Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android

Every platform has its own share of power users who know their way around the OS and how to extract the very maximum, in terms of performance and efficiency, from the device running it. The secret behind a power user’s efficiency are his tools (read: apps) and experience.

While I cannot help you with the latter, I can definitely list down some apps that are a favorite of Android power users community, which should help you in extracting the very best performance from your device.

Image: Google.

Google is currently in the process of distributing a much-anticipated visual overhaul for its official Chrome for Android client via the Play Store. In terms of added functionality, the upgrade brings a multitude of bug fixes, stability improvements, speed optimizations and a Material design makeover, which we first caught sight of on the Chrome Beta last month.

Facebook today became the first third-party Android app (not build by Google) to surpass 1 billion installs from Google Play. It’s even more popular than a number of Google’s own apps, including Hangouts, Google Search, and even Chrome.

Quick reply for SMS right in your browser. Image: Pushbullet.

Pushbullet is one of those useful little apps that every Android device should be running — even more so following its latest update, which finally adds the ability to reply to text messages from your computer.

Chris Lacy, developer of Action Launcher and Link Bubble, has released another unique app on the Play Store — TapPath. The app’s premise is pretty simple: It lets users specify different apps they want to open when they single, double or triple click a link.