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The 30 Best Android Apps For Fashion Bloggers

IFB » Tools, Apps, Gadgets, and Resources » The 30 Best Android Apps For Fashion Bloggers

By Jennifer Booth, fashion nerd of frayed threads

There's always been a great deal of hoopla around Apple products – let's face it, that company can build followers like Ashton Kutcher on Twitter. But what about those of us tech-savvy fashionistas who prefer the Android operating system? I'm sure I'm not alone in the feeling that sometimes we Droid loyalists are left out of the fun when many apps are released only for Apple – but fear not, compatriots! While it may be true that the Appelists have more mainstream apps at their disposal, the Droid market seems to have more free ones available to its users. I've spent some time compiling the top Google Play Store apps for fashion bloggers, and thought I'd share them with my fellow robot lovers.

The Basics:

When it comes to the basic apps, these are (fortunately) the same as the ones listed on the iPad/iPhone list, but the list bears repeating – some have different names or functions in the Android universe.

1. Google Currents (free) The Droid equivalent of Flipboard, this nifty app allows one to flip through your various feeds and displays (Google Reader, Facebook, Twitter, etc) in a magazine style layout that makes keeping up with the techno-world much less daunting that one all-inclusive stream of information.
2. Twitter (free) For moments when you don't want to be bothered with flipping, the traditional Twitter app is perfect for focusing on a single aspect of your social media self. It's simple, easy to use and allows you to switch between multiple accounts with a tap of a finger.
3. Facebook (free) Again, an app for the traditionalist in each of us, the Facebook app allows you to view just your Facebook stream – along with the added fun of checking out friends' and companies' pages, sending and receiving your messages and checking your page stats.
4. Hootsuite (free) Many bloggers and companies find Hootsuite to be a valuable app for social media multitasking, as it allows you to combine and update multiple accounts (Twitter, Facebook, FourSquare, LinkedIn) at once. I haven't gotten the hang of this one myself quite yet, but I have noticed quite a drain on my battery since installing it. The verdict? Worth it, if you have frequent access to a charger and multiple accounts to manage.
5. Skype (free) Who needs FaceTime when you have Skype? This app allows you to video conference whenever, wherever, with anyone who has a Skype account – a useful tool, especially if you like to take face to face meetings on the go.
6. Evernote (free) The Swiss Army Knife of note taking, the Evernote app allows you to do so much more than tap
out a simple note on your phone or tablet. Attach documents, record audio and video, add photographs – and then sync it all back to a main account that you can access from anywhere. Can I get a “hell yes!” please?
7. Dropbox (free) This app has effectively eliminated the need for a jump drive-to-smartphone converter, because now all you need to do is drag ‘n drop your files to your Dropbox account to move them from once place to another (like from your phone to your computer and visa-versa).

Blogging Tools:

I'm not sure what kind of access I-Users have to blogging apps, but being a Blogger or WordPress subscriber and Android user means that having access to a plethora of valuable blogging apps in the Google Play Store.

8. Blogger/WordPress (free) While occasionally glitchy, these apps are invaluable for updating your blog on the go. The interfaces don't have nearly the full functionality of a computer, but you can still upload posts with basic formatting and multiple photos from your phone – especially important when away from your comp for extended periods of time, and don't want your readers to fret (NYFW, anyone?).
9. gAnalytics (free) If you don't already have Google Analytics installed on your blog, please do so now. I'll wait.
K, now that you're back, let's talk about this fabulous app that allows you to track your analytics and traffic data from your phone/tablet. You can see the number of unique visitors, return visitors, where your referrals are coming from, what search terms are getting the most hits, and pretty much everything else you need to know about your site’s traffic. I tend to post most often at night, and this app is great for checking my analytic data while I eat my Frosted Flakes every morning.
10. Google+ (free) While more of a networking app than blogging, I'm putting in this category because more and more, Google+ is becoming a valuable networking tool for style bloggers. It may still be in its infancy, but I love that it allows you to do from the get-go what Facebook took years to implement: assigning friends to specific groups with specific permissions and feeds. Plus, if you use Blogger, you can connect your Blogger profile directly to your Google+ one, making it easier for people to find and identify you.
11. Voice Recorder (default/free) While I do love me some Evernote, sometimes when I'm driving, I need one-click access to something that will allow me to record my inspired thoughts without taking my eyes off the rush hour traffic around me. This is where a simple voice recorder app comes in handy – put a shortcut to it on your home screen, and release all fears of causing an accident from fumbling with your phone in a desperate attempt to record the glorious thoughts inside your head.

