The “Android Market” from 2008 became the Google Play Store in 2012 and now offers over 1.8 million apps for download. A lot has changed in the world of Android since then, but some things (and apps) have stayed the same. Did you know many of your favorite and long-forgotten apps are still available? More importantly, some are still worth downloading.
I’ve been a proud Android user since the original T-Mobile G1 in 2008, bought the Nexus One at launch, and have reviewed every flagship Samsung Galaxy phone since 2011. It’s safe to say the apps and games I used on my G1 aren’t the same as they are today, but some of the best apps from the early 2010s are still pretty great. Here are five worth giving another shot.
ASTRO File Manager (2009)
Manage all your files with ease
Credit: ASTRO
ASTRO File Manager reminds me of the good old days, when new apps were fun, exciting, and genuinely useful. These days, they’re all just iterations on older things. While ASTRO launched in 2009, I didn’t start using it until 2011, and it was exactly the app I needed back then.
ASTRO describes itself as an “all-in-one app for easily organizing, moving, and backing up your files and cleaning your phone’s storage.” It still does all that, and does a pretty great job, too, even without root access. ES File Explorer was my go-to for years, but not so much anymore. Sure, we have Files by Google, open-source options, and much more, but ASTRO is still a viable app. It’s still free, there are no ads, but it hasn’t been updated in over a year.
Instapaper (2008)
The original read-it-later mobile app
Did you know that Instapaper launched in 2008 and was one of the most popular apps between then and 2010? Here at HTG, we’ve been talking about Instapaper since 2010. Pocket was big for a while, even though many users have since moved on to alternatives like Raindrop.io and other read-later apps.
Depending on your reading or web habits, you may still be using Instapaper, especially on Kindles or Kobo tablets. However, it’s one of those apps that thousands of people used 10–15 years ago, many of whom may have forgotten it still exists. Not only that, but it’s an excellent app even if its best features are no longer free.
SwiftKey Keyboard (2010 and 2016)
Swype and SwiftKey led the charge in gesture typing
Who remembers when Swype launched and revolutionized smartphone typing? It was one of the first mainstream apps that let you swipe and gesture around a keyboard to type. Then SwiftKey arrived with better predictions, more features, and tons of customization. It was great for a long time.
These days, most people use Gboard, Google’s keyboard, but SwiftKey is still a decent alternative. It’s now called Microsoft SwiftKey AI Keyboard (after it was acquired in 2016), and you guessed it, it’s full of AI and CoPilot. Some users love all the AI enhancements, while others don’t. That said, it’s worth trying, even if it’s just for nostalgia.
Weather Underground (2011)
Still my go-to local weather app
Please tell me you don’t use WeatherBug when options like Weather Underground exist. Fun fact: Weather Underground is over 30 years old, was one of the first weather apps for Android that was actually worth using, and it’s still what I use 17 years later.
If you want a hyper-local weather app, you’ll want to redownload WU. What makes it great is that it pulls data from thousands of personal weather stations and devices, as well as the National Weather Service, making it an excellent all-around weather app. I didn’t realize how long I’d been using this app until just now. Trust me, you’ll like it.
Tasker (2010)
The first great automation app
By a show of hands, who still uses Tasker? These days, we all take automation apps, shortcuts, and controls for granted. We have automation in everything from our phones and homes to our cars and Android Auto, and so much more. But before all of that, we had Tasker.
I was actually one of the lucky few beta testers of Tasker back in 2009, before it eventually launched the following year. We were writing how-to guides for Tasker back in 2011. And while Tasker looks and works much differently today than it did back then, it’s still a highly capable app that’ll deliver all sorts of automation you’ll love.
Old doesn’t mean bad
What a throwback! Just because apps are old doesn’t necessarily mean they’re bad. We always get caught up in the fun, exciting, shiny new things, but part of what makes Android great is all the apps, services, games, and features that shape it. Turns out, many of those old apps from the very early days are still super relevant today.
Some honorable mentions are EverNote, the game Dead Trigger, Shazam, and Flipboard, which is still a hugely successful app all these years later.
