Don't miss out on the sales for Slayaway Camp, Spirit HD, and Baldur's Gate
Welcome to Monday, everyone. We have a large roundup of sales to share with everyone today, so we also have more than a few standouts worth pointing to. The fantastic horror-based puzzle adventure game Slayaway Camp is...
Explore Kids Space: A way to nurture your kid's curiosity
Parents have told us that they’re constantly wrestling with the role of technology in their children’s lives, and this is especially true for the many families who are spending more time at home. But kids are natural explorers and when they have access to great content, it can be a magical experience--they...
Google Maps starts widely displaying traffic lights on Android🚦
It'll come in handy for those who spend more time looking at their screen than at the road
Earlier this summer, Google Maps started displaying traffic lights for some users. Although that appeared to be an experimental feature, as none of us at AndroidPolice could get them to show up, they're finally...
14 new Android games from the week of August 24, 2020
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition, Tom and Jerry: Chase, Tom Clancy's Elite Squad, and more
Welcome to the roundup of the new Android games that went live in the Play Store or were spotted by us in the previous week or so. Today I have Square Enix's bumbled attempt at bringing a...
Microsoft Defender for Android arrives on the Play Store
You have to be a company with a Microsoft 365 ES license to use it
It was first reported in February that Microsoft was bringing its Defender anti-virus/anti-malware software to Linux and Android, and now the app has appeared on the Play Store as a software preview. It's only available to enterprise...
Microsoft Outlook adds option to customize buttons on notifications (APK Download)
Archive, mark as read, or flag emails without opening the app
Microsoft's Outlook email application has seen update after update over the past few months, adding features like photo annotation and audio playback of emails. Now the app has added another incredibly useful function: the ability to customize...
20 new and notable (and 1 WTF) Android apps from the last two weeks including CocoFax, Google AdMob, and Adobe Account Access (8/16/20 - 8/29/20)
Welcome to the roundup of the best new Android applications that went live in the Play Store or were spotted by us in the previous two weeks or so. Today's roundup is sponsored by CocoFax, an excellent app for faxing sensitive files. We also have an AdMob app from Google and an Adobe app designed...
Google Pay starts testing NFC-based card payments in India
Only a couple of banks have come on board so far
Google Pay in India (formerly Tez) quickly rose in popularity to become almost synonymous with the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) — the very platform it’s based on. Last September, the company announced plans to expand beyond UPI payments to support...
11 Weeks of Android: UI and Compose
Posted by Chris Banes & Nick Butcher
This blog post is part of a weekly series for #11WeeksOfAndroid. Each week we’re diving into a key area of Android so you don’t miss anything. This week, we spotlighted people & identity; here’s a look at what you should know.
The big news: Jetpack Compose...
Google got rid of its obnoxious App Preview Messages
You probably disabled it right away and forgot about it
There may be effective ways to convince people to use an app, but it seems that Google's App Preview Messages were not one of them. The program, which notified Android users when someone is trying to communicate with an app they haven't installed,...
TuneIn Pro app losing the ability to record live radio
'You're listening to 109 FM The Bummer!'
Media marketing researcher Nielsen claims as of 2019 that 272 million people in the U.S. listen to honest-to-goodness live radio every week one way or another. For some, that means buying the TuneIn Pro app and being able to record programs as they like for...
21 temporarily free and 46 on-sale apps and games for Friday
Don't miss out on the sales for The House of Da Vinci, Football Manager 2020 Mobile, and Hidden Folks
Welcome to Friday, everyone. After a solid sales list this past Wednesday, today's sales roundup offers more than a few noteworthy titles, including the highly-popular escape room game The...
Google Duo will soon be on Android TV in beta
Video chat with friends and family on the big screen
We've been using video calls more than ever in the past few months, and probably will continue to for the foreseeable future. It's tough not being able to travel to see your loved ones, but Google is making things a bit easier by announcing beta...
Marvel Super War is a 5v5 MOBA from NetEase, now available in more regions
South Korea, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand can now play
Update
Marvel Super War lands in new territories
Marvel Super War is a newly-announced MOBA from NetEase and Marvel Entertainment that's coming to Android and iOS, and it just entered into its first closed beta. The title will feature...
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition is finally here, and the wait wasn't worth it
Yet another lazy and overpriced port from Square Enix
We've known since June of 2019 that Square Enix would bring Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition to Android, and after several more announcements, we learned the game would be released on August 27th, 2020. In case you didn't realize,...
Redesigned Google Photos editor is in the works
Jane Wong done did it again
Google appears to be revising the user interface for its editor in Photos, relying less on iconography and more on text. The work-in-progress was first discovered by software blogger Jane Manchun Wong and may be available in testing to select users.
Here's what the UI...