Fashion Apps:

While many may think that the Apple App Store has Droid beat hands down in this arena, I've found that it's simply an issue of knowing where to look. When I was done researching this topic,I had trouble narrowing down the top contenders!

12. Pose (free) Sort of like Instagram, but exclusively fashion oriented, Pose is one of the fastest growing communities within the fashion world. This app allows you to upload and share your outfits and other stylish endeavors with the rest of the fashion world. A quick quiz upon first sign up generates a list of suggested Posers to follow, and from there you can link multiple social media accounts to find friends from other networks.
13. Mobo Fashion Trends & Deals (free) This app features news on everything from the latest hairstyles to the hottest shoes, and is a great style reference to have on the go. Get one-click access to top fashion sites such as Elle, Style.com, the Sartorialist, WWD, Vogue and many others, and share your fabulous fashion finds with your friends via Twitter.
14. Closet Virtual (free) This app requires a bit of patience to garner its full worth, but if you have the time (and the desire) to catalog your wardrobe, you can take it with you everywhere you go. The app also has a built in calendar to track when you wear what outfit – pretty handy when planning OOTD posts!
15. Pulse News (free) While not strictly a fashion related app, this app is useful because it pulls the content from your favorite websites and allows you to view it in a clean, elegant layout. You can also save stories to read later (even offline), or send them to your Instapaper, Read It Later, Evernote and/or Google Reader account(s) in just one tap. Great for saving stories to read while commuting through areas that may lack in cell signal (they still have those….?).
16. Fashion Style (free) This app brings you closer to your favorite designers, featuring designs from everyone from Alexander McQueen to Valentino and everyone in between. Review the latest trends and collections straight from the runways, and save them forever or flick them away. Great resource for the runway lovers amongst us!

Shopping:

Use these tools wisely, young grasshopper.

17. Coupon Closet (free) Unlike the other apps on this list, this one doesn't feature streams of data and pretty pictures. No, this one has something for the budget fashionistas (read: most of us) – sales and discounts from many of our favorite stores and retailers. Who can say no to saving money on the things you love?
18. Gilt (free) What to do when insomnia strikes but you don't want to get out of bed? Bust out your phone and the Gilt for Android app, of course – shop all of Gilt Group's killer sales with the swipe of a finger. I'd suggest leaving your credit cards next to your alarm clock. Or in the freezer.
19. Zappos (free) One of the world's most popular online retailers, formatted to fit your phone. Handy? Yes.
Dangerous? Definitely.
20. Retailer Apps (usually free) This is category is broader than a herd of elephants – unlike magazines and other style resources, retailers seem to have recognized the value of the Android market and are beginning to explore it. Most of your favorite retailers have a Droid app available with at minimum browsing capability, though most seem to have full functionality in the form of wish lists and buying straight from the app.

Photo Apps:

Because we're not perfect, and sometimes you just need an edit or two before an photo is fit to go live on your blog or stream.

