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The Best Smartwatches 2024, A GREAT TIMEPIECE doesn’t just display the time of day, it can elevate your outfit and make you feel good. The best smartwatches can do even more, from tracking your workouts and measuring your heart rate to serving up notifications and access to voice assistants. While you’re wearing a connected watch, you can leave your phone in your and use your wrist for simple tasks.

The Apple Watch is our favorite for owners, but Samsung’s Galaxy Watch6 and Google’s Pixel Watch 2 are great wearables for anyone on Android. We also like several other options—in various styles and with different levels of smarts. Below is a roundup of the best smartwatches we’ve tested. Looking for a fitness or sleep tracker instead? We’ve got plenty more options in our Best Fitness TrackersBest Garmin Watches, and Best Sleep Trackers guides.

The Best Smartwatches 2024

Updated April 2024: We’ve added the Watch 2, Withings ScanWatch 2, and Casio Calculator Watch.

person wearing the apple watch series 9

Best for iPhone Owners

Apple Watch Series 9

The Apple Watch is the best smartwatch money can buy. It has the best operating system, WatchOS, with plenty of apps to help reduce the number of times you need to pull out your phone. The Series 9 is nearly identical to its predecessor, the Series 8, but has the ability to process Siri requests on the device, making it snappier and more private (unless Siri needs to access the web for the answer).

That means you can ask the voice assistant about your data from the week prior and get results quickly. This is thanks to the S9 chip, which is more efficient and delivers slightly better battery life—you’ll still need to regularly recharge the watch. The most exciting new feature is Double Tap. You can tap two fingers together on your watch hand to accept or reject calls, reply to messages, start or end timers, and more. It’s super handy.

There’s a new second-gen ultra-wideband chipset, which can help you precisely locate your iPhone at greater range. As usual, the health features remain robust. There’s an FDA-cleared electrocardiogram sensor, plus you can measure oxygen saturation in the blood (SpO2)—helpful for athletes training at altitude or anyone with an underlying health condition. However, this feature is no longer available in the US on Apple Watches sold after January 18, 2024, due to a patent dispute. Our Best Apple Watch guide has more details, and check out our Apple Watch Accessories guide for extras.

Comes in 41-mm or 45-mm sizes.

 A cheaper alternative: The second-gen Apple Watch SE ($220) is likely all you need. It debuted alongside the Series 8 in 2022 and is the model for those who balk at a $400 price and don’t need an electrocardiogram, SpO2, the always-on display, or the skin temperature capabilities. It does have fall detection. Just take Apple’s claims of it being a carbon-neutral product with a grain of salt.

person wearing the samsung galaxy watch6

Best for Samsung Owners

Samsung Galaxy Watch6 and Watch6 Classic

The Galaxy Watch6 and Watch6 Classic  don’t reinvent the wheel, but these round smartwatches are a great option for anyone with an Android smartphone, especially with Samsung owners as a few features like the electrocardiogram and irregular heart rate alerts only work when paired with Samsung phones (the watches don’t work with iPhones at all). Each model has two sizes you can choose from, with the option to spend more on an LTE version for constant connectivity even if your phone isn’t nearby.

I tested the Watch6 Classic in the 47-mm size, and it easily lasted two full days, and a day and a half with the always-on display. It’s dead simple to check notifications, respond to messages, and even control your smart home devices via SmartThings or Google Home. The Classic is the model with the mechanical rotating bezel, which is what you can use to scroll through the Wear OS interface—it’s way more fun to use than most other watches that rely only on a touchscreen.

Its health and fitness functions are satisfactory, with nice sleep-tracking data and robust activity-tracking options, and it has excellent auto-start and auto-pause capabilities. However, I did notice some discrepancies in heart rate measurements during select workouts.

Watch6 comes in 40-mm or 44-mm sizes. Watch6 Classic comes in 43-mm or 47-mm sizes.

person wearing the google pixel watch

Best for Android Owners

Google Pixel Watch 2

The original Pixel Watch was missing a lot of features when it launched, but Google slowly added them over a year. That means the Pixel Watch 2  pretty much has everything you’d want. There’s auto-start and auto-stop workout detection, fall detection, SpO2 measurements, and even a redesigned Fitbit app that looks much more modern. Google has even added Safety Check this time around, allowing you to share your location with emergency contacts if you don’t respond after a certain time. A Body Response feature also can detect good and bad stress and offer ways to cope, like with a guided breathing .

This is easily still the prettiest smartwatch in my eyes, and it’s super comfy on the wrist. It also nails its health and fitness features, from reliable heart rate and sleep-tracking data to an improved workout screen that shows you the most important information at a glance, including heart rate zones. You can take electrocardiograms and monitor for an irregular heart rate too.

The battery life is unfortunately just OK—it’ll last about a day—and this watch is also not repairable. If you have issues, you’ll have to get a replacement under the one-year warranty. I also don’t love that it has yet another proprietary charger that is different from the original Pixel Watch charger, though it does juice up the smartwatch quicker.

Comes in a 41-mm size.

garmin vivomove trend smartwatch on purple backdrop

PHOTOGRAPH: GARMIN

Best Fitness Watch

Garmin Vivomove Trend

Fitness watches are typically not as sleek or simple to as more robust smartwatches, but the Vivomove Trend oozes elegance. This is also the first Garmin to include wireless charging, which means you’re now free to ditch your annoying Garmin plug-in charger.

The watch has it all—wireless charging, blood oxygen measurements, sleep tracking, auto-activity tracking, and Garmin’s proprietary and excellent algorithms for measuring your fitness. It’s a little clunky to operate—it’s not anywhere near as feature-rich as the other smartwatches above—but that might be OK if you prioritize battery life as this tracker can last five days on a single charge. Read our Best Fitness Watches guide for more recommendations.

Comes in a 40.4-mm size.

apple watch ultra 2

PHOTOGRAPH: APPLE

Best for iPhone Weekend Warriors

Apple Watch Ultra 2

Frequently escaping to the hills every weekend? If your activities often take you to remote areas in rough terrain, then it might be smart to pony up for the expensive, uber-durable, and gigantic Apple Watch Ultra 2. A bigger watch means a bigger battery—we got nearly four days with normal use. The Ultra 2 has better mics than the Series 9 to pick up your voice, an 86-decibel siren to alert your position to anyone nearby, and a more precise GPS to better track your hikes (plus help you find your way back with the Backtrack feature).

There’s a spare customizable button on the left side called the Action Button, which you can use to trigger an activity of your choosing. It’s made of titanium, and the case rises up to protect the edges of the display, which is also covered with scratch-resistant sapphire crystal.

New in the Ultra 2 is the ability for the screen to hit a crazy bright 3,000 nits, which is a little overkill and really only meant for extreme situations. This smartwatch is faster, with the same new S9 chipset as the Series 9, supports Double Tap, and Siri processes basic interactions much more quickly. You can see topographic maps on the screen, but there’s still no way to view offline maps without an iPhone.

Comes in a 49-mm size.

person wearing the casio calculator watch

The Calculator Watch

Casio CA53W-1CR Calculator Watch

It’s a calculator … on a watch. How much smarter can you get? Seriously, the buttons might be tiny, but you can calculate how much your tip will be when grabbing the bill at the restaurant, and everyone will marvel at your brilliance. This cheapo watch from Casio is a classic—it’s comfy and lightweight—and you can cycle through a few modes, including a stopwatch, an alarm, and a second time zone. There’s a five-year battery life, and the fully automatic calendar goes through the year 2099 (that’s 15 battery changes).

Comes in a 43-mm size.

overhead view of a wrist with a green band wristwatch and digital display

Great Battery Life

OnePlus Watch 2

The OnePlus Watch 2  is great for anyone with an Android phone looking for a Wear OS smartwatch that prioritizes battery life. It can last roughly three days on a single charge, a little more if you enable some power-saving settings. Technically, this watch is powered by two chipsets and two operating systems to enable this feat of battery longevity, but the user experience is very similar to that of the Galaxy Watch6 or Pixel Watch 2, just with OnePlus taking the helm on the health and fitness features. It’s worth noting that this is a large watch, so consider it carefully if you have small wrists.

Health capabilities are lacking—there’s no fall detection or electrocardiogram—but there’s sleep tracking, and it’s generally pretty accurate. Some features, like heart-rate tracking, distance traveled, and steps, have mixed accuracy in our testing, which means you shouldn’t buy this smartwatch if you’re primarily using it for those functions. Otherwise, I was able to control my smart home devices via Google Home, control my music playback, respond to Slack messages, and delete those pesky emails—all without having to take my phone out of my pocket.

Comes in a 46-mm size.

withings scanwatch 2

PHOTOGRAPH: WITHINGS

An Analog-Looking Smartwatch

Withings ScanWatch 2

Withings’ ScanWatch 2 can pass for an analog watch. Its health-tracking feature set is comprehensive—you get heart rate monitoring, an electrocardiogram, blood oxygen measurements, and sleep tracking. Battery life is stellar too, as it can live up to 30 days with light use. (Heavier usage will see roughly 22 days before needing a charge.)

The main problem is the tiny display on this watch, which is too small to read some notifications. The GPS is also connected, meaning it requires your phone to be tethered and nearby. There’s an optional Health+ subscription, but we’d advise against it, as it doesn’t offer much utility. The ScanWatch 2, like the Garmin Vivomove Trend, doesn’t have the rich features and apps you’ll find on the likes of an Apple Watch, but if you just want to monitor your health data—and you don’t want your watch to look too techy—this will do the job.

casio prw61 smart watch

PHOTOGRAPH: CASIO

Best Barely Smart Watch

Casio ProTrek PRW-61

I had this Casio on my wrist for more than a month and used one of its handful of functions every single day, something I can’t say for many smartwatches. I used the stopwatch to track my rest intervals between sets at the gym. I set my world time to New Delhi, India, the time zone my sister is in. I’ve used the compass to navigate when I emerge from the subway in New York City and can’t get my bearings, and I’ve learned to read the barometer—mostly just to see how cool it is to predict the weather without having to ask a voice assistant.

I love how this watch looks. It’s rugged and outdoorsy, but still relatively classy. Even better, it’s incredibly comfortable to wear. Seriously, I never took it off in the month I tested it. It’s been fine in the shower and through workouts. I love that it’s made of biomass plastics from regenerative resources, such as castor seeds and corn.

Don’t let that worry you about durability; I’ve been through a move, dinging it on various walls, got paint on it, and yet it looks pristine. The dial is easy to read—the indices glow or you can press a button right below the case to light ’em all up for nighttime visibility. And you never need to recharge it. Casio’s Tough Solar means it recharges itself via sunlight.

Comes in a 47.4-mm size.

 casio dw h5600

PHOTOGRAPH: CASIO

Honorable Mentions

Other Watches We Sorta Like

The number of smartwatches on the market is staggering. I’ve tested models from Tag HeuerCitizenMontblanc, and many other fashion brands, but most of them are simply too expensive for what you get. Here are a few options I like.

Apple Watch Series 8 for $329: If you can find the 2022 Apple Watch Series 8  for a good deal less than the Series 9 (under $300), you should snag it. It’s nearly identical to the latest model, especially the health features. Save your cash!

Samsung Galaxy Watch5 for $229 and Watch5 Pro for $380: The 2022 Galaxy Watch5 and Watch5 Pro  are still great, just make sure you pay less than the price of the new Galaxy Watch6 models. They match the Apple Watch’s accuracy in several health and fitness metrics, from SpO2, sleep, and heart-rate tracking to electrocardiogram measurements (though the latter is exclusive to Samsung phones).

The Watch5 Pro is larger and has a battery that lasts roughly two full days, whereas the Watch5 lasts around a day and a morning. The Pro also adds GPX, meaning you can download hiking routes to the watch. They have sapphire crystals protecting the screen, but the Watch5 Pro’s crystal is even more durable, and it has a stronger titanium case versus the standard Watch5’s aluminum.

Casio G-Shock Move DW-H5600 for $299: Want a G-Shock with a heart rate monitor? The DW-H5600‘s measurements lined up well with the Apple Watch, but if you’re serious about tracking your health, I think you’re better off buying something from our Best Fitness Trackers guide. The buttons are a bit tough to press, and there aren’t a ton of workouts you can track (running, walking, gym workouts).

You can sift through a good amount of data in the app, though I was left wanting more, and battery life lasted me roughly three days with continuous monitoring. It can recharge via solar, but you will need to use the bulky charging clip every few days. I still enjoyed wearing it, even if I didn’t find it as useful as our above picks. You can use it to track different time zones, your movements via the GPS during a workout, and even sleep.

 montblanc summit 3 watch

PHOTOGRAPH: MONTBLANC

Avoid These Smartwatches

Not every smartwatch is a winner. Here are a few ones we’ve tried that aren’t worth the dough.

Fossil Gen 6 Wellness for $199: This Fossil watch is just too laggy for how much it costs. It’s not optimized well, so it’s frustrating to use; its fitness app is a little too bare-bones. I also ran into an annoying bug where some features kept turning on and off. The battery life is also lackluster. The company is also officially exiting the smartwatch business, so it’s best to stay away.

Montblanc Summit 3 for $1,270: This is a beautiful (and large) smartwatch, and it runs Wear OS 3, but that doesn’t mean it’s worth the high price. There’s no speaker, no , and the fitness features feel half-baked. It just doesn’t offer all that much other than a pretty face.

 flat lay of silicone apple watch straps

PHOTOGRAPH: NATALYA TROFIMCHUK/GETTY IMAGES

Swap Your Straps

Fresh Band

You don’t need to stick with the strap you get in the box! Nearly every smartwatch these days has straps that can easily be swapped out. Apple Watches and Google’s Pixel Watch have a proprietary strap system, but analog watch straps will work for others, making your options nearly endless. All you need to do is figure out the strap size of your smartwatch. You can usually find this on the back of the strap itself (you’ll see “20 mm” or just “22”), or you can check the manual or the website you purchased the watch from. It’s an easy way to further match your timepiece to your look.

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NENA FARRELL

image may contain wristwatch electronics mouse hardware and computer

Buyers Beware

Know What You Buy

Search for “smartwatches” and you’ll be greeted with a long list of devices from brands you’ve probably never heard of. One brand that frequently popped up is Yamay, but a quick visit to the company’s Twitter page showed that it offered “full refunds” for people who post reviews. Look at the 1-star reviews and you’ll see complaints of the watch malfunctioning after a few weeks of use. This is a warning not to buy the first thing you see, even if it’s cheap and has plenty of positive reviews on Amazon. Research the company and look for other reputable websites that have reviewed the products before you make your decision.

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20+ Must-Have For Windows 10-11, If you are a -savvy person, know about the must-have software for Windows 10 you should use in 2024 to make the most out of your brand new PC and laptop. Microsoft’s beloved operating system – Windows 10 – comes with an array of most up-to-date features and functionality to give you a better and personalized computing experience. From work to gaming, we rely on a bunch of Windows 10 apps to cater to all our computer needs.

In spite of that, every now and then you may find yourself on the lookout for some additional apps for Windows 10 depending upon your requirements.

To solve this problem once and for all, you should start loading your system with all the essential and useful Windows 10 programs that would create a great impact on your work and play.

Keeping all this in mind, below we have mentioned some of the essential apps for Windows 10 that you need to make a note of ASAP. Move down the list and download the must have software for Windows 10, 11, or older version devices.

What Are the Must-Have Software For Windows 10, 11 In 2024?

Here we present you our curated list of must-have apps for Windows 10 and 11 that everyone should install on their PC right away. Let’s check out the best PC programs for Windows 10.

1. – The Best PC Optimizer and Booster

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Let us introduce you to Win Riser. It is a program you will find extremely useful to speed up your computer and optimize its performance. Win Riser is among the top most-used Windows PC software for its brilliant PC cleaning and optimization capabilities. It is well-known for its deep scan and removal of accumulated junk, invalid and faulty Registry remover, integrated , and the following delightful features.

Key features of Win Riser

 Tracks and removes malware with a single click
 Deeply scans your PC for driver updates, junk files, or problems impacting its performance
 Creates a backup of existing drivers and allows their easy restoration whenever you want
 Creation of a system restore point, allowing you to restore your system if anything goes wrong
 Boasts an integrated tool to manage your device’s startup items
 You can customize the paths, apps, locations, etc., for scanning
 Allows you to ignore the registry items or drivers you do not wish to scan
 You can schedule the computer scans

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2.

“A must have program for Windows 10 to update outdated drivers”

A driver or a device driver is a computer program (also known as cluster of files) that allows one or more hardware devices such as speaker, printer, graphic card, etc. to build connectivity and communicate with the computer’s operating system.

Without the correct drivers, the operating system would not be able to know what kind of a device is attached to the computer and how to operate or control its functions.

Therefore, it is extremely important to keep your Windows drivers up-to-date always for a smooth and healthy functioning of hardware components.

Using corrupt or out-of-date system drivers, you may face various compatibility or driver-related issues such as no sound, blue screen of death, shuttering or crashing problems, Wi-Fi connectivity issues, or some of the devices like printer may completely stop working.

The safest and easiest way to prevent such device conflicts is to use the best free driver updater software for your Windows 10 PC. Moreover, the driver updater is also an important software for Laptop Windows 10, 11, or older versions.

It is a powerful and extremely user-friendly utility that effortlessly auto-scans your entire PC and helps users install the latest, manufacturer-recommended drivers in just a blink of an eye.

Taking all the essential features of an ideal driver update into consideration, we suggest using Bit Driver Updater that can not only takes care of all driver-related issues but also maximizes the performance and processing speed of your computer. The best software for Windows 10, 11, 8 or 7 updates drivers on your system with minimal effort.

The best thing about this product is that you don’t need to shell out a fortune for it, it’s FREE!

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3. – Free Up Disk Space

“A must-have program for Windows 10 to clean duplicate photos”

quick photo finder

 

With the rise of widespread adoption of smartphone technology, taking selfies and pictures of everything that catches our attention has become more than just a trend.

However, these identical-looking selfies and duplicate photos tend to get piled up over time, consumes up to gigabytes of disk space, and makes it extremely difficult to manage your digital collection of albums. What if you find out basic software for Windows 10 or other versions that can clear up all the clutter and duplicate data from your device automatically?

To keep your photo gallery and system optimized, all you need is a dedicated duplicate photo cleaner software.

Since Windows 10 PC doesn’t come with an in-built duplicate photo remover tool, it is important to add this utility to your list of must-have apps for Windows 10.

Quick Photo Finder is one of those nifty, renowned software available in the marketplace that can make your job much easier.

It effortlessly finds and removes the multiple copies of duplicate ones, plus also helps you recover a significant amount of lost storage space that you forgot you ever had, all in just a matter of seconds!

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4. VPN (Virtual Private Network)

“A must-have software for Windows 10 to keep online identity secure”

Next on our list of essential software for PC is . Depending on the country you reside in, there is a chance you might have to put up with geo-restricted content or your government blocking certain websites.

What if the list contains your favorite social media or movie streaming sites?

