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Weekend poll: Has the Play Store ever banned an app you cared about?

Sometimes Google forces you to find a workaround

Even though Android is wide open to any installation file found on the web, an overwhelming majority of users trust the Google Play Store to discover, download, and update their library of apps and games. It's not perfect, of course. Developers can fall victim to all sorts of pitfalls on the store, including a few introduced by Google itself.

This week, we learned that "sugar daddy" apps are facing upcoming bans on the Play Store due to a pre-existing rule regarding sexual content.

Weekend poll: Has the Play Store ever banned an app you cared about? was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 11:23 PM No comments

15 new (and 1 WTF) Android games from the last week: The best, worst, and everything in between (7/25/21 - 7/31/21)

Final Fantasy I, II, and III, plus NieR Reincarnation and Contra Returns

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 whether you're looking for the best games of quality or are simply looking for the latest free-to-play gacha titles, you're covered. This week I have the first three Final Fantasy pixel-art remasters, the arrival of Square Enix's new gacha game NieR Reincarnation, as well as Konami's cash-grab Contra Returns.

15 new (and 1 WTF) Android games from the last week: The best, worst, and everything in between (7/25/21 - 7/31/21) was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 9:23 PM No comments

Your ancient Android Gingerbread phone is about to become even more useless

Google account sign-ins will be blocked in September

When was the last time you thought about your old Gingerbread phone? Google launched Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich to the public nearly ten years ago, ushering in the days of its Tron-inspired Holo UI, but some legendary Android devices — including the Moto Droid X, HTC Evo 4G, and Samsung's original Galaxy S — never made the jump. If you're still holding onto a phone running Gingerbread, it's about to get a whole lot harder to use with Google services.

Your ancient Android Gingerbread phone is about to become even more useless was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 6:23 AM No comments

Google Pay adds support for 43 banks in 22 countries around the world

And yet somehow, probably still not the one you were hoping for

Google Pay is nothing less than an unchecked madman when it comes to signing on new banks in the US, blowing well past 3,000 supported institutions just a few months back. But while the lion's share of action may be taking place in the States, there's also been plenty of activity occurring in nations all across the globe — and last time we took count, Pay had signed up an additional 61 banks.

Google Pay adds support for 43 banks in 22 countries around the world was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 5:23 AM No comments

Telegram has created a whole new social experience for you to dread with 1,000 person video calls

Plus screen sharing, new animations, and more

It was just a couple of days ago that we first got our hands on Telegram's latest beta, adding screen sharing, video speed controls, and new options for clearing out your chat history. If you gave that version a spin only to find it seemed a bit buggy, you're in luck. Telegram 7.9 is already making its way out to users today, and it's got all of those beta features and a whole lot more.

Telegram has created a whole new social experience for you to dread with 1,000 person video calls was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 4:23 AM No comments

Google freshens up Gmail on Android with some bolder colors

Orange is the new yellow

Google's going through a bit of a creative phase right now. With Android 12 and Material You just weeks away from a stable build, you can expect plenty of its apps to gain UI changes big and small over the coming months. Gmail is giving a fresh coat of paint to its labels, with tabs like "Updates" and "Promotions" gaining a little extra vibrancy.

If you head into your Gmail app on Android, you might be greeted by some tweaked colors that look just a tad different than before.

Google freshens up Gmail on Android with some bolder colors was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 3:23 AM No comments

This is the simplest way to discover and install apps on your Wear OS watch

The Play Store on your phone can now help you with that

A few months ago, Google said that it was working on improving the way you discover and install apps on Wear OS watches, by allowing you to browse the watch's Play Store from the larger screen on your smartphone. At the time, we thought this would only roll out once the all-new Wear OS revamp was out, but it seems this isn't the case. Two of our team members are already seeing these changes in the Play Store on their phones, and we can say with certainty: this is the easiest way to find and send apps to your watch.

This is the simplest way to discover and install apps on your Wear OS watch was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 12:23 AM No comments

Chrome 93 Beta is all about convenience, progressive web apps, and glimpses of Material You (APK Download)

Cross-device OTP support, tons of PWA improvements, and first few glimpses of Material You incoming

Chrome 93 is rolling out to the beta channel as we speak, and it packs some exciting things. We're in for better cross-platform compatibility when it comes to OTP codes, prettier (or at least more useful) windows for web apps, plus much more. Here's what we know about the beta right now.

