The best education apps for Android give learners something useful to do: solve a problem, practice a skill, build a project, investigate a question, or explain what they notice.
This list includes 12 apps for math, reading, programming, languages, and science. Some provide structured lessons and feedback. Others work best alongside a classroom investigation, an independent project, or a conversation with a teacher or parent.
We selected these apps for their educational purpose, opportunities for practice or exploration, and usefulness beyond simply keeping a learner occupied. The numbers organize the list rather than rank the apps. Google Play availability, device compatibility, prices, and subscription terms can change, so check each listing before downloading or assigning an app.
Using an iPhone or iPad, or comparing options across devices? See our collection of 35 of the best learning apps, including iOS apps and browser-based tools.
Khan Academy combines explanations, videos, and practice across mathematics, science, humanities, and other subjects. It is a useful starting point when a learner needs to revisit a concept or work through a sequence of lessons.
- Practice exercises provide feedback and hints that help learners identify where their reasoning went wrong.
- Use a specific lesson to address a gap in understanding, then ask the learner to solve a related problem or explain the idea independently.
Best for: Subject review, mathematics practice, and independent study.
Access: Free. Download Khan Academy on Google Play. Some features, including teacher tools and computer programming content, require the website.
Brilliant introduces mathematics, coding, data, and science concepts through interactive problems. Its visual approach gives learners opportunities to try an idea and respond to feedback as they work.
- Short problems can make abstract relationships easier to investigate, particularly when a learner changes a value or manipulates a visual model.
- Ask students to explain why an answer works, rather than treating completion of a lesson as sufficient evidence of understanding.
Best for: Interactive mathematics and STEM practice.
Access: Free access is limited; full access requires a subscription. Download Brilliant on Google Play.
Khan Academy Kids offers books, games, and activities for children roughly ages 2–8. Its learning activities cover early literacy, reading, writing, mathematics, and social-emotional development.
- Stories and guided activities provide a starting point for practicing foundational skills at home or in early-grade classrooms.
- Extend an activity off-screen by asking a child to retell a story, count real objects, or use a new word in conversation.
Best for: Early literacy and mathematics.
Access: The learning app is free, with no ads or subscriptions; school-level services have separate terms. Download Khan Academy Kids on Google Play.
PBS KIDS Games brings together games featuring familiar PBS characters. The collection includes activities involving early mathematics, reading, science, creativity, and social skills.
- Choose a game that fits a specific learning goal instead of assuming every game teaches the same skills.
- Play alongside younger children when possible, asking them to describe their choices or predict what will happen next.
Best for: Playful practice for preschool and early elementary learners.
Access: Free. Download PBS KIDS Games on Google Play. Many games are also available through the PBS KIDS website.
Desmos Graphing Calculator helps learners explore equations and mathematical relationships visually. Students can graph functions, plot points, create tables, and adjust sliders to investigate how a graph changes.
- Have students predict what changing a coefficient will do before moving a slider or entering a new equation.
- Compare a graph, a table, and an equation to discuss how each represents the same relationship.
Best for: Algebra, functions, and visual mathematical investigation.
Access: Free. Download Desmos Graphing Calculator on Google Play.
PhET, from the University of Colorado Boulder, provides interactive simulations in science and mathematics. Learners can manipulate a model and observe how changing one variable affects another.
- Use a simulation to investigate a question about topics such as forces, circuits, molecules, or fractions.
- Ask students to record a prediction, change one variable, and explain what their observations support. Discuss where the model simplifies the real system.
Best for: Guided science investigations and mathematical exploration.
Access: Simulations are free on the website; check the app listing for current pricing and compatibility. Download PhET Simulations on Google Play.
Scratch is a block-based programming environment for creating interactive stories, animations, and games. Learners build a project by arranging instructions and testing how those instructions behave.
- Creating a working project involves planning, sequencing, debugging, and revision.
- Start with a small goal, such as making a character respond to input, then add complexity as the learner can explain and control the code.
Best for: Introductory programming and creative projects.
Access: Free. The official app supports compatible Android tablets and Chromebooks; it is not a general-purpose Android phone app. Download Scratch on Google Play.
Seek helps users investigate plants, animals, and fungi they encounter outdoors. Its camera-based identification suggestions can give a schoolyard walk or local nature study a specific focus.
- Ask learners to describe visible features before checking the suggested identification.
- Use a result as a starting point for further investigation: What features support the identification? What similar organisms could it be?
Best for: Outdoor observation, biodiversity, and classification.
Access: Free. Download Seek by iNaturalist on Google Play.
Merlin Bird ID, from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, helps users identify birds through photographs, sounds, and guided questions. It can make familiar outdoor spaces into places for repeated observation.
- Use Sound ID to suggest which birds may be nearby, then listen again and look for evidence that supports the suggestion.
- Compare observations across times of day or seasons, noting which birds appear and what they are doing.
Best for: Bird identification, careful listening, and field observation.
Access: Free. Download Merlin Bird ID on Google Play.
Duolingo provides short, sequenced language lessons with vocabulary, sentence patterns, and listening, reading, speaking, or writing practice. It can help learners establish a regular practice routine.
