These are the ten best Android apps this year, according to the Google Play Store
The end of 2024 is about a month away, and to celebrate the end of the year, Google announced the winners of the best Android application – Google Play Best of 2023 reward.
In order not to owe much, we will focus only on applications, because the company introduced new categories this year, such as “Best Android application with artificial intelligence” and “Best Android app for multiple devices”.
This caused the list to grow significantly, so we couldn't include the best Chromebook or tablet apps (in case you're wondering, the winner of the best Chromebook app is FlipaClipsoftware that helps people make 2D animations, and the winner of best tablet app is Conceptsvector drawing tool).
Google states that the list is on its blog centered on American winners, while other regions supposedly have it differently. However, when we looked at other regions, the listings matched the US list, except for a single discrepancy.
Imprint: Learn visually
Google has awarded the Best App of 2023 to Imprint: Learn Visually, an educational software that strives to teach you new skills and the world around you through engaging, short lessons.
BenchmarkIt offers a personalized experience where you can learn about topics that interest you, from human history to psychology. Imprint does this through compelling visual storytelling.
Spotify
Spotify won the award for Best Multi-Device App by making it possible to stream music in different places – whether it's in the kitchen, while driving to go hiking, or out on the town.
ShutterstockThe company highlights the service's ability to “remotely control playback on another device.” You can also download your favorite songs to listen to offline. Interestingly, it is the only music streaming app on the entire list.
Best Android app by audience vote – ChatGPT
ChatGPT
In early November, Google let people vote for what they thought was the best Android app of the year. Well, the “User Award” went to ChatGPT, which is not so much a surprise, in our opinion.
Tada Images / Shutterstock.comChatGPT conquered the world in 2023 as one of the leading platforms for generative artificial intelligence, and its technology powers Microsoft's Bing Chat. In addition, 2024 is expected to be a big year for him.
Bumble For Friends: Meet friends in real life
If you are looking for new friends or have recently moved to another city, it is recommended to install Bumble For Friends (BFF for short) on your smartphone. It's different from the regular Bumble app because it doesn't focus on dating and flirting.
BenchmarkInstead, BFF helps create genuine friendships, as the name suggests, with others in your local area.
Voidpet Garden: Mental Health
Voidpet Garden: Mental Health won Best for Personal Growth and is quite unique. It aims to help you practice awareness and self-care to improve your mental health.
Google Play StoreIt works in a similar way to Pokemon, by collecting Void Pets, which are supposedly created from negative emotions. You raise these creatures by completing quests to turn them into sky dragons, each representing a positive characteristic of the user.
Artifact: Feed your curiosity
Artifact: Feed Your Curiosity is similar to Imprint, except that this is also an app that can teach users about the world, but it does so in a different way. It works like X's Explore page (formerly known as Twitter) by offering curated streaming news from the Internet. It covers topics as diverse as the tech industry, politics, and gaming. Users even have the option to mark certain stories as engaging with a click for better curation.
Aware: Awareness and well-being
Aware is another mental health app like Voidpet Garden, although it approaches consciousness in a slightly different way. It is a type of journaling software that contains “science-based exercises [pored] guided live sessions”. You don't have to create an account, and it's also completely free. No subscription required.
It's worth mentioning that this app has the fewest downloads of any on this list, although we expect it to grow exponentially given that it won the “Best hidden gem” award.
Character AI: AI-Powered Chat
Although it won a user award, ChatGPT was effectively ignored by Google as it did not receive the title of Best AI. That honor went to Character AI, an app full of chatbots powered by personalities that you can talk to. For example, you can talk to Amelia Earhart, Julius Caesar, or Poseidon, God of the Ocean. Users can even talk to Whiskers the cat. As you can guess, this app is meant to be a fun interactive experience – almost like a video game.
PAW Patrol Academy
For families, Google recommended PAW Patrol Academy, an app where young children ages two to five can learn problem-solving skills, gain confidence and connect with their creative side. Here you will find characters from the popular animated series in various interactive adventures, as well as clips from specific episodes.
Google Play StoreThe good thing is that it doesn't have to be connected to Wi-Fi so kids can enjoy this fun wherever you go.
AWorld: Support for ActNow
Rounding out the list of the best Android apps for 2023, Google included AWorld in support of ActNow. Its purpose is to teach people how to combat climate change by calculating their carbon footprint and find out how they can change their lifestyle to reduce the impact they can have on the environment.
Google Play StoreThe software will recommend basic activities like planting trees to reduce carbon emissions or using natural products, among others. AWorld will also encourage you to join group challenges by completing a number of eco-friendly actions, the list concludes TechRadar.