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Unlike Apple, Google hasn't shown much of an interest in tablets since the days of Honeycomb. This creates a state of affairs where it is hard to find the all-time Android apps that are optimized for tablets (and Chromebooks) on the Play Store. We here at AP aim to help, and and so we've compiled a hand-picked roundup of our favorite tablet-optimized apps, freshly updated with new listings to continually grow the list (changelog at the bottom of the page), ensuring Android users volition have the power to observe the worthwhile apps that are indeed optimized for large screens. And so instead of testing an excessive amount of apps to observe the ones that properly fit your tablets and Chromebooks, let AP do the heavy lifting for you.

Amazon for Tablets

It's correct at that place in the name. This is the Amazon shopping app exclusively designed for tablets. Much like how the telephone app displays the site on phones, this tablet app fills the entire screen of tablets with shopping goodness. There are fifty-fifty a few exclusive features in this version, such every bit a press and hold pick to fling items to the bottom of your screen, saving them to an always attainable tray, like a fancy bookmark for all of your favorite items.

Vii to ten-inch tablets are recommended, and even though the app is pretty onetime, Amazon is still updating information technology diligently. One thing'southward for sure; it'south dainty to encounter other companies support tablets on Android even when Google doesn't feel it'southward necessary.

Monetization: gratis / contains ads / no IAPs

Microsoft Office

Microsoft's Role applications are some of the best examples of tablet-optimized Android apps that I've ever come beyond. Certain, you might non need to edit an Excel spreadsheet on the go very oft, but the apps have the same 'Ribbon' interface every bit the desktop equivalents. There is also all-encompassing support for keyboard shortcuts if you regularly use a keyboard with your tablet.

In 2020, Microsoft released a new combined Office app that included PowerPoint, Give-and-take, and Excel in a unmarried package. The app initially didn't properly support tablets, just that has since been fixed. Microsoft has also integrated the Office Lens scanner and notes that sync with Windows 10, just I don't use those features.

The only downside is that creating and editing documents requires a paid subscription to Microsoft 365, formerly known as Office 365. The cheapest plan is $70/yr (or $7/mo) and includes the web, mobile, and native desktop versions of the most pop Office applications, plus 1TB of OneDrive storage.

Monetization: gratis / no ads / IAPs from $6.99 - $99.99

VLC for Android

VLC is the cross-platform media player that tin open up just virtually any video or audio file ever created, and the Android app functions very well. It has an integrated file browser (with the ability to view network drives!), Motion-picture show-in-Picture support, and other prissy features.

The interface only has minor tweaks for tablets, similar additional columns in the file viewer, but you're going to spend almost of your fourth dimension watching media anyway. VLC is also one of the few media applications I've tried where tapping the spacebar on the keyboard actually pauses the content.

Monetization: gratis / no ads / no IAPs

Pocket

Pocket is a elementary app for saving text content you find on the web for later. Pocket displays these stories in a very readable grade, distraction-free. Best of all, the app offers a tablet interface that's groovy in portrait and landscape, with multiple rows of content. Even the stories display well for large screens, though it would be nice if images weren't always centered.

What's great is that anyone can use the app for costless (and it fifty-fifty ties into Firefox, making things that much simpler to save content to the platform). However, if you lot'd like a better search and a permanent library of content, then a subscription is necessary. Luckily it'south only $4.99 a month should you need the actress features.

Monetization: gratis / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $44.99

Collabora Office

If yous prefer open source apps, then you've probably heard of LibreOffice and OpenOffice. Well, and enterprising developer has built an open up source office app called Collabora, and it's based on LibreOffice/OpenOffice. As you would expect, the download is completely free, and information technology supports a plethora of extensions, including .odt, .odp, .ods, .ots, .ott, .otp, .docx, .pptx, .xlsx, .dotx, .xltx, .ppsx, doc, .ppt, .xls, .dot, .xlt, and .pps.

