Thanks to the internet, we now have an indispensable knowledge sink at our disposal. And with the rise of mobile devices, there are no barriers or restrictions to learning, which is why education apps include one of the most popular apps on Android to date. Whether you’re looking to pick up new skills, get homework help, learn to code, or practice another language, there are apps out there for you. And if you’re vying for apps that include basic, intermediate, or advanced levels modes of learning, you will find plenty available that work on just about any trusty Android tablet. But to quickly sort out the amateur-designed learning apps from the list of professionally-endorsed educational apps, we’ve created this roundup to bring about all the best learning and education apps you can find on the platform today — “knowledge is power,” after all.
1 Memrise
Learning a new language can open up a brand new world for anyone. This language learning app offers 19 beginner and intermediate-level options; languages include Chinese, Danish, Dutch, French, Japanese, Norwegian, Swedish, Turkish, and Yoruba. Each session guides you through new words and phrases to get familiar with their pronunciation and spelling. In addition, you can keep track of learned words and review them as needed.
Memrise is free and ad-supported; however, subscription options are available for those who want to remove ads and unlock all content and features, such as “Learn with Locals.” With this feature, you gain access to thousands of videos from native speakers and a test at the end of each one. Luckily, there’s a similar “Immerse” section for free accounts. Each day, you’ll get a new stream of short video clips with subtitles, and you can switch back and forth between your native language or the language you’re learning. However, these clips don’t include knowledge checks.
2 Coursera
Many of the best universities and colleges in the world offer courses and programs on Coursera. The app is designed to work in tandem with the website so that you can enroll in courses, watch video lectures, and complete assignments no matter where you are. There’s a wide range of courses in subjects such as business, computer science, data science, math and logic, social sciences, and much more. With the ability to download full courses and individual lectures, the app makes it easy for anyone to fit education into their busy schedules.
Some Coursera programs offer a certificate upon completion; however, this requires a monthly subscription. If this isn’t in your budget, there is financial aid available to those who qualify. You can audit a course for free if you aren’t interested in earning a certificate, but you won’t be able to submit assignments or take exams. It is also possible to set up study reminders to ensure that you don’t slack off. Whether you’re looking to explore a new hobby, prepare for a new job, or further your education, the Coursera app provides a flexible and engaging way to do so.
3 Photomath
Math is a subject that many people struggle with, which is what makes this app such a Godsend. The topics covered are numbers and quantity, functions, algebra, trigonometry and angles, sequences, and calculus. Photomath doesn’t just solve math problems and equations; it also shows you the solving steps and explains each step in detail. You can take a picture of a math problem using your device camera or use the advanced calculator to enter it for a solution. The camera capture feature works well for books, worksheets, and even web pages (you can take a picture of your computer or laptop screen).
There’s a handy section for textbook solutions where you can search by title or ISBN and view the solutions for problems in that specific textbook. The solutions are organized by page and problem number. Unfortunately, when viewing the solutions, you won’t be able to see the solving steps with a free account; you’ll need to upgrade to Plus. With a Plus monthly or yearly subscription, you’ll unlock all steps for textbook solutions, along with animated tutorials and in-depth examples for complex problems. It’s absolutely worth it if you’re a student or someone who works with math daily.
4 Duolingo
This app’s mission is to make learning fun using rewards, multiple exercise types, and unlockable stories. There are 40 languages to choose from, including Hindi, Arabic, Vietnamese, Latin, Indonesian, Welsh, Klingon, and Zulu. Before starting each lesson, you can view helpful tips and hear the pronunciation of its keywords. Speaking and listening are two of the most beneficial exercises you’ll encounter. Additionally, you’ll be rewarded with gems, XP, and badges as you progress.
There’s also a heart system to keep things balanced. You’ll start with five each day with a free, ad-supported account. You’ll lose a heart for each incorrect answer; however, you can restore lost hearts by practicing previous material or waiting for them to refill every 5 hours. Super Duoling is a subscription plan that removes ads and adds extra benefits like unlimited hearts, progress tracking with tailored quizzes, and the ability to test out of any level. As a bonus, Duolingo also has an app for kids that teaches them how to read.