So, have you ever wondered that your IP address, browsing activity, location, and online identity could be at risk? Well, cybercriminals and spies around the world can see everything you do online such as the websites you’ve searched for, the pictures you’re posting, the movies you’ve been watching, and lots more.

Therefore, it is important to use a good VPN service to hide your IP address and encrypt sensitive data to keep it secure from prying eyes.

The best thing about VPN is that it not only provides a safe passage for your internet traffic but also lets you bypass the censorship to access blocked websites from anywhere in the world along with superfast streaming and unlimited bandwidth.

 

Having trouble shortlisting the ideal service provider, see the list of Best Free VPN for Windows 10.

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5. Cleaner Software

“A must-have software for Windows 10 to unleash its maximum performance”

Cleaner Software is another must have programs for Windows 10. You don’t even want to know the amount of junk your computer can store up and how it can make your system lag behind in its functioning. All those files, caches, and digital debris that you most definitely don’t need.

To avoid that, you need an effective cleaner software. To save you from the hassle of finding one, we have below mentioned a couple of best Windows 10 software which are a must-have Windows applications for cleaning your PC and laptop efficiently.

IObit  Advanced SystemCare

iobit advanced systemcare

When the talk is about the best cleaning apps that you must have on Windows, we cannot skip IObit Advanced SystemCare. The best Windows software is a powerful and easy-to-use software has many interesting features, such as more than 30 troubleshooters ( for example, AI Mode, firewall protection, anti-tracking, and large file cleaner) to clean, protect, and speed up your computer.

You can make a click on the link below to download this cleaner-cum-booster to get the ultimate PC performance.

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CleanMyPC

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CleanMyPC is a powerful tune-up utility tool developed by MacPaw Inc. to help you get a safer and cleaner PC. With the help of this tool, you can effortlessly scan every nook and cranny of your computer to delete megatons of junk files and boost the speed and overall performance of your PC.

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CCleaner

cleaner software ccleaner

This powerful cleaning utility from Piriform is one of the best PC software on the face of the earth. It automatically deletes broken Windows registry entries and the temporary files. It also detects and identifies all the software that your system doesn’t require.

Bid those extra bits and bobs goodbye, and work with a fast functioning computer.

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6. File & Photo Recovery Software

“An essential app for Windows 10 to recover lost or deleted data”

It happens a lot of times that we delete some important files obliviously and then regret this action for quite a long time.

But we might just have something that would ensure that this doesn’t happen again.

Whenever you delete a file, even from the Recycle Bin, the file isn’t actually wiped off the face of the earth. Its sector is still on the hard drive, and you can use that to recover your file (Yay!).

Now, let’s take a look at some of the file/ data recovery software & programs that you must have in Windows 10.

Stellar Data Recovery

stellar data recovery for windows

The next on our list of PC software list for most essential apps os Stellar Data Recovery. It is one of the most capable and popular software used by Windows users to recover lost or deleted data. With the help of the free version of this program, you can easily retrieve up to 1 GB of lost or deleted files from Windows PC, laptop, USB stick, hard drive, etc.

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recuva data recovery software
Image source: Cloudwards

Recuva, a file recovery tool, assists the user to recover and restore her/his deleted files in the system.

After loading the software, the user just needs to choose which file she/he wishes to recover and from which location. Once the search is configured, the software will start a scan process and find the files matching the entered criterion. The user can, subsequently then, select the desired files to be recovered. There is one another file recovery software named EaseUS which also works fine.

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7. Utility Software

“Must-have Windows app for managing and improving the performance”

Another one on the list of best programs for Windows 10 is a Utility software. It is a one-stop solution for maintaining your PC. The software offers many tools which can help you in managing, optimizing, and analyzing the performance of the PC. The list of tools includes a disk defragmenter, backup utilities, disk cleaners, disk compression, network utilities, , and many others.

By reviewing Utility software we have shortlisted the best must-have software for Windows 10 and an older version which you can install for maintaining your PC.

Revo Uninstaller Pro

revo uninstaller

Revo Uninstaller is a great software that can help you in various aspects of protecting and maintaining your PC. The best part about this software is that it can be used on mobile devices as well. It moreover offers some of the best tools like Windows app remover, force uninstaller, installation monitor, advanced scanning for residuals, logs database, and many others. We would recommend you to try this software for better performance and improve the life of the PC. All these features make Revo Uninstaller as best software for personal computer to improve the performance of your device.

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Views: 488

Best File Copy Utility Softwares for Windows 2024, Cut, copy, paste. Sounds familiar? Millions of us, transfer and copy files almost on a daily basis. Let us find out thus, some of the best file transfer  and file copy software for Windows.

If you notice, there might be typical days when we have spent not just one but a few hours in transferring files and copying files. But, let’s say a typical file is quite large, then what happens? Of course, it takes a longer time for transfer. Several developers have come up with different data copy software applications that help you avoid the errors coming up during the transfer or copy of large files/folders from one system to another in Windows.

What Are the Best File Copy Utility Software for Windows?

Let’s look at the detailed features of each of these best file transfer tools below:

1. File Fisher

file fisher best file transfer software

This is one of the most portable file copy software that can be used for copying and transferring the files from one system to another. This is also one of the fastest file copying apps available in the market.

The best part of using this app is that you don’t have to download the app at all; instead you have to just drag it to your desktop and then simply run it in your system. In addition to it, you can also keep the app in your pen drive or your flash drive for smooth installation into your PC anytime. The interface is highly easy-to-use and quite interactive.

Since it supports a huge number of file formats, you can copy any file into your PC comfortably with the help of this app. Newcomers and experienced PC users can all use it easily and effectively.

Features of

 File Fisher offers a simple yet unique user interface
 This file copy tool does not require any installation as it is a portable tool
 You can easily transfer files from one format to another easily
 The software is compatible with all the Windows OS even with the latest ones too

What Are the Best File Copy Utility Software for Windows?

Let’s look at the detailed features of each of these best file transfer tools below:

1. File Fisher

file fisher best file transfer software 1

This is one of the most portable file copy software that can be used for copying and transferring the files from one system to another. This is also one of the fastest file copying apps available in the market.

The best part of using this app is that you don’t have to download the app at all; instead you have to just drag it to your desktop and then simply run it in your system. In addition to it, you can also keep the app in your pen drive or your flash drive for smooth installation into your PC anytime. The interface is highly easy-to-use and quite interactive.

Since it supports a huge number of file formats, you can copy any file into your PC comfortably with the help of this app. Newcomers and experienced PC users can all use it easily and effectively.

Features of File Fisher

 File Fisher offers a simple yet unique user interface
 This file copy tool does not require any installation as it is a portable tool
 You can easily transfer files from one format to another easily
 The software is compatible with all the Windows OS even with the latest ones too

2. TeraCopy

teracopy file copy software 536w427h

Use TeraCopy as data copy software to copy files comfortably within folders or into Windows desktop. TeraCopy provides a robust and interactive interface. This app is extremely flexible and is one of the most fast running apps. TeraCopy is available freely as well as in a paid version. The free version of TeraCopy also has a lot of features that help successful copying of files from one system to another.

With TeraCopy you can comfortably evade those files that seem to be troublesome and still continue copying rather than stop for some corrupted files. If you’re wondering how would be the transfer over a network then let me tell you with the use of TeraCopy it is a lot easier and faster. You can drag and drop files that can prevent moving folders accidentally.

Features of TeraCopy

 It is one of the simplest file copy utilities
 The software automatically skips corrupted or problematic files
 It even repairs the corrupt file and recovers data
 You can easily drag and drop files from one drive to another

Reasons to use TeraCopy

 Skips corrupted files: With TeraCopy at your disposal, corrupted files cannot block the file transfer as the application skips them instead of halting the entire process.
 Fast and easy to use: The options like drag and drop, high customization, etc. make this app fast and friendly enough for both beginners and advanced users.
 Useful shell integration: TeraCopy boasts individual plugins, i.e., shell integration support to save your time and effort.

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3. Fast Copy

The interface of Fast Copy is not one of the most efficient ones but the app is definitely one of the most efficient fast copy software for Windows. Fast Copy is freely available as a program and helps you move the files rapidly from one network to another.

To ensure enjoying the best speed, it employs multiple threads to read, write, verify and also uses the overlapped and direct I/O systems.

Due to the interface not everyone can use the app comfortably especially if you’re a novice, however, for an experienced PC user; it is indeed a wonderful copy software for Windows.

Features of Fast Copy

 It is one of the fastest file copying tools
 The software supports UNICODE and over MAX_PATH file pathnames
 It supports UNIX wildcard
 It uses multi-threads to bring out the best speed of devices

Reasons to use Fast Copy

 NSA File Wiping Support: One of the best about Fast Copy is that it supports data sanitization methods approved by the National Security Agency (NSA) to keep your confidential information safe.
 Resource-friendly: This application does not bug your computer with unnecessary pressure on the resources as it is lightweight.
 Command-line: For the techies out there, it has command line and UI wrapper support.

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4. ExtremeCopy

ExtremeCopy can help copy files from one system to another quickly. It can enhance the speed of the machine based on the physical structure of the machine. There are a lot of user-friendly features in the app. However, it would not support copying files from the network.

The program is capable of integrating with the Windows Explorer making it easier to use. Extreme Copy is not a software that supports file syncing but is one of the best file transfer software available.

Features of ExtremeCopy

 The software offers the freedom to pause and skip any file easily
 You can easily resume the interrupted process
 It comes with a built-in error management feature
 It is one of the best file transfer software for PC

Reasons to use ExtremeCopy

 Fast copying: It lets you copy files much faster (20% to 120% speedier) than the native Windows copy tool.
 Optimizations: ExtremeCopy can be a perfect choice for you, as it optimizes the copying speed and its resource consumption automatically.
 Efficient free version: We agree that the free version of this software has no high-end features. But, it does not reduce its functionality, and you get the same fast copying speed for free.

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5. Unstoppable Copier

This app has been in use for a very long time. This file copy software functions at an enormous speed. is a recovery solution that copies and transfers all your files from the directory.

The best part of it is that they also try to repair the faulty and damaged files. It works on any of the Windows operating systems except Windows . This is one of the best interactive Windows copy software that one can obtain.

Features of Unstoppable Copier

 The software lets you copy, recover and repair files easily
 It offers great speed transfer
 Being one of the oldest software it offers the best tools and speed
 It is compatible with most of the Windows OS

Reasons to use Unstoppable Copier

 Command-line support: If you are a techie who is not a fan of those graphical interfaces, you’ll be glad to know that this application supports command-line UI.
 Backup tools: There are backup options available such as creating and saving transfer lists for future use.
 Blazing fast: Unstoppable Copier is among the most high-speed copying tools available currently to copy files.

6. GS RichCopy 360

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With GS RichCopy 360 copying many files from one system/folder to another is swift and quite easy.

In fact, there is a backup software with GS RichCopy 360 for MS Windows operating systems. This backup software can allow you to synchronize through the servers, Windows OS and also through various networks. You can always know and see all the copied tasks through a special Wizard interface available only with this tool.

Features of GS RichCopy 360

 It can be considered as the fastest file transfer software for Windows 7,8 and 10
 To help you check all the tasks it offers WIzard Interface
 It can easily transfer data between network
 You can share files, directories, or even drives effortlessly

Reasons to use GS RichCopy 360

 Byte-level replication: One thing that you might find highly useful in this application (that many other similar programs lack) is its ability to replicate files at the byte level.
 Supports long path names: Some files have really long path names (over 260 characters long). But, you don’t have to worry, as this software supports them all.
 Simultaneous file copying: It does not take a long time to copy files using this software as it copies files (up to 255 threads) simultaneously.

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7. Perigee Copy 1.7

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You can use this tool to copy the files from one system to another in the shortest amount of time.

If there are many files to copy from one server to another, then you know very well how long it takes to copy, if you use the default Windows copy function. Therefore, the Perigee Copy tool can offer a quicker solution.

It is an easy-to-use software with an interactive interface that is effective in so many ways. However, the drawback with Perigee is its incompatibility with Windows OS versions 8 and 10.

Features of Perigee Copy 1.7

 It offers a very easy to adapt interface which can be used by any user
 Apart from just copying files, you can delete them too
 You get many features like archive bit, overwrite, and others.
 It works perfectly for the Windows 7 and older versions

Reasons to use Perigee Copy 1.7

 Shell integration: With this software’s integration with the Windows menu, you can perform copy-paste tasks much more easily.
 Security: You get a confirmation message whenever you perform any action to inform you about the files that are going to be affected to take care of their security.
 Feature-rich: If you are looking for software that is a complete package with all essential features, like overwrite, etc., this program can be your best choice.

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8. Copy Handler

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For those users who are always transferring multiple files from one system to the other, Copy Handler can help immensely in transferring bulk files in less time.

It is a free to use app. Copy Handler operates at a faster rate, and aids in pausing, resuming, restarting and cancelling the different functionalities. It supports many languages at a time. You can transfer files between drives and computers in quite a less amount of time.

Drag and drop functions are also supported by the copy handler. To note, Copy Handler would resume the paused and unfinished copying of all files with a system restart. It is an extremely easy-to-use app and its effectiveness and flexibility is worth applauding.

Features of Copy Handler

 You can easily copy files in bulk using this best file copy software
 Easy drag and drop functionality for copying and moving files
 Even when the PC shutdown it pauses the process and can be easily resumed
 The software offers detailed statistics to help you understand better

Reasons to use Copy Handler

 Open source: One of the best things that make Copy Handler a perfect pick is that you can examine its code if the techie in you wants to do it.
 Complete control: You get full control over the entire copy/paste process and its speed.
 Queue support: Copy Handler has a unique feature that allows you to carry out multiple tasks at once in a specific order.

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9. Robocopy

robo copy file copy software

Robo Copy is not an app in actuality but rather a command-line utility to copy and transfer files from one server to another many times. Robo Copy replaces XCopy and has more offerings as a data copy software. If you have to run this utility, your command would be called Robo Copy.

It can work on Windows Vista and also on Windows 8. Robo Copy does not work on all PC’s as it does not have an interactive GUI.

Features of

 Robocopy requires no additional tool for copying or transferring files
 Even when the network is interrupted the software performs great. It resumes when the connection is better
 Using the software you can skip files that are already copied
 You can easily transfer files and data from one server to another

Reasons to use Robocopy

 Error-free copying: Robocopy is a Windows command that does not make any error even when copying paths with over 259 to 32,000 characters.
 /MT feature: With this command, you can perform file copying in multithreaded mode.
 Wide availability: Being portable and compatible with almost all Windows versions, this tool is widely available.

10. EaseUS Disk Copy

Are you planning to copy an entire drive?

You can call it more like a drive cleaner since it copies a drive to another drive. EaseUS disk is quite fast as a data copy software and the best versions for file copy are available for Windows 7, 8 and 10.

It is an extremely precise app and can clone the entire disk with perfect precision and accuracy.

Features of EaseUS Disk Copy

 The software is compatible with all major Windows OS
 It is a fast software for copying or cloning the whole disk to a new location
 You can easily create a bootable disk with this software
 The software is accurate and performs copying with 100% accuracy

Reasons to use EaseUS Disk Copy

 Ease of use: To copy/paste files with this software, all you need to do is follow a simple three-step process.
 One-click migration: Using this software, you can migrate your data, apps, and complete OS to a new hard drive safely with just a click.
 Easy replacement: You can get EaseUS Disk Copy to use SSD instead of an HDD effortlessly.

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11. UltraCopier

ultracopier best file transfer software

is an open source file copy software used to copy files. UltraCopier is very simple to use and has a multitude of premium features at your disposal for free. No matter how less versed you’re with a computer, you can always use this particular software without any difficulty.

There are some features like start, stop, resume that you can navigate through comfortably. You can perform a multitude of copy tasks from one server to another. It is also compatible with Linux and macOS.

Features of UltraCopier

 The software offers advanced features like speed limitations, pause, resume and stop
 You can easily perform multi-copy tasks
 It is compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux
 UltraCopier has a built-in error management feature

Reasons to use UltraCopier

 Useful features: It offers some of the high-end features, such as speed controls and functionality to search in the copy lists.
 Customizations: If you are looking for a straightforward and customizable (with the plugin support) file copy utility, UltraCopier can be the best choice.
 Multilingual: UltraCopier boasts support for multiple languages and a portable form of the software.

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12. MiniCopier

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MiniCopier, a super-fast utility to copy files very quickly. It is a completely automatic utility for copying files. All you need to get started is – just drag and drop the files that you want to copy, in the red basket presented in the software’s window. And, then it will begin the rest procedure automatically. It has the standard buttons as well such as Pause and Start. 

Though the user interface of this application is very simple, at the same time, it is very effective and productive too. Apart from this, it also keeps records of those transfers as well which gets dismissed. Overall, it is the best way to copy or paste files and folders in no time.

Features of MiniCopier

 You can queue all the transfers easily on this software
 The transfer speed can be set easily with MiniCopier
 You can pause and resume the process anytime
 Using the software you can easily change the name of the file

Reasons to use MiniCopier

 Queue support: The software supports queuing, where you can add a transfer to the queue when current transfers are ongoing.
 Greater control: With options like limiting the copy and transfer speed of files, MiniCopier lets you be in charge of the process.
 Behavior setting: MiniCopier allows you to specify a default target file behavior.

13. FF Copy

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The next best file copy utility software for Windows in our list is FF Copy. It is a file transfer utility for Windows users. With this, you just only need to copy or paste the file to a transfer queue and then it will be copied in the sequence. Comparatively, it is way faster than other such kinds of utilities. FF Copy lets you transfer multiple files or folders simultaneously. 

Just in case, if the source becomes unavailable then FF Copy automatically re-generates the source and starts transferring the files after a while. It allocates the disk space and eliminates disk fragmentation. FF Copy is highly capable of boosting the speed of the entire process. Undoubtedly, if you are searching for the best way to copy files pretty instantly then you should rely on this amazing utility.

Features of FF Copy

 The software offers a feature to add files in queue for ease
 You can easily pause and resume the process as per requirements
 During file transfer issue you can easily skip to the next file transfer
 It offers a detailed description of the process

Reasons to use FF Copy

 Portability: FF Copy is a portable software, hence no installation is required to run it.
 System friendly: This software does not burden your system unnecessarily, as its memory and CPU utilization remains low.
 Fast speed: With features such as queue support, this software lets you copy/transfer multiple files really quickly.

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14. KillCopy

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KillCopy is an excellent and fastest file-transferring software available for Windows PC. This utility tool makes the overall process of file copying much easier with a drag-and-drop feature. In order to ensure an error-free file-transferring process, KillCopy utilizes a high-speed verification mode.

Features of KillCopy

 It comes with a KillDelete option to erase the source file, once the copying process completes.
 Has a feature called Auto Resume functionality that automatically starts the file transfer process when the process abruptly stops.
 It’s Turbo Mode enhances the copying speed of large files.