Conveniently, Collabora Office uses the same engine as LibreOffice, with a front end-end based on Collabora Online, which results in an app that's suitable on minor and large screens. Google Drive is supported out of the box, and this even works seamlessly, making for an intuitive mode to store and edit files while on the get.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

Gmail

Gmail is one of the few remaining Google apps that take a dedicated tablet interface. On big screens, Gmail has a 2-cavalcade design, with your inbox shown on the left and the current message on the right. At that place are likewise a few keyboard shortcuts available for quickly managing messages.

Monetization: gratuitous / contains ads / no IAPs

Microsoft Outlook

If y'all're not a fan of Gmail, or yous're just looking to attempt something new, Microsoft Outlook is another great email awarding for Android tablets. It works with third-party email services in add-on to Microsoft's ain Outlook.com, and so you can apply information technology without switching electronic mail addresses.

Outlook has a similar layout to Gmail on tablets, with columns for both your inbox and the currently-selected bulletin, but at that place are a few differences. The listing of accounts is e'er pinned to the left side, and a 3rd column for inboxes/folders can exist toggled past pressing the hamburger carte at the pinnacle-left.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $6.99 - $9.99

MyScript Nebo

MyScript Nebo is one of the best notation-taking applications I've tried on Android. It tin convert your hand-written sentences into text, and just like Evernote and OneNote, you lot tin can embed images, drawings, and other resources into your notes. The full list of features is honestly staggering.

There'southward one take hold of to Nebo: to use all the features, you need an Android device with an active stylus pen, like a Galaxy Tab S6 or S6 Lite. Nebo has a list of some compatible models here.

Monetization: $11.99 / no ads / no IAPs

Twitter Lite

The regular Twitter app looks admittedly terrible on tablets, with tweets taking up the full width of the screen. You're amend off with Twitter Lite, a repackaged version of the Twitter web app. It's non a native Android application, which is a bit annoying, just information technology looks significantly improve on tablets.

Twitter Lite is just available from the Play Store in select regions, then if y'all tin can't download it, simply open twitter.com in your mobile browser of pick and find the option to install it to your home screen (in Chrome, tap the card button at the top-right and selection 'Add to Home Screen'). It's the aforementioned exact experience — just retrieve to enable notifications from Twitter'southward settings for full functionality.

Monetization: gratuitous / contains ads / no IAPs

Feedly - Smarter News Reader

Feedly is one of the most pop feed reader apps on Android, and I'd like to think that has a little to do with the fact the app properly supports large screens. The tablet layout is fairly similar to a magazine layout, which should be familiar to most, making for a comfy app to peruse every bit you digest your daily news.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $7.99 - $69.99

Google Duo

Google Duo is probably the all-time video conversation awarding on Android, and it works just as well on tablets as it does on phones. In fact, you lot no longer need a phone number paired with your Google business relationship when using it on tablets, which comes in handy for young children and other people without a telephone.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

Solid Explorer File Managing director

Solid Explorer is an excellent file managing director application, and information technology's one of the few options with a clean tablet interface. It has a dual-panel mode for viewing (and moving files between) ii directories at once, support for network drives, batch operations, integration with diverse cloud storage services, and much more.

I don't often have to deal with moving files effectually on my Android devices, merely if that's something you regularly do, give Solid Explorer a try. Yous can utilise information technology for 14 days before you have to pay the $1.99 in-app purchase for full access.

Monetization: complimentary / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $3.99

Samsung Internet Browser

Samsung Internet is one of the virtually popular web browsers on Android, and it seems to have one of the all-time tablet interfaces also. That's inappreciably a surprise, given that Samsung is about the only visitor left producing high-end Android tablets, just you don't necessarily need a Milky way Tab to use the browser — information technology'southward bachelor on the Play Store for any device.

