You’ve done the things all Samsung Galaxy S6 owners should do right now, you’ve read up on our extensive rundown of tips & tricks. You are a seasoned Galaxy S6 veteran. The next step is outfitting your hardware with the apps and games that will truly showcase the S6 in all its glory. Here they are.
Best Samsung Galaxy S6 Apps
Samsung Smart Switch
We amass a lot of information on our smartphones — photos, apps, contacts, and more — and one of the biggest pain points of buying a new phone is getting all of that data from one device to the other. It’s particularly frustrating for those changing platforms, moving from an iPhone or even an antiquated flip phone to Android. If you gave up hope because the task seemed to daunting, download Samsung Smart Switch now and effortlessly transfer your data regardless of platform.
Google Now Launcher
With the Galaxy S6 Samsung has done their best to slim down the notoriously bloated TouchWiz interface that comes standard on Galaxy devices, but the user interface remains divisive among Android users. If you aren’t a big fan of Samsung’s candy-coated UI, the Google Now Launcher is your best option for returning to an Android look and feel that is closer to Google’s stock design. An added bonus is easy access to your Google Now cards by swiping to the far right.
Fleksy
Like Samsung’s TouchWiz interface, if you aren’t happy with the keyboard options that come stock with the Galaxy S6 we recommend checking out Fleksy. A somewhat minimalist keyboard at its base, Fleksy is fully customizable through extensions and features support for animated GIFs, emojis, hot keys, and more. Above all it’s a super accurate keyboard that is only limited by how fast your thumbs can fly.
Snapseed
If you checked out our Samsung Galaxy S6 review, you will know that we found its camera to be perhaps the best to ever feature on a smartphone. Take it to the next level with Snapped, an app that offers powerful photo editing and manipulation tools to touch up photos or turn them into works of art. A detailed edit history dubbed Stacks means your original photo is only a few taps away giving you freedom to experiment with your photos as you see fit.
AirDroid
The only thing better than having a Galaxy S6 in your pocket is having access to it from your computer, and AirDroid is the tool to do it. AirDroid seamlessly pairs you phone with your PC or Mac over your wireless network to allow you to send and receive SMS messages, transfer files, view notifications, or mirror your devices display and access apps all from your computer.
Echo
Echo takes your Galaxy S6’s notifications to the next level with a sleek lockscreen look that provides quick access to incoming messages, calls, and other alerts. This handy little app conveniently organizes notifications to clean up the clutter and allows you to snooze selected items so you can stay focused. Throw in a pinch of customization and its no wonder Echo has been dubbed the best lockscreen replacement by many.
Tasker
The Galaxy S6 is a powerful device for power users, and Tasker’s automation capabilities make the perfect companion. Hundreds of possible actions can be linked to triggers like time and location to automate everything from silencing your phone while you sleep to sending a text message when you ignore a call, and it can do a whole lot more than that.
Milk Video and Milk Music
With so many options out there for streaming music and video it would be easy to write off Samsung’s own offerings as mere bloatware designed to lock you into the Galaxy ecosystem, but Milk Music and Milk Video in actuality represent compelling options for S6 owners looking to satiate their need for entertainment. With unique interfaces aimed at discovery, you’re sure to discover a new artist, song, or video almost every time you open either app.
Phandroid News
What’s the easiest way to stay up to date on Galaxy S6 news, tips, tricks, and more? The Phandroid News app, of course. It’s everything you love about Phandroid in a handy little package designed to work natively with your Android smartphone.
Even more…
No two users will want exactly the same thing out of their Galaxy S6, so you might find yourself passing on some of the apps listed above. That’s OK! Here are some more helpful links showcasing more of our favorite Android apps for everyone.
Best Samsung Galaxy S6 Games
Asphalt 8: Airborne
For fans of racing games, it’s hard to find a better Android entry than the latest in the popular Asphalt series. Asphalt 8: Airborne features sizzling 3D graphics that really showcase the Galaxy S6’s powerful hardware and display, but you will quickly crave the fast-paced gameplay complete with aerial stunts (hence the “Airborne” subtitle).
Monument Valley
House of Cards viewers may have spotted Monument Valley make a brief cameo on fictional US president Frank Underwood’s tablet in the show’s most recent season, but we have been singing this game’s praises since it first launched in 2014. A puzzle/platformer that looks like an MC Escher sketch mashed up with Adventure Time, the gameplay is as addictive as it is beautiful. The Galaxy S6’s vibrant Super AMOLED display only makes it more apparent.
Subway Surfers
The endless runner genre has seen an explosion in popularity on mobile devices, and there is perhaps no finer example for Android devices than Subway Surfers. With vivid graphics that really pop on the Galaxy S6’s display, this one is easy to get into. Mastering it is a whole different story.
Badland
Badland is oddly gorgeous as its shapeshifting protagonist travels through a bleak, almost sinister world. While it appears on the surface to be a standard platformer, this is one game where you can only get a true sense of gameplay by picking it up and working your way through each level. And it will take work, but it’s well worth it.
Crossy Road
Crossy Road takes classic Frogger-style gameplay and updates it for the mobile era, bringing us a game that gives us much more than its premise might suggest. The graphics and name might make Crossy Road easy to right off as just another title trying to leach off of the Flappy Bird craze of 2014, and while it is in the same way addictively simple Crossy Road is an entirely different beast.
Sky Force 2014
Sky Force is an original when it comes to mobile games, its first iteration debuting 10 years ago when the makers of the Samsung Galaxy S6 could only dream of the future potential of smartphones. The game returns in a big way a decade later with amped-up gameplay and arcade-quality graphics, making this space shooter a must-have.
Piano by Yokee
This music maker turns playing the piano into something akin to the popular Guitar Hero franchise of games, tasking players with tapping on a series of falling dots to play any number of songs from a large library of available music, from classical etudes to modern pop.
Dots
There is a certain beauty in simplicity, but there can also be maddening frustration. See Dots as an example of this. A minimalist puzzler, you’ll be glad your Galaxy S6 has Gorilla Glass protection when you go throwing it at the wall should the objective of clearing the dots prove too difficult.
Game on
When you grow tired of the above (which won’t be anytime soon), we’ve got even more hot takes on our favorite games for you to check out. These should keep you busy a while.
