Android devices can be more than just sources of communication. They can be made to be as diverse in their functions as the applications that can be downloaded to them. It only takes a quick glimpse at the Google Play Store to see that your phone or your Android tablet can be turned into a very useful device.

If you want to elevate your device but not spend a great deal in doing so, the following are five of the top free Android apps offered through Google Play Store this year.

Finger Print Scanner

Our mobile devices hold a great deal of personal information. Whether it is family and friends’ names and numbers or details about financing, there exists highly sensitive data that is not for others’ eyes. Security is important to keep this information safe and out of the hands of those prone to prying. In order to make this more easily accomplished, Google Play Store provides access to a new application known as Finger Print Scanner. As the name suggests, this security device works by using a finger print reader via the touchscreen of Android devices. Only certain fingerprint patterns will allow access to the information within and this provides a sense of comfort that information is, and will remain, safe.

Crazy Grandpa

This free application is as crazy as the name suggests. Crazy Grandpa is an adventure game in which an active geriatric with an affinity for the skateboard heads down different streets and venues on his mobile board. Obstacles are thrown into his path which he must navigate around as he seeks to complete missions and paths. This is a graphically stunning and auditory stimulating game that will provide hours of interesting and fun play. Enjoy navigating Grandpa and allowing him to confront the obstacles head on as you enjoy moment of unending moment of both disbelief and fun.

Change My Voice

Our voices can be highly recognizable and give away our identity in an instant. With the free Change My Voice application from Best Free Apps International, taking this highly unique aspect of our personal being is easy to do. Downloaders of this application can record their voice and then change it using easy to navigate screens and toggles. Have fun taking on a more feminine tone or making your voice sound more animalistic. The more you play, the more involved and precise your voice can be and this is fun for those that are looking to enjoy some great entertainment on their phone.

Pixlr Express

Android devices often come equipped with different camera options that turn your device into a mobile photo album. Rather than just leaving your photos in their original state, why not have a little fun with them? The Pixlr Express application allows you to improve the quality of your photos and graphics as well as have some fun with them. You can remove red eye from important pictures and you can turn graphics you love into pixilated versions that give a graphic flare they do not have on their own. You can take and crop the photos to the appropriate size and then upload them to your favorite site or share them with friends and family. This free photo application is a popular option because of the lack of cost and because of the fun it provides.

Billboard Effects

Much like Pixlr, Billboard Effects is another free photo enhancing application for your device. This application is less technical and more fun, however. With Billboard Effects, a user can take the images that they love and see what they would look like—not surprisingly—as a billboard and with other funny effects. This application is for fun and can make your images interesting as you share them with others or on social media. Free to use it is an option for those who just want to add another application to their photo editing apps list or add whimsy to the photos they take.

This article is authorized by Jason Phillips. He recently joined www.zombiegames365.com as a game designer and has started working with them.