Reasons to Use:

 Parallel: This mode boosts copy speed when copying files between different physical devices.
 Speed Limit: This feature lets you limit the maximum copy transfer speed in Kbps units.
 Turbo Mode: This mode can improve the overall speed of the file copying process, especially when copying large files between local disks.

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15. NiceCopier

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The next on our list of the best utilities to copy files and folders with NiceCopier. It is a quick and easy-to-use software that allows you to copy and paste data hassle-freely.

Moreover, it boasts many outstanding features, such as pausing and resuming the copy/paste process, an option to change the settings like running at startup, and much more.

Furthermore, below are its other features, pros, cons, and reasons to use it.

Features of NiceCopier

 A single window displays all the running tasks
 Calculates the best file copying speed
 Task queue creation to improve software performance
 Allows you to perform check-sum-based verification of files after copying them

Reasons to use

 Portable: One of the top reasons you should use NiceCopier is its portability. You can carry it in a flash drive and use it without downloading anything on the computer.
 Lightweight: NiceCopier does not pressurize your system resources and consumes very little space on the device.

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16. Total Commander

total commander

Allow us to conclude this entire list of the best file copy utility software with . Total Commander is not merely a copy utility but a smart file manager. With the help of the tool, you can run two windows side by side and use them to copy and move the data within the system and its storage. Let’s know more about this tool from the information below.

Features of Total Commander

 Custom columns
 Quick View panel
 Tabbed interface
 Built-in FTP client
 Thumbnails view

Reasons to use

 Thumbnail: One of the main reasons why you should download the Total Commander tool is that the tool offers a preview of the files in the form of thumbnails for ease of decision-making.
 Supports Multiple Archives: Total Commander supports various extensions of Archive files like CAB, ACE, TAR, GZ, RAR, UC2, ZIP, 7ZIP, etc.

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17. Copywhiz

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Copywhiz is another best file copy utility software that you can try. Just like any other software on this list, Copywhiz is a very advanced and a great utility to enjoy copying data smartly.

Features of Copywhiz

 Easy copying
 Handles multiple files
 Integration is possible
 Smart UI

Reasons to use

 Recent Files: The software allows you to copy and manage recently modified or added files with ease.
 Personalized: Copywhiz allows you to look for files and copy them according to the name or extension of the file.

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18. SuperCopier

supercopier

The next name on this list of the best file copy utility software for /11 is SuperCopier. This is a simple tool that makes it feasible for you to copy data from one location to the other.

Features of Copywhiz

 Simplest file copying
 Smart UI
 Personalizable interface

Reasons to use

 Effective Performance: The software allows you to move or copy multiple files at once. Moreover, you also get lightning-fast copying speed with the tool.
 Smart UI: The user interface of SuperCopier is quite simple yet smart. Even a beginner can get the most out of the tool with ease.

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19. OrganizerMaX

Here’s another addition to this list of the best file copy utility software for Windows. OrganizerMaX is multiple levels better than the traditional copy utility of Windows. Using this tool, you can add tags, copy and paste, search for files, and do a lot more with ease.

Features of OrganizerMaX

 Simple interface
 Modifiable

Reasons to use

 Reliability: The software offers some of the most advanced features for a copy utility.
 Fast: OrganizerMaX is quite fast as compared to any other tool offered in this list.

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Final Words

These are some of the best file copy utility software available for Windows in 2024. Most apps are quite efficient in handling the speed with which the files are transferred from one server to the other or from one network to the other.

Bulk file transfers and copying is possible with some of these apps as well. Some can also help you transfer an entire folder from one server to another. With some apps you can avail many premium features whereas with other open source you can enjoy splendid features free of cost.

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Views: 94

The 27 best football games of all time, It’s a sad fact that most of us won’t ever be any good at football. But whether on console or PC, the best games can take you into a fantasy world in which you’re a world beater.

Amazingly, that applies whether you’re controlling a stick figure on an 8-bit computer or a fully realised 3D model with ultra-realistic stubble on a PS5. Seriously – we’ve shed real tears at a of text on a screen describing how the opposition stick figure has just put us out of the cup.

But then that’s football: it has the power to reduce otherwise sensible people to mere shells of their former selves. And game makers soon realised they were on to something good when they created the first footie sims, because in no time they were flying off the shelf.

The 27 best football games of all time

As a result, there have been hundreds of football games over the years – so many, in fact, that narrowing down our selection to a mere 28 titles was near impossible. Arguments raged across the office – FIFA or Pro Evo? Sensi or ? – and that’s exactly as it should be. After nearly 30 years, EA and FIFA have now officially cut ties so will EA Sports FC be gracing this list in the future?

Whether you agree or disagree with our list, we hope it’ll plenty of memories. Let the arguments begin. 

27) Footballer of the Year (1986, ZX Spectrum)

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People weren’t sure what to make of this oddball at the time of release. Part management game, part board game, you aimed to take a kid from the old fourth division to the glory of cup finals and Division One.

Success was mostly down to scoring goals in arcade sequences; chances were bought with ‘goal cards’ purchased in-game, and ‘incident cards’ enabled you to delve further into your young player’s life. If this all sounds a bit familiar, FOTY was a big influence on New Star Soccer creator Simon Read…

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26) Tracksuit Manager (1988, C64)

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We’re not sure how you manage a tracksuit; stupid name aside, this Goliath Games effort was an impressive management game with depth. You arrived just as your team (England by default) had a disastrous World Cup (so, pretty accurate), and had to figure out a road to success.

Highlights were akin to the running commentary you’d today see on a news website, and while that lacked visual impact, it provided plenty of insight into who was providing the goods for your team, and who to send for an early bath.

25) International Soccer (1983, C64)

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This C64 classic was the first truly great soccer game. Inspired by the earlier Intellivision Soccer, it utilised a side-on viewpoint, and had two seven-a-side teams battling it out for a chunky, pixelated cup.

Despite creator Andrew Spencer not being a fan of football, he captured the feel of the sport, and squeezed throw-ins, corners and goal-kicks into the cartridge’s tiny memory. It’s also the one football game where you can sometimes head a ball half the length of the field – a bug Spencer noticed but left in because he thought it was funny.

24) Match Day 2 (1987, ZX Spectrum)

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Knowing a good thing when they saw it, Jon Ritman and Ocean teamed up for a sequel to Ritman’s original Spectrum smash hit. This time, the players looked a lot like bodybuilders, and the underlying mechanics had been suitably beefed up: along with a far superior deflection system, there was a league format, volleys, flicks and jumping.

Shot strength was determined by a slightly awkward oscillating ‘kickometer’ and the pace was again slow, but this merely made for more strategic play.

23) Behold the Kickmen (2017, Nintendo Switch/PC)

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Look, we adore the beautiful game, but sometimes it feels like the sport takes itself a little bit too seriously. Watching a gaggle of shouty adults boot a ball around a field for 90 minutes is hugely entertaining, but it’s also not that important in the grand scheme of things. Behold the Kickmen is here to remind you of that.

This is football as seen through the eyes of someone with absolutely zero interest in the laws and rules of the sport (or physics, for that matter). Kicking, tackling, passing, shooting, and scoring – it’s all here but dialled up to 11 in the most nonsensical way imaginable. In striving to make a complete mockery of football, developer Size Five Games has created one of the most comical and outrageous takes on the sport we’ve ever encountered.

22) Actua Soccer (1995, PS1)

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Its name and tagline may have been a shot across Sega’s bows (“There’s nothing virtual about Actua“), but Gremlin Interactive’s title was noteworthy for more than just a bit of snide trollery: it was the very first console football game to offer fully 3D players. These were motion-capped from Sheffield Wednesday stalwarts Chris Woods, Andy Sinton and Graham Hyde, providing a level of clogger realism never before witnessed on consoles. The original featured only national teams, but a Club Edition featuring all 20 teams from the 96/97 Premier League season was released a year later.

21) Ultimate Soccer Manager (1995, Amiga)

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For all of ‘s statistical goodness, nothing immersed you in a mid-’90s football world like the USM series. Transfers and team selection almost became minor distractions, as you reclined in your office next to a fax machine and Teletext.

There were advertising deals to negotiate, a stadium complex to build, and even bungs to offer the opposition. Yes, this was the George Graham era, when managers were unimpeachable emperors, and USM put you right on the throne with a hotline to football’s dark side.

20) Pro Evolution Soccer 2017 (2016, PS4/Xbox One)

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Having spent years in FIFA’s shadow, Pro Evolution Soccer 2017 finally offered a genuine alternative to EA’s annual juggernaut. PES 2017 was a slower, more considered version of the beautiful game, with less emphasis on beating players for pace and more on patient build-up play, but when everything fell into place and you unlocked a defence the sense of satisfaction was glorious. Its lack of official licenses and a fundamentally flawed online mode still made it very hard to convince most FIFA fans to jump ship, and things seem to have gone backwards since then, but for one short year PES‘s glory days were back.

19) Kick Off (1989, Amiga)

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Dino Dini’s 16-bit classic added an ingredient that hadn’t really been seen before in football games: speed. The little players darted about the pitch like they were dosed-up on something decidedly not allowed under FIFA’s code, and the ball was initially impossible to control, given that it didn’t remain glued to your feet.

But once mastered, Kick Off made every other football game suddenly seem dull and dated by comparison, even if it was at times the football game equivalent of juggling bars of soap while riding a unicycle down a hill.

18) World Cup 98 (1997, PS1)

EA’s FIFA series has ruled the football gaming world like some kind of digital Sepp Blatter (before all the dodgy payments stuff), but it wasn’t always thus. Back in 1998 it was merely one of several games vying for the hearts and minds of floppy fringed teens, and it was far from being the best.

The previous edition, 1997’s Road To World Cup 98, had marked a big improvement though – while FIFA had always had the official licences, it finally had the gameplay to go with them too. World Cup 98 built on that in some style, keeping the free-flowing football of the previous title and adding in-game tactical changes.

It was all wrapped up in a slick World Cup skin that no other game at the time came close to, complete with commentary and unlockable classic games. Shame we had to put up with Chumbawamba’s execrable Tubthumping every time it loaded though.

17) Football Manager (1982, ZX Spectrum)

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Kevin Toms graced the front of Addictive’s Football Manager cover, enticing you to buy the game with his charm and beard. And what a game it was: on your little Spectrum, you could buy and sell players, pick a team, and watch highlights on pitches with comically large goals.

Today, it all looks a bit primitive (the C64 conversion was at least a bit prettier), and yet its simple gameplay remains surprisingly compelling in an era of over-complicated (micro) management sims. If you fancy a go on your smartphone, check out Toms’s remakes for Android and iOS.

16) Tehkan World Cup (1985, arcade)

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Tehkan World Cup wasn’t the first overhead football game (that accolade probably goes to Exciting Soccer), but it was the first to make that viewpoint . This was a fast game, in part down to the trackball controls, and decent goalies also ensured that matches were often frantic end-to-end battles.

The game very heavily influenced Sensible Software, and more or less came to the C64 in the form of Microprose Soccer, but its legacy was really being the grandfather to the outstanding Sensible Soccer series.

15) New Star Soccer (2012, iOS/Android)

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In answering the question “How do you create an in-depth career-long football game for mobile devices?”, New Star Soccer said “You don’t!”, and instead served up a selection of mini-games draped over a basic framework that wasn’t a million miles from 1986’s Footballer Of The Year.

Although a touch IAP-hungry, it became a mobile classic, having you balance a kind of hyper-real version of a young footballer’s life (Buy a car! And now a TANK!) with pitch-based exploits and the demands of a boss, advertisers and a nagging partner.

Its successor, New Star Manager, is more in-depth, but lacks the addictive simplicity of the original.

14) FIFA (2009, PS3/Xbox 360)

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Like a footballing version of Rocky Balboa vs Apollo Creed, the FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer games slugged it out relentlessly throughout the ’00s without either landing a final knockout punch. Pro Evo was generally the better game, but FIFA retained a strong following by virtue of its proper team and player names and presentation nous. But with FIFA 10 that winning uppercut finally connected.

Both games introduced 360-degree player control for the first time in their 2010 editions, but FIFA 10 did it better, allowing you to expertly slide a pass through at just the right angle for your striker to run on to it. Or, more commonly, for you to expertly slide a pass straight to an opposition defender. Coupled with a wealth of game modes – from Be A Pro to Ultimate Team and Manager Mode – FIFA 10 was a more complete footballing experience than any previous title in the series and finally edged ahead of its rival too. And it hasn’t been toppled since.

13) (1988, C64)

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A spiritual successor to Andrew Spencer’s International SoccerEmlyn Hughes International Soccer was the last great side-on football game of the 1980s. Brimming with options, advanced players could utilise techniques such as ‘5-direction’ passing, sliding tackles and backheels, all from a joystick with only a single fire button.

The result was the first truly fluid football game, where you could string together some genuinely breathtaking moves. The goalies were still rubbish, though, natch.

12) Retro Goal (2021, Android/iOS)

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Retro Goal is by the New Star Soccer folks, and has some similarities, in being a fusion of management and action. However, rather than veering towards management, much more of this game is played out on the pitch. Instead of full games, you play out highlights, using gestural controls (with the aid of Matrix-style slo-mo) to bury the ball in the back of the net.

We’ve seen grumbles that the game is pay-to-win, but we’ve won everything you can win in the game, without doing a Manchester City. You just need some patience, and to power up couple of strikers so they’ve got enough welly. If you’re not sure, you get ten games for free, whereaand even unlocking the entire game costs a pittance.

Retro Goal is a beautiful throwback to the SEGA days of football games and features such star names as Garrido, Hough and Frezza (not actual players, of course). The convenience of being handheld makes it all the better, too. The first 10 matches of Retro Goal can be played for free. Unlocking the rest costs a quid. Barg.

11) FIFA Street (2005, PS2)

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There’s something beautifully nostalgic about FIFA Street. For those who played the 4-a-side street football game in 2005, the game conjures up memories of committing devastating flicks and tricks in favelas and English football pitches. It also came with a soundtrack that has seldom been beaten since, bringing the local sounds of soca, grime, jungle and more to global players.

FIFA Street’s newest form, VOLTA, hasn’t managed to live up to the heights of FIFA Street (that is a tough task to achieve, though). But even playing today, FIFA Street still impresses. Few things beat the feeling of nutmegging Ronaldinho before firing a screamer into the top bins, after all.

10) Virtua Striker (1994, Arcade)

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Sega’s legendary AM2 team (also responsible for Daytona USA and Virtua Fighter) developed this groundbreaking title – the first football video game in history to use 3D player models. Being available only in arcades, Virtua Striker was designed for fast and furious action over serious simulation, but for those of us who crammed countless coins into the cabinet, it was the most realistic digital appropriation of the beautiful game we’d ever seen.

9) International Superstar Soccer (1994, SNES)

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In hindsight, this SNES classic is a bridge between classic-era side-on fare and modern football titles. A predecessor to PES, the original ISS offered a stunning array of moves – everything from feints to shoulder charges – when various buttons were combined.

Visually, it was also leagues beyond the likes of Match Day and International Soccer. Yet for all its gloss and cleverness, what made ISS appeal most was its fun and frantic nature, retaining a very arcade sensibility, in that brief period before sports titles became totally obsessed with a kind of TV-style realism.

8) Football Manager 2011 (2010, PC)

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In its divorce with Eidos, Sports Interactive lost the Championship Manager name but carried on creating the only management games still worth playing – and this edition is one of the greatest, adding a full 3D engine that, if you were so inclined, allowed you to watch every single pass, shot, tackle and horrendous goalkeeping error in a match.

Among the other innovations were press conferences – a small detail that served to add colour to an already frighteningly universe that featured no fewer than 117 playable leagues.

7) (1990, Amiga)

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Kick Off 2 looked an awful lot like its predecessor, and it was really a combination of Kick Off and a couple of expansion disks, all carefully refined. But that attention to detail transformed an enjoyable but occasionally uncontrollable knockabout title into a product that demanded a lot more skill.

Along with tournaments, refs with varying moods and – crucially – fewer bugs, this Amiga sequel dropped the pace and boosted the controls, copious use of ‘aftertouch’ enabling you to fashion the kind of dazzlingly audacious shots of which even Matt Le Tissier would have been proud.

6) Sensible Soccer (1992, Amiga)

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Sensible Software were fans of Kick Off 2 and football, but were irritated by the former’s shortcomings that didn’t – as they saw it – do justice to the latter. Sensible Soccer was their attempt to bring to gaming the feeling of how you imagined playing professional football would be, coupled with the kind of attention to detail only a true football geek possesses (including correct hair and skin colour for each of the players).

The game zoomed the viewpoint out, showing more of the pitch and enabling it to dispense with a Kick Off-style radar; passing and shooting was simplified and streamlined and everything was done on the frame, making the game extremely responsive. Until sequel SWOS arrived, this was the pinnacle of the genre.

5) ISS Pro Evolution (1999, PS1)

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Ah, the Master League: just how many hours have we spent cocooned in your comforting embrace, steadily building up a team of honest pros and turning them into world beaters? Probably several thousand – and that’s no exaggeration. And it was here that it first appeared.

Although at this stage a relatively basic affair, the Pro Evo Master League still bolted a decent career sim on to an already superb football game. You could buy and sell players, but you used points earnt by winning games, rather than money, and there was none of the complicated day-to-day running of the club that you’d have to endure in Championship Manager. Instead, it gave you the chance to shape the team of your dreams, packing it with attacking midfielders if you chose, or instead making sure you had a Mourinho-solid defence.

While the Master League was a great addition to the series, it would have meant nothing if the gameplay hadn’t matched up to it. But in truth ISS Pro Evolution was already creeping ahead of FIFA by this time; it was more realistic yet also more playable – and that’s a winning combination in any game.

4) Championship Manager: Season 97/98 (1997, PC)

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Sports Interactive’s series looms like a Colossus over all management games.

Despite being derided by small-minded dullards as a glorified Excel spreadsheet, Championship Manager‘s masterful tactical engine, reams of accurate data (this was the first instalment allowing you to run more than one league simultaneously) and giant player database wove together a rich, convincing football universe that sat parallel to our own – and it fired the imagination like no other game around.

And it was so, so addictive: the game’s official forums were full of tales of lives all but lost to Champ’s particular brand of “just one more game”-itis, or grown men so proud of taking a lower league team to the FA Cup final that they would don a suit for the occasion.

3) (2020, PS4/Xbox One)

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Recent FIFA games have been all about tweaking a winning formula rather than any major overhauls, but considering the series has been building from a leading position since FIFA 10, that’s no bad thing.

While FIFA 21 only makes very minor changes to its predecessor and certainly isn’t without its faults – defending is very much a secondary concern to scoring goals, there’s far too much showboating online, and goalkeepers punch so often they must all be wearing buttered gloves – it remains the best virtual approximation of the beautiful game.

2) Pro Evolution Soccer 5 (2005, PS2)

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There are times in popular culture when a thing – band, TV series, game, whatever – reaches such a peak, you think it can’t possibly stay there. But then it does – for year after year after year. The Simpsons did that from about season 3 to season 9, for instance, but it’s pretty rare. Well, Pro Evolution Soccer managed the same feat.