YouTube TV subscribers can get a 30-day Cinemax free trial
Just make sure to redeem before August 31
If you're still subscribed to YouTube TV in spite of the repeated price hikes (remember when it cost $35/month?), Google has a small consolation prize for you. YouTube TV subscribers can currently get a 30-day trial of Cinemax for free, so long as it's redeemed...
Google Maps now highlights your Saved places with carousels of pictures
Rolling out to your Saved tab
Google Maps is revamping its Saved places tab, replacing a tepid list of lists with photo rolls of specific attractions right from the first screen.
The first carousel will show off places that users have recently saved for future reference. The second shows saved places...
Chrome 85 enables 64-bit support on Android 10, replaces the share sheet, and more (APK Download)
It has been about a month since Chrome 85 appeared in the Beta Channel, and now Google is starting to roll it out to the stable branch. There aren't many easily-visible changes, but as the old Transformers theme says, there's more than meets the eye.
New share dialog
Google first started testing a...
Samsung SmartThings update adds UWB device tracking, Zigbee QR scanner, and more
Only the Galaxy Note20 Ultra supports the UWB tech so far
SmartThings is the app you use to take control of all your Samsung IoT devices, as the company aims to consolidate its other apps into one. Following all the big announcements it made at the recent Galaxy Unpacked event, Samsung is now updating...
Announcing Jetpack Compose Alpha!
Posted by Karen Ng, Director, Product Management
Today, we’re releasing the alpha of Jetpack Compose, our modern UI toolkit designed to help you quickly and easily build beautiful apps across all Android platforms, with native access to the platform APIs. Bring your app to life with dramatically...
25 temporarily free and 45 on-sale apps and games for Wednesday
Don't miss out on the sales for Dead Cells, DISTRAINT: Deluxe Edition, and Cessabit
Welcome to Wednesday, everyone. Today's list contains more than a few noteworthy sales, making for a solid sales roundup for the middle of the week. Today's standout deal is for Dead Cells, which is a fantastic roguelike...
The Witcher: Monster Slayer is a new augmented reality RPG coming to mobile
Who's ready for yet another Pokémon GO clone?
It would appear the CD Projekt Red subsidiary Spokko has been working on a Witcher mobile game. This game is called The Witcher: Monster Slayer, and it's a free-to-play augmented reality RPG, which means it's the latest Pokémon GO clone...
Dashlane beta adds support for Android 11's keyboard-based autofill method
Making autofill a smooth operation
Google revealed a revamped API for autofill services in Android 11, hooking right into supported keyboards like Gboard. We already saw what this looks like for Google's own password manager and 1Password, but now Dashlane is also working on making its product compatible...
Facebook simplifies Messenger Rooms management and introduces custom backgrounds
Messenger's virtual party service just got better
Messenger Rooms is Facebook's approach to online video-conferencing, though it's definitely targeted towards casual hangouts much more than business meetings. The service makes it easy to create video meetups with people who aren't necessarily in your...
August and Yale locks pick up remote biometric verification
Plus a mostly self-explanatory Hide Entry Codes feature
August and Yale smart locks are picking up a new feature that should make remote access just a little bit more secure. The opt-in change allows for remote biometric authentication before locking or unlocking your home's smart lock remotely. Further...
Your Roomba is about to get a lot smarter courtesy of an AI-powered app update
More "Sweepnet" than "Skynet," though
iRobot is releasing a redesigned app for its various robotic vacuums and mops, delivering a new "iRobot Genius Home Intelligence" with smart new features, compatible with all Wi-Fi-connected iRobot products. Ostensibly rolling out today, the new iRobot Genius...
Google Arts & Culture brings the museum to you with new augmented reality exhibits
Stand inside a blue whale, high five an extinct bird, or explore art and history from your own home
Google is bringing some new AR experiences to its much-loved Arts and Culture app — including the terrifying ancient crustacean you see above. The new models are part of a handful of exhibits added...
Hitman, Hello Neighbor, more coming to Stadia Pro in September
Windbound launches August 28
Everybody assumed Stadia Pro would follow the 2-game-per-month standard set by XBox Live and Playstation Plus, but things have ramped up quite a bit in the last few months. Four titles were added for subscribers in the beginning of August, and then a surprise fifth game...
Tom Clancy's Elite Squad is a new action RPG from Ubisoft, and it's available two days early
Does no one respect release dates?
Latest update
Tom Clancy's Elite Squad is available two days early
Ubisoft has revealed Tom Clancy's Elite Squad, a new free-to-play action RPG that will stuff everyone's favorite Clancy characters into a single release. It will play like a strategic military...
Live Caption on phone and video calls now working on Pixel 4a, 4, 3 XL
Hearing them just doesn't cut it sometimes
Update
Pixel 4 has it now
As part of today's Pixel 4a festivities, Google has also announced a new feature that's coming to older Pixels as well. Remember Google's Live Caption feature that transcribes speech in real-time, on-device, for things like videos?...
