Best Android Tablet Apps: Ones Built for the Big Screen

The apps worth putting on an Android tablet are the ones that do something with the extra space: two panes side by side, tools down the edge of the screen, proper pen support. Start with the Google apps already installed, many of which now have a tablet layout. Then add the few apps whose makers say outright that they are built for large screens.

We read Google’s guidelines on what counts as tablet-ready, then went through Google Play listings and makers’ help pages for apps that state tablet support in plain words. The 2020 version of this article opened by saying Google did not care about tablets. That has not been true for some years.

What optimised for tablets means

Google publishes quality guidelines for app developers, and they describe three levels of support for big screens.

• Adaptive ready: the app fills the screen and you can get things done, though Google’s own description admits the layout may not be ideal.
• Adaptive optimized: the layout has been reworked for every screen size, with better support for keyboards, mice and pens.
• Adaptive differentiated: the app is designed around the device, with multitasking, drag and drop and stylus input where they apply.

Below all of those is the app that does not adapt at all. Android shows it in the middle or to one side of the screen with bars filling the rest, which Google calls letterboxing. Its documentation says this happens often on large screens because most apps are designed for phones.

In practice, a proper tablet app shows two panes where a phone shows one, moves its navigation to the side and works with a keyboard or pen. Those are the changes Google’s own posts about tablet apps keep pointing to.

What the tablet already does

Google said in 2023 that more than 50 of its own apps had been updated for larger screens. These are the examples it gives in its posts and listings:

• Gmail opens a link or attachment beside the email, with a divider you can drag.
• Google Calendar shows the month on the left and the day’s events on the right.
• Google Photos uses a multi-column grid and puts its editing tools in a side panel.
• Google Drive lists a side by side view and drag and drop on Android tablets, and can open two of its own windows next to each other.
• Docs and Slides take keyboard shortcuts such as copy, paste and undo when a keyboard is attached.

The system helps as well. Google’s Pixel Tablet help describes a taskbar you can pin to the bottom of the screen and a split screen for two apps at once. Samsung and other makers arrange these differently, and we have not checked each one.

Apps that state tablet support

Notes and handwriting

Goodnotes is the one Google Play itself picked as best for large screens in its 2025 awards. Its listing covers handwritten notes with pen and highlighter tools and marking up imported PDFs, and it runs on Android, Windows and Chromebooks. New users get a seven-day trial. After that, the listing says collaboration, sharing and unlimited notebooks need a subscription. It also warns that tablets with 4GB of memory or less may struggle.

Squid describes itself as writing on paper, on an Android tablet, phone or Chromebook. With an active pen such as Samsung’s S Pen you write with the pen and erase with a finger. It is free to use, and Squid Premium adds things like specialist paper backgrounds.

MyScript Notes is the app our old list called Nebo. Its strength is recognition: the listing says it converts handwriting and maths to typed text and rough diagrams to clean shapes. It also says you can rotate the tablet or split the screen and the notes reflow to stay readable. You get a seven-day trial of everything, then a limited free version.

Samsung Notes is Samsung’s own notes app, and the obvious first stop on a Galaxy tablet. The listing covers handwritten notes and marking up PDFs with the S Pen.

Drawing and video

Infinite Painter won the same Google Play award a year earlier. Its listing says it is designed for stylus devices, with full pressure and tilt support. The free version gives you three layers and all the built-in brushes. Larger canvases and more layers are in the paid tier.

Concepts was Google Play’s best app for tablets in 2023. Google’s own write-up says it resizes to fit any Android screen and was tuned to keep the lag between pen tip and line as low as possible. The basics are free. The rest comes through a subscription or one-off purchases.

Krita is the Android version of the desktop painting program of the same name. Its listing says the interface is built for big screens, so it is not offered for phones at all. The same listing calls this release a beta that is not yet suitable for real work. Take them at their word and keep copies of anything that matters.

LumaFusion is a video editor with six video tracks and six more for audio, and its listing mentions Samsung’s DeX mode. It is a paid app, and speed ramping and keyframing cost extra.

One to check before you commit is Clip Studio Paint. Its listing says that on a tablet you need a monthly or annual plan to save or export your work.

Office, email and browsing

Outlook: Microsoft’s support site says the app is optimised for tablets and foldables. The inbox or agenda sits on the left with the open email or event on the right, and landscape adds a third pane for folders.

Word, Excel and PowerPoint: Microsoft’s support site says core editing is free on Android devices with screens of 10.1 inches or less. Many tablets are bigger than that. The page does not spell out what happens above the limit on Android, but the plain reading is that editing there needs a Microsoft 365 subscription, as it says outright for the iPad Pro. Google Docs has no such rule and carries no ads or in-app purchase labels.

Vivaldi: its listing mentions a tab bar built for tablets and large screens, and a desktop mode for sites that hide features on mobile. It is also the browser we recommend in our guide to Android browsers with dark mode.

If an app will not fill the screen

Some apps open in a narrow column however large the tablet. On a Pixel Tablet, Google’s help page gives a fix:

1. Open Settings and tap Apps, then Aspect ratio (experimental).
2. Tap Suggested apps, then All apps, and pick the app.
3. Choose Full screen, Half screen, 16:9 or App default.

The app restarts when you change it, so save your work first. Google’s developer documentation says this menu exists on large-screen devices from Android 14, that the choices can differ between manufacturers and that a developer can keep an app off the list.

Android 16 goes further. For apps built for it, the system ignores an app’s own limits on orientation and shape on tablet-sized screens, although developers can still opt out.

Which to pick

• Email, documents and photos: the Google apps that came with the tablet.
• Handwritten notes: Goodnotes. On a Galaxy tablet, try Samsung Notes first, since it is made for the S Pen.
• Drawing: Infinite Painter or Concepts. Both have a free tier, so install both and keep the one you like.
• Video editing: LumaFusion, if you will use it enough to justify the price.
• A work account with Microsoft: Outlook. Check your screen size before you rely on Word for editing.

What happened to the old list

All five apps from 2020 survive in some form. Gmail and Outlook are covered above, and Nebo is now MyScript Notes.

The Google Play page that used to be Microsoft Office is now called Microsoft Copilot and is described as an AI assistant. For documents, install Word, Excel and PowerPoint separately.

VLC for Android is still free with no ads and no in-app purchases. Its listing makes no claim about tablets, and VideoLAN’s site lists support for Chromebooks and Android TV only. It remains a sound choice for playing video files, which is a job that does not need a second pane.

Quick answers

What are the best apps for an Android tablet?

Google’s own apps for everyday use, Goodnotes for handwritten notes and Infinite Painter or Concepts for drawing. Google Play named those three its best for large screens or tablets in 2025, 2024 and 2023.

Why do some apps not fill the screen on my Android tablet?

Because they were designed for phones, so Android shows them with bars at the sides. On a Pixel Tablet, go to Settings, Apps, Aspect ratio and set the app to Full screen.

Is Microsoft Office free on an Android tablet?

Microsoft says core editing is free on Android devices with screens of 10.1 inches or less. On a larger tablet, expect to need a Microsoft 365 subscription to edit.

What is the best note-taking app for an Android tablet?

Goodnotes, which Google Play named best for large screens in 2025. Squid and MyScript Notes are the alternatives, and all three have a free tier or trial.

What is the best drawing app for an Android tablet?

Infinite Painter or Concepts. Krita is free and built for tablets, but its own listing still calls it a beta.