That its standards did eventually drop was inevitable, but it doesn’t make the glory years from 2002-2005 any less special. We could have picked any of the four games from Pro Evo 2 to Pro Evo 5 and made a case for its inclusion. Frankly, we could have had all of them in this list. But that would be silly, so instead we’ve picked the probable highest point in a series of very high ones.

What made it so special? Just… everything. The Master League had by now developed into a proper four-division set-up, with promotion, relegation and a Champions League equivalent and there were even, finally, proper player names. On the gameplay side, it was as fluid and playable as football games get. Not quite as frantically insane as Sensible Soccer, not quite as gloriously detailed as FIFA 18, but instead a wonderful mid-way between the two extremes.

You could score screamers from 40 yards or tap-ins after a goalmouth scramble. You could waltz through five tackles, if you had a skillful enough player, but you couldn’t get away with just running the ball into the net. In short, it was beautifully balanced.

It couldn’t last, of course – but boy was it fun while it did.

1) Sensible World Of Soccer (1994, Amiga)

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Almost 30 years young, SWOS is still top of the league. It took everything that was great about Sensible Soccer and just ran with it. You got the same fantastic arcade-oriented gameplay, but the title comprehensively acknowledged the rest of the world’s existence, with the kind of slavish devotion of a true footballing aficionado.

Management features and player trading were boosted by the inclusion of a whopping 1500 teams and 27,000 players. It should have been the start of something great, but SWOS was somehow allowed to be eclipsed by FIFA and PES. Still, dedicated fans keep the flame alive with leagues, events, and patched versions of the game that incorporate modern data – the wonderful, crazy nutters.

Can it compete with FIFA for realistic gameplay or Football Manager for exhaustive statdom? No, obviously not. And for many people, the classic mid-’00s era Pro Evo beats it as an all-round football game; it’s definitely split this office at any rate.

But for sheer “JUST LOOK AT THAT GOAL! THAT WAS LIQUID FOOTBALL!” joy, it will never be bettered. Go on, then, just one more game.

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The Best on PC 2024, FPS games are a classic PC gaming staple, and whether you’ve been playing them since the 90s or started your journey more recently with the boom in battle royales, there are plenty to choose from when it comes to the all-time greats. To help you narrow down what to play next, we’ve created this list of the best FPS games to play right now, from single-player epics to team-based shooters you can play with mates. Heck, some don’t even necessarily have guns in them at all, and you may find the odd boomerang or bow in here too.

The 25 best FPS

You can find our list of the 25 best FPS games on PC below, which you can either browse in one big gulp, or jump straight to individual entries using the links below. And if your favourite FPS isn’t here, let us know in the comments below. It was number 26, honest.

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25.

the player slides at soldiers in a neon future in severed steel

Kicking off with a newbie to the list, Severed Steel is all about sick stunts. Wall runs, somersaults, dolphin dives, slick slides: if you want it, Severed Steel has it. As you run around each mission while pulling off stunts and completing objectives, you shoot voxel dudes with their voxel guns that you pick up on the go. As you shoot your guns and arm cannon, bodies and walls will explode in a glorious shower of destruction. Oh yeah, you have an arm cannon! It does big damage, and Severed Steel’s destructible voxel arenas (am I saying “voxel” enough?) become your playground when you start blasting through walls.

Severed Steel can feel disorienting at first, but it’s rather forgiving. You won’t take damage as long as you simply keep moving, so it’s all about chaining stunts together to close the distance between enemies and take them down before they land a single shot. It’s the complete opposite of Superhot’s near-constant slow-mo, but it makes you feel equally badass.

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24.

i am a pistol at two werewolves as they stagger towards me in the village

Resident Evil Village continues the journey of Ethan Winters and his unlucky hands. As he explores the titular village, you’ll fight lycans, zombies, and more with all sorts of guns. If, like me, you were also petrified by Resident Evil 7 and couldn’t muster the courage to defeat the Baker family, then rest assured that Village is a far less terrifying experience. The first run will still feel tense, and there are some horrifying moments, but overall the atmosphere isn’t as unsettling. A big reason why? Village leans into the chaotic action of  and 5, handing you plenty of powerful guns that you can use to pop heads with ease.

Village thrives on that action, and while the first half is a slower, more horror-focused experience, the latter half gives that up for an action game that fires on all cylinders. There are big boss fights, even bigger explosions, and hordes of enemies to slaughter as you see fit. If you’re hankering for more, the Mercenaries mode offers action-packed time trials that rank your combat abilities, while playing the campaign with cheats is an absolute treat. Trust us when we say infinite ammo grenade launchers are the best.

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23. Boomerang X

a screenshot of boomerang x showing a squid like enemy with a glowing red eye flying towards the player who from a first person perspective is wielding a 4 pointed boomerang

It’s safe to say that I was blown away by Boomerang X. As I said in my Boomerang X preview, it’s the DOOM game I’ve always wanted and it may have ruined FPS games for me. Gun are overrated – boomerangs are the new hotness.

Boy does the boomerang feel good to fling, and you’ll quickly get access to a handful of superpowers that’ll only make the wooden spinner even more fun to use. Like the ability to teleport to it mid-air, or the ability to slow-time to a crawl as you line up that perfect shot. Combat is remarkably fluid and there’s barely any downtime. It’s fast, frenetic, and a whole heap of cool. String together a flawless succession of moves, and trust me, the feeling is unrivalled.

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22. Titanfall 2

list stompy mechs 2 titanfall

Titanfall 2 could have been the best singleplayer FPS of 2016, if it hadn’t been for the new Doom. Nonetheless, if you want straight-up action thrills with a whole lot of flash, some particularly glorious movement and impressively stressful mech-based boss fights, this is going to make you very happy. And hey, there’s a robust soldiers vs giant robo-suits multiplayer mode in there too, building on what the multiplayer-only Titanfall 1 already established.

That is, assuming you can find opponents. Titanfall 2 suffered from something of a failure to launch, having resolutely lost the marketing wars of late 2016. It may stay alive over time thanks to word of mouth, but even if it doesn’t, definitely check it out for that singleplayer campaign. It is, however, on the brief side, so we strongly recommend playing on Hard difficulty – as well as making it last longer, it makes the mech fights particularly feel that much more satisfying once you finally claim a steel scalp.

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21. Halo Infinite

halo infinite season 2 is called lone wolves and launches may 3rd 2022

Halo Infinite landed out of nowhere with a surprise multiplayer launch in late 2021, but it disappeared equally as fast. That’s a shame, because it’s one of the best free to play games on PC right now. Sure, the progression system wasn’t great at launch and improvements were slow, but that core loop of running and gunning around arenas is Halo at its finest. With the campaign dropping a few months after (paid or on Game Pass), Halo Infinite quickly became a full Halo experience – and it might just be the best one in decades.

If you’re after something a bit bigger than Halo’s multiplayer arena shooter, then check out the sprawling open world campaign. Sure, an open world Halo might not have been on your wishlist, but careening around huge spaces in a Warthog while gunning down grunts and hoovering up collectibles is like a bigger and better version of Combat Evolved’s infamous Silent Cartographer level. If you simply miss the Halo of old, then don’t panic. Halo Infinite still has plenty of linear levels sprinkled throughout that feel like traditional Halo.

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20.

colt dual wielding pistols in deathloop shooting an enemy who has just entered the room

In Deathloop, a puzzling plot sends you back through a repeating timeloop while you figure out how to assassinate eight visionaries. They’re a bunch of nasties on an island, and if you manage to kill all eight in one night, you can free yourself from the timeloop. The day is split into four sections – morning, noon, afternoon, and evening – and you can only enter one of four areas per chunk. The visionaries move between the four areas throughout the day, so the puzzle is finding a routine that lets you kill all eight. That usually involves finding the moments when they pair off, so that you can execute a sneaky double assassination.

 

Only, Deathloop isn’t actually that sneaky. Unlike its predecessors in Arkane’s Dishonored franchise, Deathloop seems to focus heavily on action, relishing in the FPS joys of headshotting a bunch of enemies. Time is a weird soup, after all, and death doesn’t really mean anything when you’re trapped in a loop. So, kill, die, and kill some more. It’s a liberating cycle that allows you to really go wild and experiment with playstyles, as you don’t need to worry about future repercussions of your actions if you never make it past today.

 

In that chaotic action, you’ll meet Julianna. She’s another assassin, but her target is you. Julianna can be controlled by an AI, but the real fun begins when another player takes on the role and invades your world. When Julianna invades, you become trapped in your current area until either one of you dies, or you manage to an antenna that allows you to escape. Invasions often result in a tense game of cat and mouse, followed by a huge firefight in which both players use every weapon at their disposal. It’s an explosive end to most missions that delivers frenetic action and memorable multiplayer moments.

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19. Rainbow Six Siege

a close up of operator caveira aiming a gun from rainbow six siege

Rainbow Six Siege does what Battlefield games have thus far only pretended to do: provide a multiplayer world which is destructible at a granular level. Instead of buildings collapsing when scripted levers are pulled, in Siege almost every door, window, wall, ceiling, and floor can have a hole poked in it via gunshot, grenades, battering rams and breaching charges.

It feels like technical wizardry and the consequences ripple throughout the entire experience, creating tension from the ability to be attacked from any angle, encouraging teamwork through asymmetric missions which force one team to defend themselves against the other’s attempt to breach their compound, and forcing traditional Rainbow Six tactical awareness without a planning phase by requiring you to hold a perfect mental map of the building around you at all times.

It’s equally impressive for being a team-based multiplayer shooter that feels fresh, offering something different from the Counter-Strikes and Call of Dutys while staying true to the spirit of the Rainbow Six series.

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18.

a ratman blasting green beams in a warhammer vermintide 2 screenshot

Warhammer: Vermintide 2 is all about killing rat people. Slicing them with swords, whacking them with maces, chopping through them with an axe – anything goes when you’re fighting the vermin hordes. Most importantly, though, it always involves bloody carnage that feels oh-so-good. If you’re in the mood for some simple, yet chaotic melee action, then Vermintide 2 is the game for you. And, for those of you screaming about how it isn’t an FPS, every class has some kind of ranged option to try. The bow is a personal favourite of mine, but there are also spells and guns that you can use to blow the rat people to pieces.

 

Cutting through rat folk might seem easy at first, but when elite enemies start picking your allies off, isolating them from the group for an easy kill, you’ll realise that teamplay is the key to survival. By forcing you to stick together, Vermintide 2 perfectly captures the feeling of being part of a fantasy party. Even if you’re unfamiliar with Warhammer lore, fans of Lord of the Rings or Dungeons & Dragons should find a lot to love here. Sure, Warhammer is a little more grimdark than Middle Earth or Faerun, but when you’re cleaving through rats with an axe while your mate unleashes a volley of arrows on an incoming horde, your fantasy-adoring spark is sure to ignite.

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17. Turbo Overkill

player spews flames from a flamethrower towards three beefy grunts in turbo overkill

Turbo Overkill is a retro-inspired FPS following in the footsteps of Quake and DOOM, albeit with a techno twist. You’ll charge around arenas slaughtering all sorts of enemies, but along the way you find augments that you can install to gain new powers. That could be a subtle boost, such as extra armor on getting a chainsaw kill, or something a little more chaotic, such as massive explosions whenever you hit the ground. Traversing the map to find those upgrades is a treat, too, as Turbo Overkill constantly propels you forward with incredible speed through its neon-filled streets.

We gave Turbo Overkill a bestest best when it launched in early access in late 2021. But, to reiterate one of the most salient points: you have a chainsaw for a leg. Fun times follow, as you can use that chainsaw leg to skid and slide around while tearing through baddies. They explode in violent bursts of blood, but there’s no time to stop and look at your victims, as Turbo Overkill is all about delivering that huge damage with speed and style.

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16. Neon White

sprinting through vaporwave heaven in a neon white screenshot

Carrying on from Turbo Overkill, here’s another game that’s about running fast. Neon White is a speedrunning FPS in which you use cards to either kill nasty demons, or launch yourself towards the goal in hopes of shaving off half a second.

It’s that second part that’s really fun, as each of Neon White’s levels quickly become complex puzzles to solve. It’s easy to get stuck in a loop of just running the same route over and over again, sure, but taking the time to step back and wander around the level to see every avenue and secret passage will give you insight into other potential paths. And then you run it and complete the mission an entire second faster. A second! Few things feel better than that.

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15. Hunt: Showdown

a hunt showdown screenshot in which two players waist deep in swampwater prepare to kill a grunt standing on a pier in front of them

Hunt: Showdown‘s this mixture of PVP and PVP, underscored by serious tension. You take on the role of hunters with the express aim of assassinating an AI “boss” tucked away somewhere on the map. Trouble is, there are other squads also attempting to do the same thing. Die and you lose your equipment forever. Survive, and you’ll not only keep your stuff, but get some of the spoils too. That’s the tension for you – every single foray into the dark could spell disaster.

The audio design’s also sterling in Hunt: Showdown too, with gunshots that ring out from miles away, and the clang of chains could help you locate an enemy that’s stalking you nearby. Even swapping your weapon or reloading in quiet moments might give away your position. It’s an FPS that’s unlike anything out right now.

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14. Call Of Duty: Warzone 2

warzone 2 image showing gaz wielding the chimera assault rifle stood next to a large chopper in al mazrah

Warzone 2 may not be battle royale king like its predecessor once was, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t any good. Far from it! There’s a brand new gunsmith which lets you tinker with weapons in even greater detail, which makes for even spicier metas. The new map Al Mazrah is – in my opinion – better than Verdansk, in the way it facilitates fights and removes a lot of boring grey in favour of some actual colour.

Warzone 2 isn’t perfect by any means, but what it offers is a free-to-play, triple A shooter with COD’s brilliantly smooth FPSing. It’s also worth noting that the game often receives free updates to keep things fresh, so it’s unlikely you’ll get bored quickly.

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13. Team Fortress 2

team fortress 2s heavy machine gun

That Team Fortress 2 is a sequel and a remake of a sober-as-a-nun multiplayer mod seems almost irrelevant now. But it’s part of what makes the game so important. Valve took years and years to settle upon a model for what has become one of the firmly-entrenched favourites of the PC gaming fraternity, and that they did so allowed it to prove that a multiplayer first-person shooter can be funny, even witty, and that constant experimentation and progression can keep a game alive and evolving long after it should have ground to a halt.

Team Fortress 2 felt like an experiment, and it still feels like an experiment, and that experiment was a success. A move to free-to-play and a hat-centric economy has kept TF2 thriving. The cost of this is that something of the original spirit was perhaps lost in this translation to gimmee, gimmee, gimmee, but we can forgive that.

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. Devil Daggers

blasting skulls in a devil daggers screenshot

2016 was in many ways a vintage year for first-person shooters, and the reason for that was because they understood their past. DOOM, obviously; Overwatch returned to Team Fortress rather than COD; Titanfall 2 was the big sci-fi silliness of the noughties again and Devil Daggers… well, Devil Daggers is from an alternate timeline where Quake changed everything and was never forgotten in favour of military men and careful plots.

A beautiful hellscape of big square pixels against a midnight backdrop, monstrous things looming at you from the darkness, and the dance, the endless dance. A pure test of everything that first-person shooters ever taught us. Reflex, awareness, movement, practice, true grit and no surrender. It is about your own time and only about your own time, because that is all that matters – everything else that shooters ever added is mere fluff.

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11. DOOM Eternal

doom eternal

DOOM 2016 was a bloody and brilliant reintroduction to the demon-slaying franchise, but DOOM Eternal takes it to new heights. It doesn’t waste any time making you wait around, opting instead to hand you a shotgun and force you out into the demon crowds. Within moments, you’re platforming around chaotic arenas with an upgraded shotgun, machine gun, and a chainsaw doing what that DOOM guy does best. Namely, rippin’ and tearin’.

Sure, you might have done that just a few years ago in its predecessor, but Eternal pushes you to get faster and more ferocious. It has some new platforming elements that not everyone will appreciate, such as wall climbing and swinging from poles, but when it comes to tearing through arenas filled with hulking demons, DOOM Eternal does it best.

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10.

a player aims at a zombie clown that lunges at them in left 4 dead 2

Zombies: in 2008 they were still very exciting. They still are today when blessed with Valve’s magic touch, which in a few, brief, cyclic co-op skits adds more life, wit and hinted-at history to its characters and its world than most of the 8 hour+ singleplayer campaigns in this list stuck together. Including Left 4 Dead 2 in the list was complicated, however, given most of what makes it to strong was work done by the previous year’s Left 4 Dead.

It’s a sequel not that different to the original, and not a game that I felt, on its first outing, really changed anything. However, it’s clear with time that Left 4 Dead 2 was a major under-the-hood upgrade, both closer to what was intended for the zombie-blasting horror game, and also a bigger move in the direction of pure co-op, which wasn’t something that even seemed possible before the let’s-all-die-together first Left 4 Dead came along.

Another strong reason to choose this over L4D1 (which still has a more memorable cast of Survivors, to my mind) is how much it’s been expanded by mods. You can stick Deadpool in there, expand it from a 4-player game to a 16-player oneturn everyone into a dinosaur or recreate pretty much the entirety of L4D1 within it. Get thee to the Steam workshop and indulge.

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9. SUPERHOT / SUPERHOT VR (2016)

player headshots an enemy with their pistol as another runs towards them in a white room in superhot

There ain’t nothin’ new under the sun – a miserable claim that SUPERHOT Team disproved twice in one year. First there was SUPERHOT itself, a shooter in which time only moves when you move (or shoot) (or throw something) (or punch). Then there was SUPERHOT VR, which singlehandedly redeemed the whole concept of virtual reality and easily made it into our pick of the best VR games.

SUPERHOT is both maximum-adrenaline thrills and highly tactical – transforming the first-person shooter from a game about precision aiming and reflexive movement into one in which every twitch counted. The world is super-slow-mo until you do anything, which grants you the time to plan the move but leaves you subject to a devious puzzlebox construction in which one action leaves you vulnerable to some other threat. It is sublime, and it is impossibly cool.

Particularly in VR, where you are making those movements yourself – the ducking, the punching, the throwing, the shooting. The Matrix fantasy without any of the bilge – just superhot action. A glorious, glorious reinvention of first-person violence.

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8. Deep Rock Galactic

blasting bugs in a deep rock galactic screenshot

Deep Rock Galactic combines drunk dwarves with some complex tunnel systems and lots of nasty subterranean bugs. The result is often sheer chaos, as four players charge into the depths to mine whatever they need for the big corporation in the sky. You pick a role, each of which has a unique weapon and traversal mechanic, and zip through the caves at incredible pace, collecting ores as you head towards a main objective.

