6 best Android emulators for your computer
There are a lot of valid reasons why someone would want to run Android emulators on their PC. App developers may be trying to test their application before shipping it out. Gamers may want to use a mouse and keyboard on their games. Maybe you just want it there to have it. In any case, Android emulation on PC is possible and we’re going to take a look at the best Android emulators for PC.
See also: 12 best emulators for Android
AMIDuOS
[Price: $10-15]
AMIDuOS is first on our list and this is a relatively newer Android emulator. This one comes in two flavors: Lollipop and Jelly Bean. Aside from the version type, the only other difference between the two is Jelly Bean costs $10 while Lollipop costs $15 and those are one-time charges which is kind of nice. AMIDuOS runs very well. It’s a smooth emulator that does things like productivity and gaming quite well. Most users should be able to use this for pretty much whatever they need it for and the install process isn’t bad at all. Obviously, it’s not overly great for developers since it doesn’t give you device-specific configurations but on a consumer level, this one works very well.
Get it now on Google Play!
Andy
[Price: Free]
Next on our list is an entirely free emulator called Andy. We reviewed this when it first came out and while it did have some issues back then, it still managed to prove itself as a capable replacement for apps like Bluestacks. It runs pretty much the entire gamut of the Android experience including productivity apps, launchers, games, and you can even install root access if needed. It has fixed pretty much all of its early day issues but it is still a little bit more involved of an installation than something like Bluestacks. In any case, it is free and it does work very well. We have our video about it linked below if you want to know more.
Get Andy!
Bluestacks
[Price: Free / $2/month]
Bluestacks is kind of the de facto option for a lot of consumers when it comes to Android emulation on PC. It works well most of the time for most purposes. Generally, this is used by those who want to play Android games on their devices and for that, the service does well enough. You can get it for free but every now and then, the service will download sponsored apps onto your machine that you can usually uninstall. There is also a premium version that doesn’t do this. It works well enough in most cases and it’s a good starting point. Especially for those who are less tech savvy.
Get Bluestacks!
droid4x
[Price: Free]
Our next emulator is called droid4x and it’s an interesting choice for an emulator. It runs in a similar fashion as Andy or AMIDuOS and the performance and productivity is about the same as well. I may not have said that a year ago but like the other two, there have been improvements made. What makes this one interesting are the add-ons. This one includes an application you install on your smartphone so that you can control games on your computer. For instance, you’ll be able to use the accelerometer to turn your car in Asphalt 8. It’s definitely better than Andy or AMIDuOS for games although we believe that Andy and AMIDuOS may be a bit better in terms of stability and speed.
Get droid4x!
Genymotion
[Price: Free with paid options]
First on our list is Genymotion. This Android emulator is geared toward developers who want to test their apps or games on a variety of devices without actually being required to own those devices. You can configure the emulator for a variety of devices with various versions of Android to help suit your needs. For instance, you can run a Nexus One with Android 4.2 or a Nexus 6 with Android 6.0. The choice is yours and you can easily switch between “devices” at will. It’s not great for consumer uses such as checking email or using apps, but Genymotion does offer their services for free for personal use so that option is there if you really want to.
Get Genymotion!
Nox
[Price: Free]
Last and certainly not least on our list is Nox. Like Bluestacks, Nox is an Android emulator that is set up to cater to gamers. This includes utilities and additions that are specifically catered to helping gamers control their games using their keyboard and mouse. This includes things like the capacity to assign “swipe right” to, say, an arrow key and simulate actual gesture movements directly on your keyboard or joystick if you have one. It’s a lot of fun and seems to work rather well most of the time. It’s also entirely free. The video below was recorded with laggy software (not Nox, but the screen capture software), but there is a good explanation on how the key macros work.
Get Nox!
Wrap up
If we missed any great Android emulators on PC, tell us about it in the comments! If you want to stay up to date on the latest Android apps and games news, you can subscribe to our newsletter using the form below.
To see our complete list of Android apps and games lists, click here!
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- Android Weekly
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10 best note taking apps for Android
One of the many great things about having a smartphone is the ability to take notes. Gone are the days where inspirations were lost because you couldn’t find a notebook and you now carry your grocery list in your pocket all day, every day. Of course, you’ll want the right app for that job so lets take a look at the best note taking apps for Android!
ColorNote
[Price: Free]
First on our list is ColorNotes. This is a simple note taking application that allows you to create text notes, lists, and more. Its namesake feature is the ability to change the background color of notes to help you stay organized, a feature it had long before Google Keep came out. Some other features include calendar support, backup support to both internal and cloud storage, some task reminder features, and more. Best of all, it’s completely free.
Get it now on Google Play!
Evernote
[Price: Free / optional subscription]
Evernote is pretty much the upper tier when it comes to note taking apps. It is loaded with features of all kinds, including various note types, notebook support, organizational features, collaboration features, note sharing, and, of course, cross-platform support. If you get the optional subscription, you’ll get more storage space, offline access, PDF annotation, and more. It’s powerful and it’s definitely worth a shot if you need something a little more than just a basic note app.
Get it now on Google Play!
Fast Notepad
[Price: Free]
Fast Notepad is a relatively newer option in the note taking space and it’s already getting some seriously positive reviews. This Material Design-inspired application is just a quick note taking app. There are no extra features, no ads, and nothing to bloat the app whatsoever. It works very quickly and well enough for what it’s designed to do. It’s a great option for people who just need something simple and quick. Of course, the caveat is that to maintain quickness, the app does lack some features.
Get it now on Google Play!
FiiNote
[Price: Free]
FiiNote is from the same developers who did FreeNote which used to be on this list many years ago. FiiNote is a fun little note taking application that provides a more authentic experience. It comes with a grid background along with stylus/drawing support so you can type notes, write them, or draw them if you want. You can also add images, video, and voice if you want to. It’s free to use and comes with a decent set of features for those looking for a hybrid note taking experience.
