9 brilliant Android apps which iPhone users don't have

The iPhone might be the last word in smartphones for some people, but Android is much more customizable and you'll find apps in the Play Store that probably won't ever be offered to iPhone users.

Here's a selection of our top picks, so if you're not using them already, you're probably missing out.

Android apps that will make iPhone users jealous

1. Nova Launcher

Free Nova Launcher is one of the best launchers for Android, and one of the most customisable. It lets you do all sorts of things that you'd have to jailbreak an iPhone to replicate. You can have 3D transitions between home screens, change the appearance of icons and much, much more.

2. Nokia Z Launcher  

Free Nokia's latest move is to make its Z Launcher available for free to all Android users. The launcher is much more focused than Nova Launcher above, being all about finding the stuff you want very quickly. It makes it fast to find a particular app: simply draw a 'w' on the screen for example and apps beginning with w will show up in a list. And it isn't only apps: contacts and web search results are also shown.
Z Launcher also learns which apps you use at certain times of the day automatically so you don't even need to search: they're right there at your fingertips when you need them.

3. ES File explorer

Free Android doesn't have a built-in file explorer, but ES is one of the most popular free options. It lets you browse the folder structure of your smartphone so you can find specific files and perform actions just as you would on a PC: rename, copy and delete. You can also use ES to find apk files to install apps without using the Play Store.

4. USB OTG: Nexus Media Importer £2.50

Plenty of iPhone users dream of being able to attach a USB drive to their smartphone and browse files as if it were a PC. Some Android phones have built-in OTG support, but if you have a Google Nexus you'll need Nexus Media Importer.

5. Tasker £2.99

A bit like IFTTT for Android, Tasker is an automation tool which you can use for just about anything you can think of. You could set your phone to Silent mode when you arrive at work, for example, or make music play when you get home. There's a bit of a learning curve, but it's well worth it.

6. Twilight 

Free Staring LCD screens just before bed is a bad idea. Twilight changes your screen's colour temperature according to the sunset (or times you set) to reduce the blue light output which is proven to stimulate the brain and prevent you nodding off quickly.

8. AirDroid

Free Want to wirelessly access your Android phone's files, messages and more from your PC? AirDroid lets you do it for free. Like Mighty Text, below, you can send and receive SMS messages, but you can also import and export apk files, view and mange photos, and even view the phone's screen in realtime and take screenshots!

9. Mighty Text

Free Mighty Text allows you to send texts from your PC or tablet (even within Gmail) without having to pick up your smartphone. It also shows on your PC who's calling your phone, and you get notifications of incoming text messages.
Ok, so this is sort of available on i Phones, but you need iOS 8 and a Mac running Mavericks. So, if you're an iPhone user with only a PC to hand you're out of luck.