The chaos comes when you’re trying to wrap your head around these main objectives, connecting winding pipelines or powering huge machines, while fending off those blasted bugs that just won’t stop. As you go, hordes of creepy critters will charge in your direction. A rational team might fight them together, deploying traps and getting into a strong defensive formation, but I find the fun in panickedly running away and screaming. But, whether you play Deep Rock Galactic as a true co-op shooter or as a wild romp in the caverns, it’s sure to be a good time.

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7. GTFO

gtfo preview 1b

Hurtling down into the dark depths of GTFO‘s Rundowns (levels) is a terrifying start. What’s even more terrifying, though, is when teammates don’t work together. We tend to quickly designate a leader when I play with friends, but someone always wanders off a little too far or fails to follow orders. Lots of screaming, shooting, and swearing ensues. It’s pure chaos with a horror-filled flair, and it’s a great time online. It demands teamwork and precision if you want to survive, but that fills every encounter with a level of tension that few other FPS games reach.

That tension is only heightened by the enemy variety crawling around every level. You never know what might lie behind each door, but spotting a Scout’s tendril as you enter a new area could spell the end of a run. The thrill of needing to adapt to whatever you find, and often sneak past enemies to preserve resources, makes GTFO the best co-op survival horror on PC.

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6. Half-Life: Alyx

half life alyx bread

Alright, yes, you’ll need a VR headset for Half Life: Alyx, alongside a powerful enough rig to run it nicely. But, if you’ve got both of these things, then you’re in for a treat.

Graham said in his Half-Life: Alyx review that this is “the Half-Life game you’ve been waiting for, even if it’s not the one you were expecting”. And this is because the game’s been designed with VR in mind. You’re now able to reach out and touch City 17, and the motion control shooting “feels better than Half-Life’s combat ever has”.

And Half-Life: Alyx embraces horror too, with moments where you’re cowering in corners or chucking objects to distract enormous monsters. You’re even able to cover your mouth with your actual hand, and have it replicated in-game. It’s very much been lifted by VR, and not harmed by it.

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5. Half-Life 2

an image from half life 2 which shows the player firing an smg at a helicopter flying over a lake

Of course. So much is in Half-Life 2, from an unprecedented level of architectural design to facial animation which rendered anything else obsolete overnight, to a physics system which transformed shooter environments from scenery into interactive resource, to some of gaming’s most striking baddies in the Striders and a huge step forwards in making AI companions believable and likeable.

It’s also a long, changeable journey through a beautifully, bleakly fleshed-out world, and although of course you are on the hero’s journey, it’s careful to keep you feeling like a bit player in a wider conflict. That this, plus the cliffhanger ending of Episode 2, left so much more to be told leaves PC gaming in a perpetual state of frustration that the series has, publicly at least, ground to a halt. I don’t think all of it is as striking as it once was – particularly, much of the man-shooting feels routine and slightly weightless now – but Half-Life 2 gave us more than any other first-person shooter before, and maybe even since.

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4. Dusk

the player dual wields shotguns as an enemy leaps at them from the woods in dusk

DUSK is a retro-styled FPS that’s retro, but doesn’t get stuck trying to mimic retro. It has the gut-spilling impact of the genre, yet mixes it with modern twists: like picking up items to create impromptu climable routes to hidden areas, or just slinging saw blades and soap at foes.

There’s a lot of coloured-key collecting to open doors in DUSK, but it’s spread across loads of complex, batshit maps that only get better as you barrel through through its campaign. There is, of course, a metal soundtrack paired with a level of spookiness designed to make you both enjoy the riff and jump out of your chair within five seconds of one another. Please don’t skip out on this.

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3. Valorant

valorant a

There’s no elegant way to put this: Valorant is Counter: Strike but with wizards and ninjas. One team wants to plant a bomb, the other needs to stop this from happening. How? By inching around corners, having decent aim, and making strong callouts in the team chat. Patience is rewarded here, as is coordinating with your team to control each map.

If Valorant sounds like Counter: Strike, that’s because the gunplay is pretty similar. However, where it differs is in ability usage. You can choose from a roster of Agents who each have special powers that’ll let them do stuff like teleport across short gaps, flashbang around corners, or heal allies. If this sounds aggressively unbalanced, don’t worry, almost all of these abilities feel like useful tools, as opposed to pain-bringers.

I’d say I prefer Valorant to Counter: Strike nowadays, purely because it feels more current. There’s regular updates and some invaluable tools – like an aim training map – are baked into the game, as opposed to being buried away in a “community creations” section of a store.

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2. Apex Legends

apex legends legacy

Oh my, Apex, what excellent bumslides you have. What solid shootsing you offer. What a delightful bunch of canyons and swamps you’ve plonked us in. We should have known better than to doubt the makers of Titanfall 2’s robot antics. Since its launch Apelegs has added plenty of new characters, new maps, and even a new Arenas mode.

It’s a solid murder hike every time you dive into Apex Legends, and there really is nothing that matches its pace in the Battle Royale realm.

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1. Destiny 2

a destiny 2 screenshot showing taniks in the deep stone crypt raid

Destiny 2 is an incredibly fluid MMO FPS with some of the best shooting around, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Whether you want to team up with others to topple big bosses, turn on your fellow players and slug them with a shotgun in Crucible’s PvP modes, or play through epic stories that span the solar system, Destiny 2 has something for everyone.

Whichever activity you prefer, you can easily sink hundreds, if not thousands, of hours into it, and the brilliant gunplay makes it a constant joy. Not only is the best FPS around, I’ll wager that Destiny 2 is also the best superhero game right now. There’s something I love about swinging electro swords and firing off a golden gun imbued with solar energy to kill massive raid bosses in a bid to save the solar system.

 

Destiny 2 has so much to love, but that doesn’t mean it’s without fault. The onboarding experience is incredibly awkward for newbies, with the removal of the original Red War campaign and subesquent Forsaken expansion making the story completly incomprehensible without watching oodles of lore videos. That proves a chore for even the most dedicated of Guardians, and it’s a roadblock that’s almost guaranteed to alienate new players who try to hop in for a new expansion.

 

However, it’s a testament to Destiny 2’s strengths that we still recommend it so highly. It’s a masterful FPS with so much fun to be had, regardless of whether you prefer PvE or PvP. And, with so much content available for free, there’s no really no reason not to give it a go. So, off you pop, go decrypt some engrams, get some snazzy armor, and start shooting aliens. Eyes up. Guardian.

Source : Rock Paper Shotgun

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Best Android Launchers in 2024, Android launchers are one of the most useful apps for customization. It can entirely change the look of your home screen and how it behaves. It can even change like icons and and offer a variety of other personalization features for your device. Most legacy Android launchers have the same stock Android theme, which may seem a bit too cluttered. But now, many newer launchers are going for a minimal aesthetic. Here are the best Android launchers available right now.

We’d also like to give an honorable mention to Flauncher (Google Play). It officially launched in 2022 and is easily one of the best Android TV launchers on Google Play.


AIO Launcher

Price: Free /In-app purchases ($0.99 – $9.99 per item)

AIO Launcher does it differently than many Android launcher apps. It does away with the standard home screen in favor of an information-packed list of stuff. It shows things like your latest SMS and missed calls, your media player, your system info (RAM, battery, storage, etc.), and even stuff like news, Bitcoin price, Twitter, and more. The list is actually quite extensive.

The premium version also includes integration for Telegram and your regular widgets from other apps. Not everything has to look like stock Android, and AIO Launcher certainly shows that it can be done effectively. Luckily, most of the features are free, and the free version doesn’t seem to have ads.

http://andauth.co/gKjXPn


Launcher iOS 17

Price: Free

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If you like the look and feel of the iOS UI, this app’s for you. This launcher gives your Android phone a look similar to iOS 17. This includes a lock screen, a control center, many animations, different wallpapers, and widgets. It has a ton of customization options. There are some features, like lock screens, , a control center, and assistive touch, that you need to download separately. It does require some time to configure everything perfectly, but once everything is set up, Launcher iOS 17 makes your Android look a lot like iOS. There are a few bugs, but it works great for a free app.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.luutinhit.launcherios&gl=us


Best Android Launchers in 2024

Price: Free /In-app purchases ($1.99 – $5.99 per item)

Before Launcher is one of the few minimal-style launchers on the list. This one claims to help reduce interactions with your phone by up to 40%. There is also a notification filter that reduces notifications by about 80%. Some other features include a clean, easy UI and the ability to pin important apps or hide unimportant apps. It’s a bit light on customizations, but that’s pretty typical for minimal launchers. You do get support for icon packs, though.

You get the vast majority of features in the free version, which also doesn’t contain advertisements. The developers also state that the app can’t capture any data and requires no permissions to run. That’s fairly standard for Android launchers on this list, but we thought you’d still like to know.

https://andauth.co/KYHSK5


Price: Free /In-app purchases ($1.99 – $5.99 per item)

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If you like the Windows UI, then you’re going to love this app. Square Home brings the old Metro UI of Windows Phone to your Android device. It has a user-friendly interface that is both simple and visually appealing. With features like vertical scrolling within a page and smooth horizontal transitions between pages, it faithfully replicates the metro-style UI. It’s a bit different from the default Android experience. It utilizes tiles to display your notifications, calls, SMS, e-mails, and more. Square Home also boasts a smart app drawer that intuitively organizes your apps, which it sorts by usage.

Additionally, it offers quick access to your contacts and tons of other customization options, making it a great launcher choice. The developers address user-submitted complaints and on them to update the app frequently. You need to pay for some premium features like animated tiles, a media controller, infinite scrolling, 3D effects for horizontal scrolling, and others. There are monthly subscription plans of $1.99 and a lifetime subscription priced at $5.99 too.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ss.squarehome2&gl=us


Olauncher

Price: Free

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Olauncher is a great choice for minimalist lovers. This launcher offers a clean, clutter-free experience with its extensive customization options. It’s also open source. The most basic features allow you to do everything, from resizing text to renaming apps and even controlling the visibility of the status bar. It has gestures, wallpapers, dark and light theme support, dual app support, work profile compatibility, automatic app launch, and more. The best part is that it’s completely free and has no ads.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.olauncher&gl=us


Lawnchair 2

Price: Free

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Lawnchair Launcher is an excellent Android launcher for fans of minimalism. It’s an open-source project that mimics much of the look and feel of the Pixel Launcher. The app features adaptive icons, a fun icon pack, an “At a Glance” feature that uses notification dots for quick access, and a drawer category function to neatly organize your apps. You can also choose between a light and dark mode for your system. It integrates with Google Feed and Homefeeder to provide a comprehensive Android launcher experience. It’s also completely free. This app used to be one of the most popular launchers, but now it has many bad reviews because the developers have stopped updating the app.

http://andauth.co/iCaojv


Price: Free /In-app purchases ($1.99 – $5.99 per item)

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Total Launcher is an older launcher app. It offers a lot of customization options and is suited for both those who prefer a clutter-free experience and those who want tons of widgets. It has a simple UI, so it’s really easy to use and setup. It features various themes, wallpapers, icon packs, and much more.

Total Launcher is free to use, but you’ll need to pay for premium features like folder search and hidden apps. There are monthly subscriptions of $1.99 and a lifetime subscription of $5.99. It’s a worthwhile investment considering the rich customization and functionality it brings to your Android experience.

https://andauth.co/dOgy1y


Microsoft Launcher

Price: Free

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Microsoft Launcher is one of the most popular launcher apps available on Android. The app features custom icon packs, daily Bing wallpapers, and a dark theme for low-light use. It simplifies phone transitions with Backup and Restore, enabling local or backups. Intuitive gestures, like swiping and tapping, streamline navigation. Plus, it ensures accessibility with screen lock and recent apps view gestures. It also has integration with many Microsoft services, including their calendar, email, to-do list app, and direct integration with Microsoft PCs.

http://andauth.co/rTRNtX


Niagara Launcher

Price: Free/ In-app Purchases ($0.99 – $29.99 per item)

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Niagara Launcher offers a user-friendly, ergonomic experience for Android users. It has an adaptive list layout that shows you essential information like messages and calendar events, and it even has support for media players. It has unique wave alphabet navigation with embedded notifications. The app is ad-free, lightweight, and embraces Material You Theming for customization. The developers are still frequently updating the app.

https://andauth.co/2V0ciL


Nova Launcher

Price: Free

nova launcher is one of the best android launcher apps 831w467h

It doesn’t get better than Nova Launcher. Nova Launcher has been around for quite some time, but it is still one of the best Android launcher app options available. It has a laundry list of customization features that include gesture support, the ability to customize the look and feel of the app, icon pack support, themes, and much, much more. The app also gets updated at a breakneck pace, which means bugs generally get squished quickly and new features are added consistently. It also comes with the ability to backup and restore your home screen layouts for when you eventually switch to a new phone. It’s the one we’d recommend you try first.

http://andauth.co/RtzXmc


Price: Free /In-app purchases ($2.99 – $49.99 per item)

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Wide Launcher is a newer app that offers a unique Android experience with a home screen that’s three times wider than standard launchers. It allows you to place items anywhere and provides a wide range of palettes and mini-apps for enhanced smartphone use. You can personalize your home screen with a variety of selected wallpapers, stickers, app icon styles, and picture frames. The launcher features intelligent organization and smart widgets called applets. There’s a fun feature that allows you to have virtual pets running on your screen called Hellopets. It’s also ad-free.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.shouter.widelauncher&gl=us


Rootless Launcher

Price: Free

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Rootless Launcher is a decent, stock Android-style launcher from 2018. It’s actually a fairly basic experience. You get a stock Android look and feel with some additional customization elements to complete the look. Some of the features include icon pack support, adaptive icon pack support, an icon shape selector, themes based on your wallpaper, and the ability to change the location of the search bar. You can also get Google Feed working on this launcher, but like most, it requires an extra plug-in download and installation. The website with the instructions for that is in the Google Play description.

http://andauth.co/HHDUTB


Smart Launcher 6

Price: Free /In-app purchases ($0.99 – $26.99 per item)

Smart Launcher is another famous and quite old launcher app for Android. It has features like automatic app sorting and an ambient theme that dynamically adapts to your wallpaper. There’s an option to hide the navigation bar, and you can even protect sensitive apps with a PIN. Its UI is designed for one-handed use, and essential elements are conveniently placed at the bottom of the screen.

The launcher provides responsive built-in widgets and extensive customization options, allowing you to personalize themes and fonts. It also has a smart search bar, which simplifies tasks like finding contacts or searching the web. The problem with this launcher is that it feels like some of the features are forced; there’s no option to disable them.

http://andauth.co/wDhePH


Price: Free /In-app purchases ($3.99 per item)

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Lynx Launcher is a new launcher app that offers a clean and distraction-free Android experience. The app supports theming, allowing you to change icons and even the entire theme, with the option to toggle dark mode based on your preferences. It has tons of customization features that allow you to tweak everything from the dock’s position to text size and notification dots. It also lets you hide non-removable apps. There are gestures that give you quick access to apps, contacts, and settings. A favorites screen shows your most-used apps and contacts for easy access.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.n277.lynxlauncher&gl=us

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Best Android Root Apps in 2024, Rooting your Android device allows you to get complete control of your phone. It unlocks your device entirely so that you can perform more advanced and complicated tasks (for instance, removal), not meant for general users. Moreover, the best Android root apps help you make the most of your phone.

The best apps to root an Android phone help you do all the heavy lifting, save battery, get new applications, and improve your phone’s performance. However, the opposite may happen if you use a wrong and unreliable rooting app.

Therefore, you must be extremely careful when picking a root app. However, since you have arrived at this article, it will be a cakewalk for you to choose the proper application.

Through this article, we share a rooted apps list. The applications in this list are selected after thorough research and analysis of the available options in the market. Let us walk you through it without ado.

9 Best Android Root Apps for Your Phone in 2024

Following are some of the best root apps for Android.

1. AdAway

adaway

Let us first introduce you to AdAway. It is a perfect choice for users who want to block ads on their devices. With this free and open-source application, you can block all ad-serving hostnames using the hosts’ file. It keeps you updated with the ad-serving networks and redirects these networks to your phone, i.e, the local host. Hence, these requests do not lead to any ads.

Download Now

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2. Magisk Manager

magisk manager

Next, we have Magisk Manager on our list of the best Android root apps. The most advantageous feature of this app is that, unlike the traditional methods, it does not require you to make system partition changes. Moreover, it helps you hide root permissions from applications like Android Pay, Pokemon Go, etc.

Furthermore, it allows you to get OTA updates to your operating system. However, sadly, this app is unavailable on Google Play and you need to download it as apk from the official website.

Download Now

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3. Quick Reboot

quick reboot

Let us take a look at Quick Reboot. This application allows you to reboot your device with a single tap on the button to do so. Moreover, there are several reboot options like recovery mode, fastboot, and safe mode. It comes in handy when you want all your reboot settings in one location and do not wish to use ADB or hardware key combinations to reboot your device.

Download Now

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4.

oneclickroot

The next name on our list of the best Android root applications is OneClick Root. It helps improve your device’s battery life and speed. Moreover, you can use this application to download apps that are unavailable in your country and perform byte by byte mobile data backup.

Furthermore, OneClickRoot supports free wireless tethering, installation of apps incompatible with your device, and access to crucial hidden files.

Download Now

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5. Rescue Root

rescue root

The discussion about the best Android root apps cannot be complete without Rescue Root. It is among the top applications to backup your device and protect it hassle-freely. With this app, you can perform customized roots for specific devices and restore your phone to an earlier rooted state.

Additionally, round-the-clock support, availability for all Android devices, and unlimited restoration of data make Rescue Root one of the best rooting apps.

Download Now

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6.

kingoroot

Here comes the best application for all those wanting to customize their device without any hassle. It offers a one-click device root. Additionally, it boasts compatibility with a wide range of devices and a beginner-friendly interface.

Furthermore, speeding up the device performance, easy Android streamlining, and Android root using PC are its other noteworthy features.

Download Now

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7. Root Essentials

root essentials

Let us now talk about the Root Essentials. Available for phone, tablet, and Android wear. This app lets you manage all applications on your device without any cumbersome effort, check the battery status, and check the phone for rooting access.

Moreover, it allows you to edit LCD density, view device information, change the phone’s emoji, select from over 700 fonts, and change your phone’s system language.

Download Now

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8.

rom toolbox pro

Are you looking for a multi-purpose booting app? Then, ROM Toolbox Pro is a perfect choice for you. With ROM Toolbox Pro, you can easily manage your files or folders along with changing your device settings completely.
The app lets you utilize the custom fonts from an external SD Card. Additionally, using this Android Root App you can effortlessly move, delete, and rename files. Along with the ownership of files, you can also modify the permissions of any desired file. Overall, ROM Toolbox Pro is the must-have app for every root user out there.

Download Now

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9.

liveboot

Let us introduce you to LiveBoot. It is among the best root apps for Android because of its device health checking to determine whether or not you should root it. Moreover, it boasts many interesting features like access to the System Message Registry, commands to debug Android applications, and an option to view apps running in the background during boot.

Download Now

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Summing Up

This article acquainted you with the best Android root apps to help you use your device to the maximum potential. You can choose any app from the above list depending on your requirements.