Get it now on Google Play!
Google Keep
[Price: Free]
Google’s note taking app is called Google Keep and it’s one that you’ll hear a lot of people recommend. It uses a very colorful, Material Design-inspired interface that both looks great and is highly functional. Notes show up as cards that you can quickly scroll through and select. The app is integrated with Google Drive, allows for voice and photo to be added to notes, and you can even share notes and set reminders. It’s a good note taking app that has just enough features to be super useful but not so many that it’s bloated.
Get it now on Google Play!
LectureNotes
[Price: Free demo / $3.59]
LectureNotes is a popular, highly rated, and powerful note taking application. This one isn’t so much geared toward general note taking as it is geared toward things like academia and professional use. It was one of the earliest apps to include stylus support and remains one of the best ones to have this today. It has support for OneNote and Evernote along with PDF support, audio and video recording capabilities (for recording lectures or meetings), and a lot more. It’s a seriously good app.
Get it now on Google Play!
NotePad+
[Price: Free / $0.99]
Notepad+ bills itself as a universal application for taking notes, drawing, doodling, sketching, and all sorts of other stuff. It’s a bit different from other apps in this category thanks to its free-flowing nature. You can literally do anything from doodle a picture to take actual notes and pretty much everything between the two. It comes with various color themes, unlimited notes (limited only by your own internal storage), multi-page notes, and even a passcode feature for security.
Get it now on Google Play!
OneNote
[Price: Free]
Microsoft’s OneNote is a standalone note taking app that works on the OneDrive surface similar to how Google Keep works on Google Drive. It has a bunch of features including organization features, cross-platform support, widgets, Android Wear support, collaboration features, and support for voice, text, and photo additions to notes. It’s fairly powerful and a must-have application if you use Microsoft’s series of productivity apps.
Get it now on Google Play!
Simplenote
[Price: Free]
Simplenote, as the name implies, is a simple note taking app. Must like Fast Note, it intentionally removes a lot of the features you’d see in other apps in favor of speed and to help keep the app lightweight. Unlike Fast Note, it does have some other features. It offers syncing between your devices and also an organization system that works off of tags and pins so you can quickly find the notes you’re looking for. All of it is also totally free.
Get it now on Google Play!
SomNote
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Last and certainly not least on our list is SomNote. This note taking application has quite a few features and caters more to long-form note taking rather than simple things like grocery lists or reminders. It has a folder system for easy organization, a locking mechanism to keep things secure, and theming options. There is also a syncing feature so you can go back and forth between devices. It’s a good, solid app that does what it says it does.
Get it now on Google Play!
Wrap up
If we missed any great note taking apps, tell us about them in the comments! If you want to stay up to date on the latest Android apps and games news, you can use the form below to sign up for our newsletter!
To see our complete list of Android apps and games lists, click here!
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- Android Weekly
- Apps Weekly
10 best video streaming apps for Android
Video streaming is quickly becoming a very big deal. That old cable subscription is looking less and less like a good deal and there are now tons of ways to enjoy content online. The revolution will be streamed, not televised. Here is our list of the best video streaming apps for Android. Please note, the availability of these services may be different based on your region. We apologize if we recommend something that’s not available where you are.
See also: 22 best Chromecast apps for Android
Amazon Prime Instant Video
[Price: Free app, $99/yr subscription]
Amazon Prime is probably one of the best deals that you can get on the Internet. For $99 you get free 2-day shipping along with a host of other features. One of them is Amazon Instant Video. Many pundits will tell you that the collection pales in comparison to the likes of Netflix or Hulu, but they generally don’t take into account that Netflix doesn’t offer 2-day shipping on Amazon. You can also purchase TV shows and movies that are available on Amazon but not on Instant Video and then watch them using this app. The installation process is a little wonky and the UI is a bit clunky, but it does work. Please note, the installation methods for smartphones and tablets are different. Use the button below to get the smartphone version. Click here to get the tablet install instructions.
Get it now on Amazon!
Crunchyroll
[Price: Free app, $6.95/month subscription]
Crunchyroll is one of the most popular anime streaming apps out there right now. The service boasts 25,000 episodes and 15,000 hours of content that you can watch. You can actually engage with most of this content completely free but you’ll have to deal with ads. You can then pay up the subscription cost to remove those ads. It has some heavy hitting shows including many fan favorites. The only problem is the service tends to lean towards subtitles so dub fans may to look elsewhere.
Get it now on Google Play!
Disney Movies Anywhere
[Price: Free]
Disney Movies Anywhere is a newer streaming service operated by, you guessed it, Disney. This one is rather interesting. Instead of making you buy anything, Disney lets you buy their movies wherever you want. Once you buy them, you can then have access to them on the streaming service. You can even purchase physical copies although they will need to come with a digital code if you want to use them on this service. It’s a unique way of doing things, especially if you plan to buy a lot of Disney movies.
Get it now on Google Play!
Google Play Movies and TV
[Price: Free]
Google Play Movies & TV is Google’s in-house video streaming app. With this, you can watch any content that you decide to buy from the Google Play Store. Unfortunately, it’s not a service like Netflix but more of a content purchasing system similar to iTunes. Once purchased, you can use this app to watch them on your Android devices. It comes with Material Design, Chromecast support, and it’s most likely already installed on your device. It’s had some problems, but it’s not a terrible experience.
Get it now on Google Play!
