The Must-Have Apps to Set Up on Your New Android Phone

Setting up a new Android phone is faster than it has ever been (a restore from the previous phone takes about fifteen minutes), and it is also still the day where the decisions you make about which apps to install shape the rest of the device’s life. The phone’s home screen is the most expensive screen real estate in your day.

This is the short list of must-have apps the editorial team installs on every new Pixel or Galaxy review unit on day one. No bloat. No “free trials.” Just the tools that actually earn the spot.

TL;DR

The pick: Password manager (1Password or Bitwarden), authenticator (Google Authenticator or Authy), Find Hub (built in), Spotify or your music app, your bank app, WhatsApp, Google Photos.

Runner-up: Plus a backup and recovery setup before anything else.

Skip if: You only use the phone for calls and texts. Most of this list will sit unused; focus on Find Hub plus a screen-lock setup.

First: log into Google and turn on backup

Settings → Google → Backup. Verify photos go to Google Photos, app data goes to Google Drive, and SMS goes to Google. The next phone setup becomes a fifteen-minute restore.

Password manager (the most important install)

1Password if you can afford it, Bitwarden if you cannot. Both ship with autofill that works in every app on Android 15+. Install before you start logging into anything; once set up the phone stops asking you to remember passwords for the rest of its life.

Authenticator app

Google Authenticator or Authy. Both handle TOTP codes for two-factor authentication. Google Authenticator now syncs to your Google account by default; Authy uses its own cloud. Pick one and migrate your existing 2FA accounts during the new-phone setup.

Find Hub (built in)

Settings → Google → Find My Device. Toggle on. Add Theft Detection Lock and Offline Device Lock from Settings → Security & privacy → Theft protection. Four minutes that save you in the worst case.

Communication: WhatsApp plus one more

WhatsApp by default. Add Signal if you care about end-to-end encryption with stronger metadata protection. Add Telegram if your friend group lives there. Avoid running all three actively; pick the one your closest five contacts already use.

Media: Spotify or YouTube Music

The choice is brand-driven; both apps run well on Android. Connect to your car via Android Auto. Set Spotify Connect or Google Cast for home speakers.

Photos: Google Photos and an alternative

Google Photos handles backup and the AI editing in Magic Editor. Add Ente Photos as a backup if you want end-to-end-encrypted photo storage; Ente offers a free tier and a paid plan.

Bank, transport, food: as needed

Your bank’s app, your local transit app (Citymapper, Transit, or the official MTA / TfL / BVG app), your default food-delivery app (Uber Eats, Deliveroo, DoorDash). Avoid loading more than two of each category.

Which order should you install in?

Day one essentials: Password manager, authenticator, Find Hub setup. Before anything else.
Day one comfort: WhatsApp or Signal, Spotify or YouTube Music, your bank app, Google Photos.
Day two nice-to-haves: Transit app, food-delivery app, photo backup secondary, fitness tracker.
Day seven cleanup: Audit the home screen. Anything you have not opened all week gets uninstalled.
Skip: Anything labelled “booster,” “cleaner,” or “speed up your phone.” Modern Android does not need them and most are advertising malware.

Important: Avoid sideloading apps from links shared in text messages, even from friends. The single most common 2026 phishing pattern is a forwarded message asking you to install an app from a non-store link. If the app is legitimate, it lives on the Play Store.

FAQ

Should I install Samsung's or Pixel's default apps?

Samsung’s Internet, Notes, and Music apps have all matured. Pixel’s launcher and Now Playing are excellent. Use the manufacturer apps that suit your habits; uninstall or disable the rest.

What about antivirus apps?

Modern Android (15+) has Play Protect and the Google Tensor security chip built in. Third-party antivirus on Android is mostly unnecessary; the few worth running (Bitdefender, Malwarebytes) are subscription products you should evaluate separately.

How many apps should I install?

Whatever you actually use. The average power user has 50 to 80 apps installed. The home screen should hold the 20 you use weekly; the rest go in the app drawer.

What about app permissions?

Set them as Allow only while using the app by default. Audit Settings → Privacy → Permission manager once a quarter. Most users find one or two always-on accesses they did not authorise.

The new-phone app starter pack

A new Android phone deserves a thoughtful setup, not a five-minute speedrun. Get the password manager and authenticator on first. Turn on Find Hub. Pick the messaging app your friends actually use. Everything else can wait until you have lived with the phone for a week.