Initially, Amazon pushed the Kindle e-reader into mainstream popularity, and that was a good thing. But then, in 2014, Boox released the i63ML Newton and changed the trajectory of the market forever by including access to the Google Play store on its device (check out these great Boox e-readers). Users were no longer locked into the default apps their devices shipped with. Instead, they had the entire Android ecosystem at their fingertips. But not all apps are created equal, especially when it comes to running on E Ink-based devices. That’s why Android Police is on the beat to help you find the best Android apps for your E Ink e-reader.
1 Amazon Kindle
A great all-in-one e-reading app
Almost every E Ink tablet comes with a native e-reading app, but given the option to add one to your e-reader, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better one to start with than the Amazon Kindle. The Kindle app is more than just an e-book browser. It has all the basic functions you need, such as the ability to change fonts and typefaces, bookmark pages, highlight text, track progress, sync between devices, and more. On top of all that, you get access to Amazon’s vast library of e-books as well as its premium Kindle Unlimited subscription service.
Amazon isn’t the only name in the game when it comes to e-reading. There are many good apps out there. Moon+ Reader is extremely popular, and if you want access to books you can buy, PocketBook, Google Play Books, and Kobo Books are also good choices.
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2 EinkBro
Custom browsing for e-readers
Surfing the Internet is an integral part of modern life, but most modern web browsers were not built with E Ink displays in mind, although it might be more accurate to say that the modern web was not built with the e-reader in mind. The web is fluid and always moving with transitions and animations that render poorly on high-latency E Ink displays. EinkBro, the only E Ink-first browser, eliminates these problems by preventing unnecessary animations and transitions. Furthermore, its user interface is built around simple black and white icons that are easy to see on any E Ink display.
EinkBro also comes with a number of features that are purpose-built for e-readers. You can tap the screen to page up or down, similar to turning pages in an e-book. You can use the volume or page turn buttons to scroll, and you can even export web content to an EPUB file for offline reading. If you want to get EinkBro for your Android-enabled e-reader, you can’t find it in the Play Store; you will have to use F-Droid or sideload the APK.
3 Hidden people
The perfect e-reader game is right under your nose
Most games on the Play Store are flashy with lots of animations and motion, taking advantage of increasingly fast refresh rates to offer smooth gameplay no matter how intense the action. E Ink just can’t match that kind of performance. Games that thrive on e-readers have minimal animation and don’t require the screen to refresh every half second. The game is perfectly suited to E Ink screens, while being fun and captivating at the same time; known as Hidden Folks, and it’s a stylish hidden object game that can be enjoyed by all ages.
Similar to Where’s Waldo, without a ton of color, Hidden Folks is black and white with minimal animations. You can even reverse the colors if you want to play in night mode.
Other types of games that do very well on e-readers are puzzles like crosswords/sudoku, visual novels, and choice adventure titles.
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4 Feedly
The news you want, when you want it
There are many apps that collect and deliver news to you, but not all of them are suitable for an e-reader. Dedicated apps from big names like the New York Times are good, but most come with a subscription fee that not everyone is willing to pay; plus you only get your news from one source. That’s why when it comes to news, we love aggregators, and one of the best for your e-reader is Feedly.
There are several factors that make Feedly suitable for use on your e-ink enabled Android device. The most important factor is that Feedly gives you the option of loading stories in your own minimalist web browser or in your system browser (which you should set to EinkBro), thus saving you from the endless onslaught of online advertisers. You can also adjust the feed view to text only, allowing you to focus on the story rather than the multimedia.
5 Fossify file manager
Be organized
A good file manager is an essential part of any Android device. There are many apps to choose from in this category, but Fossify File Manager makes the list for its color customization and the fact that it’s open source. Other apps lock you into a Material You theme or at best give you a light and dark theme, but Fossify File Manager gives you full control over the colors, meaning you can set your theme however you want, so it’s easy to read on E Ink screen. It even has a default black and white theme, so you don’t have to go far into the settings.
Fossify File Manager is a complete file manager that allows you to move, delete, rename and decompress files. And since it’s open source, you won’t have to worry about seeing ads just to edit the directory.
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Get the most out of your Android-based E Ink e-reader
It’s not easy to find apps built specifically for E Ink devices, given that over 90% of the market is controlled by either Kindle or Kobo, neither of which use Android in their e-readers. But Android-based e-readers are growing in popularity, and with that growth, hopefully, we’ll see more apps built to thrive on E Ink.