Overwhelmed by the endless options on the Google Play Store? We've handpicked the top apps to make your Android phone more useful. From lifestyle essentials to productivity must-haves, these are the apps you should install on your device first.

1 VLC: For Better Video Playback

Anyone with a PC has used VLC at some point. It has a smartphone app as well, which is among the best video players for Android. And the best part: this open-source app is both free and ad-free.

VLC supports a much wider range of video formats than most stock video players. In addition, you get useful features like adding subtitles, dual audio support, an equalizer, and more. You can even use the app as a full-fledged music player and create playlists in it.

Download: VLC (Free)

2 YNAB: To Create a Personal Budget

If you're like most people, you stress about money. That's where budgeting apps like YNAB (You Need a Budget) can help you regain control of your finances. Instead of simply tracking your expenses, YNAB helps you assign every dollar of your income to specific categories, essentially giving your money a "job" to do.

By categorizing your money into these different "envelopes," the app helps you gain a holistic view of your financial situation, encourages mindful spending, and pushes you to achieve your financial goals. The UI is clean and easy to get used to, so you don't have to sit through a learning curve.

Download: YNAB (Subscription required, free trial available)

3 Instacart: For Grocery Delivery

Instacart is an absolute lifesaver if you often find yourself not having enough time for chores like grocery shopping. The app allows you to order groceries from your favorite local stores and have them delivered straight to your doorstep in as little as an hour or two.

You can browse a wide selection of products, track your order in real-time, chat with your shopper as they shop for your order, and schedule deliveries for your convenience.

Instacart is a must-have for those looking to save time and skip crowded aisles. You can learn more about how Instacart works and how much it costs to get a better idea.

Download: Instacart (Free, subscription available)

4 Microsoft To Do: To Supercharge Your Task Management

Microsoft To Do is an excellent app that helps you manage your day-to-day tasks with cool alerts and customizations. With it, you can customize your task list and get alerts based on time, location, or date.

It also has a solid synchronization feature, which is particularly useful if you use Microsoft To Do on your Windows PC. The app also gives you task suggestions based on your Outlook emails. Task management apps like this can help you stay focused on the important stuff in life, countering procrastination in the process.

Download: Microsoft To Do (Free)

5 Uber: For Ridesharing and Food Delivery

Uber certainly needs no introduction, and for good reason. The service has become synonymous with ridesharing; simply request a ride and get picked up by a nearby driver and dropped at your requested destination. You can even book an Uber ride in advance to avoid cancelations during peak hours.

You can track your driver's location in real time and share your ETA with friends for added peace of mind. Uber offers various car options to suit your needs and budget, making it a reliable and convenient way to get around town.

Unknown to many, you can even use Uber to send and receive packages, eliminating the need for a traditional courier service. You can also access the Uber Eats food delivery service right from within the main app to order takeout.

Download: Uber (Free)

6 Bitwarden: For Easy Password Management

Bitwarden is a free, open-source password manager for Android. Once set up, it helps you save all your passwords safely in a vault, which is accessible across multiple devices as it's a cross-platform app. This removes the hassle of having to remember each and every password for all your accounts.

The app has an autofill feature, which you can activate in the settings menu, that lets you enter your credentials with one tap. Additionally, you can generate strong passwords to enhance your security and safely share them with your team or family.

Download: Bitwarden (Free)

7 ChatGPT: To Get Instant Answers

You're probably already aware of and have used ChatGPT on the web; it's now available on Android too. ChatGPT is far more capable than most people realize, and you can use it for way more than asking answers to simple queries you're too lazy to search on Google.

In fact, there are a wide variety of things you can do with ChatGPT, such as translate languages, brainstorm ideas for your novel or essay, get help with homework, craft engaging emails and presentations, or even write poems.

All your conversations are saved by default so you can re-read the responses you found useful. ChatGPT offers a free tier, but you can pay for a ChatGPT Plus subscription to access even more advanced features and faster response times.

Download: ChatGPT (Free, subscription available)

8 Snapseed: For Making Your Photos Stand Out

Snapseed by Google is one of the best photo editing apps for Android. It's a simple yet powerful tool for correcting and enhancing your photos with tons of tools to fine-tune the appearance according to your liking.

You can apply filters, correct colors, adjust brightness and contrast, crop or expand, and do much more to your photos with it. While doing so, you can easily undo or redo any edits and export your images to the library.

All in all, if you're big on smartphone photography, Snapseed would be a great tool in your arsenal.

Download: Snapseed (Free)

9 Canva: For Designing Stunning Visuals

You don't have to be a graphic designer to create eye-catching visuals. Canva boasts a massive library of free templates that you can use for your social media posts, presentations, posters, infographics, YouTube thumbnails, wallpapers, and more.

In addition, the app offers tons of free stock photos and design elements so that you can customize your projects anytime and from anywhere. You can also use third-party Canva apps to create better designs for specific use cases.

While Canva is free to use, you can upgrade to Canva Pro to unlock premium design elements, stock images and videos, and AI features.

Download: Canva (Free, subscription available)

10 Musicolet: A Stylish Ad-Free Music Player

Musicolet is one of the few ad-free music players for Android that is elegant and offers lots of useful features that stock music players often lack. You can create folders and playlists to organize your music library, and also boost the sound through its built-in equalizer.

Musicolet also provides cool widgets for the home screen. Moreover, if a song is playing and the device goes to sleep, it replaces your lock screen with the song album art and control buttons. The app works with Android Auto too.

Download: Musicolet (Free, in-app purchases available)

After buying a new phone, you'd naturally want to explore everything it has to offer. So, pick the apps you think you'd use regularly from this list, and you'll be able to take your Android experience to the next level in no time.