Cross-device support for OTP codes

Google is giving developers all tools needed to make two-factor authentication via one-time codes (OTPs) much less of a hassle.

Chrome 93 Beta is all about convenience, progressive web apps, and glimpses of Material You (APK Download) was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 11:24 PM No comments

23 temporarily free and 46 on-sale apps and games for Friday

Don't miss out on the sales for Space Marshals, Titan Quest, and Golf Peaks

Welcome to Friday, everyone. It's almost the weekend, and so I have some solid dales to share with everyone, including a few noteworthy standouts. First up is Space Marshals, an enjoyable third-person tactical shooter that's currently $3 off. Next, I have Titan Quest, a classic ARPG that was recently updated with controller support. Last but not least is Golf Peaks, a fantastic puzzler themed around the relaxing sport.

23 temporarily free and 46 on-sale apps and games for Friday was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 9:23 PM No comments

You can now download Chrome 93 Beta

The last release before Google switches to an even faster four-month cycle

Google is constantly releasing new versions of Chrome, and the beta channel has been promoted to v93 this week. The latest browser variant continues testing some controversial interface changes that first popped up in Chrome 91, but there are also things to look forward to. Chrome 93 is now rolling out on the Play Store, and the download is available for you over at APK Mirror, too.

When I first installed the latest beta, it quickly became apparent that Google keeps testing its various redesigns for the new tab page and the top bar.

You can now download Chrome 93 Beta was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 8:24 PM No comments

Google Duplex could soon get you a spot on your favorite restaurant's waitlist

Finally, your chance to get a table at Dorsia

Google Duplex still feels like magic to this date, allowing you to place reservations, order food, and get accurate business opening hours without ever placing a phone call yourself. And it looks like you'll soon also be able to get a spot on a phone-based restaurant waitlist, according to VentureBeat. One of the publication's journalists is part of a random limited A/B that gives him access to a new "Request to join waitlist" button in business listings on Google Maps.

Google Duplex could soon get you a spot on your favorite restaurant's waitlist was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 6:23 PM No comments

The setup app for Google TV is now in the Play Store

You probably won't ever need to manually download it

When you first turn on the new Chromecast with Google TV, you're put through an extremely simple setup process: choose your language, connect to Wi-Fi, log in to Google, select your default streaming apps. There's not much to it, but just in case Google wants to change things around, the tool is now on the Play Store.

There's not much to this, and most users won't ever need to actually visit the Play Store listing to update the app.

The setup app for Google TV is now in the Play Store was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 8:23 AM No comments

Not so sweet: Google responds to 'sugar daddy' Play Store app ban

The new restriction is based on its existing policy regarding sexual content

Update
Google Statement

Today, Google published a handful of changes to its Play policies, and nestled among precise legalese refinements and some advertising ID tweaks is a bombshell for a certain type of dating crowd. Google's updated its inappropriate content policy to ban "compensated sexual relationships" — i.e., sugar daddy or sugar dating apps.

I have to admit, I didn't actively know that sugar daddy apps were a thing, but apparently, they absolutely are.

Not so sweet: Google responds to 'sugar daddy' Play Store app ban was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 6:23 AM No comments

An upcoming Chrome test fills its homepage with even more useless clickbait

There's no hiding from the Discover feed

Update
New test

Google is no stranger to pushing its popular Discover feed across its various platforms and products. You can even find it in Chrome's new tab page on Android these days, with its curated news feed based on your interests. Discover was first introduced in Chrome 54 and has received iterative updates to make it more prominent. It isn't finished, though, as it looks to make Discover even more visible in Chrome while in turn sacrificing usability.

An upcoming Chrome test fills its homepage with even more useless clickbait was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 6:23 AM No comments

Google Contacts is already getting its Material You UI makeover

Complete with rounded corners and squircles

We're still a beta or so away from a stable build of Android 12 becoming available to the public, but that doesn't mean we haven't already seen some ripple effects from its upcoming makeover. A few apps, like Chrome and Camera, have already received minor Material You touch-ups, and today, it's Contacts' turn. A new update to the app brings along some automatic themes, but you can take advantage of some of its fresh look even if you're running Android 11.

