. Snapseed includes tools such as a DNG Raw image editor, healing to remove unwanted aspects in a photo, and double exposure to blend two photos.
Download Snapseed
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Photoshop for Google Pixel: Adobe Photoshop Express
Adobe Photoshop Express app
What We Like
Easy cloud sharing between Adobe programs and apps.
What We Don’t Like
Lacks many functions from standard Photoshop.
Some people require professional-grade photo editing software when they’re on the go. For this need, there’s Adobe Photoshop Express, which brings the high-powered editing experience of Photoshop to smartphones.
Tools in this free app include auto-correct for blemishes, watermarks, photo frames, Raw image support, collage makers, and easy sharing with standard social media apps. Adobe Photoshop Express works in conjunction with other Adobe apps, such as Photoshop Mix, Photoshop Fix, and Lightroom. People who have an Adobe premium membership can log into their accounts to access more features.
Download Photoshop Express
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The Most Efficient Note-Taking App for Google Pixel: Simplenote
Simplenote three screens from Android
What We Like
Change fonts and formatting.
Share notes with others.
What We Don’t Like
Account registration is required.
Smartphones are great for note-taking, but many notes apps tend to be rather basic and don’t keep people as organized as they’d like. Simplenote aims to buck this tendency.
You don’t need to manually save notes when you use Simplenote, as all inputted information is automatically saved. The app becomes more efficient as you add more notes because you organize your thoughts with searchable tags and pins. One of the best features of Simplenote is that it automatically syncs notes across all installed devices, including other Android devices, iOS, and Mac, Windows, and Linux computers.
Download Simplenote
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Fine Art Wallpaper Options: Muzei Live Wallpaper
Muzei Live Wallpaper
What We Like
Access details about the artwork shown on your home screen.
What We Don’t Like
Some devices may not center images properly.
If you can’t decide what image to select as the wallpaper on your Pixel smartphone, the Muzei Live Wallpaper app may help. This free app rotates through images of fine art to use as wallpaper. At one moment, your wallpaper can be Van Gogh; another moment, it can be Gaudi.
You set the rate at which wallpapers rotate, from every 15 minutes to every three days. It optionally blurs and dims the artwork, so the icons are more prominent. There’s also an option to select and rotate photos.
Download Muzei
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More Look and Sound Customization for Google Pixel: Zedge
Zedge
What We Like
Several options for device customization.
What We Don’t Like
Ringtones can be pricey.
Zedge is a good option for customization in general, as it offers millions of wallpapers, ringtones, notification sounds, and alarm sounds that can be previewed before downloading. With this free app, you can customize many of these wallpapers and sound themes to suit your tastes, by cropping or adding stickers for a personal touch.
Download Zedge
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Planning Shortcut for Google Pixel: Calendar Widget Agenda
Calendar Widget: Agenda
What We Like
Simple layout but still customizable.
What We Don’t Like
Limited number of free themes.
Calendar Widget Agenda displays a widget on the Pixel home screen, freeing you from frequent checking of your calendar app. Additionally, this free app displays important dates, such as birthdays and holidays, and upcoming weather forecasts. It syncs with Google Calendar, too.
Download Calendar Widget Agenda
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Organizational Workspace App for Google Pixel: Trello
Trello app
What We Like
Supports many users.
Works well with many apps and extensions for added features.
What We Don’t Like
Doesn’t take account of deadlines.
Trello is one of the top organizational tools for major businesses. While many people opt for the desktop version when they’re in the office, there’s also a mobile version that works well on the Pixel smartphone. The app is free to download and use but also offers paid Gold, Business, and Enterprise options.
Trello’s layout is simple. Use Trello to create work boards for a variety of tasks, such as organizing projects and ideas, tracking current and completed projects, and giving feedback. Photos, video, and other file types upload or attach from Google Drive and Dropbox. Take advantage of Trello for your work projects, or add other people for team projects.
Download Trello
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Create Quality Memes on Your Google Pixel: PicsArt Photo Studio
PicsArt Photo Studio app
What We Like
Lots of creative editing options.
What We Don’t Like
Projects can easily be taken by others if not labeled as private.
PicsArt Photo Studio offers simple but high-quality options for editing images in a fun way. Gain access to several quick-edit tools for touching up photos in a rush, high-quality preset filters to save time on adjusting individual filters, sticker brushes for whimsical effects, a collage builder for arranging several photos together, and templates to create memes. The app is free to download and use, but it’s also available in monthly and yearly paid subscriptions.
pixel 6 apps
So, you just pre-ordered your new Pixel 6, and you’re wondering what apps to pre-installed when it arrives. Well, most of you probably have a standard set of apps that you use on every phone, but if you’re looking for some suggestions, maybe we can help. In the list below, you’ll find our list of top 10 best apps, well, app suggestions for you to install on your Pixel 6 handset. We did our best to include some really well-known apps here, alongside some you may not have heard of.
