Artificial intelligence is changing the way we interact with the world around us. Whether you’re using AI to work smarter, have fun, get creative, learn a language, or something else, there’s likely an app that fits the bill.
The challenge lies in choosing the AI apps that best meet your needs while avoiding those with half-baked feature sets and aggressive paywall roadblocks.
The Play Store is full of AI apps, and many of them aren’t great.
After trying dozens of apps, we’ve selected our top picks that are beneficial to your pocket-sized phone.
These selected apps offer many features for free, but they also have subscription tiers that provide benefits such as the ability to choose between models or quicker replies.
1
ChatGPT for Android
Get near-instant responses
If you know about AI, you know ChatGPT, a dominant AI chatbot on the market, and its underlying GPT engine that is used to power many other tools.
Using natural language processing, ChatGPT offers human-like interaction and an incredible depth of knowledge, making it an indispensable tool for a range of tasks, including researching topics, summarizing documents, and even composing music.
In our experience, ChatGPT occasionally returns factually inaccurate information. While your mileage may vary, it’s essential to validate any critical information.
Along with the desktop version, ChatGPT is available as a free Android app from the Google Play Store.
The free ChatGPT app offers a comprehensive feature set and ample functionality for casual use.
Power users can also spend $20 per month to access the latest GPT model and receive priority support during peak hours, when resources are more readily available for everyone else.
2
Microsoft Copilot
Use Copilot to enhance your productivity
Microsoft has struggled for many years to find its footing in the battle for search engine supremacy. Still, its Copilot app aims to change that by using the ChatGPT engine to power its AI chatbot functionality.
Although you can be sure that Google is in hot pursuit with its own AI, Gemini, Microsoft’s early and extensive investment in OpenAI has given the company a first-mover advantage, at least for now.
In comparison to the free app version of ChatGPT, Copilot offers a few additional features.
For one thing, the Copilot app’s UI feels a little more polished, and you don’t have to pay extra to use the GPT-4 or GPT-5 model. Additionally, you can utilize the image generation capabilities directly within the app after signing in.
We believe the Copilot app is a must-have download for Android users. It offers a superior user experience and several additional features compared to the ChatGPT app.
Still, we did occasionally experience slow and buggy behavior in the app during our testing period, so like other AI apps on this list, your mileage may vary.
3
The Google Gemini app
It integrates seamlessly into the Google ecosystem
Google’s AI chatbot, Gemini, underwent a significant update in December 2023 and has continued to improve since then.
While Gemini still shares many similarities with ChatGPT, its integration with Google’s search and app ecosystem sets it apart from the pack.
For example, we asked Gemini to explain Lauren Berlant’s national sentimentality trilogy, and it returned a Wikipedia-style response with options to refine specific passages and export the answer to Google Docs.
Gemini’s response also included sources to support its answers. When we followed up by asking if there was a lecture on the topic, Gemini returned several YouTube links that provided some background on the author.
Like ChatGPT or Copilot, Gemini can create images from text prompts (with some limitations). That said, out of the dozen image requests we made, nine timed out, and the other three were awful.
All things considered, if you’re looking for real-time access to and processing of data within the Google ecosystem, Gemini is the top dog.
Additionally, if you own a newer Pixel or Galaxy device, you may already be familiar with Gemini’s capabilities.
4
Replika: My AI Friend
The app lets you embrace virtual companionship
Source: Android Police
Replika is billed as an AI companion. It’s essentially an AI chatbot with an animated avatar component that you customize during the initial setup of the app.
You can customize your Replika’s physical characteristics by selecting features such as body shape, hairstyle, and eye color.
Creating your Replika friend is enjoyable, thanks to the user-friendly interface and fun choices you get to make in the process.
We named our Replika companion Wavi and set her up as a platonic friend. If you opt into the paid plan for $8 per month, you can set up other experiences, such as an amorous relationship or a mentor.
Even the free tier of Replika provides a worthwhile feature set that’s unencumbered by bloat.
Chats have continuity, meaning you can build on past conversations to develop your Replika’s personality and a relationship of sorts.
Other features to enhance experience-sharing include playing games, sharing photos, and having video calls with your Replika.
It’s well worth trying out the Replika Android app for some fun and amusement.
5
Duolingo Max (AKA a promising contender)
Power-up your learning with AI
Duolingo is arguably the best language learning app on the market, offering numerous excellent gamification features that keep you engaged.
Duolingo Max (the premium subscription) utilizes the GPT-4 engine to facilitate one-on-one roleplay conversations and other features, such as “Explain My Answer” and “Video call with Lily.”
Max is currently available only for Android and iOS devices in limited regions, supporting English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, and Italian.
If you’re struggling to get a new language to stick, using AI as an interactive tool could be precisely what you need.
Our favorite AI apps deliver, and they’re always evolving
Although these are our top AI app picks, it’s worth spending a little time trying out other options in the Play Store.
AI is evolving rapidly, and every company is capitalizing on the technology with custom AI features.
If you’re still trying to wrap your head around an AI-filled world, take a few minutes to learn more about machine learning and what it can do.