- Use short sessions to review material over time rather than relying on occasional long sessions.
- Pair app practice with conversation, reading, and listening outside the app so learners use the language in different contexts.
Best for: Introductory language learning and regular review.
Access: Free and paid tiers are available. Download Duolingo on Google Play.
Quizlet lets learners create and practice digital flashcard sets. It is useful for reviewing vocabulary, terminology, and other information that needs to be recalled accurately.
- Creating a set requires learners to decide what belongs on a card and how to explain it clearly.
- Check shared sets for accuracy. Follow recall practice with questions that require explanation, application, or comparison.
Best for: Vocabulary review and retrieval practice.
Access: Free and paid features are available; some study modes require a subscription. Download Quizlet on Google Play.
Coursera offers courses and learning programs from universities, companies, and other providers. It is an option for older students and adults who want to explore a subject or develop knowledge for further study or work.
- Look at the syllabus, prerequisites, assignments, and expected time commitment before enrolling.
- Choose a course with opportunities to practice or produce work, then plan time for those activities alongside watching videos.
Best for: Extended independent study and professional learning.
Access: Access to course materials, assessments, and certificates varies by program. Download Coursera on Google Play.
Choosing The Best Education Apps For Android
Begin with what the learner needs to know or be able to do. For practice and feedback, a structured lesson app may fit. For investigation, a simulation or identification tool may be more useful. For creating and testing ideas, a programming environment offers a different kind of learning opportunity.
Before using an app with students, try the activity yourself. Check its reading demands, account requirements, advertising, purchase prompts, and compatibility with the devices students will use. Decide what students will explain, make, or demonstrate afterward so that the learning goal stays visible.
Related reading: Explore 35 of the best learning apps for additional iOS, Android, and browser-based options.
The following 12 educational apps–a mix of learning simulations, games, organization tools, and traditional learning apps–is a great place to get started.
1. Coursera
Build job-relevant, in-demand skills by learning with experts from world-class companies and universities. With Coursera you can learn job-relevant skills and industry-standard tools through hands-on projects, build knowledge for your career across a wide range of industry-tailored courses, and get job-ready for an in-demand role through Professional Certificates.
2. Lumosity
Lumosity’s cognitive training program is a fun, interactive way to train your brain and learn about how your mind works. Lumosity’s program consists of games designed to exercise memory, speed, flexibility and problem-solving.
3. Duolingo
Learn a new language with the world’s most-downloaded education app! Duolingo is the fun, free app for learning 40+ languages through quick, bite-sized lessons. Practice speaking, reading, listening, and writing to build your vocabulary and grammar skills.
4. Brilliant
Sharpen your math, data, and computer science skills in minutes a day with Brilliant. For professionals, students, and lifelong learners alike. Join over 10 million people and explore thousands of bite-size, interactive lessons that get you hand-on with core concepts in everything from math and computer science to data analysis and physical science.
5. Star Walk 2
Star Walk 2 is a stargazing app enabling you to explore the night sky through the screen of your device. Make an effortless journey through thousands of stars, comets, constellations, and other celestial bodies. All you have to do is point your device to the sky.
6. Quizlet
Quizlet a very easy way to study, practice and become an expert in whatever you’re learning. Create flashcards or find one to study from over 500 million sets created by teachers and students. With our suite of science-backed study tools, you can memorize vocabulary, get familiar with key concepts from your course, and drill practice problems before test day. Explore our library of study material from most popular subjects, like language learning, medicine, law, math, social science, and so much more.
7. Kahoot!
Play engaging quiz-based games (kahoots) at school, at home and at work, create your own kahoots and learn something new! Kahoot! brings the magic of learning for students, teachers, office superheroes, trivia fans and lifelong learners.
8. PBS KIDS Video
Watch safe videos for your kids anytime, everywhere! Download free episodes and bring the fun of learning to your child, at home or on the road. Watch educational shows from PBS KIDS Video to encourage learning for toddlers and early grade school children.
9. PlantIn: Plant Identification
With Plantin care plans, you will learn how to identify a plant, how often to water your trees, or why the leaf on your flower turned brown. With Plantin, you have a wide variety of features that every green thumb would fall in love with: a watering calculator, light meter, care plans, and many more useful features to identify and take care of plants.
10. Toca Lab: Elements
Welcome to Toca Lab: Elements! Explore the colorful and electrifying world of science and meet all 118 of the elements from the periodic table. Discover elements by experimenting with the lab tools. Each element has it’s own personality. In Toca Lab: Elements, what does Neon sound like? Is Gold heavy or light? Is Nitrogen squishy or hard? Explore, inspect, and study each one and let us know! Can you find all 118?
11. Elevate – Brain Training Games
Elevate is a brain training program designed to improve your mind’s focus, memory, speaking abilities, processing speed, math skills, and more. Each person is provided with a personalized training program that adjusts over time to maximize results.
12. edX: Courses by Harvard & MIT
Propel your career, get a degree, or expand your knowledge at any level with online courses from the world’s best universities and industry-leading companies. edX brings online courses from the world’s best universities and industry-leading companies to your mobile device, making it easy for you to learn something new and build job-relevant skills in today’s fastest growing fields.