If there is any application you would like to add to the above list, if you have any other suggestions/questions about this post, please drop them in the comment box. We will be delighted to address your queries.

Root Android: Everything you need to know!

One of the best about Android is its customization and flexibility. Android lets you use it the way you want to, whether that means changing the launcher, or setting up a host of unique automatic functions with Tasker. But for some, that isn’t enough. You can gain near-total control of the OS if you root Android.

This isn’t as common as it once was, but there are still benefits to rooting Android, such as removing bloatware, full system backups, overclocking, specialized settings, and more. If you like the sounds of that, but find yourself feeling a little anxious about “hacking” your much-loved (and probably expensive) device, then read on to learn everything you need to know about rooting Android. It’s actually easier than you might think.

Editor’s note: Rooting Android devices requires a high level of tinkering and modifying your phone’s software. This can be risky, and there is a chance you’ll damage your handset. This is terrible news, considering rooting Android may void your warranty. Always do your research and be confident about the steps you’re taking, as no one but you will be responsible should anything happen to your device.

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What is rooting?

While it might sound scary, rooting refers to obtaining access to commands, system files, and folder locations that are usually locked off. Rooting Android can be thought of as promoting yourself from a system user to an administrator, with the additional freedom and risks that come from more control over the deeper workings of your device. With great power comes great responsibility and all that!

More specifically, adding root to Android means becoming a superuser, which is a Linux function you may be familiar with. In many ways, you could view this more as restoring a function that should have been there, to begin with!

Users can install and run applications on rooted Android phones and tablets that require special privileges, bypass carrier-installed software, and even remove bloatware applications (as opposed to simply disabling them). Root access is even needed if you want to install trivial things like certain custom fonts, and rooting Android can also unlock new features in certain apps and launchers.

If you’re comfortable with coding, you can even go as far as creating your own custom ROMs.

Handy rooting terminology:

 Bootloader: Lowest level software on your phone that starts up recoveries and then the main operating system.
 Recovery: Low-level software that can create and restore full system backups. It is accessed before the main OS.
 ADB (Android Debug Bridge): A command- tool that is part of the Android SDK, which supports communication between a computer and an Android device.

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To root or not to root?

phone with supersu root access stock 3 945w

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

The next question is whether you should root Android or leave it as it is. That, of course, is a matter of personal preference, but there are some compelling arguments both for and against it.

On the plus side, it gives you more access to several cool apps and customization options. It also lets you upgrade older phones to newer Android versions long after your manufacturer and carrier have stopped supporting it. As mentioned, rooting Android will let you change things that you otherwise Wouldn’t be able to, and it will also allow you to use a host of cool apps.

Android root apps and options

Here are just a few things you can do with a rooted Android device:

 Overclock or underclock the CPU.
 Increase battery life.
 It greatly enhances the power of Tasker.
 Remove preinstalled bloatware apps.
 Make real backups.
 Install custom ROMs.
 Further customize your phone’s looks.
 Install apps that do more than basic ones.
 You can even do things like installing  for desktop.

For some people, rooting Android is also something of a statement. You paid for this device, so why shouldn’t you use it exactly as you wish? Especially if it means removing cynical and unhelpful bloatware. There’s also a certain status that comes from it, and a great sense of accomplishment when you achieve root access for the first time.

If you’re a developer hoping to create your own root apps, you need to start somewhere!

Will you damage your device?

google pixel 8 back in hand red background 531h

Robert Triggs / Android Authority

Pixel 8

That said, there are also some potential downsides to rooting.

Even once you know how to root Android, some risks are involved. If you get this wrong, there is a chance of bricking your device (it’s happened to me). It’s easier and safer on some devices than others, but if you’re not overly confident with your wizardry, you may prefer to leave your phone be.

Furthermore, rooting can cause some issues with official OTA handset updates — but it is usually fine to install new software manually once you’re rooted. Updating will often cause root permissions to be lost, in which case the procedure will need to be performed again. Occasionally, an update will block old root methods, and sometimes rooted devices will fail to install updates. If your device stops booting after an attempted root exploit, you can usually restore it to factory specifications relatively easily.

Warranties and legalities — is rooting legal?

This leads us nicely onto warranties, which is another grey area in the world of rooting. While carriers don’t like you tampering with their hardware and software, some manufacturers have become kinder to rooters and even those who install third-party software. However, few have a clear stance on what software tweaks will void your warranty, and you certainly can’t count on having your rooted handset fixed if something goes wrong. Devices with locked bootloaders, the very low-level software that starts up your phone, are explicitly designed to prevent rooting, so don’t expect sympathy from these companies.

 In the US, rooting is perfectly legal.

Thanks to clues like Knox on Samsung, manufacturers and sellers can often identify rooted devices, even after you unroot them. Note that there are ways to hide evidence of having rooted your device, but these won’t always work. There’s a kind of arms race between hackers and manufacturers, and your chances of unrooting and covering your tracks will often come down to who is winning at the time! This is why many people only root older phones already out of warranty.

This might also make you wonder whether rooting your device is even legal. This is tough to answer as it depends on your country’s laws. Many countries allow for bypassing digital rights management and locks, providing that this is not used for other illegal purposes, such as circumventing copyrights. Rooting has been legal in the USA since 2013.

security and privacy option in android settings stock photo 2 531h

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

It’s also worth noting that some apps and features will stop working once you root. For example, banking apps will often stop working due to the perceived risk. Even Snapchat and Pokemon Go take issue with root! There are also often countermeasures to these limitations — though your mileage may vary. You can probably tell by now that rooting typically means creating more work for yourself, but it can be enjoyable work!

Rooting your phone can open up your device to more dangerous pieces of malware.Adam Sinicki

The final major point to be aware of is security. With greater control comes a greater level of risk, and rooting your phone can open up your device to more dangerous pieces of malware. This is where governor applications come in, which monitor and control which processes get root permissions. You may be familiar with SuperSU or other similar apps. These are very straightforward to use and simply display a pop-up whenever an app or process wants root access, which you can either deny or allow and save your preference if you trust the app.

Of course, if you aren’t automatically receiving the usual updates, it also falls on you to ensure you get all the latest security patches. In theory, you could improve your privacy with the proper root apps. But it’s on you. It should also be noted that SuperSU developer Chainfire hung up his root apps, so most rooters have now switched over to Magisk.

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So, should you root Android?

android stock photo

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

With all that in mind, should you root your Android device?

Ultimately, that comes down to what you intend to use your device for. Do you even need to root Android? If you have a specific use-case scenario in mind and understand the risks and limitations, then there’s nothing to stop you from learning how to root Android and giving yourself that extra freedom.

On the other hand, the argument for rooting isn’t as compelling as it once was. These days, one can do many things that were once limited to root users (customizing the UI, recording your screen, and so on). Not to mention that even budget phones are fast these days, so overclocking is no longer an important reason to root Android.

These days, one can do a lot of things that were once limited to root users.Adam Sinicki

Seeing as root might also mean you lose functionality, it’s no longer a straight win across the board. It has its benefits, but it’s not as helpful as it once was.

For me, the obvious answer is to only root older devices. Keep your daily driver clean while it’s still getting new updates and patches, but root secondary gadgets that you want to tinker with. That way, you get to have your cake and eat it, too.

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How to root Android devices

phone with supersu root access stock 1

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

If you decide to proceed, you’ll probably wonder how to root Android. Let’s lead you in the right direction!

The bad news is there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution when you root Android phones and tablets. Different brands and even software versions can make the rooting process vary. Even within handset variants, you may find that some techniques work and others don’t.

The good news is that rooting is much easier than it once was in many cases. In fact, the easiest method is usually to use a simple root app. These apps let you root Android with a single tap, with some popular examples being KingRootKingoRoot, and OneClickRoot. Download your app of choice or access the website for more instructions. The service will check compatibility first, then root your device for you.

This is a minimum-fuss method that will work in many cases. However, it’s worth noting that some come with annoying push notifications and ads. I’d advise checking reviews before settling on which one to use. Some would even say that if you can’t figure out how to root your device without one of these apps, perhaps you shouldn’t be doing it at all (because if you encounter problems during the process, you won’t know what to do).

The good news is that in many cases, rooting is much easier than it once was.

If a one-click solution doesn’t appeal to you, things get a little more complex, and you’ll need to look for specific instructions for your device. This might mean using PC software and connecting your phone via USB. It might also mean using a custom recovery, or downloading additional software like Odin for Samsung devices. The best part about these options is that you learn a lot along the way.

I recommend either Googling “how to root [YOUR DEVICE NAME HERE]” or heading over to XDA Developers, which is a great place to start. Many of the best root apps available today were developed by members of this community. Just be sure to use the search function first before asking noob questions! And don’t forget to thank and support the devs that make rooting possible.

Before rooting your device, it’s always good to back up your phone first. Then settle in, read a lot, triple-check the instructions, and dive in. Crossing your fingers and holding your breath would be a good idea because you just took the red pill! The world of Android rooting is exciting, empowering, frustrating, and engaging — you’ll learn tons about how Android works, what your phone can do, and how awesome Android can be when you get in the driver’s seat.

Once you’ve rooted your phone, it’s time to start enjoying the best root apps for Android.

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FAQs

Rooting a device refers to obtaining superuser access to your Android system. It allows you to delve deeper into commands, system files, restricted folders, and more. This will enable you to customize things from a system level.

 

Rooting makes it possible to achieve much more complex customizations than you’re used to. You can control your CPU and RAM, customize your UI, remove apps you otherwise wouldn’t be able to uninstall, use apps that provide root features, and more.

 

Manufacturers don’t like when you tinker with their devices’ software. This can create issues, and these wouldn’t be their fault. Most manufacturers will likely avoid respecting a warranty claim if you’ve rooted a device, especially if this was the cause of whatever issue you started the claim for. That said, some argue it’s illegal to void the warranty due to rooting, in some jurisdictions. You might be able to argue this in court, but no one really wants to take a company to court for a warranty issue. At the very least, rooting your phone may cause a headache, even if you did nothing wrong.

 

Technically speaking, a rooted Android phone has access to system files. Regular phones lack this. This makes it possible for hackers and malware to attack you at deeper levels. Additionally, root users like grabbing apps to maximize their experience, which opens the doors to more dangers. While rooting your device can be perfectly secure, it’s also very easy to turn it into a vulnerable device. You’re no longer sticking with Google and your manufacturer’s protective arms. Not to mention, rooting can affect timely updates, which often come with security improvements.

 

Of course you can. The real question is whether you should. If you are to sell a rooted phone, make sure you tell the new owner about this. He can then decide if he wants to take the risk. Additionally, it’s possible to unroot a phone and take it back to its factory settings. This might be a better alternative, unless the buyer strictly wants a rooted phone.

 

Rooting is only worth it right now if you have a specific need for it, or if you really want to play around with your Android phone. That said, we advise most users to stick with stock software now. This is because most of the benefits we used to get from root access no longer apply. Phones used to be slow, and now even budget devices are pretty fast, so there is no dire need to overclock. Battery life is also improving, so there is no huge need to underclock. Launchers are better than ever, so custom ROMs are no longer as enticing as before. Bloatware apps can also be turned off, which at least keeps them out of view.

 

No. You will have to flash the stock software to remove root. In fact, this used to be seen as a feature. Some applications are able to stick around, even if you perform a factory reset. This is great for security apps.

Rooting, in and of itself, should not erase any of your data. That said, you might have to give your phone a clean install if anything goes wrong, or if the root process for your phone happens to require a factory reset.

 

There are multiple ways to check if a device is rooted, but if you can’t figure this out, chances are you don’t want to deal with complex methods. The easiest way to check if your phone is rooted is through an app. Root Checker is one of the most popular ones.

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Best FREE Burner Phone Number Apps in 2024, You can probably imagine how frustrating it would be to juggle two phones while managing your professional and personal lives. But in this circumstance, having two mobile phone lines on one device can be useful. Don’t worry! Some best free burner phone number apps can make it very simple to separate your personal and professional lives effectively.

With these free burner phone number apps, you can join several services without risking your privacy. In addition, burner phone numbers are a “must-have” for international trips because they frequently enable you to reduce roaming expenses abroad.

Online burner phone numbers may have a negative reputation due to how they are portrayed in television and movies, yet they have numerous useful functions. So, here are some best free burner phone number apps to use in 2024 to protect your safety and shield you from future spam.

Best Burner Phone Number Apps in 2024 (Android & iOS)

To assist you with adding a second line to your phone, we’ve compiled a list of the 16 best free burner phone number apps in this article. Each of the best burner phone apps listed below is brimming with useful features that will surely make your experience enjoyable.

1. Burner

burner

Burner provides a secondary line for texting and calling without paying your provider for another connection, making it the most well-known and best free burner phone number app. In addition, it gives you a throwaway VOIP number (with local area code) which you may use for online dating, shopping, Craigslist sales, and dodging salespeople.

You don’t need to carry a second mobile device because you can text, call, and manage your contact list from the app. Additionally, you can make several private burner phone numbers whenever you wish. Burner has a 7-day trial duration and is available for free download.

In order to safeguard your privacy and hide your primary phone number, the app intercepts incoming calls and routes them to your phone. In addition, you can archive text messages and voicemails through integrations with other apps and services like Evernote, Dropbox, SoundCloud, and .

Calls made with this app show up as phone calls between Burner and your own numbers on your phone bill. You cannot see the end phone number you are dialing through Burner. Incoming calls appear to be from your free Burner phone number, and you can add more numbers with an in-app subscription.

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2. Hushed

hushed

Hushed is another well-known free burner phone app for backup phone numbers. It functions similarly to Burner but provides burner phone numbers for forty different nations. Additionally, local phone numbers from more than 300 UK, Canadian, and US area codes are available.

Your activity is kept separate from your personal number from your carrier, and this burner phone application allows you to place and attend calls and send and receive an SMS on your Hushed phone number. In addition, the program will enable you to manage numerous lines, add additional numbers, and receive a secondary phone number.

Hushed provides flexible prepaid, pay-as-you-go, and long or short-term subscriptions that start at $1.99 monthly. Using a WiFi or data connection, you can call your free burner number worldwide. On all free burner phone numbers, local phone calling is possible. In several nations, MMS and SMS are accessible.

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3. Cloud SIM

cloud sim

It is one best free burner phone number apps through which you can create and add many phone numbers on your phone. You can choose up to four free burner phone numbers from the US, Canada, France, the UK, Poland, and the UK. In addition, you can call overseas landlines, mobiles, and other devices using Cloud SIM.

This free burner app allows you to set up calls through the internet or a GSM network and lets you select your connection type. It makes sure that call dropouts and poor reception are never an issue. Cloud SIM includes several remarkable features, including the quality to tailor your profile as per your preferences and unique voicemails on each profile. In addition, you can choose when you are away or available with the help of the “Do-not-disturb” option.

Overall, it’s one best burner phone number apps, whether you’re meeting customers and joining up for an online selling or dating service. You can also set up an international phone number when traveling or communicating with friends abroad.

Download for Android

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4. 2ndLine

2ndline

The fully-featured 2ndLine free burner app provides a free burner phone number in addition to your personal phone number. Additionally, it provides a free local calling and texting number supported by advertisements; however, the paid version also includes premium services and removes the commercials.

With 2ndLine, you can download the app, choose a phone number, and start using an additional line on your phone to make and receive unlimited calls and texts immediately. This burner phone app, accessible in the US and Canada, offers free local speaking and text and reasonable pricing for international connections.

The iOS version of 2ndLine is not yet known to be available, unlike the majority of the other best free burner phone number apps on this list. Rather than using your cellular network to provide an extra line, 2ndLine is a VoIP solution that uses your internet or WiFi connection. As a result, 2ndLine calls and texts are not recorded on your device’s regular phone bill. Your conversations voicemail can also be saved as an audio file through the service.

Download for Android

5. Line2

line2

In contrast to the other best free burner phone number apps, Line2 is a service geared toward businesses and provides extra functionality for business users. Additional benefits include toll-free numbers for international clients, conference calls, and auto-attendants. Additionally, this free burner phone app offers free, infinite VoIP phone calls and SMS within North America.

Additionally, users of Line2 can call and message for free. Using an auto-attendant function, users can direct them to the appropriate call queues, such as sales as well as support. It is a cross-platform free burner app that works across desktop and mobile . It also offers on-hold music and pre-recorded call greetings (Windows, ).

Users can add numerous business lines to their current phones and acquire necessary business functionality without purchasing new hardware. You can also edit, add, or remove a business phone line by communicating with the support staff. Additionally, users have call-by-call options for screening and banning.

Line2 is among the best free burner phone number apps that allow you to divide your personal and professional conversations. Additionally, it does away with the requirement to buy and carry a secondary phone.

Download for Android

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6. CoverMe

coverme

CoverMe is one of the best free burner phone number apps that offers disappearing messages, encrypted messaging, anonymous SMS, etc., which sets itself apart from rivals. You can conceal text messages, secret call records, and personal contacts using the shake-to-lock feature. You shake the phone to lock your private messages and keep them hidden from curious eyes. According to CoverMe, everything is end-to-end encrypted.

With the help of CoverMe Private Messenger, you may conceal your primary phone number for anonymous voice calls and texts by using the US or Canadian number. Additionally, this free burner phone number app provides additional phone numbers with different area codes, which are ideal for business, online dating services, and other situations requiring increased secrecy.

Finally, it enables you to use a temporary second phone line to make secure, private phone conversations via the internet to the US, Canada, and China (VoIP). The fact that your call logs won’t appear on your phone bill is the finest part. This is one of the best burner phone number apps on this list since you may change the temporary phone number anytime.

Download for Android

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7. Flyp

flyp

It is another best burner phone apps for iOS and Android that generates burner phone numbers. On your current phone, it offers five alternative free burner phone numbers. Each free burner number can have any area code, and local numbers are always available. The burner phone number offers unlimited talk, text, and picture messaging.

Flyp allows you to text and calls people in over 15 major countries. By setting a “ mode” for each phone number, you may also choose who can contact you. In addition, Flyp gives each burner phone number personalized voicemail greetings and unlimited calls and messages. For seven days, the initial Flyp phone number is free; each phone number costs $79.99 yearly or $7.99 monthly.

Additionally, Flyp allows you to view all your texts, voicemails, and calls in one location, saving you from going between several apps to view your communication with contacts. Additionally, it boosts reliability by only providing connections through your carrier’s cellular network. However, it appears on your monthly account and deducts from your voice allotment under your cell phone plan.

Download for Android

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8. Google Voice

google voice

It is the first free burner phone number app since it has existed for ten years. Voicemail, SMS, and voice messages are available through Google Voice, a virtual phone service. It syncs with your devices and functions on both PCs and cell phones.

You can make and receive calls using Google Voice numbers from anywhere because they operate with mobile devices and the internet. This burner phone app also provides many benefits, including call forwarding, voicemail transcription, AI-powered spam prevention, and more.

