Magic: The Gathering Arena, Slashy Camp, Dragon Quest Tact, plus more
Welcome to the roundup of the best new Android games that went live in the Play Store or were spotted by us in the previous week or so. Today's list is broken up into several segments, ranging from best, average, to mediocre. So...
Google pulls federated chat app Element from the Play Store
The app was supposedly removed for abusive content
Element is a popular client for the federated chat protocol Matrix, and we highlighted it in our roundup of the best open-source alternatives to Google Hangouts last year (back when it was called Riot.im). Unfortunately, the app has been pulled from...
Google is rolling out grid view and tab groups for Chrome on Android
Don’t like it? You can disable it too
It's been a while since Chrome for desktop introduced support for tab groups. The feature helped bring order to chaos for those who had a habit of keeping umpteen tabs open. After being tested since 2019 on Android, the feature is now rolling out on the mobile...
Can Firefox replace Google Chrome on your Android phone?
Firefox has come a long way since last year's redesign
Mozilla Firefox might be a beloved desktop browser, but on Android, its market share looks like nothing but a rounding error. That might be one of many reasons why Mozilla decided to rewrite its mobile browser from scratch with a new rendering...
Stay on top of your emails with these five Android clients
They have you covered both for work and personal use
Whether you're looking at managing your personal emails more easily or want to use a powerful client to sort through your work conversations, you need a reliable client to achieve your goals. Below is a selection of some clients you can consider,...
Switching from Spotify to YouTube Music: Everything you need to know
What are the differences, which one is the best for you, and which subscription is more interesting?
I've been a loyal Spotify user since what feels like the year the service launched, and a premium subscriber since 2014. Spotify premium has tons of great extra features, and I absolutely think it's...
Microsoft Remote Desktop adds dark mode, native 64-bit Chromebook support, and more
It also drops support for Android Marshmallow
Microsoft overhauled its Remote Desktop application for Android last year, complete with a new rendering engine, support for Windows 10 virtual desktops, and more. Microsoft has now released another major update, this time focused on Chromebooks and other...
Good Lock modules ClockFace, MultiStar, and Home Up gain One UI 3 support
Now I can have Transformers gifs on my lockscreen
Samsung has been busy updating Good Lock with One UI support over the last week, and today that rollout reaches some of the more popular modules: MultiStar, Home Up, and ClockFace. Most of the old functionality has made a return, with some new additions...
19 temporarily free and 22 on-sale apps and games for Friday
Don't miss out today's sales
Welcome to Friday, everyone. Things may be slow, but I still have a few highlights to share with everyone. Both Doom & Destiny and Doom & Destiny Advanced are currently available at a discount. And if RPGs don't float your boat, perhaps GoBlox Premium will scratch...
Inoreader v7 brings a more Material look to our favorite RSS reader (APK Download)
No new functionality, though
It's been eight years since Google killed Reader, its RSS service, and that wound has yet to heal in our hearts. Many alternative services sprung up afterwards, with Inoreader being one of the closest things to the original Google Reader, even down to the web app's keyboard...
X-plore is one of the first file managers to bypass Scoped Storage's drastic limitations on Android 11
Expect more in the future
Google introduced a controversial change in the name of security with Android 11 — Scoped Storage. The new API is supposed to hinder apps from reading each other's data, stopping bad actors from snooping through your phone. But that restriction also extends to file explorers,...
YouTube tests option to share short looping clips instead of full videos
Limited to a small selection of content from a few creators right now
YouTube is always testing new features, some more controversial than others. The latest experiment revolves around sharing short, looping clips from longer videos. Creators and fans have been asking for a way to easily highlight...
Chrome 89 is now available in the beta channel (APK Download)
Download it here
Google launched the stable version of Chrome 88 last week, and that means the beta is up for a new release. And indeed, Google has just promoted Chrome 89 to the beta channel. You can download it from the Play Store or over on APK Mirror right now.
According to the Chromium project,...
Energy Ring supports Galaxy S21, Pixel 5, older devices in a new universal app
Future bright for S21+, not so much for phones from Redmi and others
IJP, maker of a few popular Android battery meter replacements, has merged Energy Ring support for different devices from separate apps into a universal app and has announced further support for the Galaxy S21 and Pixel 5 along with...
