AppBrain – discover Android Apps

There are many websites that allow you to view the Android Market from the comfort of your PC browser. However, AppBrain is different.

As well as the website, AppBrain comes with a matching Android App, which communicates with the site.

You sign into the website using your Google credentials. You can peruse available Apps as usual, although there are some, current, limitations – AppBrain only lists applications available in the US that are available for Android version 1.6 and up. One big feature of AppBrain, recently added, is the fact that they are suppressing “spam” apps, making it easier to find what you’re after.

Using the matching App you can then synchronise your own installed Apps with the site. This allows you to view what you already have from their site and receive recommendations. Recommendations are also listed on the phone app.

As well as viewing your apps on the site, you can share this, with a dedicated (although you can make it private if you wish) profile page and RSS feed. AppBrain also provide “widgets” to show off your app lists, such as this one…

However, the biggest feature of AppBrain is the ability to install apps to your phone from the website. Simply run AppBrain on your phone and then go to the website. Browse the apps and if you find one you want, select the option to install it. The phone app will pick up this request and take you to the matching app in the Market, where you can install it. This saves you the hassle of having to perform a manual search when you find something that you’d like to install.

For easy managing, installing and sharing of your Android apps, AppBrain really can’t be beaten – indeed, as far as I know, there’s nothing else like it available.