HBO NOW
[Price: Free app, $14.99/month subscription]
HBO has not only been a fan of all-caps for a long time, but they’ve also been very forward thinking when it comes to video streaming. This has culminated in HBO NOW, HBO’s very own streaming service. With it, you can access pretty much anything you want on HBO’s network including Silicon Valley, Sex and the City, VICE, The Wire, Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, and more. The only potential caveat is that it’s far more expensive than other services despite providing less content.
Get it now on Google Play!
Netflix
[Price: Free app, $9/month subscription]
Netflix is such an iconic streaming service in our culture that “Netflix and chill” is a thing that exists. Absurdities aside, Netflix is a fantastic streaming service and one that virtually all other streaming services are compared to. The service is generally rock solid with support for a ton of devices. You’ll also have a good mixture of movies, TV shows, anime, comedy stand up, and other genres. If you don’t have it, you should definitely consider it.
Get it now on Google Play!
Hulu
[Price: Free app, $7.99-$11.99/month optional subscription]
Hulu and Netflix have been “the big two” in video streaming for quite sometime and that remains true today. Hulu focuses primarily on television shows and has quite a large selection of shows to choose from. Unlike most subscription services, Hulu gets shows relatively quickly for streaming. With this one, you have two streaming subscription options. There’s the $7.99 for limited commercials and a newer, slightly more expensive $11.99 for no commercials at all. You can also opt to pay nothing and watch commercials.
Get it now on Google Play!
Sling TV
[Price: Free app, $19.99/month subscription]
Sling TV is a bold attempt to create a television network that exists entirely online. It’s a move pretty much every cord cutter applauds. The basic package includes about two dozen channels for its admittedly steep $19.99/month charge. You can add additional packages for more money per month that includes Spanish TV, sports, kids stuff, and more. The app needs a bit of work, but the service is solid and it should get better over time.
Get it now on Google Play!
Twitch
[Price: Free]
Twitch is the standard for watching and streaming video games and, overall, one of the better streaming apps on this list. With it, you can follow and watch all of your favorite content creators and maybe one day become inspired enough to become one yourself. There isn’t too much to say about the service because it really is just a bunch of really entertaining people playing video games. You do have the option to subscribe to a channel and watch ad-free in exchange for money, but that varies based on the number of channels you want to subscribe to.
Get it now on Google Play!
YouTube
[Price: Free app, $9.99/month optional subscription]
YouTube has been slowly evolving over the last few years and it’s now a force to be reckoned with. On top of being the world’s most popular “shoot and share” streaming site, it’s also the de facto space for things like music videos, independent news, and a bunch of other fun stuff. There is also YouTube Gaming, a competitor to Twitch, as well as YouTube Kids, which is YouTube but geared for children. You can pick up YouTube Red for $9.99/month which will remove all advertising and add some additional features, including a Google Play Music subscription.
Get it now on Google Play!
Wrap up
If we missed any great video streaming apps for Android, tell us about them in the comments! If you want to stay up to date on the latest Android apps and games news, you can use the form below to sign up for our newsletter!
Check out our Android Apps Weekly newsletter!
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- Apps Weekly
10 best Android tablet apps that all tablet owners should have
Whether or not tablets are the next wave of computing is still a topic that’s up for debate and one without any real answer right now. That said, tablets can be a lot of fun and very useful if you can find stuff to do on them. In this app roundup, we’ll try to get you started with the best Android tablet apps that all tablet owners should have.
See also: 15 best Android apps of all time!
Pretty much any Adobe app
[Price: Free]
Adobe has quite the range of products on mobile, including Photoshop Express, Lightroom Mobile, Capture CC, Illustrator Draw, Color CC, Shape CC, Brush CC, and many others. These are all useful applications that do various things but they really shine on the larger screen real estate that comes with having a tablet. They’re all free to download and most of them work well with Creative Cloud if you happen to use that. We recommend giving them a look and you can do just that using the button below.
Get it now on Google Play!
Amazon Kindle
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
There are a ton of ebook reader apps out there, but there are few that have the stability, selection, and usefulness of Amazon Kindle. The Kindle Store has a ton of books, magazines, and other reading material that you can buy and read. The larger screen sizes make reading much easier and more comfortable than on phones and tablets are where apps like Kindle really shine. Google Play Books is a decent alternative as well.
Get it now on Google Play!
CamScanner and Xodo PDF Reader and Editor
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
CamScanner is a great productivity app. This allows you to use your tablet’s camera to scan in documents such as invoices, forms, receipts, and other documentation that you may want in the digital space. You can annotate PDFs, send the images in PDF or JPEG format, and there is even a service embedded that will send faxes. It also comes with OCR support, print options, and more. You can use this with an app like Xodo PDF Reader and Editor and between the two, you’ll be able to handle all of your PDF scanning and editing needs. You can use that last link there to pick up Xodo and the button below to get CamScanner.
Get CamScanner now on Google Play!
Clover Paint
[Price: $7.56]
The larger screens on tablets make them almost perfect for artists and Clover Paint is about as good as it gets in the artist space. The app is expensive, but it bills itself as a professional-grade painting app. It comes complete with layers, tons of brushes, customizable canvas sizes, stylus support for most devices, and a lot more. There is a free demo version you can try before you buy it. If this doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, we have a whole list of apps that are great for artists.
Get it now on Google Play!
Flipboard
[Price: Free]
Flipboard is already a wildly popular news-reading application. It uses a magazine-style user interface that looks and feels just delightful on tablets. It’s a great way to read the news and you can customize your news feed with sources you enjoy reading from (we hope one of them is Android Authority!). It’s simple to use, totally free, and you can find virtually any website to use as a news source. If that’s a little over the top for you, Feedly is another great, simple option.
Get it now on Google Play!