WhatsApp adds biometrics authentication requirement to link account to PC
The update should roll out in the coming days
Following a change in its privacy policy that caused an exodus to competing apps like Signal and Telegram, WhatsApp is adding a new layer of security to the process of linking an account to a computer. The Facebook-owned messaging service is now pushing...
All the games on Google Stadia (Update: Madden NFL 21, and TOHU)
Now in a handy dandy searchable table
Google's cloud gaming service, Stadia, began trialing on November 19 (2019), and even though you needed a $130 Founder's Edition kit to gain access, Google eventually opened the floodgates to everyone in August (2020). So far, many games have been announced for...
Magic: The Gathering Arena enters early access on Android
Wizards of the Coast finally brings its collectible card game to mobile
Update
Magic: The Gathering Arena is now available on Android
Over the years, we've seen a plethora of collectible card games come and go. Though one thing has remained a constant, the genre lends itself well to mobile play....
Robinhood's Play Store rating dives to one star after GME meme stock crackdown
Good news if you shorted Robinhood's Play Store rating
Over the last few weeks, GameStop stock (GME) has seen its price spike tremendously due to meme-driven retail trading from venues like the subreddit /r/wallstreetbets, prompting some services like Robinhood to halt trading for it and other Reddit-promoted...
Telegram now lets you import your chat history from WhatsApp
There has never been a better time to switch
It would be an understatement to say that Telegram benefited from the quagmire WhatsApp found itself in after it pushed users to accept its Facebook-or-die terms of service. In January alone, the messaging service added over 100 million users. Now to make...
Slay the Spire is coming to Android on February 3
All thanks to Humble Games
It's official. Humble Games will be bringing Slay the Spire to Android on February 3rd, which is only a few days away. The game was initially released in early access back in 2017 for PC, and then was officially launched on PC and consoles in 2019, and last year the game...
The Samsung Galaxy SmartTags offer some slick home automation routines
SmartThings and a nearby Galaxy phone are a must, though
When Samsung launched the Galaxy SmartTags alongside the S21 series, the company teased that they could be used for home automation via the SmartThings app. Now that the S21 and the SmartTags are arriving at people's doorsteps, it becomes clear...
WhatsApp has disappeared from the Google Camera's social sharing shortcuts
Seems to be a WhatsApp bug
Another day, another WhatsApp misstep. The messaging service, which has invaded tech headlines over the past weeks for all the wrong reasons, has made one more boo-boo, this one though arguably a lot less significant than everything else. The app's latest update causes it...
Google Messages can suggest adding calendar events while you chat (APK Download)
Plus other smart actions too
Contextual suggestions in Google Messages aren't new. The app can already offer up stickers, Assistant recommendations, smart replies, and some actions while you're talking to your contacts, and it's that latter ability that seems to be expanding. Among the new actions,...
Signal starts catching up to WhatsApp by adding custom wallpapers and animated stickers (APK Download)
Rolling out in stable
Update
Stable release
With WhatsApp's recent Facebook-induced privacy woes, Signal and Telegram are enjoying their time in the spotlight. Signal's privacy focus has specifically appealed to a lot of users who decided to switch away from WhatsApp, with the app seeing unprecedented...
Google's latest canceled VR project will at least live on as an open source project
Tilt Brush will remain available in digital stores
One of the more interesting VR applications we've seen in recent years is Tilt Brush, an app that lets users create 3D art in a virtual environment. Unfortunately, Google has announced that it's ending internal development for the app. It will get...
Google Keep adds home and work shortcuts for task reminders (APK Download)
Setting up reminders in Keep just got a tiny bit faster
While there are a ton of great alternatives out there, Google Keep is still by far the most popular note-taking app on the Play Store. The reason for that is its tight integration with other Google services and its simple, yet functional interface....
16 temporarily free and 17 on-sale apps and games for Wednesday
Don't miss out on the sales for Monopoly Sudoku, FolderSync Pro, and DISTRAINT: Deluxe Edition,
Welcome to Wednesday, everyone. While today's sales list is on the shorter side, I still have a few standouts to share with everyone. First up is a discount for Monopoly Sudoku, a newer release from Marmalade...
You can now permanently disable Auto Night Sight on the Pixel 5 & 4a 5G
Missed photo ops no more!
