choice #1
WiFi Analyzer app runs on a Android 8.0+
We’ll run down the list of the best WiFi apps for Android phones, give a brief description, and help you find the one that will help plan your WiFi network without spending a ton of time and money.
Mapping the WiFi signals of the network can be a challenge. Using a desktop it too cumbersome. A laptop can work, but wandering around with a bulky laptop can get tiring. Much easier to use a tablet or a phone. Start the signal discovery in one spot, move to the next, and repeat the process until we’re done.
The problem becomes just which app to use. There’s plenty of them on the market for Android devices, ranging from highly technical tools to simple programs that are little better than the “Find Network” option in the Settings menu.
If we want to get an accurate representation of the WiFi networks in our location, we don’t want to waste time with something that either requires a PhD in Computer Science to use, or waste money on an WiFi app for Android that does little more than show available networks.
The best kind of WiFi apps are the ones that can do the following:
This is more than just “What WiFi networks can my Android device detect”, but includes powerful data collection tools. Based on those qualifications, here’s the list of the best Android WiFi apps available. Rather than bury the lead, we’ll start with our favorites and work our way down:
Let's take a closer look at all of them.
A great addition to the NetSpot family (macOS and Windows versions are popular and highly effective solutions on the market), the free Android app that is evolving fast. NetSpot for Android offers the Inspector Mode that allows users to simply walk through their building with their tablet, phone or Chromebook scanning the WiFi networks available, then displays how they measure up.
In the resulting charts, one can see a comparison of such network parameters as signal strength, band, channel, the MAC address of the router, and other related information. Graphs of signal level for each network over time show how each network signal grows or falls in strength depending on where and when the measurement was taken.
The Survey mode allows you to deeply scan and map out your WiFi network with all the parameters essential to proper coverage. For a complete wireless survey, you need your Android device with the free NetSpot on board.
You will only need to consider either going with in-app purchases to generate certain types of heatmaps directly on your Android device (one in-app purchase covers all three offered heatmap types) or using your registered version of NetSpot for macOS or Windows to build a multitude of wireless signal heatmaps. Heatmaps are indispensable in performing a thorough visual analysis of any wireless coverage.
Another essential feature so useful in any wireless network analysis is the Internet speed test — also available for free in NetSpot for Android.
SpeedTest by Ookla has been used by people around the world for years to find the difference between what one’s ISP’s claims and what the actual speed is.
SpeedTest by Ookla makes it incredibly simple to check your internet speed. You can quickly discover your download and upload rates, as well as jitter measurements. Plus, it lets you test your connection in different scenarios: a single connection simulating a file download or multiple connections for understanding max speed.
Included with SpeedTest by Ookla is a free VPN feature that you can use to securely and privately transfer up to 2 GB of data per month. If you need more, there’s a Premium version available that offers unlimited usage for $4.99 monthly.
WiFi Analyzer (open-source) is comprehensive tool designed to optimize your WiFi connection. Unlike many apps, it asks for minimal permissions — just enough to perform the analysis. As the name suggests, it's open-source, meaning there's total transparency about its operations and functionalities.
As far as features go, WiFi Analyzer real-time graphs of channels' signal strength and Access Point signal strength over time. Additionally, it rates WiFi networks to help you select the best channels.
Active development by a team of dedicated volunteers keeps WiFi Analyzer constantly evolving and improving. The commitment to a user-centric, privacy-focused approach is evident in its no-ad policy and its avoidance of collecting personal information.
If you’re looking for a WiFi app for Android available as a free download for phones that can quickly show the WiFi networks in range, this free WiFi app can help you get there.
It has a listing of free WiFi networks and can provide directions on how to get there. If you need to connect to the Internet and don’t know where to go, this might be the good option to pursue.
WiFi Finder’s extensive hotspot database is kept up-to-date by a community of more than 10 million users, who perform thousands of tests every day on Edge, 2G, 3G, 4G, LTE, and WiFi networks.
A quirky name for a serious tool, Fing is not your average WiFi app for Android. It's a wizard at identifying devices connected to your network. Think of it as your own personal network security watchdog.