Google Contacts is already getting its Material You UI makeover was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 6:23 AM No comments

Google Fit's health data is now more beautiful and more functional (APK Download)

A new "Browse" tab centralizes your data and adds more options

Google Fit is seeing a renaissance of sorts. After being quasi-abandoned for a long while, the app reemerged with a new UI and keeps adding new features every now and then, like the impressive heart and respiratory rate measurement on Pixels. But what Fit has always lacked is a more organized user experience. The stream of similar-looking cards on the homescreen is the least efficient way of showing all this health data, and it seems the devs finally took notice and decided to fix it, while also adding new functionality.

Google Fit's health data is now more beautiful and more functional (APK Download) was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 12:23 AM No comments

Mi Control Center and other Treydev apps have a new owner, and customers are pissed

$30 a month seems a bit steep for a notification shade

A company snapping up a popular Android developer can be a precursor to shenanigans. And shenanigans aren't anything new for Treydev Inc, a Romanian developer which we've reported on before. The dev makes popular custom user interfaces that mimic the behavior of Android device maker skins. Earlier this year Treydev's most popular apps were switched over to the developer account for ZipoApps, a holding company with a few dozen apps on the Play Store of varying function and quality.

Mi Control Center and other Treydev apps have a new owner, and customers are pissed was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 10:23 PM No comments

Google Reader is returning from the dead and haunting Google Chrome

Currently available behind a flag in Chrome 92

Update
Article updated

Google Reader used to be the pinnacle of RSS news consumption before it was discontinued in 2013, and many people are still bitter about its demise. While Google probably won't ever properly resurrect the service, it's currently working on the next best thing: An option to follow websites in Chrome, tapping into RSS. You can try it right now in Chrome 92.

In June, How To Geek reported that you can get started by activating the so-called web feed flag in Chrome Beta under chrome://flags/#web-feed (copy and paste this into your address bar).

Google Reader is returning from the dead and haunting Google Chrome was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 8:26 PM No comments

Android Auto gets a new navigation app for your off-road adventures

Gaia is now compatible with Android Auto

It took several years for Google to allow Android Auto head units to run third-party navigation apps instead of its own Maps service. As expected, Waze was the first on board, then more followed suit, including TomTom NaviGO. But all of those are made for typical route-following drivers. What if you want to take your 4x4 on an off-road adventure? You'd need a specialized app for that, like Gaia, and now it's just landed on Auto.

Android Auto gets a new navigation app for your off-road adventures was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 8:26 PM No comments

Google bans 'sugar daddy' apps from Play Store

It's part of the company's restrictions on sexual content

Today, Google published a handful of changes to its Play policies and nestled among precise legalese refinements and some advertising ID tweaks is a bombshell for a certain type of dating crowd. Google's updated its inappropriate content policy to ban "compensated sexual relationships" — i.e., sugar daddy or sugar dating apps.

I have to admit, I didn't actively know that sugar daddy apps were a thing, but apparently, they absolutely are.

Google bans 'sugar daddy' apps from Play Store was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 7:24 AM No comments

Google will start enforcing its new anti-spam Play Store policies in September

Your Play Store search results should start to look a whole lot cleaner

Update
Dates for policy changes

As a blogger focused on Android, I see a lot of spammy app names in the Play Store. Apps with extraneous descriptors trying to pop up in more searches, apps that include the name of other, more popular apps, or even (shudder) emoji in the names. Someone at Google is as tired of all that as I am, because there's a new set of guidelines for developers publishing apps in the Play Store.

Google will start enforcing its new anti-spam Play Store policies in September was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 4:23 AM No comments

Google Voice is letting you go scorched earth on your SMS thread history

Along with a bunch of other new fan-requested features

It might not be one of Google's most-used services, but Voice fans are as dedicated as they come. Although the app doesn't receive attention as often as many of us might wish for, today's your lucky day. Voice is getting four long-awaited features that should make its calling and texting experience a whole lot smoother and more manageable.

Google is directly attributing all of its new upgrades to fan feedback, which makes them all the more exciting.

Google Voice is letting you go scorched earth on your SMS thread history was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 4:23 AM No comments

Videoleap editor makes the jump from iOS to Android

But you'll have to pay up quite a bit to get the full version

Do you take videos on your phone? Do you subsequently need to remove and/or rearrange portions of those videos, along with more subtle changes? Do you find the app that came with your phone to achieve this purpose underwhelming? Then You might want to check out Videoleap. Previously restricted to iOS, this video editor comes from the same people who developed the Motionleap photo animator.

