9 Microsoft Android Apps Users Need Now

Today’s Microsoft feels like a very different company. We have a wide variety of Microsoft Android apps to prove it.

When you’re the world’s largest software maker and a distant third in smartphones and tablets, you have to make some sacrifices and evaluate your goals. Microsoft hoped to win on mobile by copying what made Windows successful. The Windows Phone operating system had special features you couldn’t find anywhere else. Inside were free copies of Microsoft Office for Mobile, a beginner music subscription service, and access to one of the best cloud storage services available anywhere.

Today, all of these are available in Microsoft Android apps. Exactly how useful this is for Windows Phone remains unclear, but it’s clear that Microsoft is out to grab users for its services, no matter where they are or what software they’re running. This is a good move, because it means Microsoft’s best services are available for anyone and everyone to try.

Here are 5 Microsoft Android apps that users should try on their phones right away.

OneDrive

OneDrive is a behemoth. The service can be used on everything from Android phones to Android tablets. It is built into Microsoft Office and is available on Windows 8 and Windows 10. The idea is simple, anything stored in the OneDrive folder is automatically uploaded to Microsoft servers. There, it can be used on any device as long as there is an internet connection.

Microsoft provides users with 5GB of free storage. OneDrive for Android allows users to sync pictures they upload to Microsoft servers in the background and acts as an almost instant backup if something happens to the device.

Microsoft Health

A few months ago, Microsoft shocked everyone by beating Apple in the wearable market. The Microsoft Band is not a wearable computer like the Apple Watch. Instead, it’s built specifically for health and wellness tracking and connects directly to an Android and iPhone app called Microsoft Health.

Microsoft Health is free and allows users to track their steps and get guided fitness workouts. In addition, it enables some productivity features of Microsoft Band for Android users. There’s also a Microsoft Health app for Windows.

Microsoft Office

Microsoft Office is the world’s leading productivity software. The old Microsoft was built on just two pillars: Office and Windows. Now with business interests diversifying, Microsoft is changing the way next-generation devices get Office.

Office for Android tablets is not a single app. Instead, it’s a set of newly released apps, all built to natively support Android tablets. there is Word, Power point, a note and Excel. Each is fully compatible with Android and connects directly to OneDrive for document storage and syncing. next to them Office Mobile. Office for Mobile also includes Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, but each is optimized for smartphone screens. All of these apps are free, but signing up for Microsoft’s Office 365 subscription service adds more OneDrive storage and features.

Groove Music

You may have never heard of Microsoft’s Groove Music subscription service. Long before it was called Groove Music, the service was available as Zune, and its $9.99 per month streaming plan included 10 free MP3 downloads per month. Today, free streaming music and MP3s are gone, but Groove Music is getting marginally better.

Upload your music to OneDrive and Groove Music will act as the perfect local jukebox for it. If you want, you can subscribe to Groove Music Pass and stream from Microsoft’s library online, on your Android phone and Xbox.

[ Download Groove Music from the Google Play Store ]

Appearance

Unlike the old Outlook, this new Outlook is a complete replacement for built-in email applications. Connects to Outlook.com, Yahoo, and Gmail. It also has Exchange support; but the best feature of the app is the ability to decide which emails you should care about right now and which can wait until later. Its second best feature is the ability to swipe for every email in your inbox and schedule follow-ups and events.

[ Download Outlook From the Google Play Store ]

Cortana

Originally designed for Windows Phones only, Cortana has blossomed in recent months. The personal assistant came to Windows PCs last year. The iPhone and Android versions of the app followed soon after.

In 2016, Cortana for Android will be the second most powerful experience of any Cortana app. The app will be able to talk to Windows PCs and share battery information and latest text messages. The app already provides a single personal assistant for Windows users to set reminders, add calendar items, track packages and keep up with the latest news across all their devices.

[ Download Cortana Free from the Google Play Store ]

Office Lens

Office Lens apps are another feature of the Windows ecosystem that started working on Windows Phone. The app integrates with OneDrive and Microsoft OneNote, allowing users to easily convert entire paper sheets and whiteboards into digital notes with just the camera on their Android device.

The app is perfect for anyone who is strongly considering switching to an all-digital office instead of paper filing.

[ Download Office Lens Free from the Google Play Store ]

Arrow Launcher

Microsoft Garage apps are little experiments. Company employees do these in their spare time, and Microsoft publicizes them, collecting feedback and continually improving it. Arrow Launcher is the first of two apps to make this list of Microsoft must-have apps on Android.

Arrow puts contacts, appointments and recently-run apps at our fingertips with different home screen panes. Additionally, it includes a customizable settings drawer that slides out from the bottom of the screen. The Drawer isn’t all that different from the Control Center found on Apple’s iPhone.

[ Download Arrow Launcher Free from the Google Play Store ]

Imitation Alarm

Mimicker Alarm is the other Microsoft Garage project. It replaces the default alarm that makes it much more difficult to snooze your morning.

Sometimes, you may need to imitate the facial expressions the app tells you to silence your Alarm. Other times, you can have the app force you to sing a rhyme or catch a certain color. It’s all about making sure you’re awake and ready to start your new day.

[ Download Mimicker Alarm Free From the Google Play Store ]

All of a sudden, Microsoft has some of the best software available anywhere. There is no doubt that at least one of these apps improves your Android experience.