You can view advanced voicemail transcriptions in the app or request that they be delivered to your email using Google Voice. Additionally, you can use the service to call abroad at affordable rates without paying a premium. But you can also make calls over a Google Voice access number, which uses your carrier’s cellular network, using Google Voice for Android. Therefore, it also deducts from your voice credit.

Download for Android

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9. Grasshopper

grasshopper

Another best free burner phone number app that gives your personal phone a business phone line and the virtual system is called Grasshopper. Grasshopper, among the biggest corporate virtual phone market players, targets mainly small enterprises. This free burner phone number app provides common features like personalized automatic greetings, Caller ID, and various extensions that make businesses more professional and profitable without spending much money.

Users can get a complete virtual system from Grasshopper for a fair fee. The app offers many US cities toll-free numbers, vanity numbers, and regular local phone numbers. You can also port an active virtual or business number to Grasshopper for free. Access to your voicemail transcription, call history, call forwarding, on-hold music, and other capabilities are significant. In order to test it before purchasing, the app also provides a 7-day trial.

Download for Android

Download for iOS

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10. MightyCall

mightycall

Another best free burner phone number app that generates second phone numbers is MightyCall which mostly targets companies. It claims to be the finest substitute for Grasshopper, and a glance at its features explains why. MightyCall burner phone number app offers toll-free, vanity, and regular local numbers, similar to the earlier app.

Additionally, you receive other features you anticipate in this industry, such as premium (EV) SSL certificates with 256-bit encryption, personalized automated greetings, and support for various extensions for each burner phone number.

MightyCall is a VoIP + CRM solution geared toward small enterprises, with slightly more reasonable costs than Grasshopper. The prices begin at $29.99 per month, including taxes, with 5 virtual phone numbers (toll-free or local) and unlimited users available for $49.99 flat.

So naturally, MightyCall also offers a 7-day free trial to use the service before buying. Other capabilities that this free burner phone number app includes media tracking call waiting, conference calling, voicemail transcriptions, webphones, softphones, desk phone assistance, international phone calls, and more.

Download for Android

Download for iOS

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talku

TalkU is another best free burner phone number apps that you can use to send unlimited free texts and calls domestically and internationally. In addition, using the free burner phone number you receive from this software, you can freely share your videos, audio files, and images.

Of course, some requirements must be met to make the app free. You can obtain credit scores that you can use for cost-free calls and texts by, for example, watching video advertisements, logging into the app daily, finishing sponsored offers, etc.

Download for Android

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12. Dingtone

dingtone

Dingtone is one of the best burner phone number apps that lets you utilize a second phone number to make free calls and SMSs. However, it continues to be free since it uses a Gamified credit system. This has a mixed effect on Dingtone’s favor. Users must play games for credit scores, which they may use to make free calls and text messages.

On the plus side, the app’s intriguing idea keeps users interested. The drawback is that a lot of consumers can find it confusing. For example, if you don’t keep up the necessary credit score, you can also lose the Dingtone number you were given.

Download for Android

Download for iOS

13. Sideline

sideline

Finally, we have Sideline to wind up the list of the best free burner number apps. With this application, you can perform a lot of actions, such as unlimited calling and text messaging, VOIP calling, and a lot more.

Moreover, Sideline allows you to port numbers from and to other services and choose your carrier or WiFi for calling. Furthermore, there are many business-centric features, such as appointment reminders, broadcast messages, auto-replies, message templates, shared numbers, international calls, and much more.

Download for Android

Download for iOS

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14.

Yet another best burner phone app free available both for iOs and Android is TextFree. The application works over WiFi and has a bunch of extraordinary options. One notable thing is you must use the number in a continuous manner. If left unused for 30 days you can end up losing it.

However, to resolve this you can switch to the Paid version. This upgrade allows you to keep the number intact even when not using it for days. The Free version has ads but the subscription plan fixes this too.

This free burner phone number online application requires no SIM card as it can work on WiFi. But some users also complained about its complicated User Interface. Also, subscription plans are comparatively costlier.

Download for iOS

Download for Android

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15.

You are able to generate and add a large number of phone numbers to your phone by using this software, which is among the greatest free burner phone number applications. Free burner phone numbers from the United States of America, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, Poland, and the United Kingdom are available for selection. In addition, you may use TextNow to make calls to mobile phones, landlines, and other devices located in foreign countries.

Whether you’re meeting consumers, signing up for an online selling business, or using a dating site, it’s one of the finest burner phone number applications overall. If you are going to be traveling or talking with friends who live in other countries, you may also set up an international phone number.

By using this free burner program, you are able to set up calls using either the internet or a GSM network, and you are also able to choose the sort of connection you want to use. As a result, it eliminates the possibility of call dropouts and poor reception ever occurring. One of the many wonderful features that TextNow offers is the ability to personalize your profile according to your tastes, as well as the ability to create individual voicemails for each profile. Additionally, with the assistance of the “Do-not-disturb” option, you are able to choose when times of day you are accessible or when you are away.

Download for Android

Download for iOS

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16. Free Tone

free tone

Let us introduce you to Free Tone. It is among the best free second phone number apps for iOS because of its free voicemails, location sharing, group texting, and more. Additionally, it boasts many features, such as the availability of a plethora of stickers to make chats interesting, easy media file sharing, 500 minutes of free incoming calls, and a lot more.

Download for iOS

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Conclusion

The benefits of having the best free burner phone number apps are numerous. The burner phone apps mentioned above will familiarise you with a real number that will serve as your burner phone number, regardless of the motivation. You’ll be able to forward calls, block calls you don’t want to receive, and identify the caller of an incoming call using that free burner phone number.

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10 best desktop computers of 2024, There are hundreds of desktop PCs you can buy from brands like HP, Dell, Apple, and Lenovo, but only a select few make it to the list of the best desktops. We’ve reviewed dozens of desktop PCs across both Windows and macOS, and these 10 stand above the pack.

The Dell XPS Desktop 8960 remains the best desktop PC you can buy in 2024. However, we have several other options depending on your budget and needs, including desktops for gaming, remote work, and more. We’ll provide a quick overview here, but make sure to read our write-up on how we review desktops for a deeper look at our evaluation process.

Quick overview

 Dell XPS Desktop 8960: A highly flexible desktop that can accommodate almost any budget and purpose, from home office work to high-end gaming.
 Lenovo Legion Tower 7i: A well-built and customizable desktop that shoots ahead in gaming performance.
 Apple iMac 24-inch: Apple’s iMac 24-inch is only better now with the M3 chip at the helm.
 Apple Mac Mini M2: A supercharged version of Apple’s storied Mac Mini that’s as portable as it is powerful.
 Lenovo Yoga AIO 9i: One of the most powerful all-in-one PCs you can buy still, and with a stunning set of features.
 Falcon Northwest Tiki: A boutique desktop PC that’s small and very powerful for gaming.
 Apple Mac Studio: A tiny PC that packs some of the most powerful hardware on the market.
 HP Envy Move: The perfect desktop for a hybrid working style.
 Lenovo ThinkStation P620: A powerful workstation that can handle the most demanding tasks.
 : A quant mini PC that packs a surprising amount of power for a low price.

Why you should trust us

We’ve reviewed hundreds of desktop PCs for years, looking for machines that stand out for gaming, home office use, photo and video editing, and so much more. From miniature PCs that can fit on a bookshelf to behemoth desktops with custom liquid cooling, we’ve seen literally everything, and we know what stands out and what doesn’t.

Key considerations when selecting the best desktop

There are a few key areas we focus on when looking a desktop .

Performance

Performance is king when it comes to a desktop computer, but it’s not an equal bar for every PC. Some machines, like the Mac Mini, are offering power in a portable package, while a desktop like the Lenovo Legion Tower 7i goes all-out for gaming prowess. We meet desktops where they’re at, evaluating what they’re trying to accomplish, and at what price.

Build quality

A desktop may look nice, but it’s built of cheap plastics and throwaway components, it won’t last for long. Our review process includes a teardown of every desktop to understand what the internal components look like. In addition, we look at fan placement, ventilation, and cooling to ensure the desktops will stay quiet during operation without overheating.

Support

Things go wrong with PCs, so it’s important to have a robust support system in place. A one-year warranty is standard on most electronics, so we look for companies that go above and beyond what’s required with multi-year warranties and around-the-clock support.

Upgradability

One of the main benefits of a desktop PC is that you can upgrade it in the future, but some brands have missed that memo. We keep an eye out for proprietary components and try to focus on desktops that provide some upgrade paths for users. This isn’t possible for all machines, though, such as Apple’s iMac, where upgrades are tricky for end users due to the form factor.

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Dell XPS 8960

The best desktop computer

The best overall desktop PC is the one that will work for the most people, and that’s the Dell XPS 8960. It’s understated in all the right ways, reasonably priced considering the power you can pack inside, and comes in a variety of configurations to suit work, gaming, or both. Choosing the highest-rated PC isn’t easy, but the Dell XPS 8960 gets rid of that issue.

Regardless of what configuration you choose, you’ll find something that matches your needs. That’s because Dell builds them custom ordered, which is the best feature of the XPS 8960. The options are nearly endless, with prices ranging from $750 to over $3,000 depending on the parts you choose. Some of the desktops come without a discrete graphics card, meaning they’re more suited for work than games. However, you can get one of the more expensive ones that include a discrete graphics card.

Dell is offering this new XPS desktop with Intel Raptor Lake and DDR5 RAM for those who are in search of the best gaming PC. You can add up to an RTX 4090 graphics card as well, which is a serious amount of power considering the size of the machine. Powerful hardware means more heat, but the XPS 8950 gets rid of it well with optional liquid cooling and a case with plenty of room for airflow.

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Lenovo Legion Tower 7i

The best desktop PC for gaming

The Lenovo Legion Tower 7i gets almost everything right. It comes with the latest flagship hardware, packing in an Nvidia RTX 4080 and a 13th-gen Intel Core i9 processor, and it comes in a sleek, attractive design that doesn’t get too loud or hot. Perhaps most importantly, it uses standard-sized components so you can upgrade it in the future.

That’s easily the best thing about the Legion Tower 7i. It comes with the more affordable price of a mainstream gaming PC without any of the hurdles that come from brands like Alienware and . The convenience doesn’t come at the cost of performance, either. Based on our testing, the Legion Tower 7i is just as fast as a custom-built PC with the same hardware.

The only downside is how the machine is configured. It comes with fast DDR5 memory, so this computer is great for playing ricky casino online without lag, but it’s set up to run at a slower speed out of the box. That didn’t make a big difference in overall performance based on our testing, but certain applications will run slightly slower in the Tower 7i’s default configuration. Thankfully, boosting the memory speed just takes a couple of clicks.

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Apple iMac 24-inch

The best desktop for photo editing

Apple’s iMac 24-inch hasn’t seen a lot of love, but that all changed with the introduction of the M3 chip. Sporting the same stunning design and beautiful screen we fell in love with a few years ago, the iMac Apple is selling today truly is the same, but better.

That all comes down to the M3 chip. Compared to its M1 predecessor, the new model is at least 20% faster, and often much more. The graphics processor, in particular, is impressive. It even manages to beat some of Apple’s older Pro series chips, going as far as to have playable performance in games like Lies of P.

Apple didn’t change much else about the iMac, but it didn’t need to. The 4.5K Retina display is still stunning with a high pixel density, and the speakers are second to none. The upgraded is exceptional, too, offering up a 1080p resolution for crisp video calls. If you’re looking for an all-in-one that just works in 2024, the iMac M3 is for you.

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Apple Mac mini M2

The best desktop computer for home

We rarely give products a perfect score, but that’s exactly what Apple’s Mac mini M2 earned in our full review. The updated mini PC features the same compact footprint that Apple has used for over a decade, but now with a major update under the hood.

The base M2 model is a big upgrade over 2020’s Mac mini M1, but the updated desktop really shines with the M2 Pro chip. That takes the Mac mini from being a MacBook without a screen to a full-fledged creator machine capable of tackling the most demanding tasks you can throw at a computer today.

The only problem is the base configuration, which comes with a much slower SSD. We wholeheartedly recommend the Mac mini M2, but make sure to read our Mac mini M2 buying guide to pick the right configuration.

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Lenovo Yoga AIO 9i

The best desktop computer for work

It’s really hard recommending an all-in-one over Apple’s iMac, but the Lenovo Yoga AIO 9i is certainly a contender. It’s a 4K desktop that impresses with great performance, a solid price, and one of the best integrated displays we’ve seen, as well as some unique features.

The machine is powered by Intel’s Core i9-13900H, which is one of the most powerful mobile CPUs you can buy. It’s more than enough to handle work applications, and it can even step up for some photo or video editing. More impressive, you can configure the machine with a mobile RTX 4050 graphics card, giving you a little gaming grunt if you need it.

The Yoga AIO 9i makes this list due to its screen and features, however. The 32-inch 4K display is stunning with its glossy finish, and it comes with great color accuracy out of the box. It has some tricks in the base, as well, including a wireless charging pad for your phone.

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Falcon Northwest Tiki

Falcon Northwest is one of the few true boutique PC builders left, and the Tiki explains why. It’s one of the smallest gaming PCs you can buy, and it still manages to pack in flagship hardware. More importantly, the Tiki does both without sacrificing heat or thermals, which is the biggest pitfall for small form factor machines.

It’s expensive, but Falcon Northwest’s attention to detail still manages to stand out. From premium component selection to a detailed dossier of every aspect of your build, the Tiki goes beyond being just a shell for high-end components.

Falcon Northwest offers the machine with or Intel configurations, paired with up to an RTX 3090 GPU. Unfortunately, the Tiki is too small to fit Nvidia’s monstrous RTX 4090. Although the Tiki is clearly a gaming PC first, Falcon Northwest also offers it with Nvidia’s professional GPUs.

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Apple Mac Studio

The best desktop for video editing

It feels like the Mac Studio has finally found its footing. It straddled a strange line previous, not quite reaching the level of the Mac Pro while falling short of the value-focused Mac mini. With the M2 Ultra or M2 Max, the Mac Studio finally feels like premium, Pro-level Mac Apple fans have waited for.

It’s crazy fast, getting close and sometimes even beating top-level PC components like the Core i9-13900K and RTX 4090. That’s all the more impressive considering the size of the Mac Studio, which barely takes up a fraction of your desk space. Even considering the high price, the performance and size of the Mac Studio make it feel like a downright deal.

It has all of the professional trimmings you’d expect, too, including support for massive storage arrays and great external monitor support. The Mac mini is still better for most people, but if you can take advantage of the power of the Mac Studio, it’s tough to beat.

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HP Envy Move

The best desktop computer for home office

The HP Envy Move is one of the most unique desktops we’ve ever seen. It’s a desktop, but it’s also portable, and it’s the perfect fit for the hybrid work style so many of us have fallen into.

It’s a basic all-in-one at its core, but the Envy Move’s trick is that the legs automatically fold in, allowing you to pick it up and carry it with you. There’s a carrying handle on the back, and activating it will automatically tuck in the legs. And with an included battery, you really can pick up your PC and take it anywhere. There’s even a sleeve in the back so you can tuck in the included keyboard/trackpad combo.

HP doesn’t charge a massive premium for this design, either. The Envy Move starts at just $750 for a mobile Intel 13th-gen CPU, which offers acceptable performance for basic home office tasks.

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Lenovo ThinkStation P620

The best desktop workstation computer

The Lenovo ThinkStation P620 is a workstation in every sense of the word. This is a desktop designed to perform the most resource-heavy tasks out there. Created specifically for engineering, data science, machine learning, 3D modeling, video editing, and more, the ThinkStation is the kind of PC that will find uses across many fields, aiding professionals in their daily tasks.

More importantly, it’s the only workstation available now with AMD’s Threadripper 5000 Pro processors. You can pack in up to a Threadripper Pro 5995WX processor, which packs in 64 cores and 128 threads, along with an astounding 256MB of L3 cache. Similarly, you can add up to two Nvidia Quadro GV100 GPUs, which is powerful enough for even the most demanding tasks.

The other specs are just as impressive – eight RAM slots for up to 512GB of memory, as well as six drive slots for up to 24TB of storage. comes default on the machine, but you can also have it pre-configured for Red Hat Enterprise Linux or as well.

The Lenovo P620 isn’t for everyone. It’s an insanely expensive workstation that can cost upwards of $40,000 fully tricked out, but for professionals who demand peak performance, nothing can touch the ThinkStation P620.

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Ayaneo Retro Mini PC AM01

Sometimes just looking cool is enough. The Ayaneo Retro Mini PC AM01 is in that position. It’s styled after an old-school Mac, fit with a plastic, off-white shell and a badge indicative of an early 1990s Apple logo, but the nostalgic mini PC packs a lot of power under the hood.

It features up to an AMD Ryzen 7 5700U CPU, along with up to 64GB of memory,and up to 2TB of SSD storage. Pricing starts at just $200, with a maxed-out configuration costing $421. This PC isn’t going to floor you in performance, but it’s surprisingly component given its size and low price.

Perhaps the best use case, however, is as an emulator. The AM01 makes a perfect retro gaming companion, all while having a full installation of Windows 11 to back up its usefulness.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the best brand of desktop computer?

Dell, HP, Lenovo – how do you know what brand of desktop PC is best for you? Brand loyalty isn’t the best way to approach desktop PCs, but brands have certain specialties. Apple is focused on rock-solid performance and a clean user experience for a slightly higher price, for example, while Dell creates several PCs that have the bandwidth for a home office and a gaming setup.

The best thing to do is look at individual desktop reviews rather than relying on what someone says is the “best brand.” Some brands come out with excellent PCs one generation and poor desktops the next, so it’s important to check in on reviews when you need to upgrade.

What is the best processor for a desktop computer?

The best CPU will depend on how you’re using your desktop. Gamers who want the utmost performance will want an overclockable Intel Core i9-14900K found on most high-end systems, while creatives looking at juggling large media files will want something with more cores. That means AMD, which offers 12- and 16-core chips in the form of the AMD Ryzen 7900X and 7950X.

If you’re working primarily on Office files and use your desktop to browse the web, scaling down to an Intel Core i5 or Core i7, or an AMD Ryzen 7 or Ryzen 5 processor, would help make substantial savings without impacting performance much.

Should my desktop have USB-C or Thunderbolt 3?

USB-C is beginning to show up in more desktop builds, but it’s still more common on laptops. It’s not strictly necessary, as there are plenty of USB-A to USB-C cables out there, but if it’s a must for you, keep an eye on the case that your new system comes in. That will or won’t have USB-C as standard.

Thunderbolt 3 uses the USB-C form factor but it offers the most bandwidth of any USB-based wired connection available at this time, giving speeds that scorch standard USB ports. However, it is even less common on desktops than plain old USB-C. If you want it, you’ll need to go with an Intel or Apple system, though if you opt for the former and Thunderbolt 3 is not standard on the chassis or motherboard, you could always get a PCI-Express add-in card that has it.

When is the best time to buy a desktop?

