iOS users are still missing out on these exclusive Android apps

iPhone owners have access to a lengthy list of excellent iOS-exclusive apps you won’t find on Android, but not all the leaves of grass are greener on the other side. Not to take a side in the Android vs iOS debate, but Android smartphone users have also had plenty of unique apps all to themselves for years, including brilliant launchers, customization tools, and specific apps that don’t mesh with Apple’s philosophy.

Below are some of my favorite Android apps that you won’t find running on iPhones and probably never will, but I hope that changes in the coming years.

Pixel Recorder

Pixel Recorder is an excellent utility for recording conversations, lectures, and meetings. Its AI summarization features are genuinely useful, and won’t rub the anti-AI folk the wrong way. They allow for quick key point generation, smarter and more reliable transcriptions, and the ability to recognize individual speakers. This makes Pixel Recorder a must-have for students and journalists. The app also syncs with Google accounts, providing cloud storage and access from multiple devices.

It does have one flaw, though. Sure, it’s available on Android but limited to Pixel devices. Many features are also limited to newer models.

As a result, it’s not available on iOS at all, despite Google making many of its apps available on the platform. However, a similar tool developed by Apple that meshes with its ecosystem and utilizes Apple Intelligence would be hugely welcome. There are third-party alternatives like Otter, but none come close to Google’s app.

AccuBattery

I still use a five-year-old smartphone, so monitoring battery health is imperative. One app that helps me do this is AccuBattery. It’s one of the few apps I’ve paid for over the years, but it’s been a worthwhile investment.

The app monitors your battery’s history, charting its charging cycles and providing an educated guess of its health. It also includes real-time details of the current charge or discharge cycle, provides a list of apps draining your battery, and teaches you how to be kinder to your power bank.

It remains one of the first apps I install on any Android smartphone, so it’s disappointing that there isn’t a direct equivalent on iOS, especially for those with older iPhone models. Some widgets and other apps detail battery runtime, charge levels, and health, but none offer the minute detail that makes AccuBattery a must-have.

Buzzkill

Buzzkill is an Android-exclusive app that tracks the notifications you’ve received and allows you to manage them through a set of crafted rules and triggers.

For instance, if I get multiple notifications from WhatsApp within 15 seconds, Buzzkill mutes subsequent notifications. I also have a trigger that pings my device every minute if I receive a particularly important message. Those are simple examples, but the app offers a massive quality of life boost. The app also has a library of useful, ready-made recipes.

There is no Buzzkill build for iOS, but you could probably trigger many of its functionalities using Apple Shortcuts. However, it’s nice to have all of these under one roof.

Poweramp

Not everyone wants to stream music from Apple Music or Spotify, especially those who have amassed their own collection of files. In this case, a dedicated offline music player makes complete sense, and one of the premier examples of this is Poweramp.

Poweramp offers many tricks, including advanced audio playback options, Hi-Res output, broad format support, and visual customizations. It is a premium app but offers a brief trial period long enough to test it from top to bottom.

There is no iOS version of Poweramp, but the OS does have several alternatives, including Evermusic and Neutron. None really rival Poweramp’s extensive feature list and pedigree, especially for those who value audio quality over all.

Hermit

Another Android-exclusive app that I always install on new devices is Hermit. It’s a single-window browser that lets you turn web pages into standalone browsers.

It offers a laundry list of functionality, including sandboxing features in the premium version, ad-blocking options, and a changes monitor that pops through notifications if a page has been altered. It’s a hugely useful app for browsing individual forums, turning sites like X and Reddit into standalone apps, or providing quick paths to commonly visited sites. I use it as a Google News alternative paired with aggregators like The Brutalist Report and Hacker News.

To the best of my knowledge, no iOS app compares to Hermit. Notably, the app’s developer has hinted at an iPhone version, but that hasn’t yet come to fruition.

RedReader

Reddit users have few choices nowadays, from the swathe of third-party apps that enhanced the social app’s features to the current situation where just a few official paths remain. Thankfully, I can still get stuck into my favorite subreddits using RedReader.

The Android-exclusive app received an exception from Reddit’s app ban, and it’s functionally the best client on Android. It offers a fairly unexciting but highly functional UI, with subreddits arranged in a vertical master list. Favorites can be pinned to this list, while users can easily search for new communities. Nothing is exciting about RedReader, but it works and works well. I’ve never encountered an issue with the app in my years of using it.

Third-party Reddit apps on iOS, including Comet and Readder, offer more visual delight, but neither is as bulletproof as RedReader.

RetroArch, PPSSPP, and other emulators

While retro emulators are no longer Android-exclusive apps, and we’re seeing more and more launch for iOS, not every emulator is available on Apple’s platform just yet. Some premier examples include the jack-of-all-trades RetroArch and the PSP emulator PPSSPP.

I expect these availability issues to abate in the coming years as Apple relaxes its policies regarding retro gaming. However, Android remains the best gaming emulator platform for now.

Tasker

I have a complicated relationship with Tasker, almost as complicated as the app itself. It’s a multitool for Android users, offering a dizzying list of contextual automations and triggers. It’s a daunting experience for new users, but once you scale its sky-high learning curve, you’ll be rewarded with a set of powerful tools that can mesh with almost every facet of your smartphone.

I believe Tasker is far too utilitarian for its own good, but I can recognize its usefulness. I use it to trigger my smartphone’s flashlight by shaking it side-to-side. At one point, I used it to rotate between several wallpapers based on the time of day. There are many, many other use cases, too.

Sure, Apple has Shortcuts, which offers similar functionality and an arguably better UI, but Tasker’s more seamless automation and acceptance of scripts and advanced tasks trump Shortcuts.

I don’t believe Tasker will ever land on iOS, mainly because Shortcuts exists and iOS is far more restrictive than Android, but more powerful tools baked into Shortcuts won’t go amiss.

ML Manager

You probably won’t ever find an app like ML Manager on iOS. This Android-exclusive app lets users extract APK files from installed apps for backup or sharing with others.

I wish I had this app installed several years ago before many of my favorite Android apps bit the dust. Nevertheless, it’s never too late to back them up. ML Manager also features a built-in uninstall manager; if you’re rooted, you can uninstall system apps.

iOS devices use IPA files for apps, and the platform has several third-party apps that allow you to back them up. However, these methods usually require that your iPhone is connected to a Mac or PC. ML Manager lets you save apps directly to your device.

Nova Launcher, Kvaesitso, and other launchers

Finally, what would Android be without third-party launchers?

These Android-exclusive apps enhance the experience on Google’s OS, whether you’re a minimalist, maximalist, or only care about functionality. Some of the best launchers include my favorite Kvaesitso, the popular Niagara, and the venerable Nova Launcher. There are so many unique Android launchers out there, too, that deviate from the norm.

Although Apple has bundled more customization tools with iOS 18, the OS still has strict sandboxing measures, preventing apps like launchers from interacting with other apps. As a result, you can’t use one app to launch another on iOS.