Droid Life

Category: Apps

The latest selection of Android apps, both free and paid, are found right here. If you were looking for that fresh list of trending Android apps, we have you covered on a daily basis. Want to know the newest Android application releases first? Want to know which Android applications are free for a limited time?

Whether it’s Gmail, Google Calendar, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram, or lesser known apps like Nova Launcher, Trello, Sling TV, and Philips Hue, you will know the best Android apps at all times.

Got a suggestion for a new app you think we should check out? We are all ears and regularly accept user-submitted applications, so that you won’t pay until you know if we approve.

  • Latest Nova Launcher Beta Includes Android 11 Icon Shapes

    Latest Nova Launcher Beta Includes Android 11 Icon Shapes

    If you fancy yourself someone who enjoys trying things before they’re made available to the general public, then you’re likely part of the Nova Launcher beta group. If you’re not, no worries, you can join here. Once entered, you can enjoy version 6.2.13, the latest build of the beta.

    Inside this build, the developer behind Nova Launcher includes new adaptive icon shapes, straight from the latest build of the Android 11 Developer Preview. Fancy that!

    The full list of changes can be viewed below.

    What’s New

    • New Adaptive Icon Shapes
      • Flower from Android 11 Preview DP4
      • “Hexagon” from Android 11 Preview DP4
      • Pentagon, actual hexagons, and heptagon
    • Bug fixes and optimizations

    If you don’t feel like beta’ing, these changes should make their way to the public build within no time at all.

    // Nova Launcher

  • Google App Goes Dark

    Google App Goes Dark

    The Google App apparently did not have a proper dark theme until today. Google fixed that on both Android and iOS in an update or server-side switch that has begun rolling out this week.

    The dark mode flips Google App results (Search) from light to dark, that’s basically the story here. If you are running Android 10, you can set it to follow your system theme setting, that way it’ll flip between themes as you do. Otherwise, you can force light or dark themes at all times.

    To find settings for it, you’ll open the Google App, tap More in the bottom right corner>Settings>General and then look for the “Theme” option. Tap that and you’ll see choices of light, dark, or “System default.”

    The dark theme could be tied to the latest Google App update which I can tell you that I received only a few short hours ago.

    Google Play Link: Google App

  • Google Intros New Album Sharing Functionality for Google Photos

    Google Intros New Album Sharing Functionality for Google Photos

    Google is rolling out a new default option when sharing an album inside of Google Photos this week. Now, when sharing an album, Photos will recommend contacts to share your albums with, while also still offering direct links for those who don’t use Google Photos.

    Here’s what Google says.

    Rolling out this week, when sharing an album, the default option will be to share with a specific person or people via their Google account. This gives you more control over who’s added to the album.

    Need a GIF of this feature in action? We got you.

    Google notes that users have the option to turn link sharing on or off at any time and users can decide if they want to let other collaborators add photos to an album. Users will also be able to remove someone from an album, which will remove the photos and videos they added.

    Now go forth and share those albums.

    // Google

  • Google Chat Gains Support for Messaging Non G Suite Users

    Google Chat Gains Support for Messaging Non G Suite Users

    Google Chat, the app formerly known as Hangouts Chat, will pick up wider usability starting today. After having been locked to conversations between G Suite users since it launched three years ago, Google’s business-focused messaging service will now allow users inside of organizations to chat with users outside of them.

    To clarify, Google did not give regular ol’ folk the access to Google Chat they may want. Instead, Google Chat is still only available to G Suite users, but those G Suite users can now chat with people through Chat that are not in their organization. I know this sounds confusing, just try reading that back through a couple of times.

    There are two things to be aware of here as far as the rollout goes. First, Google says that “Existing classic Hangouts conversations appearing in Chat” will gradually rollout starting today and could take up to 15 days before you’ll see them. For the ability to start new chats with external folks, that won’t start until May 26.

    When you do see all of this happen, folks in conversations that are not a part of your organization will be labeled as “External.”

