Published by Steve Litchfield at 18:37 UTC, November 23rd 2017

Utterly subjective, of course. We're all different, but hopefully this top 12 will give you a starting point if you're too pushed for time to browse through AAWP's comprehensive directories of general applications and camera/media apps . Admittedly, those lists include software for both Windows Phone 8.1 and Windows 10 Mobile, while the list below is UWP all the way, i.e. dedicated applications for Windows 10 (across all form factors).





I've been asked for something like this for ages, and setting up a new Alcatel IDOL 4 Pro phone provided the opportunity for a fresh start and a serious think about what I did and didn't want loaded up. Most will be familiar names here, but the list is still worth going through.

Notes:

As you might expect, I'll link each application through to a more detailed write-up elsewhere on AAWP.

The list, by definition, includes any software by Microsoft (most of which is very good).

The list is in rough order of awesomeness, starting with the best(!)

1. Tweetium

Probably the best Twitter client on Windows 10 Mobile - there are some competitors, but I'm waiting to see which of them get updated to the new 280 character limit before I attempt a full UWP round-up. And no, Tweetium still hasn't had that fix yet either, but I love it anyway. The official Twitter client, by the way, ALSO hasn't had the character fix, and is more limited in terms of presentation and functions.

Last covered here.

2. Grover Pro

A beautiful application that takes its cues from Groove Music, hence the name. Transparency, artwork, gestures, reliable background podcatching - this is the Rolls Royce of UWP podcatchers - and there are a few!

Last covered here.

3. Awesome Tube

What? I hear you exclaim - not myTube!? While I recognise myTube!'s graphical and UI prowess, it's been playing up something rotten in the last few weeks, with glitchy playback and screen corruptions. Probably something YouTube has changed, but in the meantime I'm going to pick Awesome Tube, which seems to still run fluidly on all my phones. It's a third party client which doesn't get enough recognition.

Last covered here.





4. FeedLab

There are quite a few RSS news clients and also several Feedly clients - the idea of the latter service being to aggregate the news feeds centrally so that you only have to grab what's new. The best UWP application here is probably FeedLab - just swipe between stories, exploring or sharing as you go. I'm still not sold on some of the colour choices and fonts in the UI, but it's a developing application and gets the job done very effectively.

Last covered here.

5. GDrive.NET

A foolproof and glossy way into Google Drive and Google Photos, all from the comfort of your Windows 10 device. Perfect if you also have an Android phone or tablet, perhaps. Browse, download and share, as needed.

Last covered here.





6. Video X Player Pro

A video player? What's wrong with Microsoft's 'Films & Tv', built-in? Remembering playback position, that's what. When you have a load of movies and documentaries on your microSD card, it's a huge pain to have to remember where you got to in each - this UWP player just handles all that for you. In addition, there are loads of extras in terms of file and subtitle compatibility, plus UI niceties. Highly recommended - just remember to give it a few minutes to index your card and build its thumbnails on the first run through.

Last covered here.





7. ProShot

This was completely rewritten as a UWP application some time ago and it's really maturing now. Offering DSLR-like UI controls and even resolution and encoding options not available anywhere else, this is the camera application for the real pros, in my opinion. The learning curve is steep but worthwhile. Watch this space for a quality comparison feature on AAWP.

Last covered here.





8. KeePassReader

There are in fact several KeePass-compatible UWP applications for Windows 10 Mobile, but this one appeals to me most because of its support for Windows Hello and biometric authentication. So, rather than have to enter my long master password to get into my encrypted database of passwords, pins and reference information, I just place my finger on the IDOL 4 Pro's fingerprint sensor or let the Lumia 950 scan my irises. So easy - and there's a handy copying mechanism, to copy long passwords out for pasting into Edge or similar. On the downside, this is a 'read only' solution, I have it set to access my KeePass 2.x database on OneDrive and I use other apps on my desktops to update the database. But a minor detail in the grand scheme of things.

Last covered here.





9. onePedia

Wikipedia is easy enough to get to via the Edge browser, of course. But onePedia is such a pleasure to use that I find myself going to it more and using it for longer. It's slick and fluid and a good example of a UWP application 'done right'.

Last covered here.

10. Transcoder

It's a fair cop - this is something which the average person is unlikely to use, certainly on the phone. But Windows 10 is a proper OS with a proper file system, and once a month or so I find myself with a need to convert a media file - perhaps I've recorded a WAV file and now want it in MP3, for sharing with someone else, or maybe a video file needs transcoding down. And then I remember that I don't need to break out a laptop and send files backwards and forwards - I can do it all on the phone with Transcoder. It's getting updated regularly, it's super-powerful and with a steep UI to match - but don't discount it.

Last covered here.





11. Slack

It's absolutely true that Slack UWP on Windows 10 Mobile is a pale shadow of Slack on other platforms in terms of the full feature set, but at least it works for the essential messaging and collaboration features. So someone trying to get my attention on Slack reaches me on my Lumia or similar. It's quite an attractive application and I feel that Slack has an update or two left in this.

Last covered here.

12. Tapershot

Something of a recent oddity, Tapershot (/'Tapershop', there's still uncertainty on the exact name) is a full effects, tuning and filter suite, wrapped up in UWP form and outputting at full original image resolution. On phones without Lumia Creative Studio (so the Elite x3, IDOL 4 Pro, etc.), this is a way to enhance your photos on the phone itself and it works very well.

Last covered here.





PS. AAWP Universal

Where would a 'top UWP apps' list be without this stunning example of the genre? It's AAWP's very own 'AAWP Universal' offering and it works brilliantly. From browsing articles to comparing images in the comparators to leaving through the app and games directories, it's all here.

Last covered here.