It's Halloween, and there are 13 apps. Coincidence?
Welcome to the roundup of the best new Android applications and live wallpapers that went live in the Play Store or were spotted by us in the previous week or so. Today I have a data-saving app for Android TV, the new connection app for Starlink's...
Telegram 7.2 adds new tricks and treats just in time for Halloween (APK Download)
Improvements to pinned messages, location sharing, and more
Telegram released a big update last month, adding search filters, channel replies, and more. It's almost Halloween now, but that doesn't mean the team is taking a break. In today's release of version 7.2, the popular messenger app is getting...
Bixby gets a new Google Assistant-inspired look (APK Download)
Plus performance improvements
Bixby has never been the most popular voice assistant, but that hasn't stopped Samsung from finding ways to make us use it. From the dedicated Bixby button, to mapping it to the power key itself, Samsung would clearly like this to be a success. Its latest effort to entice...
Samsung's Galaxy Apps redesign is focused on Fortnite and not much else
Samsung is using Epic's battle with Google to its advantage
Samsung has operated its own app store for years, the Galaxy Store, seemingly as a backup ecosystem in case the company's relationship with Google ever soured. There aren't many reasons to use the Galaxy Store over the Play Store, but Samsung...
Troubleshooting connection issues on Google Fi is about to get easier
Google Fi presents a pretty good value, offering a decent price for cell service, and good promos to boot. And as a multi-network MVNO, you get service through several different carriers depending on where you are, which can mean a better overall signal than simply being locked to a single carrier,...
MAD Skills Navigation Wrap-Up
Posted by Chet Haase
It’s a Wrap!
We’ve just finished the first series in the MAD Skills series of videos and articles on Modern Android Development. This time, the topic was Navigation component, the API and tool that helps you create and edit navigation paths through your application.
The great...
Gears POP has proven to be the failure everyone expected, closing next April
Microsoft says the game is too expensive to run
In August 2019 Microsoft released a Clash Royale clone called Gears POP, which is themed around the popular vinyl toy line while offering tons of cutesy Gears of War characters. Of course, connecting a toy line to a popular gaming genre doesn't guarantee...
Google Messages conversation categories are about to roll out
It sorts messages into 5 specific categories that make it quicker to find what you're looking for
Latest update
As the default messaging app on many Android devices, Google Messages is an important tool for staying in touch with friends and family. The app has continued to work on expanding support...
24 temporarily free and 57 on-sale apps and games for Friday
Don't miss out on the sales for The Room Three, Crashlands, Evoland 2
Welcome to Friday, everyone. It would appear we have a boatload of game sales today, with more than a few standouts in the mix. First up is The Room Three, the third release is the acclaimed escape room series (Two is on sale as...
You can now set your Google Chat status to 'away' from Gmail
Google Chat may not be popular among general consumers, but it does have more use in enterprise settings, especially since G Suite admins picked up the ability to migrate to it from Hangouts earlier this year. It's a small quality of live improvement, but for teams using Google Chat, you can now set...
Android TV gets a Data Saver mode when connected to mobile hotspots (APK Download)
Seems to only be available in India for now
Google is rolling out a set of new data-friendly features on Android TV to help users monitor and reduce their TV's bandwidth usage when connected to a hotspot instead of Wi-Fi. The features are coming to Xiaomi, TCL, and MarQ TVs in India in the next few...
More online protection with the new VPN by Google One
We’ve all done it. You’re sitting in a cafe browsing your favorite online store and you enter your credit card number while connected to an unsecured Wi-Fi network. While convenient, a public Wi-Fi network may be less secure than your personal one. This can put your personal information at risk of...
It looks like Pulse SMS has been bought by Maple Media — get ready for intrusive ads?
Memories of Cheetah Mobile come to mind
If the name Maple Media doesn't ring a bell, it might be time to put the Californian company on your watchlist. Over the past few years, the startup has purchased many popular Indie Android apps like the podcast player Player FM, the photo collage maker Pic...
OnePlus Buds companion app surfaces for non-OnePlus phones
But it's currently missing key features
It's been a few months since OnePlus released its first pair of truly wireless earbuds. The OnePlus Buds are pretty solid for the most part, but their lack of customization with older OnePlus and non-OnePlus devices has held them back. Last month, we learned...
Google 'updates' Docs, Sheets, and Slides app icons by placing them on big white plates
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Update
Updated to add that the new Slides icon is now rolling out as well.
When Google announced G Suite successor Workspace, it also took the opportunity to update the icons of its productivity apps, both for consumers and businesses. The new designs are slowly rolling out and have already...
Tip: Android 11's built-in screen recorder also works for voice calls
The other party won't be notified, so use this feature with due diligence
Android 11 is the first Android version to ship with a built-in screen recorder on Pixel phones. The native solution has a few tricks up its sleeve compared to third-party options. It's capable of recording sound in a few more...
You can finally hide liked YouTube videos in YouTube Music
Liked songs still show up in YouTube and the watch/listen history is still partially interlinked, though
YouTube Music and YouTube are too interlinked for many people's tastes, and it appears that Google is finally taking more steps to decouple the services. The YouTube Music app has widely rolled...
Sony redesigns the PlayStation app with a new look and exclusive PS5 features (APK Download)
Plus integrated messaging and voice chat capabilities
Update
APK
In preparation for the PlayStation 5 release, Sony rolled out an update for its Remote Play app earlier this month. Now the main PlayStation app itself is getting an overhaul that's been built to compliment the gaming experience on...