The best time to buy a desktop is when your current computer isn’t able to handle the applications you want to use. Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day usually bring the steepest discounts on desktop computers, but the reality is that you can score a deal on a PC almost any time during the year. Make sure to keep our roundup of the best desktop deals handy for when you want to upgrade.

How do you know if you need a laptop or desktop?

Choosing between a desktop and a laptop comes down to portability and comfort. You can take a laptop nearly anywhere, but they’re not as comfortable to use as desktops with a larger screen. On the other hand, a desktop is more flexible and allows you to use a keyboard/mouse combo you like, but it’s restricted to one area.

Consider what you’ll use your machine for. If you’re gaming, for example, a desktop makes more sense. If you’re answering email and browsing the internet, a laptop is probably better a option.

How to choose a desktop computer

If your existing PC is so slow it can barely run Windows Solitaire, let alone video editing software, don’t fret. There’s some good news for computer users facing the inevitable upgrade: There’s never been a better time to buy a new PC.

Prices are at an all-time low, while at the same time, computers are becoming incredibly powerful and full of convenient features. But choosing the right computer to match your needs and budget can be an overwhelming task — especially for tech-shy folks intimidated by geeky terminology and pushy salespeople.

Here’s how to choose a computer that’s just right for you.

Laptop or desktop

If you require portability, then a laptop (also referred to as a “notebook”) PC is for you. But if you want the flexibility of adding a larger display or upgrading other components (such as adding a bigger hard drive or better video card), then perhaps a desktop PC is the way to go.

If you buy a desktop computer, you will also need a display to plug into it to see anything, unless you buy an all-in-one computer, such as Dell All-in-One or an Apple iMac, which have the display built directly into the unit. If you’ve decided on a laptop, you’ll need to consider portability like weight and size. A larger screen is nice, but do you want to deal with the added size and weight? The bigger the screen (e.g. 17 inches as opposed to 12 inches), the bigger and heavier the laptop will be.

While laptops are becoming more powerful, a desktop is still better suited for graphic-intensive applications such as computer gaming, video editing, or animation rendering. But if portability is a priority, then laptops are the only way to go.

Other things to keep in mind when deciding between a laptop and a desktop computer include upfront costs, noise and cooling, and peripherals. You should expect a laptop to cost a bit more than a desktop of similar specifications, as you’re buying the display and input mechanisms at the same time, as well as paying for a battery — though there are great budget laptops out there.

Laptops are also often very compact, which means they are more likely to be noisier when the fans ramp up to keep the computer cool. While desktops can also get noisy when under heavy loads like gaming or video editing, they tend to still be quieter than laptops under the same load due to the improved airflow in the case — and you can always modify the cooling to improve it. That’s not so easy with laptops.

As for peripherals, desktops tend to have more ports than laptops, meaning if you need to connect a bunch of peripherals (e.g. printers, external storage, speakers, microphone, etc.) then a desktop may be a better choice. The latest port standards include USB-C and Thunderbolt 3, which are excellent connections to look for.

Mac or Windows

Personal preference and experience dictate the operating system of choice more than anything, making it hard to recommend one over the other. The best way to tell which one is ideal for you is to try both out to see which one feels more intuitive for you to work on, and which one will work with your favorite programs. Mac computers are generally more expensive than Windows-based PCs, though they tend to be a little more secure. With fewer macOS PCs out there, hackers are less interested in making viruses for them. The closed-ecosystem approach Apple employs for its products also makes it harder to distribute malware — though not impossible.

Windows PCs have a much more robust gaming ecosystem to enjoy and are definitely better for gamers.

Outside of that niche, the app ecosystem for both macOS and Windows is very good — there are so many apps for both platforms so no matter what you need to do, you’ll likely be able to find an app to accomplish the task. Ultimately, you need to make the call for yourself, but definitely keep in mind that today’s Mac computers can also run the Windows operating system through programs such as Boot Camp, Parallels, or VMWare Fusion.

Power and performance

Performance is arguably the most important metric of any PC, and the CPU is the heart of that. You want at the very least a dual-core CPU with simultaneous multithreading/hyperthreading, but a quad-core will make a big difference to your everyday PC performance. Intel’s Core i3 and AMD’s Ryzen 3 CPUs are fantastic in this respect, though especially the latter.

If you need a bit more power for any kind of photo or video editing or are planning to play the latest games, then ideally you will want to look for a computer that sports a six-core (or better) processor such as an Intel i5 or i7 or an AMD Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7.

For more in-depth CPU buying information, check out our guide on how to choose a CPU.

When it comes to system memory, or RAM, you want to make sure you have enough, and not too much more. A capacity of 8GB to 16GB is the sweet spot for most users, including heavy gamers; 32GB and beyond is only really recommended if you’re doing a lot of heavy video editing, and will very much depend on the particular software you want to use.

A graphics card can be the most expensive part of a PC and is only necessary if you’re looking to play games. If you are, buy a GPU that fits your needs and budget. There’s no point in buying a $1,000 graphics card if all you want to play is Minecraft, but you’ll be disappointed if you try to play the latest AAA games on a budget GPU. Check out the specifications of the games you want to play to help decide which graphics card is right for you or check out our list of the best GPUs you can buy.

Want to game on the go? Check out our list of the best gaming laptops available.

Storage

The size of a hard drive or solid-state drive determines how many programs and files you can fit on it before running out of space. Unless you’re buying something like a Chromebook where cloud storage is a big feature, a computer with at least 500GB of space is a good starting point. If you have a lot of games or movies that you want to store, then you’ll want to consider a secondary drive with a terabyte or two of additional space.

Today, most computers have at least one SSD, or solid-state drive, for storage. SSDs are much faster than older HDDs (hard disk drives with moving, magnetic parts), which means you can open and find files faster. SSDs are your best bet for a boot drive, with traditional hard drives best suited as additional storage space and secondary drives.

If you’re concerned about running out of space on your drive, don’t be. There are so many options to expand your storage for either a laptop or desktop with an inexpensive external hard drive or even cloud storage. External drives (you can find both external hard drives and external SSDs) are great, and these days, depending on which one you buy, can be just as fast as your internal drive thanks to new technologies such as Thunderbolt 4.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

If you’re shopping for a laptop, chances are it’ll have integrated wireless networking features. This means you can log on to the internet at broadband speeds when in range of a Wi-Fi network, be it at home, work, school, or one of many thousand “hotspots” around the world, including cafés, hotels, airport lounges, and so on. The latest laptops have 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) technology — which offers a 30% to 60% speed boost over the older 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) technology and is a safer bet if you want to prepare for future devices.

Bluetooth is another common wireless feature that most laptops (and some desktops) have, which can make phone syncing easier (read: cable-free) and even add support for headsets and headphones, allowing you to roam freely while on a voice call or listening to music. Any desktop you choose should also offer Wi-Fi 5 or 6 wireless networking capability (offered via a built-in or optional attachment), or come with an integrated Ethernet port, which enables connection to the internet via an Ethernet cable.

Going Chromebook

While Windows and Mac are the common choices for operating systems, there is an alternative for new users — a Chromebook. Chromebooks run on Chrome OS, a lightweight operating system designed for ultra-portable laptops.

Chromebooks are a give-and-take proposition: They tend to be very affordable, very easy to use, and ideal choices for more casual users, students, and those who want to save money while still getting a laptop. They also have growing compatibility with apps. On the other hand, they typically have limited power, very little storage (depending on cloud storage for many activities), and limited capability to run more demanding software or applications without Chrome OS compatibility.

If you’re interested in a laptop with a light footprint, we suggest you check out our guide to Chromebooks, and our current list of best Chromebooks on the market.

Build your own computer

If you’re feeling a little adventurous and are looking to do something a bit different, there’s always the option to build your own computer. It’s quite a lot of fun too, plus these days it’s easier than ever to find and buy all the parts you will need, and all the advice above still applies.

If you’re interested in building your own computer, the best place to start compiling a parts list is PCPartPicker. At PCPartPicker you can compile a list of parts from various retail websites including Newegg and Amazon. What’s even nicer is if you pick parts that aren’t compatible, PCPartPicker will let you know.

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The best iPhone keyboard apps in 2024, The iPhone’s default keyboard may not meet everyone’s needs. Its limited features may leave some users wanting more variety and flexibility, especially on larger devices like the iPhone 15 Pro Max or smaller models like the  (2022).

We have conducted research and compiled a comprehensive list of the best third-party keyboards for iPhone, that can significantly enhance your texting experience. These keyboards offer a wide range of features and customization options, such as adjustable key size, swipe typing, themes, and easier access to emojis. Most of these keyboards are available for free, while some offer premium subscription options. Either way, you’ll easily be able to find a keyboard that suits your needs and preferences.

Microsoft SwiftKey AI Keyboard

app store screenshots for microsoft swiftkey ai keyboard

Microsoft’s SwiftKey AI keyboard is a highly rated third-party keyboard that is favored by many people. The keyboard is powered by the company’s AI and is designed to learn your writing style. This allows it to recognize informal language, nicknames, and even your favorite emojis, which sets it apart from its competitors. The keyboard also offers various personalization options, including different themes, which enhance its appearance and appeal to the user.

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The best iPhone keyboard apps in 2024

Also Read : Best Linux desktop of 2024

Typewise Custom Keyboard

typewise custom keyboard for ios with three different ad layouts

Typewise has a unique take on key shapes. The app keeps the QWERTY design but switches the traditional rectangle-shaped keys for hexagonal ones — which Typewise says creates more surface area so you can type more accurately. While there is a slight learning curve, Typewise includes a built-in game to practice typing. With swipe gestures, support, and autocorrect modification, this is a great alternative for those tired of the conventional iOS keyboard. Newer versions include automatic language detection, which switches the app between selected languages, an undo button, and text replacement for often-used phrases.

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grammarly app for ios three screenshots

The Grammarly iOS keyboard app offers sophisticated grammar review that goes beyond the usual spell check to provide advice on punctuation, spelling context, and misused words. It also helps you build your vocabulary and offers synonyms, which makes it an ideal app for students or business people. Grammarly also has emoji, a smart autocorrect feature, and allows you to build your own dictionary. You also get features that include swipe typing, home screen widgets, and focus filters that mute vibrations and sound effects.

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Facemoji AI Emoji Keyboard

facemoji keyboard app

The Facemoji Emoji Keyboard is a free tool that allows you to add a touch of personality to text messages and social media posts. With a wide range of emojis, fonts, and stickers available, you can easily create unique and engaging content for like WhatsApp, TikTok, Instagram, Messenger, Facebook, Snapchat, and SMS. Whether you want to express your emotions through colorful emojis or add some flair to your text with stylish fonts, the Facemoji Emoji Keyboard has something for everyone.

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phraseboard keyboard tripartite marketing screens

Phraseboard aims to take the pain out of the tedious job of typing the same responses and phrases repeatedly by allowing you to save them so you can select one of your prewritten answers to reply rapidly. You can create your own customized phrases and sort them by category. You can even quickly access the Phraseboard widget to create new phrases no matter what you’re doing with your iPhone. All your phrases sync with iCloud. The basic app costs $2, and subscriptions are available for some premium language and functionality features.

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Gboard – the Google Keyboard

gboard google keyboard screens

Gboard is a keyboard from Google and includes everything you’d ever want within a single app. Whether you’re sending GIFs or emojis, searching Google for information, sending directions, or anything else, Gboard has you covered. With Gboard, you can search and send anything from Google, including information on nearby restaurants, videos, images, weather forecasts, news, sports scores — you name it. The app also offers Glide Typing, which allows you to type messages faster and more accurately.

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Fleksy- GIF, & Yelp Search

fleksy web page searches

Fleksy offers users a fun and interactive way to type in their own style. You can customize your Fleksy keyboard with powerful extensions and more than 50 colorful themes. Some of the themes cost $1, but many are free. More than 800 emoji come with the app, and it also has its own built-in GIF search engine. The keyboard supports several languages: English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish, Hebrew, and Dutch. It learns your typing habits as you go, enabling it to give you accurate predictions, which helps reduce typos.

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Fonts

fonts keyboard for iphone

Are you tired of sending your friends and family the same old boring messages? Spice things up with the Fonts keyboard app! You can customize your messages with a wide selection of fonts to fit your unique personality and style. Whether you’re feeling flirty, professional, or just plain silly, there’s a font for every mood. The Fonts keyboard works through iMessage, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, Clubhouse, TikTok, Telegram, Roblox, WhatsApp, Twitch, Discord, and more.

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Color Keyboard – Themes, Fonts

color keyboard for ios themes and fonts

The king of keyboard customization is Color Keyboard. Sure, it gives you emoji and autocorrection and even allows you to tap and hold the space bar to move the cursor, but what really sets this keyboard apart is the option to change anything you want about the keyboard’s look. You can change the background using solid colors, gradients, textures, and even your own pictures.

You can also customize the buttons by changing the colors and borders, adding shadows, customizing the fonts, and changing the sounds. If your aim is customization, Color Keyboard takes things to the next level, but you have to subscribe to access everything, starting at $3 per week and rising for longer intervals and premium features.

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Bitmoji

bitmoji your personal emoji illustrationsBitstrips

Bitmoji, a popular keyboard app, is ideal if you want to send an emoji that resembles you rather than using standard emoji or text. Bitmoji allows you to customize and send a personalized emoji, all from your keyboard. Use Bitmoji with any of your favorite chat apps, like iMessage or Snapchat. It’s never been easier to adapt a dynamic avatar with an ever-changing collection of stickers and moods. You’ll need your Facebook login information to sign into Bitmoji and initiate the avatar creation process.

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GIF Keyboard

gif keyboard for finding perfect gifsTenor

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a GIF can truly help get your point across. Get access to the massive library of animated and musical GIFs for free. From there, you can search for specific GIFs or use keywords to find animations that suit your mood. The GIF keyboard app is compatible with WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook, Messenger, iMessage, and just about any other messaging app or social media site.

To send a GIF, press your finger on your chosen GIF and hold it down to browse options. Once you’ve found one, share its link, the GIF itself, or a video, or save the media to your photo library. You can also customize the tool to match your specifications and save your favorite GIFs using the keyboard.

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All Symbol Keyboard Fonts Aa

all symbol keyboard typing appMelonSoup

For the visual , the All Symbol Keyboard is an exciting alternative to humdrum alphanumerics with all the custom fonts, symbols, fancy letters, special characters, and emoticons you could ever want — compatible with any app on your iPhone. It works with Instagram, WhatsApp, Snapchat, and many others. Whether you’re looking for high-impact symbols to enhance your keyboard, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter posts, or even your username, launch the app and start typing. Premium versions provide unlimited access to features like the All Symbol Keyboard (every single symbol) and Facemoji library, but there’s tons of free stuff to get you started.

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The best emoji keyboards for and iOS

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Gone are the days when words were enough to fully express our thoughts and feelings. Emoji, a recently accepted form of pictographic communication that now serves as a kind of Esperanto for the internet age, plays a major role in interpersonal and international communications. Most major keyboards for both Android and iOS feature built-in support for emoji, but they are hardly front and center. If you’re looking for a keyboard to truly satisfy your emoji obsession, you may need a dedicated emoji keyboard to carry out the task of conveying your emotions visually via a text environment.

When you download a keyboard app in iOS, you must add it to your list of keyboards. To do this, go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards > Add New Keyboards. Then, scroll to the Third-Party Keyboards section and choose the keyboard app. Then, tap on the keyboard app and toggle on Allow Full Access. For Android 10, you can install your new keyboard directly via the Google Play Store to your Android phone, if it is compatible with the app, and then launch and follow any directions it has.

Here are a few of our favorite third-party keyboard apps for iOS and Android.

Gboard

gboardImage used with permission by copyright holder

Gboard is a highly functional keyboard from Google that concentrates on handy features like emoji search, GIFs, stickers, and glide typing. Best of all, it has the Google search app integrated into the keyboard — no more switching apps. Just search for anything from the weather to your neighborhood bodega and send, all from this nifty keyboard.

Emoji>

emoji for iosImage used with permission by copyright holder

Emoji> offers a ton of emoji characters you can use via the keyboard, and they’re split into different categories, making it easy to find the emoji you’re looking for. The keyboard also provides animated stickers and the ability to set up specific emoji as favorites, so you can access them at a moment’s notice without having to search for the ones you want. Updates include compatibility with iOS 14 and all of its attendant emoji, including smiling face with tear, disguised face, ninja, pinched fingers, heart and lungs, black cat, polar bear, seal, dodo sandal, bubble tea, and toothbrush. New emoji widgets are also on hand.

Microsoft Swiftkey

swiftkeyImage used with permission by copyright holder

Swiftkey is not an emoji keyboard per se, but it is the next best thing — an excellent keyboard that comes pre-loaded with hundreds of emoji for you to use. Swiftkey is already a great favorite because of its valuable predictive typing, which can also be applied to emoji. When you type a word or phrase, for example, the app suggests emoji that you can quickly use. The most recent versions include renaming the app to Microsoft Swiftkey, a new Messaging Center on the keyboard toolbar, haptic feedback, one-handed mode, 400 new languages, and new language layouts.

ai.type Keyboard Plus

best emoji keyboards aitype1

ai

best emoji keyboards aitype3

As its name implies, ai.type was developed around , aiming to assist people in typing quickly and accurately. It also allows you to personalize the keyboard to fit your individual needs, enabling you to adjust the keyboard’s layout, theme, and color scheme. This means you can set an emoji front and center and select from an extensive inventory of more than 1,000 characters.

Similar to many other keyboard applications, the keyboard can also propose emojis depending on what you type. The most current versions are compatible with the new Emoji 12.1 for 2020 and 517 new emoji. Around 23 new gender-neutral emoji icons have been added. Some of these include a gender-neutral firefighter, astronaut, a person in a wheelchair, and a judge. You’ll also have access to fun emoji objects like an otter, ringed planet, beverage box, and pinching hand.

Fleksy

fleksyImage used with permission by copyright holder

If you want to add a bit more fun and animation to your typing, Fleksy could be the keyboard that you’ve been looking for. Fleksy is compatible with a wide variety of extensions, letting you quickly add new features as necessary. Maybe the most remarkable thing about Fleksy is how simple it is to get to your emoji. You can browse through dozens of emoji in each section and change categories with a quick tap at the bottom of the keyboard.

Just like many keyboards, you can also establish a variety of attractive themes. Updated versions include features like Next Word Prediction, prepared in 28 languages, and Emoji Prediction so you can inspect the suggested emoji in regards to your conversation’s context.

Go Keyboard

best emoji keyboards go keyboard2

go keyboard

best emoji keyboards go keyboard3

Go Keyboard is a personalizable keyboard that permits you to put emoji, emoticons, stickers, and GIFs in noticeable areas. The app converts text into emoji and emoticons, and you can pick from over 1,000 emoji and stickers, plus over 10, 000 different themes. It supports over 60 other languages, too. If that’s not enough to impress you, you can also type with gestures and various fonts, as well as individualize your keyboard with your own personal photo theme. The Fancy Font feature gives you the opportunity to select your preferred keyboard font.

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