You’ll find a lot of different types of apps here. We did that on purpose, to mix things up. For example, one of the apps allows you to bring double-tap to lock functionality to the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. That is something the Pixel Launcher does not offer, unfortunately, at least not at the time of writing this article. You can easily bring it back with the app in question. That’s just an example, you’ll find all sorts of different apps below.
Top 10 Best Pixel 6 Android Apps 2021
Below is a quick overview of the top 10 best Pixel 6 Android apps for 2021, including any download and in-app purchase costs.
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Download Cost In-app cost (per item)
Snapseed ✕ ✕
Darkify ✕ ✕
Energy Ring ✕ $2.49-$21.99
TapTap Lock ✕ ✕
Volume Styles ✕ $0.99-$7.49
Twitter ✕ $0.99-$399.99
Remind Me ✕ $0.99
Signal ✕ ✕
Simple Gallery ✕ ✕
Weawow ✕ $2-$10
Top 10 Best Pixel 6 Android Apps 2021 Downloads
Below is a little more information on each app, a suggestion for the type of user the app is best suited to, and a direct link for easy downloading.
All download links go to the app’s Google Play Store listing. Users are always recommended to download apps from Google Play or an authorized app store.
Best Pixel 6 Android App For Quick Image Editing
Snapseed app grid image
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Snapseed
Price: Free to download
In-app purchases: No
Android version: Varies with device
Snapseed is actually Google’s own app. Google bought this app quite some time ago, and it continued developing it further. At this point, it’s an immensely useful image editor, which allows you to edit images quickly. You can simply open an image in Snapseed, and utilize one of the filters that Google has. Those filters won’t just be pasted on top of your image, they come with pre-defined changes for images, changes to saturation, contrast, white balance, and so on.
If you’d like to manually edit an image, that can be done via Snapseed as well, without a problem. No matter if you’re looking to make a small change, or a gigantic one, this app has all the tools you may need. It’s a really solid app used by many users, though it’s not nearly as popular as some other image editing apps. This app is free and comes without ads, it’s definitely worth a try.
DOWNLOAD SNAPSEED
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Best Pixel 6 Android App For Wallpapers
Darkify app image 1
Darkify
Price: Free to download
In-app purchases: No
Android version: 4.0+
The Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro comes with Android 12, Google’s latest version of Android. This OS comes with the all-new ‘Material You’ UI. Google does include some wallpapers on the device, but if you’re looking for something darker, Darkify is the app for you. This app brings you a collection of AMOLED wallpapers, basically. These wallpapers will not only allow for your app icons to be in focus, but they’ll also help you save battery life.
There are a lot of wallpapers included here, and new ones are constantly being added. The app’s UI is quite simple, as it should be, and the app is easy to use. You can either apply a specific wallpaper from the app directly, or you can download it to your phone. You will have to put up with some ads along the way, but that’s a small price to pay for the wallpapers this app provides.
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DOWNLOAD DARKIFY
Best Pixel 6 Android App For Customizing Hole Punch
Energy Ring
Price: Free to download
In-app purchases: Yes
Android version: 9+
Both of Google’s new phones come with a display camera hole. That camera hole is centered, which is arguably a better placement than what previous Pixels offered. That being said, you can make that display camera hole rather useful, if you want. In comes Energy Ring. This application essentially allows you to put a battery indicator around the display camera hole, if you want.
Now, many people will find this idea repelling, as this will pull the attention towards that camera hole. Most people will likely try to hide it, and forget about it. Well, if you’re in the I-don’t-care camp, or you purposely want to pronounce that camera hole, Energy Ring can do that easily. It’s hard to deny that this looks really nice when activated, though the developer needs to enable the feature on the Pixel 6 series phones. That will likely happen soon.
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DOWNLOAD ENERGY RING
Best Pixel 6 Android App For Double Tap To Lock Functionality
TapTap Lock app grid image 2
TapTap Lock
Price: Free to download
In-app purchases: No
Android version: 9+
TapTap Lock is definitely one of the most unique apps on the list. This app essentially allows you to bring double-tap-to-lock functionality to the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. The way it does this is quite interesting, it’s a workaround, but a good one. You will need to put a TapTap Lock widget on the home screen, but it’s invisible. So, wherever you aim to double-tap-to-lock, that’s where you’ll place it.