Google Drive suite
[Price: Free]
The Google Drive suite is a pretty hearty list of apps and includes Google Drive (cloud storage), Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides (all office apps), Google Photos, and Google Keep (notes). The Drive app will give you 15GB of free storage with more available at a fairly reasonable price and you can back up virtually any kind of file. The individual apps cover the gamut from office apps to note taking, and even photo viewing and backup. Google Photos is especially great because you can backup photos and videos on your phone and then view them on your tablet’s larger screen.
Get it now on Google Play!
HERE Maps
[Price: Free]
It’s true that Google Maps is kind of the de facto option on most mobile devices. However, a good case can be made for HERE Maps. HERE Maps lets you download maps for offline use and also includes offline navigation. You can find info about businesses in the area and you can share your location using the app’s Glympse feature. Google Maps is getting better with offline support but HERE Maps is definitely worth checking out if you want to use your tablet for GPS. Do beware, though, as a few tablets are still waiting for support from the developers.
Get it now on Google Play!
LastPass
[Price: Free with subscription option]
LastPass is a password management application. We’re sure you’re going to log into a bunch of apps, social networks, and websites on your tablet and an app like LastPass can be a real boon for that. The app will securely store your passwords and then automatically help you log into various sites and apps. It’s great for those who don’t want to remember every password they use. There is a subscription service available, but it’s only really necessary if you want to sync between your computer and mobile devices.
Get it now on Google Play!
PushBullet
[Price: Free]
Chances are you have both a tablet and a smartphone. If that’s the case, PushBullet is an app you should absolutely check out. It allows you to connect your devices together in such a way that they can communicate and work together. With this app, you can do things like answer texts on your tablet instead of your phone, copy and paste things between devices, move files between devices, and tons of other features. It helps bridge that gap between your devices and gives you a way to make them all work together.
Get it now on Google Play!
Zedge
[Price: Free]
Of course, you’ll want to pick up some notification tones and wallpapers for your tablet and Zedge is as good an app as any to start your search. It has a ton of crowd-sourced images and sounds that you can use to customize the most basic parts of your tablet. The selections are pretty decent and the app works very well with the advertising being the only minor complaint. If you need something more, we have a whole list of awesome wallpaper apps to try.
Get it now on Google Play!
Bonus: Your favorite video streaming services
[Price: Varies]
One of the more obvious reasons to pick up a tablet is for multimedia and video streaming is a red-hot industry right now. Some of the services we’d recommend is Netflix, Hulu, Crunchroll, Funimation, Sling TV, YouTube, and Google Play Movies & TV. There are plenty of others and none of them are really bad but how good they are will vary based on your taste in video content. There are no wrong answers here because tablets simply rock for video streaming.
Get it now on Google Play!
Bonus: Your favorite music streaming services
[Price: Varies]
Similarly, tablets are great for audio streaming. It could be music from apps like Pandora, Spotify, Google Play Music, and iHeartRadio or podcast apps like Doggcatcher or Pocket Casts. It even works great for a-la-carte apps like SoundCloud. A tablet along with a decent Bluetooth speaker can give you a fun audio experience that’s easy to control and the best part is that it won’t be eating the battery on your phone! With Google Play Music, you can also upload your own music so you can play your own stuff on your tablet without taking up any precious storage space.
Get it now on Google Play!
Wrap up
If we missed any particularly epic Android tablet apps that you think should’ve been on this list, tell us about them in the comments! If you want to stay up to date on the latest Android apps and games news, use the form below to sign up for our newsletter!
To see our complete list of Android apps and games lists, click here!
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10 best reminder apps for Android
No matter what age you are, there’s a chance you occasionally need to be reminded to do things. We live in a world filled with distraction and various shiny things that often lead us off course of whatever it is we’re trying to do. Thus, setting reminders can not only be productive, but a savior in some situations. On Android, there are a ton of ways to create reminders and we took a look at the best reminder apps for Android.
aCalendar
[Price: Free / $4.49]
One of the most popular ways to set reminders is using your calendar app. If you’re not using Google Calendar, then we’d like to recommend you try out aCalendar. This is a simple calendar app that seems to the basics much better than most. Included is the ability to theme your calendars, various account syncing, QR and NFC support, and more. Of course, you can add an event to the calendar and ask it to remind you of that event. If you fork out for the full version, you’ll also unlock tasks which can give you more powerful reminders.
Get it now on Google Play!
Any.do To-do List
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Any.do To-do List is, as you can imagine, a to-do list app that lets you create tasks and set reminders on when to complete them. To-do list apps are more useful for things like remembering to grab milk from the grocery store than a calendar app would be and they’re also faster to use. Any.do is an exceptionally done to-do list app that comes with various task customizations, cloud syncing between devices, reminders based on both time and location, and it has support for its sister app, Cal Calendar.
Get it now on Google Play!
BZ Reminder
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
BZ Reminder is a very simple to-do list application that focuses on simplicity. You can set a reminder for virtually anything and it’ll go off when it’s supposed to. You can adorn reminders with notes if needed and the app also includes cloud syncing, Android Wear support, recurring tasks, and there is even a simple calendar built-in. It may not have all the power and features of a full-fledged to-do list, but it’s great if you need something quick and simple.
Get it now on Google Play!
Evernote
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Evernote is already a powerful and functional note-taking application. It’s also one of the most popular and highly-rated apps on Google Play. Along with its powerful note taking capabilities, Evernote also allows you to create reminders for notes based on time and location. That means you can make a grocery list, set the reminder for when you’re at the grocery store, and Evernote will remind you that you have a grocery list. It works well and it’s worth a shot.
Get it now on Google Play!
Google App (Google Now)
[Price: Free]
Far and away the best way to do reminders on Android is through Google Now which you can get by installing the Google App. Google Now is a personal assistant-style service that tries to give you information as you need it. Among its many features is the ability to create reminders through voice actions which are then saved and shown to you again later. It’s a powerful service and it’s also easy to use.