Samsung Cyberspace is based on Chrome, but it does take a few features non present in Google'due south browser. You lot can move the buttons around to your liking, force a nighttime theme on all spider web pages, and install select add-ons. Tabs tin either exist displayed below the accost bar (similar to Chrome) or hidden behind the tabs push for more vertical infinite.

Monetization: gratis / no ads / no IAPs

Gboard Keyboard

Gboard is the default keyboard application on many Android devices, and it has one feature that is especially overnice on tablets — one-handed mode. With Gboard open up, tap the detached keyboard icon in the toolbar to move the keyboard to a floating window. Information technology'southward much easier for me to blazon while holding a tablet in one-handed mode, particularly when I swipe betwixt letters instead of tapping keys individually.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

Vivaldi Browser

Vivaldi is another web browser that works slightly improve on Android tablets than Chrome. It shares the same cadre engine equally Chrome but offers a tracker blocker, an pick to e'er view desktop sites (super helpful for sites trying to load mobile layouts on tablets), a speed dial, and a built-in screenshot utility.

Monetization: costless / no ads / no IAPs

Comixology

Comixology is a comic/manga reader for Android and other platforms, featuring integration with Kindle libraries (if you login with your Amazon account) and offline support. The app works dandy on tablets, though comics won't expect quite as crisp on lower-resolution devices. Withal, the fact Comixology is one of the few comic readers out at that place that offers high-res imagery is why it's considered i of the better comic reading apps on Android. Information technology's the perfect selection for loftier-end tablet users, fifty-fifty as Amazon throws its weight around with new designs. Then while browsing the Comixology shop may not be equally useful as it one time was now that Amazon is in charge, at that place's no denying Comixology is still one of the nigh convenient storefronts to make all of your digital comic book purchases.

An optional subscription is available to those that would like to subscribe to a pick of readable books each calendar month ($5.99). Otherwise, you volition have to purchase your content piecemeal, as the majority of books on the store are paid.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

SketchBook

SketchBook is one of the well-nigh feature-packed drawing applications on Android. It'south designed for everything from industrial design sketches to digital art, and it works best with tablets and agile stylus pens.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

Amazon Kindle

Since Comixology is in today'southward roundup, it makes sense that the Amazon Kindle app should also get a mention. Not only tin can yous read comics with the Amazon Kindle app, but you also take access to Amazon's entire due east-book store, which ranges from books to magazines to newspapers. Of course, the app is optimized for tablets, making utilise of the unabridged screen, and yous can even dial in your reading settings to ensure text fills every bit much of the screen as possible. There's a warm lighting option, and you tin can even dim your screen independently of the device'southward global settings, which is super convenient. All around, the Kindle app is one of the all-time due east-reader apps on the platform, and since information technology offers tablet support, it's definitely a go-to for ability readers who savor reading on big screens.

Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPs

Adobe Lightroom - Photograph Editor & Pro Camera

I'thousand e'er hesitant to recommend products from Adobe, especially given the company doesn't support Linux (my desktop OS of choice) and likes to charge monthly subscriptions for applications that have barely changed in a decade, but there actually isn't whatsoever cross-platform competitor to Lightroom.

Lightroom is a fantastic image editor that I use for all work-related photos, and because Android lets me connect my Sony Alpha camera over USB to transfer files, I can exercise my unabridged image editing workflow from my Milky way Tab. All-time of all, Lightroom for Android supports image watermarks, making for a professional-level paradigm editor that should suit only about anyone's workflow.

Monetization: gratis / no ads / IAPs from $1.99 - $119.99

Google Keep

Google Continue is another application in the aristocracy "Google app that looks okay on tablets" lodge. It's a cross-platform note/list application with support for attaching files and creating reminders. There are definitely more than capable note applications, but Go on strikes a great residuum betwixt features and simplicity.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

About The Author

Corbin Davenport (3633 Articles Published)

Corbin is a tech announcer and developer who worked at Android Police from 2016 until 2021. Cheque out his other work at corbin.io.

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