Google introduced Auto Night Sight for the Pixel 4a 5G and the Pixel 5 with the aim of saving users an extra couple of swipes to access the mode. Not everyone was a fan of the app making that decision for them, though. Hearing the feedback, Google has released a new Camera...
Niantic publishes two new testing apps for Ingress Prime superfans
There is now a beta and dogfood app available for Ingress, and both are public-facing
Niantic has just released a beta and dogfood app for Ingress Prime on the Google Play Store. These are both clearly testing apps for the game, and the beta's description even provides a link to...
Dragon Quest Tact is the latest gacha game from Square Enix, now available on Android
Square sure knows how to bleed its properties dry
Latest update
Dragon Quest Tact is available, but you can't play just yet
Square Enix has announced that its free-to-play collection-based tactical RPG Dragon Quest Tact will be coming to the West on both Android and iOS. Back in...
Firefox 85 cracks down on supercookies to prevent cross-site tracking
Partitioning network connections and caches for each website
Firefox 85 only brought one significant user-facing change — add-ons are now directly installable from addons.mozilla.org. But it turns out there is a lot more going on under the hood. The latest version of the Mozilla browser is cracking...
Pinterest has stories now too, because everyone needs a step-by-step guide to your latest pho or crochet
Pinterest may not be the hottest app in our tech bubble, but it looks like there's quite a big audience regularly returning to the network — about 442 million people every month, to be exact. These users will soon discover a familiar interface tweak that's currently popping up in apps left and right:...
Google Lens can do offline translations on Android
Patchy internet connection in foreign lands will no longer cause a language barrier
Lens is one of the most useful apps that Google has to offer, and a testament to that is the milestone of 500 million installs that it recently crossed. From assisting with homework to scanning and copying text, the...
Tasker picks up integrated support to trigger tasks from the Google Assistant
Many will still need to use AutoVoice, though
The popular automation app Tasker just picked up a big new feature: The ability to call tasks from Tasker directly from the Google Assistant. It's English-only for now, but you'll be able to trigger your tasks just by name when telling the Assistant to...
Plex thinks you'll pay to stream old Atari games that you definitely cannot find for free on the internet
But it can also stream your totally legit, not pirated classic game ROMs
Plex started as a way to organize and stream your media library, but it has since expanded to include live TV, ad-supported streaming video, and Tidal music, among other things. Now, Plex is dipping its toe into gaming. The new...
Journey to the Savage Planet is coming to Stadia February 1, free for Pro subscribers
Y'all get to be Employees of the Month!
Another day and we've got more Stadia news! We have new details on the Free Play weekend for the all-new Madden NFL 21 plus three titles joining Stadia Pro next month and three other new games to the platform this week!
Stadia will be getting an extensive 4-day...
All the free games included with Stadia Pro
Three new games for February, including Journey to the Savage Planet
Stadia's $10-a-month premium subscription, Stadia Pro, includes access to an ever-expanding catalog of games at no additional cost. The selection of redeemable games varies — Google adds a few each month, and sometimes removes some....
Google Photos finally looks okay on Android tablets
The change appears to be a server-side test
Even though millions of Android tablets are sold each year, and Chromebooks use many of the same applications through the Play Store, most of Google's apps are not optimized for large screens. Google Photos is one app that has always looked horrible on Android...
GoodLock modules SoundAssistant and LockStar gain new features and One UI 3 support
Some of these additions are excellent
Samsung has been busy updating GoodLock modules recently, and today two more have received the 2021 redesign. SoundAssistant gains some brand new features and LockStar finally works with One UI 3.
Once you've updated SoundAssistant, there are two new features...
OnePlus brings the new OxygenOS 11 launcher to some older phones
OnePlus phones on Android 10 can get it at the Play Store
OnePlus is a little behind when it comes to bringing the Android 11-based OxygenOS 11 to its older phones, but the company is rolling out an update that will plug that gap a bit in the meantime. The latest 5.x version of the OnePlus Launcher...
Mi Band 6 leak hints at on-board GPS, SpO2, Alexa, and 19 new trackable activities
A big update for the line
Xiaomi's Mi Bands have always been among the most affordable options when it comes to activity tracking, offering quite some bang for the buck. It looks like the prospective next entry to the line, the Mi Band 6, will continue that trend. Renounced Mi Band and Huami leaker Magical...