5 Brilliant
This app is an excellent option if you’re looking to increase your math, science, or computer science knowledge. Topics include Logic and Deduction, Algebra, Mathematical Thinking, Geometry, Statistics and Probability, Contest Math, Calculus, and Advanced Mathematics. Each course landing screen displays the prerequisites, and lesson contains guided interactive exercises, helpful tips, and detailed explanations to break down even the most complicated topics.
Brilliant is free to use and without ads but also limited regarding how much you can learn in each area; you’ll only get to preview each course (some offering more free lessons than others). While this is great for personal use, you’ll want a monthly or annual subscription for professional development or educational use. A subscription unlocks all courses, all daily challenges, and offline mode.
6 Khan Academy
Like Brilliant, this app is geared towards math, science, and computing. Additionally, you can learn economics, arts and humanities, reading and languages arts, and life skills. It also offers preparation for SAT, LSAT, Praxis Core Math, Praxis Core Writing, Praxis Core Reading, and MCAT. Khan Academy is completely free and doesn’t include ads.
You can choose as many courses as you’d like, and each is broken up into lessons. Each lesson includes video instructions, practice exercises, and a unit test; some courses even include quizzes. Hints and step-by-step instructions are also available if you get stuck. There’s also a free Khan Academy Kids app for ages two to eight (preschool through second grade). It offers educational lessons, activities, books, and games that your kids will love.
7 edX
When it comes to advancing your career, this app is one of the best in its league. EdX offers over 3,000 well-organized courses, programs, and degrees from top universities and institutions worldwide. Most courses deliver two tracks: verified (paid) and audit (free). The one-time fee for the verified track differs per course and is usually between $50 and $300. Paying this fee unlocks unlimited access to course materials, a verified certificate upon completion, and access to graded assignments and exams.
When auditing a course, you’ll have access to the reading material, video lectures (which you can download to your device), ungraded practice assignments (if available), and discussion forums. You’ll only have access to course materials for the duration of the course; however, you’ll have the option to upgrade if desired. You’ll need to do so before the Verification Upgrade Deadline. Not all content is optimized for the mobile app, though, and you may be directed to a web browser for some parts.
8 Simplilearn
With a focus on preparing you for a promotion, new job, or new career, this ad-free app offers various courses, online boot camps, professional certifications, and post-graduate programs. Its top categories include Software Development, Data Science, Digital Marketing, Project Management, DevOps, and Quality Management. All content is free, including the certificate you receive upon completion.
Many courses are short and can be completed in just a few hours. In addition, all lessons can be downloaded for offline viewing, making learning on the go convenient. Simplilearn’s “SkillUp Bytes” section is also beneficial, especially for those who are short on time. These knowledge-boosting videos are under 60 seconds, and new videos are added daily. There’s also the SkillUp Daily Quiz show where you can test your knowledge of current trends and even win some rewards. Other valuable resources available in the app are articles, downloadable ebooks, and webinars.
9 Sololearn
This app is ideal for those wanting to focus on computer programming, data science, or web development. It’s free to use with ad support; however, a Pro account unlocks unlimited practice lessons, removes ads, and allows you to set daily learning goals, among other things. There are 17 programming languages to choose from, including Python, C++, Java, C#, Kotlin, R, Go, PHP, Ruby, and Swift 4.
Anyone can create a project and share it within the app. The exact code used can be seen and edited whether sharing or viewing projects. Tweaking the code lets you put your very own clever spin on someone else’s project and vice versa. Along with seeing what creations others have come up with, you can compete in coding challenges against other Sololearn users to test your knowledge and see how you stack up on the public leaderboard.
10 Perfect Ear
If you’ve always wanted to learn all about chords, scales, intervals, notation, and other music concepts, this app makes that possible. Plus, if you’re ambitious, you can turn your music-learning adventure into a competition by connecting your Google Play Games account. Doing this allows you to compete with your friends and users worldwide, unlock online achievements, and automatically back up your progress to Google Drive. While the app is free, you can also purchase premium content to upgrade your experience. For example, you can buy individual exercise packs for each category and a custom exercise editor, which allows you to create tailored exercises.
The app features ear and rhythm training exercises, drills for improving your musicianship, music theory guides, and guided courses based on your experience level. In addition, the app lets you customize many aspects of its aspects according to your preference. For instance, you can choose the default tempo (BPM), enable haptic feedback, invert the button buttons (if you’re left-handed), change the app’s language (eight to choose from), customize each exercise type, and much more. The companion Clefs app (same company) helps you work on your music reading and writing skills; together, you’ll be a musical genius in no time.