Get it now on Google Play!
Google Keep
[Price: Free]
Let’s face facts folks, Google Keep is another three or four feature additions away from being a full-fledged to-do list application. For now, it’s a simple, but powerful note taking application with quite a few features. You can share notes with others and take all kinds of notes that sync to your Google Drive. One of the features is the ability to add reminders (location and/or time based) to your notes so you can get a notification about them when the time comes. It’s a great app to use, especially if you already use a lot of Google’s other services.
Get it now on Google Play!
Inbox by Gmail
[Price: Free]
Inbox by Gmail is a unique spin on Gmail by Google. The idea is to view your email inbox as though it were a news feed like you’d see on a social media app. One of its other features is the ability to add reminders. We’re not talking reminders just for email, but reminders in general. In fact, these are the same reminders that you can set with Google Now which makes using both apps extremely efficient if you’re a reminders type of person.
Get it now on Google Play!
Just Reminder
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
So far, we’ve only talked about apps that do reminders along with other things and it came to a point where we thought that maybe were thinking about it too hard. Just Reminder is an application that just does reminders and nothing else. That means you’ll likely find a more feature-filled reminder here than just about anywhere else. You can configure reminders to be recurring if needed and you can create them for pretty much whatever you want. About the only negative is the design of the app is a bit rough on the eyes, but otherwise it’s worth a shot.
Get it now on Google Play!
Life Reminders
[Price: Free]
Life Reminders is another application that really focuses on the simple act of reminding you of stuff when you tell it to. This one is kind of nifty because it can actually perform certain tasks for you. For instance, if you have to call someone at 11:00AM, the app will remind you and you can tap on the notification to place the call right then. It has a good set of features and recent updates have only appeared to make the app better.
Get it now on Google Play!
Today Calendar
[Price: Free / $2.59]
Today Calendar is another great calendar option for those who need to do reminders. Thanks to its simple and quick interface, you can make events and add reminders to do them without wasting a whole lot of your time. Like aCalendar, this probably isn’t so great for small things like remembering to grab milk at the store but stuff like mowing the lawn, various work and life events, and others still fit very well in a calendar.
Get it now on Google Play!
Wrap up
If we missed any great reminder apps for Android or we didn’t mention your favorite one, tell us about them in the comments! If you want to stay up to date on the latest Android apps and games news, you can subscribe to our newsletter using the form below!
To see our complete list of Android apps and games lists, click here!
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5 Android apps you shouldn’t miss this week! – Android Apps Weekly
Welcome back to Android Apps Weekly! Yes, we’re giving Sunday a shot. Here’s hoping you like it!
Sponsored by Jump’n’Roll Eyeball
[Price: Free / $1.99]
This week’s episode of Android Apps Weekly is sponsored by Jump’n’Roll Eyeball. This is a 2D, side-scrolling platformer where you play as a giant eye with legs. Your goal is to maneuver obstacles and avoid danger to complete the levels. The game play is simple to learn but challenging to master as you’ll be both jumping and rolling a whole bunch.
Despite its simple look, the game can be quite difficult at times. It also comes with Google Play Games leaderboards so you can keep track of who has done it best. It’s a great little time waster and it’s free to download with a single $1.99 in-app purchase to remove ads. Give it a shot and show your support for Android Apps Weekly.
Get it now on Google Play!
Let’s get to those headlines!
- Facebook has mandated that many of their employees must switch to using Android devices over their iPhones. The idea behind the switch is so more of them understand what the Android experience is like. Here’s hoping their batteries die as quickly as ours when using Facebook and the app gets some much needed improvements.
- Scott Games has announced that there will be another Five Nights at Freddy’s game except this one will be an RPG. A trailer has been put out but otherwise not a lot of details are available right now. There’s no time frame on release yet but there will be a free demo to play eventually.
- In a surprising move. Activision has purchased King, developers of Candy Crush Saga, for $5.9 billion. We’re not entirely sure why but this gives Activision a gigantic mobile presence that it did not previously have. For now, everything’s going to stay the same but expect to see some stuff next year as a result of this.
- The latest Humble Bundle is now live! It currently includes six games with a seventh coming soon. Some of the games include Ys Chronicles 1, Block Legends, Rocket ROBO, and more. You can pay $1 and get three games or pay the average and get everything. Give it a shot and don’t forget to give to charity!
- Microsoft made a lot of people angry this week with some unsavory changes to their OneDrive policies. Free storage has been dropped to 5GB and unlimited storage is gone. This is due to people backing up their pirated movie collections and using way too much space.
For even more Android apps and games news, updates, and new releases, don’t forget to check out this week’s newsletter. There we’ll have all the extra stuff we didn’t have time for this week! If you would like, you can sign up with your email address and we’ll send the newsletter to your inbox once per week!
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Custom Quick Settings
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
First up this week is Custom Quick Settings. This is an app for Marshmallow users that allows you to create custom tiles in your Quick Settings menu. One of the lesser documented features of Marshmallow is the ability to do exactly this and the developer has put together this nifty app to make it easier for everyone. It’s free to download and it does not require root.
Get it now on Google Play!
Dead Effect 2
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Dead Effect was one of the most popular first-person shooters on Android a long time ago. Now its successor has arrived on the Google Play Store. It’s a sci-fi, post-apocalyptic shooter complete with horrific beasts, zombie-type monsters, and plenty of things for you to shoot and kill. The graphics are pretty good and the mechanics seem to be solid for a touch screen shooter. It’s free to download with in-app purchases, just be careful of those early bugs!
Get it now on Google Play!