Videoleap includes the usual basic cutting and pasting tools, plus greenscreen, aspect ratios, slo-mo and fast motion, audio editing, and unlimited undo and redo actions.

Videoleap editor makes the jump from iOS to Android was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 3:23 AM No comments

Final Fantasy I, II, and III launch on Android a day early as pixel-art remasters

And they're gonna cost ya

On July 1st, Square Enix tweeted that the first three Final Fantasy titles would be coming to mobile as remasters on July 29th. Well, it would appear someone has pulled the trigger a little early, and so all three are now available on the Play Store. This is why the original Android ports for I and II are now unlisted, where these remasters are being released as updated replacements that many of us will have to purchase again if we wish to see support.

Final Fantasy I, II, and III launch on Android a day early as pixel-art remasters was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 2:23 AM No comments

NieR Re[in]carnation lands on Android with one small caveat

You can't play yet, but the servers should go live soon

We've known for a while that NieR Re[in]carnation would land on Android on July 28th, but thanks to a recent tweet that hinted at a delay, some were left wondering when the game would actually launch. Well, right now, you can indeed install the title from the Play Store, though the servers aren't live just yet, which is why you'll be treated to a splash screen that says as much once you boot into the game.

NieR Re[in]carnation lands on Android with one small caveat was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 12:25 AM No comments

Dr. Mario World is at death’s door a little over two years after its release

A tough pill to swallow, but it's ending November 1st

It looks like all those pills Dr. Mario was prescribing willy-nilly have ended his career. Nintendo has announced that Dr. Mario World isn't long for this world, and so the game will be shut down on November 1st. Starting today, the title's in-game currency (Diamonds) are no longer being sold. Oddly enough, your play history will remain available after Dr. Mario World is shut down, which will be moved to an accessible web page once the servers are offline.

Dr. Mario World is at death’s door a little over two years after its release was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 10:28 PM No comments

Here's what the Play Store's take on Apple's privacy labels might look like

The mockups for the new safety section are "directional" and for developers, but Google says they may pan out

Back in May, Google announced that the Play Store was also getting App Store-style privacy labels, one-upping Apple's implementation by requiring extra information about customer security, if user data can be deleted, and whether permissions are optional or required. Like it or hate it, the new "safety section," as Google calls it, will be mandatory for all apps on the Play Store, kicking into gear in Q2 2022. And today, Google is sharing a few more specifics on precisely how it will work, what it might look like, and how developers can prepare.

Here's what the Play Store's take on Apple's privacy labels might look like was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 10:28 PM No comments

Waze's new pre-drive display shows all the crap you want to avoid on your morning commute

Get to your destination just a little bit faster

Whether you're headed out on a road trip or back into the office, knowing the best way to drive from one place to the next is essential to avoid headache-inducing obstacles. Waze is already one of the best alternatives to Google Maps, utilizing crowdsourced data to track speed traps and traffic jams. With a new update, the app wants to ensure drivers know what they'll face well before rubber hits the road.

Waze's new pre-drive display shows all the crap you want to avoid on your morning commute was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 10:28 PM No comments

14 temporarily free and 22 on-sale apps and games for Wednesday

Don't miss out on the sales for Lovecraft's Untold Stories, Runic Curse, and Arrog

Welcome to Wednesday, everyone. It would appear that things have cooled down for the middle of the week, but I still have a few standouts to share with everyone. First up is Lovecraft's Untold Stories, an enjoyable action roguelite filled to the brim with Lovecraft lore. Next, I have Runic Curse, a solid Metroidvania title that's well worth the current sale price. Last but not least is Arrog, a short puzzle-based adventure game that offers some excellent art.

14 temporarily free and 22 on-sale apps and games for Wednesday was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 9:26 PM No comments

Telegram beta lets you share your screen during a video call

Plus video playback speeds and more

It's no secret that Telegram development moves at 10x the speed of other messengers. No sooner had we learned about some new features than we discover there's a newer update with even more interesting things to try. This is the case today with an update to Telegram beta, which brings a bunch of interesting additions like video playback speed controls and screen sharing — though the latter seems very buggy for now.