11 Quizlet
This popular study app helps you master arts and humanities, languages, math, science, and social science. With Quizlet, learning is fun thanks to its engaging, scientifically-backed study methods: flashcards, pronunciation guides, multiple-choice quizzes, and interactive games. In fact, more than 90% of students who use Quizlet report higher grades. The search function works very well, returning results for flashcard sets, textbooks, questions, users, and classes.
One of the most convenient features is the audio button on each flashcard, which reads it aloud for you. You can also add individual cards to your favorites. Quizlet is ad-supported and free to use, but monthly and annual subscribers get access to premium features with zero ads. Some of the premium features include expert step-by-step solutions, practice tests, customized flashcard sets, and the ability to make flashcards from handwritten notes. Quizlet’s many features make it a fantastic choice for anyone studying for a test or exam, whether they’re a student or a professional.
12 Mimo
With this coding app, you can go above and beyond by enrolling in its 6-month certified development program for $499/monthly or a one-time fee of $2,899. The 20 hours a week program is remote and includes 1-on-1 instruction and code reviews. You’ll even get help with the hiring process through career coaching and interview preparation. In addition to this advanced program, you can use the Mimo app for free to learn HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, and SQL.
While the app contains ads, you can upgrade to Pro to remove them and access the entire library of paths, projects, and challenges. You’ll also receive more challenging exercises, unlimited coding playgrounds, and a certificate when completing a coding path. With the Playground feature, you can select a template, create a project (Python or JavaScript program, website, or React app), and publish it on the Web.
13 Udemy
Like Coursera and Khan Academy, Udemy offers an affordable learning platform but focuses more on flexibility and skillset development. Whether you’re looking to grow your expertise professionally during an internship at a company, improve your chances at a promotion, or simply want to dabble into a new skill — Udemy has something to offer. Udemy’s app has a collection of paid courses, and tapping on them will bring up the curriculum, the course package, and the requirements. Now if you’re on a budget, there are some free courses on Udemy, but you will have to manually search by using the course name — unfortunately, the app lacks a built-in price filter for browsing.
The only downside to Udemy is that anybody can create and develop these courses, which means the overall quality may vary. But it also leads to having more access to niche subjects taught by highly trained individuals and certified professionals. And gaining those resources enables growth with more hands-on practices like the trades, businesses, and public health sectors. On the other hand, Coursera has programs run by actual instructors from recognized institutes (Universities and Colleges), which can lead to degrees and paid certifications. Overall, Udemy is still a highly reputable and trusted platform to learn on, so give it a go when you’re looking to expand your repertoire.
14 Kahoot!
No one has been able to solve learner engagement; it turns out that everyone absorbs subject matter differently, and the educational curriculum was never designed to adapt that fast. So we turn to apps like Kahoot! that enable tactile and experiential learners. Kahoot! is a quiz-based gaming app where you can take and create quizzes. It’s a fantastic learning tool that works well in the classroom, where teachers can use Kahoot!s during live and virtual lessons as additional study aids. Within the app, taking and hosting quizzes is free, but you will want to dip into a paid subscription to unlock advanced features and upgrades; these include access to an image library, adding advanced question types (polls, puzzles, and open-ended questions), and extra host space for live sessions.
To start using Kahoot!, it will ask you to log in or sign up for an account. But once you’re in, you can find Kahoot!s (games) by entering a pin or scanning the QR code. Next, you can browse the selection by tapping on the “Discover” feature. Remember that some Kahoot!s may be walled off until you pay a subscription fee; otherwise, you can access plenty for free. Kahoot! has a surprising amount of depth for a quiz-making app — so next time you want some knowledge to stick, try some Kahoot!s with your study buddies or bring it to your next lesson.
Sharpen the mind with these mobile apps
It’s much better to have reliable apps to check the answer to a math problem or keep up with practicing a new language. Carrying around heavy textbooks doesn’t seem practical anymore now that we have other, more convenient options for learning on the go.
Much like physical health and fitness, your mental aptitude requires stimulation to stay in shape. This is why we’ve included many of the best learning and knowledge-gaining apps, that way, you can always keep those cognitive abilities intact.