Beats Pill+
[Price: Free]
Oh boy, here we go again. Apple has released their second application in as many months. This one is called Beats Pill+ and it’s a simple application that can be used by Android owners to control their Beats Pill speakers. Like the last Apple application, it seems to work well and do its job but the Android community’s louder members wanted to let Apple have it yet again. For what it’s worth, the app is free.
Get it now on Google Play!
Fallout Pip-Boy
[Price: Free]
The long-awaited companion app from Bethesda called Fallout Pip-Boy has been released to the Play Store. In a show of good sportsmanship, the company released the app to everyone, even if you didn’t pick up the optional armband. The app itself lets you interact with your Fallout 4 game and check out stuff like stats, inventory, map, radio, and there are even some mini-games. It’s free and if you’re getting Fallout 4, you should definitely have this.
Get it now on Google Play!
Signal Private Messenger
[Price: Free]
Last and certainly not least this week is Signal. This app gained quite the following after Edward Snowden put his official endorsement into the application. It’s a messaging app with a plethora of security and encryption features to help keep those prying eyes away from your messages. It’s completely open source which is good and includes group chatting, phone calls, and more. If you want security, give this a shot.
Get it now on Google Play!
Wrap up
If we missed any great news from the Android apps and games scene, tell us about it in the comments!
10 best texting apps for Android
Text messaging is among the most popular ways to communicate in the whole world. It’s quick, easy to do, and it doesn’t require you pausing what you’re doing like phone calls do. We do understand that many people still prefer the human touch of talking on the phone and we respect that. However, let’s face facts, most people are texting these days. Let’s take a look at the best texting apps for Android to see if we can’t help you make your texting experience better. Do note that various text apps will have issues depending on your device, Android version, carrier, and texting habits.
See also: The best SMS replacement apps for Android
Chomp SMS
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Chomp SMS has been around since the good old days of Android and was one of the very first, really good texting apps on Android. It has since evolved into an app that embraces Material Design while still having plenty of features. Some of them include emojis, SMS blocking, quick reply in the notifications, MMS, and group messaging. You can even stop a text mid-send if needed. It also comes with Android Wear and Pushbullet support.
Get it now on Google Play!
EvolveSMS
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
EvolveSMS had a bit of a shaky start but has since turned into one of the better and more solid texting apps on Android. It offers full multimedia support which includes audio, video, and gifs along with message archiving, customizable notifications, and password protection. It’s not quite as heavy as something like Chomp SMS or Handcent which many people will appreciate and it even comes with Android Wear support.
Get it now on Google Play!
GO SMS
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
GO SMS is among the most popular texting apps on the list and for good reason. It comes with a ton of features including hundreds of themes, SMS blocking, delayed text sending, dual SIM support, and much more. There is even a privacy box where you can send private, encrypted messages to your friends. It also includes the usual host of things like emojis and stickers. It works well, even if it’s a bit heavy. It’s also free to download.
Get it now on Google Play!
Handcent Next SMS
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Handcent, along with Chomp SMS, were the first two really good, really popular texting apps available on Android and people debated endlessly on which one was better. Much like Chomp SMS, Handcent is a powerful and heavy texting application with a ton of features. Some of them include themes, a privacy box much like GO SMS, SMS backup, eCards, emojis, and plenty more. One of the more interesting features is Handcent Anywhere, which lets you text on your computer and tablet if you want.
Get it now on Google Play!
Google Hangouts
[Price: Free]
The first of two Google apps to adorn this list is Google Hangouts. This is actually a messaging service similar to Skype, Facebook Messenger, and others. The difference being that you can actually use this application for text messages as well so long as you enable it in the settings. As a text app, Hangouts is above average with good MMS support, a simple interface, and you can even send people your location if you want. It’s also totally free and is likely installed on your Android device already.
Get it now on Google Play!
Hoverchat
[Price: Free / $3.99]
Hoverchat, formerly known as Ninja SMS, is a unique texting application. Most apps go full screen and let you text but Hoverchat actually just pops up a window and lets you chat from there. This is very useful if you don’t like to exit whatever it is you’re doing to text back because Hoverchat will appear over whatever it is that you’re doing. It features multiple floating windows that you can drag and drop, emojis, message encryption (called anti-NSA mode), and there’s an option to use full screen if you want to.
Get it now on Google Play!
Google Messenger
[Price: Free]
Google Messenger is the default texting app from Google that started shipping with the Nexus 6 and soon became available for everyone. It’s a simple, lightweight texting app that doesn’t offer much in the frills department. It makes up for that by having nearly flawless Material Design and some fun little features including text searching, SMS blocking, emojis, stickers, location sharing, and message archiving.
Get it now on Google Play!
QKSMS
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
QKSMS is a newer texting app that came to prominence during the era when Material Design apps were hard to find. This one sticks almost strictly to the Android design guidelines so you know what kind of visual experience you’re in for. Some of the features include themes, a night mode (dark theme), floating notifications, group messaging, MMS, and search. It’s also protected from the Stagefright bug that’s been around. QKSMS is free download and it’s even open source!
Get it now on Google Play!
See also: 19 best Material Design apps for Android (so far)
Sliding Messaging Pro
[Price: $1.99]
Sliding Messaging Pro is actually the second texting app from Klinker Apps on this list. The first was EvolveSMS. Sliding Messaging is a texting app that is enhanced with the app’s namesake slide gestures that let you quickly glide between conversations. You’ll also get Google Voice support, emojis, themes (and you can make your own), widgets, SMS blocking, custom design elements, and a lot more. It’s a solid app even if it doesn’t get talked about that much.
Get it now on Google Play!
Textra SMS
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Last and certainly not least on our list today is Textra SMS. This popular and highly stylish texting app is also one of the highest rated on the list. It comes with over 100 Material Design-inspired themes, a dark mode, floating notifications, delayed sending, slide to delete, and plenty of other features. Perhaps most notable is the patch included to battle the Stagefright issue. It’s free to use and even comes with Pushbullet, MightyText, and Android Wear support.