Telegram beta lets you share your screen during a video call was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 8:25 PM No comments

Spotify is getting a redesigned mini player UI with a more modern look

Rounded corners and fancy colors seem to be the order of the day

The Spotify design team likes to keep moving, which means we often get fresh elements here and there, either in testing or rolling out for real. This latest redesign is one of the most expressive we've seen for some time, introducing a new mini player UI that follows the current trend of rounding corners and adding more color.

We've had a few tips about this new style coming to the stable version of the Android app, and I have it on several devices, so we're confident this will roll out to everyone.

Spotify is getting a redesigned mini player UI with a more modern look was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 7:25 PM No comments

All the free games included with Stadia Pro

Five new games in August, including Killer Queen Black and new release Grime

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. Here, for your convenience, we've compiled a handy list of all the games you can claim right now.

Click any linked game title to open it in Stadia on desktop or mobile.

New games for August 2021

Games to be added to Pro in August:
- It Came From Space & Ate Our Brains
- Epistory: Typing Chronicles
- Killer Queen Black
- Valkyria Chronicles 4
- Grime (coming August 2)

Games to be removed from Pro in August:
- Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number

Any Pro games you claim stay in your library as long as you're a Pro subscriber.

All the free games included with Stadia Pro was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 5:23 AM No comments

Samsung's Good Lock modules prep exciting new features in anticipation of One UI 3.1.1

Icon theming is already available to try

Back in June, Samsung's Good Lock module NiceCatch confirmed the existence of One UI 3.1.1 by mentioning it in its changelog. Now the manufacturer is set to launch the Galaxy Z Fold3 and Z Flip3 next month, and we're expecting to see the debut of One UI 3.1.1 alongside them. While we may get fewer new features in favor of optimizations and bug fixes, the big release is still a little further out — One UI 4 based on Android 12, later this year.

Samsung's Good Lock modules prep exciting new features in anticipation of One UI 3.1.1 was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 5:23 AM No comments

Google TV on your phone now supports more streaming services, including YouTube TV

Also Google stretched out the interface a little bit

Google's TV-focused branding is kind of weird. So when I say Google TV, am I talking about A) the short-lived precursor to Android TV, B) the new interface that runs over Android TV (but isn't exactly the same thing), C) the thing that let you buy and rent TV episodes via Google Play, or D) the new app that also lets you do that, but kinda sorta controls Google TV (the one from B)?

Google TV on your phone now supports more streaming services, including YouTube TV was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 4:23 AM No comments

Google Photos is all click-click-click now and it's enormously satisfying

A more tactile experience for your cloud library

It's no secret that haptics are becoming an increasingly important factor in smartphones. Android haptics have always been a bit of a mixed bag, requiring a mix of premium hardware and excellent software. As these components continue to improve each year, Google has been slowly tweaking its software to include physical feedback. Photos is the latest recipient, adding a nice touch whenever you're browsing through your picture history.

In recent updates to Google Photos, the timeline scrollbar now provides clicks for each month while sorting through an entire library (via Reddit).

Google Photos is all click-click-click now and it's enormously satisfying was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 4:23 AM No comments

It looks like Google is building an iOS-to-Android migration app

After the Data Restore Tool surfaced on the Play Store, teardowns point to Google's plans

Update
Teardown points to a 'Switch to Android' iOS app coming

You might not be familiar with the name Data Restore Tool, but odds are most of our readers have actually seen the app in action before — if not when setting up a new phone for the first time, then occasionally as an aside in our coverage when we cover the topic. It's preinstalled on many (I'd hazard to say most) recent Android phones and handles part of the process that migrates data between your old phone and new one.

It looks like Google is building an iOS-to-Android migration app was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 3:23 AM No comments

Here are 817 apps and games available on Google Play Pass right now

All the apps you can get for free on Play Pass (that we've found)

Google Play Pass, a program that gives subscribers no-charge, ad-free access to premium apps and apps with premium features, launched in 2019 with over 350 titles on its roster. Thing is, though, Google doesn't make it easy to suss out all of the apps participating in the program, whether through the Play Store or external documentation on associated Google sites. Great. Well, guess what? We're gonna give it a try and list as many apps participating in Play Pass as we can.

Here are 817 apps and games available on Google Play Pass right now was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 1:23 AM No comments

The Google Phone app is getting a streamlined settings menu

Along with new categories and icons

Google loves to shuffle up its settings menu every so often. Whether it's adding a splash of color to Android's settings (before taking it away on a whim) or introducing a search bar to help you find exactly what you need, even the slightest tweak can streamline your day-to-day experience. Google's Phone app is receiving such an update, with new categories to make it easier to sort through all of its options.

