5 of the Best Android Phone Apps for Home Improvement Projects

It is not bold to say that the world has become increasingly digital and continues to do so. This is easy to see in the world of technology, as devices like smartphones and tablets can be spotted almost everywhere. These devices have enabled the digitalization of the worlds of music and cinema, as well as media as a whole, to varying degrees. But home improvement is an area where technology and the physical world collide without as much recognition.

There are certainly essential gadgets that every homeowner should own, but many smartphone users are unaware of the number of apps available to help with home improvement projects of all sizes. Anyone looking to replace a tape measure or level with a smartphone version of these tools will likely be pleased with what’s available on the Google Play Store, and there are also Android apps that can help with project inspiration, management, and know-how.

With an Android phone as the primary device for such home improvement assistance, we’ve spotted what we think are the best apps to install as a home improvement assistant. These include some peace of mind for those who want to ensure they always have basic tools on hand, advice for those trying to complete a project, and help for those trying to generate design and remodeling ideas.

If you’re struggling to get started on a home improvement project, or simply need access to information resources along the way, the Houzz app is worth turning to. It is a useful tool for gathering ideas and working on different phases of a project. During the planning stages, Houzz can serve as a source of inspiration for DIYers, but thanks to the apps’ connections to local contractors, it can also be useful for those who need a professional helping hand in addition to their own.

With over 10 million downloads and an overall 4.6 star rating on the Google Play Store, the Houzz app has proven to be a useful tool for many people. But some don’t like the app as much, with some reviewers reporting a buggy interface, and several others saying the features weren’t quite up to their expectations. But Houzz is completely free for those just looking to manage and improve projects around the home. Users who like the Houzz app note its ability to inspire projects and the supporting information it provides throughout projects including decorating, remodeling, furniture arranging and even gardening.

From hammers to power drills, there are many gadgets and tools that you’ll typically find at your nearest Costco. But the Google Play Store has plenty of ways for your Android phone to participate when you’re embarking on a home improvement project. One of them is the Tape Measure: Measuring Ruler app. This app is able to measure distances through your phone’s camera system and handle straight-line distances and even angles. It is also capable of calculating the area and perimeter, as well as the volume of various objects like furniture.

While some Google Play Store reviewers report frustrations with the ads that appear in the app, overall the Tape Measure app has a 4.2 star rating. It’s with over 10 million downloads behind it. Users who give the Tape Measure app a favorable review highlight its ease of use and accuracy as some of its standout features. This app may not completely replace a physical tape measure in all scenarios, but its AR capabilities can do things a tape measure can’t, and it’s worth keeping on your phone, at least, for those times you find yourself without a tape measure on hand.

The pinnacle of home improvement projects may be things like finishing a basement or landscaping the backyard, but more often than not, it’s simple, everyday projects like building a set of shelves for the garage and hanging pictures on a wall that need special attention. The Bubble Level app is worth deploying for these two tasks, as well as a number of others. The app is capable of functioning as both a spirit level and a bubble level. It also includes features like a protractor for measuring angles and a ruler for users working in smaller spaces where a full-fledged tape measure may not be necessary.

There are level and tape measure apps in the Google Play Store that offer a number of functions and even all-in-one measuring solutions, but the Bubble Level app aims to keep things simple. Still, it can come in handy during a home improvement project, as well as when you simply don’t have a level on hand. One Google Play Store reviewer used it to level an RV, and many others recommend it for everyday use, including some professional carpenters. The Bubble Level app is completely free and does not show any advertising while using it. It has accumulated over 1 million downloads and an overall 4.7 star rating on Android phones.

Your smartphone uses AI much more than you think, and with so many AI integrations in individual apps and operating systems, the Remodel AI app is worth looking into for home improvement projects. One of the most difficult things about a large home improvement project is visualization. It can be extremely difficult to predict what a room will look like after a project is completed using imagination alone. With Remodel AI, you can upload photos of a room and it will use artificial intelligence to create images of what the room will look like when the project is complete.

Like most apps these days, the free version of Remodel AI appears to provide very useful features while limiting itself in the hope that users will make in-app purchases. It also seems to have the same frustrations with using AI in a more general sense, with some reviewers reporting that the app often ignores or misunderstands their prompts. But overall, the app has a 4.4-star rating on the Google Play Store, and reviewers who speak fondly of it love the way it helps them visualize a space, even if it’s not quite right. Reviewers note its use on smaller projects like a kitchen remodel or massive projects like visualizing a building renovation.

If at any point your home improvement project requires a can of paint, brush, or roller, an app like Paint My Room can come in handy. It has two main modes of operation, the first being that of a colorimeter. The app lets you upload a photo of an object in any color, which it then uses as a reference to provide you with the closest paint color available. It does this with an extensive color library that includes colors from top brands like Sherwin-Williams and Behr. The app can also work somewhat similar to the Remodel AI app in that it helps you visualize a room painted with the color of your choice through the combined use of your phone’s camera and artificial intelligence.

Paint My Room has been downloaded from the Google Play Store over a million times and has almost 21,000 reviews. These average an overall rating of 4.1 stars. Some of the low ratings are due to the majority of features being locked behind a paywall. However, there aren’t many free apps that offer similar features to Paint My Room, and several users who have thoroughly reviewed the app on the Google Play Store claim that it removes these free options. Paint My Room may not be worth paying for in the long run, but you can always pay for it during a project and cancel the subscription until the next painting project comes around.

Our goal here was to find home improvement apps that can be used comfortably by homeowners. There are a number of projects that can be done around the house, and the scope of these projects is also very wide. We took all this into account and looked for apps with suitable features. We also wanted to keep things simple, knowing that for most users, a tape measure can be just as convenient as an AI viewer.

There is no shortage of essential iPhone apps that can be used as part of a home improvement project, but this one is specifically aimed at Android smartphone users. For this reason, we used the Google Play Store as a major reference point, looking for both popular and lesser-known apps that could be deployed as part of a home improvement project. We relied heavily on customer reviews for hands-on experience with each app, and also applied our own knowledge of Android phones and experience with home improvement projects to inform our selections.