Get it now on Google Play!
Wrap up
If we missed any great texting apps for Android, tell us about them in the comments below. If you want to stay up to date on the latest in Android apps and games news, you can subscribe to our newsletter using the form below!
To see our complete list of Android apps and games lists, click here!
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Over a dozen Google Play apps discounted for Halloween, mostly games
Halloween is but a day away, and to celebrate the season several developers are slashing down their apps on Google Play to as low as $.49, with the majority hovering around the $.99 range. Considering that some of these apps price as high as around $7 normally – there’s some great deals here.
Most of these are games not apps, though there are a few fitness apps thrown in, many of which have a game-like twist, such as Zombies Run.
- Call of Duty Black Ops Zombies – $1.99, was $6.99
- Left in the Dark – $.99, was $4.99
- Zombies, Run! 5k Training – $.99, was $1.99
- The Walk: Fitness tracker game – $.99, was $2.99
- 7 Minute Super Hero workout – $.99, was $2.99
- Forever Lost: episode 1 – $.99, was $3.11
- Greedy Spiders 2 – $.49, was $.99
- Vampires: Todd and Jessica – $.99, was $4.99
- Dark Arcana: The Carnival – $.99, was $4.99
- Nightmares: Davy Jones – $.99, was $4.99
- Mystery of the Opera – $.99, was $4.99
- Abyss: Wraiths of Eden – $.99, was $4.99
- Twin Moons – $.99, was $4.99
- Fairy Tale Mysteries 2 – $1.99, was $4.99
- Grim Legends 2 – $1.99, was $4.99
- Time Mysteries 2 – $.99, was $4.99
- Deadly Puzzles – $.99, was $4.99
In addition to the games available through this sale, Amazon also has its own offer for those interested. And for those that aren’t necessarily looking for just sale items, be sure to check out Joe’s list of best horror games, and his list of best apps with Halloween in mind.
What do you think of the apps listed above, any of them you’d recommend? Share your thoughts in the comments.
10 best new Android apps and games from October 2015
October is coming to a close and we’re about to officially move into 2015’s holiday season. The first full month of autumn saw a ton of huge apps and games releases. As the year gets older, the apps and games releases are only going to get hotter so let’s take a look at the best new Android apps and games from October 2015!
Adobe Capture CC and Adobe Illustrator Draw
[Price: Free]
Adobe started out October by releasing not one, but two new Android apps and they are Adobe Capture CC and Illustrator Draw. Capture CC is a design app that lets you create things like brushes, stamps, shapes, and other similar things for later use. It’s a fairly simple app to use and comes with Adobe Creative Cloud support. Illustrator Draw is a drawing app that lets you use vectors, layers, zoom, and various other tools to create works of art. Both apps have a few issues here and there, but they’re both entirely free to download and use.
Get Adobe Capture CC now on Google Play!
Get Adobe Illustrator Draw now on Google Play!
Cloud Chasers
[Price: $4.00]
Cloud Chasers is a survival-adventure game about a man and his daughter who are trying to make it to a better place. You’re stuck in a desert and you must worry about things like feeding yourself and protecting yourself from obstacles and bad guys. There are some unique game play mechanics and game itself has been consistently described as beautiful which we agree with. It’s $4.00 with no in-app purchases which is a decent price, but do beware because the game is experiencing some early bugs.
Get it now on Google Play!
Drivemode
[Price: Free]
Drivemode is an application that is meant to be used in the car. It works by giving you swipe gestures and large, colorized buttons to help you keep your eyes on the road and off of your smartphone. It seems to work pretty well and can be useful for those who use their phones in the car. With it, you can listen to music, answer texts, answer phone calls, and plenty of other tasks. The unique UI and usability make it a pretty decent app to pick up and it’s totally free with no in-app purchases.
Get it now on Google Play!
Minecraft: Story Mode
[Price: $4.99 with in-app purchases]
Minecraft: Story Mode is the latest episodic adventure game out of Telltale Games. This one features Minecraft-style graphics but instead of the usual grinding and open-world exploring, you’re actually playing through a story line. It’s voiced by an all-star cast of actors and actresses including Patton Oswalt, Brian Posehn, Corey Feldman, and many more. As with most Telltale Games, your story decisions affect other parts of the story, which is always a nice touch.
Get it now on Google Play!
Minion’s Paradise
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Minion’s Paradise is a game that was meant to come out with the latest Minions movie so we were disappointed when it was delayed for about a month for most people. In this game, you must help Phil the minion build a paradise for his fellow minions. You’ll be in charge of pretty much all of the construction and there will be cameo appearances from the movies. All in all, it’s a well-done world-builder type of game if you can get passed the in-app purchases.
Get it now on Google Play!
Parchi
[Price: Free]
Parchi is a free and lightweight note taking app that came out of Microsoft’s Garage Project. As you’d expect, you can take a variety of notes with it including regular notes and lists. You can also add extra stuff if needed. The unique feature of this app is the use of hashtags to help label notes. Using the hashtags, you can easily search and find the notes you’re looking for or a series of notes if you reuse hashtags. It’s totally free with no in-app purchases.
Get it now on Google Play!
PewDiePie: Legend of the Brofist
[Price: $4.99]
Legend of the Brofist may be a a really lame title for a game but darn it all, it’s actually a fun game. It’s a 2D platformer that uses retro graphics so the game play and feel of the game shouldn’t be too unfamiliar to people who have played games for a while. The game also features little tidbits and references to various Internet memes and several famous YouTube gamers make appearances. It’s a tad pricey but at least there are no in-app purchases.
