Artificial intelligence is changing the way we interact with the world around us. Whether you're using AI to work smarter, have some 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. Fortunately, there are a few excellent Android AI apps in the Play Store, and we're here to help you pick the best ones to meet your needs.
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 you need on your phone. These apps offer many features for free, but they also have subscription tiers that provide benefits like choosing between models, or quicker replies.
Related
How to use Gemini to create AI images in Google Slides
Create accompanying images for your presentation in seconds
1 ChatGPT
If you know about AI, you know ChatGPT, the dominant AI chatbot on the market, and its underlying GPT engine that is used to power many other tools. Using natural language processing, ChatGPT provides human-like interaction and incredible depth of knowledge, making it an indispensable tool for a range of tasks such as researching topics, summarizing documents, and even composing music. In our experience, ChatGPT does occasionally return factually inaccurate information, and 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 app offers a full feature set and plenty of horsepower for casual use. However, power users can spend $20 per month to get the latest GPT-4 model and priority access during peak hours, when things tend to slow down for everyone else.
2 Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft has struggled for many years to find its footing in the battle for search engine supremacy, but its new Copilot Android app aims to change that by using the ChatGPT engine to power its AI chatbot functionality. Although you can be certain that Google is in hot pursuit with projects like Gemini, Microsoft's early and extensive investment in ChatGPT's parent, OpenAI, has given the company a first-mover advantage, at least for now.
In comparison to the free app version of ChatGPT, Copilot provides a few extras. 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 model. What's more, you can use Dall-E 3's best-in-class image generation capabilities directly within the app after signing in. We think the Copilot app is a must-have download for Android users because it offers a good user experience and a few extra features compared to the ChatGPT app. That said, we did occasionally experience slow and buggy behavior in the app during our testing period.
3 Google Gemini
Google's AI chatbot Gemini received a huge update in December 2023. While Gemini still has a lot in common with ChatGPT, its integration with Google's search and app ecosystem makes it stand out 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 certain passages and export the answer to Google Docs. Gemini's response also included sources for its response. When we followed up to ask 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. 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.
4 Replika
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 app setup. You can create your Replika's physical characteristics by picking things like body shape, hairstyle, and eye color. Creating your Replika friend is enjoyable thanks to the good user interface and fun choices you get to make in the process. We named our companion Wavi and set her up as a platonic friend, but 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 Android app for a little fun and amusem*nt.
5 Duolingo Max (AKA a promising contender)
Duolingo is arguably the best language learning app on the market, with support for numerous excellent gamification features that keep you engaged. A new premium subscription tier, dubbed Duolingo Max, leverages the GPT-4 engine to provide 1:1 roleplay conversations. Max is currently only available for iOS devices in limited regions, in English and French. It's a cool implementation and one to watch for when it comes to Android.
Our favorite AI apps deliver, and they're just getting started
Although these are our top AI app picks, it's definitely 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 about machine learning and how various models evolve using reinforcement learning from human feedback and other behavioral techniques.