21. Instagram (free) Like Twitter for photos, only cooler, Instagram allows you to apply a neat-o effect to a pic before uploading it to your stream to share with your friends and followers. You can comment and “like” the photos of users you love, and tag others in your posts, just like you would on Twitter – AND you can share these posts to Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and FourSquare.
22. Adobe Photoshop Express (free) The power of Photoshop, in the palm of your hand. Touch, swipe and click to crop, rotate and edit photos and apply neat effects or adjust color before sharing them.
23. FX Photo Editor (free & paid) A comprehensive photo editor, this app has both a free and a paid version. This app allows you to add borders, effects, crop, rotate, adjust colors, and has all sorts of other tools for modifying and enhancing photos. It ranges from beginner (free) to expert (paid), so your needs and ability will be the judge of which version you need.
24. Diptic (paid) Create fun, easy collages and share them across Twitter, Facebook and/or Tumblr. With tons of different layouts and options, you can use this app to tell a story or just have some fun!

Everything Else:

Face it peeps – sometimes, we do need to raise our heads from the fashion sands and recognize the world around us. Here are the apps for those times.

25. NPR (free) This app gives you access to National Public Radio any time, where you can browse and listen to stories or tune into any NPR station live with just a click!
26. Kindle (free) For the bookworm in all of us – the app is free, and you can sample most any book available in the store for free. The books range from free to $$$, depending on the title. There are tons of $1 options available too!
27. ThinkFree Office (free/default) This app comes default on most Android phones, though it is also available for download. It’s incredibly useful if you happen to view a lot of Microsoft Office documents on the go. The free
version won’t let you edit them though – you’ll have to shell out some cash for an app like Documents To Go for that privilege.
28. Adobe Reader (free) PDFs are a great way to protect content that the author doesn't want stolen, and downloading Adobe Reader is the only way to view it. It's also a great option for sending documents to someone who may or may not have access to an Office program, since Reader is free and compatible with most (if not all) devices.
29. Wikidroid (free) The Droid streamlined version of Wikipedia, this travel size encyclopedia is a must to have on hand for easy reference, answering questions and settling (winning) arguments.
30. Pandora (free) Who doesn't love music? Type in a band, artist or genre that you’re feeling, plug in some headphones and tune out the rest of the world for a bit.

Bottom line? I'm sure Apple's great, but you will have to pry my Droid from my cold, dead, fashionless hands – even the name is cooler.

9 Responses

Crystin April 24, 2012

Thank you sooo much for this. I get a little tired of seeing all the articles about apple products you need. Droids need some love too!

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Stephanie April 24, 2012

Thanks so much for this! As a long time Android user this is awesome to know! Almost as good as when Instagram came out for Android! 🙂

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Arash Mazinani April 25, 2012

A great post, I think a lot of blogs tend to be Apple focused, while I love apple products, I own both an iPad and a Macbook Pro, I still love having my android mobile as it mixes things up a bit.

One app which I think is actually a lot better than Instagram and I have it as my default camera app is

Vignette

It is an app you have to pay for but it has so many filters and effects and allows you post pictures directly to twitter or Facebook. It just doesn’t have the whole social side to it that Instagram has as it is primarily a camera app.

Put the effects on random… take a bunch of photos and you end up with some really cool shots. And your photos don’t end up looking like all the Instagram clones.

Reply
Sheyla Concepcion April 25, 2012

Thanks for this post! I’m anti iOS so this is perfect for my android phone.

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Jeanine Marie April 26, 2012

Thank you for posting this list of apps. Its nice to be able to get more use out of my Android phone plus I will not have to carry my Ipod Touch to use certain apps.

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ExclusiveUMPF (@ELeeAccessories) April 28, 2012

Thanks for the article 🙂 I have always wanted to know some of the best apps to download for my Droid now I have them all at my fingertips.

Thanks a million guys, you are appreciated!

Reply
Jennifer April 29, 2012

Thanks ladies! I’m so glad you like my article – it was so much fun to write. And thanks to IFB for publishing it!

Feel free to drop me a line if you ever have any techno/blogging/fashion questions! You can find me on my blog, frayed-threads.blogspot.com.

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reddit May 5, 2012

I had been wondering if you ever considered switching the layout of your blog? Its well written; I enjoy what you have got to say. But maybe you can include a little more in the way of written content so people could connect to it better. You have got a great deal of text for only having one or two graphics. Maybe you can space it out better?

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