Get it now on Google Play!
Prune
[Price: $3.99]
Prune is an atmospheric puzzle game with a simple, but strangely enjoyable premise. In each level, you’ll be given a tree that is growing and a light source. Your job is to prune the tree in such a manner that it grows into the light so it can blooms pretty flowers. It’s simple to play but can be challenging to complete. The music, graphics, and even game play mechanics are made to help you feel relaxed while playing it and that’s definitely a vibe we got. There are also no in-app purchases with this game.
Get it now on Google Play!
Wonderwall
[Price: Free]
Wonderwall is a backgrounds and wallpapers app released earlier this month. It’s done with a simplicity that we found enjoyable and most of the wallpapers were landscape camera shots. This is a fun little app to try if you’re into that kind of stuff and it even gives you the option to contribute your pictures if you want to. Other features include an option to set the wallpaper automatically each day and various settings to control things like your search history, data usage, and more. It’s totally free with no in-app purchases.
Get it now on Google Play!
Xcerpt for Twitter
[Price: Free]
Last up this month is Xcerpt for Twitter. This is an app that allows you to create good looking screenshots of webpages so that you can share them on Twitter. The idea is that you can share a quote or some text from a page without wasting your valuable 140 characters when you go to tweet it out. It’s a simple app that works off of screenshots that you take and it’s quite easy to use. It’s also totally free with no in-app purchases and a must-have for Twitter users who share stuff.
Get it now on Google Play!
Wrap up
If we missed any great new Android apps and games, tell us about them in the comments! If you want to stay up to date on the latest Android apps and games news, you can sign up for our weekly newsletter using the form below! To see our complete list of Android apps and games lists, click here!
5 Android apps you shouldn’t miss this week! – Android Apps Weekly
Welcome back to Android Apps Weekly! Let’s jump right into those headlines!
- Telltale Games has announced that their Game of Thrones game will be free to download. The various episodes will still cost money but the up-front cost is now zero. They also announced that the final episode is coming next month!
- After a successful iOS launch, The Walking Dead: No Man’s Land will be coming to Android here in the next few days. It’s slated for official launch on October 29th and if it’s anything like its iOS counterpart, it’ll be free with in-app purchases.
- Apple Music has been spotted in the wild and we have a potential idea of what the app may look like. Surprisingly, it looks like it’ll adhere to Android’s design guidelines, at least to an extent. There’s still no timeline for an official launch right now and do keep in mind this may not be what the final product looks like.
- YouTube Red was officially announced late last week. The subscription service is $9.99 per month and will include features like an ad-free YouTube experience, screen-off video playback, offline video download, and a complete subscription to Google Play Music All Access. Frankly, that’s an awesome deal. It’ll be launched on October 28th and hopefully no one gets it confused with RedTube.
- On top of YouTube Red, Google also announced a new app called YouTube Music. This will essentially be like YouTube Kids and YouTube Gaming except that it’ll block out all content aside from music-related stuff. Of course, there will be additional features for the app if you subscribe to YouTube Red.
For even more Android apps and games news, don’t forget to check out this week’s newsletter. We have a lot more information there that we didn’t have time for here and it’s the best way to stay up to date on the latest apps and games news. If you want, you can use the form and sign up for the newsletter, which we now send out every Wednesday.
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- Android Weekly
- Apps Weekly
Xcerpt for Twitter
[Price: Free]
Xcerpt for Twitter is a new app that lets you quickly and easily create images using webpages. Here’s how it works. You go to a webpage, news article, or whatever you want, then you use the app to capture a snippet of the content you want to share. Then you can have, say, a quote from an article while also still having 140 characters to input your opinion on it. It’s totally free with no in-app purchases and aside from a few early bugs, it seems to work rather well.
Get it now on Google Play!
Parchi
[Price: Free]
Parchi is a Microsoft app that came out of their Garage Project. This one is a lightweight and colorful note taking application that works pretty much like any other note taking application. The unique feature of this app is the ability to add hashtags to your various notes. You can then search the hashtags to find the notes. This is a fun little idea that many of us can pick up and use without thinking too much about how to make it work. It’s also free with no in-app purchases.
Get it now on Google Play!
Trick Shot
[Price: $1.99]
Trick Shot is a minimal, physics-based puzzle game developed by Jonathan Topf who is most notably a member of the ustwo team that brought us Monument Valley. In this simple game, you must get the ball into the box. The game uses various tools and obstacles to both help and hinder your progress but most levels have an air of elegance about them, despite the game’s simplicity. There are over 90 levels available and you get an unlimited number of chances to try again. It’s $1.99 and there are no in-app purchases.
Get it now on Google Play!
Boomerang from Instagram
[Price: Free]
Boomerang from Instagram is a new app that is, as the name implies, from Instagram. With this app, you can create fun little one-second videos that run on a loop. Here’s how it works. The app takes ten photos and then stitches them together to create a little loop-able gif-type of animation which you can then share on Facebook, Instagram, and other places. It’s totally free with no in-app purchases and, of course, do be cautious of those early release bugs!
Get it now on Google Play!
Prune
[Price: $4.99]
Prune is an interesting atmospheric puzzle game. Here’s how this game works. There is a tree that continuously grows and there is a light source. Your job is to prune the tree so that it grows into the light source and blooms pretty flowers. Prune doesn’t bill itself as being overly difficult but it can be challenging at times. The overall experience is one of relaxation and that permeates through all parts of the game, including the graphics, soundtrack, and even the game play controls. It’s fun and there are also no in-app purchases.
Get it now on Google Play!
Wrap up
If we missed any great Android apps or games news this week, tell us all about it in the comments! Thanks for watching and reading, we’ll see you next Wednesday!
AIVAnet 