If you find network speeds slowing down or odd machines detected on your network, it might be hackers or leeches using your WiFi without your knowledge or permission. Fing can help find those rogue machines on the WiFi network so you can shut them out and protect your systems from attackers.
Find also comes with a speed testing tool that you can use to analyze your download speed, upload speed, and latency. With a hardware device called Fingbox, you can unlock an advanced suite of network management tools, including parental controls, WiFi location optimization, and network vulnerability analysis.
WiFi Monitor Pro is a compelling Android app, designed to offer detailed insights about your WiFi network. Acting as more than just a simple analyzer, it brings a robust set of features that enable you to monitor various network parameters such as signal strength, frequency, and connection speed. It's particularly helpful when setting up a wireless router or conducting WiFi usage audits.
The WiFi app for Android is organized into several tabs (Networks, Channels, Strength, Speed, Scanning), which make it easy to find the feature you’re looking for. For example, you can switch to the Channels tab to b visualize the signal strength of hotspots across different frequencies, making it easy to spot routers using the same frequencies and potentially affecting WiFi quality.
If you're constantly wondering who's on your WiFi network, or you've been experiencing a slow connection and suspect a WiFi thief, then WiFi Inspector could be your go-to app.
This handy tool isn't so much about the WiFi network itself, but rather about the devices tapping into it. WiFi Inspector can detect any device connected to your network, be it WiFi or Ethernet. If a device resides in the same network segment serviced by your WiFi network, WiFi Inspector will sniff it out and give you a detailed report.
We appreciate the ability to save a list of known devices with custom names. This allows for quick identification of trusted devices and makes detecting intruders a task you can accomplish with ease and without wasting any precious time.
Wifi Analyzer stands out as a practical, free Android app designed to streamline your WiFi connection. With the ability to showcase your WiFi network's signal strength, it's more than just a basic tool — it's a smart assistant to enhance your online experience.
But WiFi Analyzer isn't just about measuring signal strength. What sets it apart is its unique ability to rate all available WiFi channels. Essentially, the app gives each channel a score based on its potential to deliver top-notch performance, helping you pick the best one with minimal interference.
Unfortunately, WiFi Analyzer hasn’t been updated in several years, and the most recent version doesn’t work as well as its older counterparts. What’s more, the app asks for GPS location, which shouldn’t be necessary for it to work.
This WiFi tool for Android is useful in that it not only shows the strength of the WiFi network, but also can display the strength of the cellular phone network. Elements such as the country code of the phone being used, the roaming state, and other useful cellular features are shown.
It’s not made for comparing a range of WiFi networks, but is handy for getting information on the different networks the Android phone is connected to. If for some reason the WiFi network is working all right but the cellular network isn’t working as well, this app can give some useful information to find out why.
It’s a longer name for than the other applications, but the idea is simple enough: This application measures the speed on the 3G, 4G, 5G, or WiFi network that the Android device is connected to.
It doesn’t just detect the signal strength, but also shows the direction of where the network is using the built in compass. With the mapping feature, it can show the location of the nearest public WiFi networks so you can connect to that sweet, delicious free Internet access.
There are hundreds of WiFi apps for Android available as a free download. The difficulty can be in finding the best one for our needs. This list narrows that down that choice a little for locating the best WiFi tools for Android devices, their functions and abilities, and lays out what will work the best for the situation.
Some of them are perfect as a WiFi booster app for Android, like NetSpot that can help plan out the best place to places our devices and determine how the networks interact with each other. Whatever your needs, find the best tool for the job, and let it work for you.
Yes, there are numerous Wi-Fi apps for Android. Some of the highly recommended ones include:
While no app can directly provide free Wi-Fi, several apps can help you find free Wi-Fi hotspots. One such app is WiFi Finder. It has an extensive listing of free Wi-Fi networks and can provide directions on how to get there. This could be a good option if you need to connect to the internet and don't know where to go.
Based on our testing and user reviews, NetSpot for Android is one of the best free Wi-Fi apps available. It offers an inspector mode for detailed information about surrounding Wi-Fi networks and a survey mode for outlining real-life Wi-Fi data on a map. It also includes a built-in internet speed test.