The Google Phone app is getting a streamlined settings menu was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 11:23 PM No comments

The Google Pay virtual card for retail stores is now appearing in the app

At least for some users

Update
Virtual cards now rolling out

Google relaunched its Pay app last year, placing a greater focus on sending money between friends and family. Having a built-in Venmo alternative on Android is great, but users who actually want to use their newfound cash have been stuck moving balances between their virtual wallet and bank account. That's not the case anymore, as Google Pay allows you to submit any NFC payment with your account balance.

The Google Pay virtual card for retail stores is now appearing in the app was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 10:23 PM No comments

Marvel's next collection-based beat 'em up finally has a release date

Arriving August 25th

Latest update
Marvel Future Revolution is arriving at the end of next month

Marvel recently revealed at PAX East 2020 that its next game is coming to mobile as an open-world RPG called Marvel Future Revolution. This title will serve as a follow-up to Netmarble's Marvel: Future Fight (not to be confused with the upcoming sequel for Contest of Champions), but instead of the linear design of the original title, Future Revolution will offer the same action combat wrapped up in an open-world design.

Marvel's next collection-based beat 'em up finally has a release date was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 8:24 PM No comments

Google brings Android Data Restore Tool to the Play Store following backup overhaul

The timing strikes us as curious

You might not be familiar with the name Data Restore Tool, but odds are most of our readers have actually seen the app in action before — if not when setting up a new phone for the first time, then occasionally as an aside in our coverage when we cover the topic. It's preinstalled on many (I'd hazard to say most) recent Android phones and handles part of the process that migrates data between your old phone and new one.

Google brings Android Data Restore Tool to the Play Store following backup overhaul was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 4:23 AM No comments

Discord teases threaded conversations, which might make you hate it less

Feature launch comes tomorrow after a month of testing

Messaging client Discord is about to give its users a ball of yarn, teasing a threading feature that will officially debut tomorrow.

The announcement was posted to the company's Twitter account midday today.

pic.twitter.com/EbkxHNSVc0

— Discord (@discord) July 26, 2021

Threading went through testing on a small group of servers over the past month. An FAQ page tells us what we general users may expect in terms of the feature including how to start and participate in one, privileged thread settings, and moderation.

Discord teases threaded conversations, which might make you hate it less was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 4:23 AM No comments

Google Pay's big push past 3,000 US banks continues with 17 more

No, YOU'RE a bank

Latest update
17 new ones

Google Pay has come a long way over the years, most recently with a complete redesign now under its belt. Not too long ago we crossed an eagerly anticipated milestone for the mobile payment app, with the service finally surpassing more than 3,000 banks in the US, and now it's adding 13 more.

With 3,000 banks now in the rear-view mirror, we'll need to start counting down to the next milestone.

Google Pay's big push past 3,000 US banks continues with 17 more was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 11:23 PM No comments

The best racing series you've never heard of is about to get a new mobile entry

Rush Rally is ramping up for a new release on Android, pre-registration now available

It's official, a new Rush Rally is coming to Android, and it recently entered into pre-registration on the Play Store. This is the long-awaited follow-up to Brownmonster Limited's Rush Rally 3, and this time around, everyone can expect a top-down racer. While we don't yet know when the game will be released, the fact it's finally available for pre-registration should signal that we are at the very least nearing that unannounced release date, which is good news for all of you racing fans out there.

The best racing series you've never heard of is about to get a new mobile entry was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 11:23 PM No comments

Contra blasts its way onto mobile as a side-scrolling shooter, and so far fans aren't happy

It's called Contra Returns, and we'd all be better off if it hadn't

Contra is a classic run and gun shooter from Konami that has seen many followups since its debut in 1987 as an arcade game. It would seem Konami saw fit to lend the license to Tencent, so TiMi Studio developed a free-to-play interpretation of the classic sidescrolling shooter. It's called Contra Returns, and it's now available on the Play Store. As you can guess, this is a gacha game that's packed with in-app purchases, as well as a VIP system, and worse yet, user reviews are pretty negative thanks to the game's aggressive permissions.

Contra blasts its way onto mobile as a side-scrolling shooter, and so far fans aren't happy was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , reviews , Tablets 11:23 PM No comments

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