Google compares similar apps head-to-head in new Play Store experiment
This could greatly improve discoverability for developers
As one of the most important apps on a smartphone, Google is always making tweaks to the Play Store to improve its usability and design. Earlier this month, a controversial test was spotted that took hamburgers off the menu. Now the Play Store...
Sony redesigns the PlayStation app with a new look and exclusive PS5 features
Plus integrated messaging and voice chat capabilities
In preparation for the PlayStation 5 release, Sony rolled out an update for its Remote Play app earlier this month. Now the main PlayStation app itself is getting an overhaul that's been built to compliment the gaming experience on both PS4 and...
Surf the web more securely on Chrome for Android by activating Enhanced Safe Browsing
The feature is currently rolling out to everyone, but you can speed up the process
Google is already pouring tons of resources into helping us stay safe while we surf the web with measures like Safe Browsing for Chrome, and the company only recently introduced an enhanced version of this tool. It's...
23 temporarily free and 50 on-sale apps and games for Wednesday
Don't miss out on the sales for Stardew Valley, Hidden Folks, and Beholder
Welcome to Wednesday, everyone. We have a full list of sales to share with everyone today, including some awesome standouts. So if you're a fan of farming sims, then the current sale on Stardew Valley is a must-get. If you...
30 of the scariest Android games that are perfect for Halloween 2020
A roundup of the eeriest games currently available on the Play Store
It's that spooky time of year once again. That's right, Halloween is almost here, and so I have updated our Halloween game roundup with the creepiest and scariest games currently available on the Google Play Store. Today's list is...
League of Legends: Wild Rift open beta launches in select regions
Gamers in Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand can now jump in
Latest update
Riot announces regional open beta for League of Legends: Wild Rift
Back in May, we highlighted a rumor that League of Legends might come to Android courtesy of Tencent, a company...
Samsung expands 'offline finding' in Find My Mobile to countries outside the US
The feature is now available on any Samsung phone running Android 10
Update
Now available outside the US
The latest version of Samsung's Find My Mobile app comes with a pretty fantastic new feature: Offline support. As in, you can find your phone even if it doesn't have a data connection — assuming...
Apple Music 3.4 now rolling out to everyone, with iOS 14 features in tow (APK Download)
New icon, new Listen Now section, autoplay, new search, and so much more
Update
After a brief beta, Apple Music 3.4 is now heading out to everyone on stable, bringing with it all the changes listed above. The update is rolling out now on
Apple is preparing to launch iOS 14, and that means there...
Cyberpunk 2077 is delayed again, now coming December 10
And the developer is offering its humblest of apologies
Update
CD Projekt delays the launch for Cyberpunk 2077 yet again
Well, it's official, Cyberpunk 2077 is coming to Stadia on the same day it will release on every other platform, November 19th. Up until today CD Projekt's official stance was...
Microsoft Outlook's latest update lets you send ignored conversations straight to the trash
Oh, sorry, I must have missed that email
Microsoft's Outlook email client has picked up a lot of features recently, from third-party calendar syncing to expanded voice command support. The app's newest addition is one that promises to help users focus on what's important by ignoring conversations...
Android 10 pushes Android Auto to over a billion Play Store installs
That's 900 million new downloads in just ten months
Android Auto's download count over on the Play Store is positively exploding. In a mere four months, the app has gone from 500 million installs to over a billion. Only six months before that, it was at 100 million. That's an incredible order of magnitude...
Crash Bandicoot: On the Run is a new auto-runner from King, coming spring 2021
Finally, a brand that properly fits within the auto-runner genre
Latest update
King reveals Crash Bandicoot: On the Run will arrive spring 2021
It would appear that two Crash Bandicoot fans (Jump Button and Motwera) have uncovered an upcoming mobile Crash Bandicoot game through a Facebook...
What to expect in Series 2 of the Apps, Games & Insights podcast
Can apps become the key to education?
Interest in e-learning has been growing over the last few years but, with the emergence of distance learning, it’s poised to change all types of education. In the first episode, we talk with Elliott Rayner, Head Of Product Marketing, and John Quintana, Head...
YouTube introduces smart suggestions for dumb people who can't hold their phone good
Plus streamlined player controls with more accessible captions
YouTube is one of the most widely used apps in the world, so whenever the company makes even a slight change, people notice. The announcement that four playlist-centric features were being killed last month was a bit disheartening, but...
Support for Mobile Passport lands at Honolulu and Oakland International Airports
The app now works at 29 airports nationwide
Traveling isn't at the forefront of most people's minds right now, but when it is necessary, the Mobile Passport app makes it a whole lot easier for passport holders. The digital passport service was already available in 27 airports across the US, and the...
Zoom finally gets end-to-end encryption, as well as YouTube livestreaming on mobile
Having access to the flash while using the rear camera is cool too
Zoom has seen incredible growth this year and has become one of the most popular video conferencing platforms around. This success has been aided by regular updates that bring useful new features. The latest Zoom update addresses a...
Further tales from the leading edge and beyond: more Apps, Games, & Insights podcast episodes
Posted by Lily Sheringham, Global Marketing, Platforms & Ecosystems
We are launching the second series of the Apps, Games, & Insights podcast.
Over the summer, we teamed up with a new group of leading industry insiders and experts to bring you 8 new podcast episodes over the next couple...