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You can make that widget as big or small as you want, it’s up to you. Once you do that, you’ll be able to tweak some options, and you’ll need to enable accessibility access for the app. That’s it. You won’t need to use the physical power key to lock your Pixel 6 anymore, you’ll be able to simply double-tap-to-lock. This is functionality like the ones third-party launches bring to the table.
DOWNLOAD TAPTAP LOCK
Best Pixel 6 Android App For Tweaking The Volume Panel
Volume Styles app grid image
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Volume Styles
Price: Free to download
In-app purchases: Yes
Android version: 5.0+
The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro received a brand new design thanks to Android 12 and Material You. As part of it, the volume panel got tweaked, and redesigned in the processor. If you don’t like the way it looks now, you can change that. That’s where the Volume Styles app comes in. This application will essentially allow you to tweak the volume panel to your liking, regardless of whether you like the one from MIUI or One UI.
You can now only change the way it looks, but you can make it more useful as well. This app allows you to add some additional shortcuts there. The app also includes a custom Style Creator, which allows you to customize things to the extreme, pretty much. You can even change the color of that volume panel, if you want, it’s up to you.
DOWNLOAD VOLUME STYLES
Best Pixel 6 Android App For Social Media
Twitter
Price: Free to download
In-app purchases: Yes
Android version: Varies with device
Twitter is one of the best-known social media apps out there. Thanks to Facebook’s recent struggles, Twitter managed to grow even more. The app has been consistently great when it comes to performance, and its community is not as toxic as on some other similar apps, though that’s arguable, of course. It does come with a dark mode, and a truly huge community of users.
If you’ve never used Twitter, getting used to it may take a while. Once you do get used to it, you’ll see the benefit. Twitter is definitely not a social media app that will fulfill all your social media needs, but you should consider using it. The app is great, it’s simple, it works great, and it always remembers where you left off when scrolling, which is really useful if you use the most recent view.
DOWNLOAD TWITTER
Best Pixel 6 Android App For Reminders
Remind Me app grid image
Remind Me
Price: Free to download
In-app purchases: Yes
Android version: 5.0+
There are a lot of reminder apps out there. In fact, the reminder function is usually a part of some other apps, like a note-taking app, or a calendar app. Well, Remind Me is neither of those. Its sole purpose is to make sure you remember stuff. So, it comes with a really simple UI, which minimalists will appreciate. You can choose between light and dark mode here. It’s a really simple app, but it has all the features you’d expect.
You can write a title of your reminder, and add some additional explanation / content in a separate field. You can also mark the priority of every reminder, and choose whether you’d like to pin it in the notification shade, or set a reminder via an alarm. The pin to the notification shade feature is great, and if you tend to swipe away notifications, this is a great way to keep track of things.
DOWNLOAD REMIND ME
Best Pixel 6 Android App For Messaging
Signal app grid image
Signal
Price: Free to download
In-app purchases: No
Android version: 4.4+
Signal is a messaging app. It’s quite popular, though not as popular as Telegram, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Viber. That’s a shame, though, because this is one of the most secure messaging apps available on Android. Not only does it offer end-to-end encryption, but it’s also an open source application, unlike all the others that we’ve listed. It has excellent end-to-end encryption powered by the open source Signal Protocol.
In Signal, privacy isn’t exactly optional, it’s there by default, that’s what the app is all about. On top of that, the app looks great, to say the least. It looks like a modern messaging app. It also offers all the features you’d expect out of a messaging application, ranging from various emoticons, and options for conversations, to group chats, voice and video calls, and so much more.
DOWNLOAD SIGNAL
Best Pixel 6 Android Gallery App
Simple Gallery app grid image
Simple Gallery
Price: Free to download
In-app purchases: No
Android version: 5.0+
Simple Gallery is one of the best gallery apps for Android, without a doubt. It’s called “Simple”, and it is, in regards to the design. When it comes to features, though, this app is everything but simple. It offers a lot of features you’d expect, and some you wouldn’t expect. For access to all of those features, you may want to consider getting the “Pro” version of the app, which is also linked below.
That being said, even the free version of the app doesn’t include ads. This gallery allows you to view and edit photos without a problem. You can resize pictures, rotate them, rename them, and so much more than that. You’ll be surprised by the number of features included here. You can even decide whether you want to see the recycle bin in the list of your albums or not, the same goes for photo names, and so on.
Conclusion
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