    Google Chat External

    If you are a G Suite admin or know one, tell them to head into the G Suite admin panel and search for “Chat externally” or run through Apps>G Suite>Hangouts/Google Chat and look for “External Chat Settings.”

    Google Play Link: Google Chat

    // G Suite Updates

  • YouTube Music is Ready For Your Google Play Music Library

    YouTube Music is Ready For Your Google Play Music Library

    It has been a couple of years since we first told you that Google Play Music would be shutdown and replaced with YouTube Music as Google’s single music offering. Since we broke that news, Google has taken its sweet time improving YouTube Music before letting us transfer our libraries over from Google Play Music and officially bringing GPM’s life to an end. Today, that transition starts.

    Google announced this morning that they will begin allowing customers of Google Play Music to move their libraries over to YouTube Music. That transition is starting because Google Play Music will be shutdown later this year.

    The process, according to Google, should be dead simple. You will simply install YouTube Music (if you don’t have it already) and then look for “Transfer” button or screen that pops up. If you aren’t seeing those instructions, that’s because this is a slow rollout and could take some time to get everyone. Also, you should receive an email this year that urges you to make the switch.

    Transfer Google Play Music to YouTube Music

    When you are allowed to transfer, you are getting your “full Google Play Music history and content, as well as podcasts.” If you just want podcasts to move away from Google Play Music, you can transfer to to Google Podcasts right now by clicking this link.

    What about pricing? Google says that existing pricing between services remains the same, plus there is always the ad-supported version of YouTube Music that is free. On a bit of a confusing note, Google explains that “Google Play Music Unlimited members will be automatically granted the equivalent tier of YouTube Music Premium or YouTube Premium based on the level of benefits with their current subscription, at the same price.”

    If you are new, the cost is $9.99 per month and includes ad-free YouTube as well.

    You guys ready to transfer or nah?

    // YouTube Blog

  • Spotify Gets Sweet Feature First Introduced on Nexus Q

    Spotify Gets Sweet Feature First Introduced on Nexus Q

    Many moons ago, Google introduced a public music playlist function for Google Play Music and the Nexus Q. It was pretty awesome, but we all know what happened to the Nexus Q. If you don’t, it’s a fancy paperweight and has been since day one. That’s not the point, though. The important part is that public music playlist feature, which is now in testing for Spotify Premium users.

    According to a writeup by Engadget, Premium users under the same roof can now manage the same playlist with a feature called Group Session. Handled in the same section where users can cast music to smart speakers, you can now generate a code for other users to connect with, then share a playlist for playback. Any changes one user makes on the playlist will sync on the other user’s device.

    Seriously, it’s just like Google’s feature from 2012.

    I just checked my Spotify app and can confirm that this feature is live. It’s listed underneath any casting devices you have available. Easy.

    // Engadget

  • Newton Mail is Back Again, Again

    Newton Mail is Back Again, Again

    Newton Mail is back once again, and once again it’s under new ownership.

    After being picked up and revived by Essential following its first death, Newton Mail was scheduled to be put to bed with news that Essential was closing up shop. The email app was given an April 30 end date, only that date has come and gone and Newton still lives. What’s the deal? Essential sold it to a couple of guys who plan to keep it going for the long haul.

    Want some background on Maitrik Kataria and Justin Mitchell, the two new owners? You can find some info in this write-up on today’s news. If that background doesn’t matter and you just want to know what the plan is to keep Newton running, let’s dive into that.

    The new owners laid out a set of six areas of focus that they’ll immediately start working on to keep Newton going, make it more futureproof, and (eventually) improve it. Those six areas are:

    1. A contingency plan to keep Newton going forever
    2. Building a stable and steady independent business
    3. Add “service” in the SaaS (software as a service) business
    4. Add features that increase the lifetime value
    5. Better security and privacy around your data
    6. …one more thing….rewards and discounts for loyal customers

    The first bullet there is to remove Newton’s dependence on Newton-owned servers and offer a way for Newton users to keep using the service should something happen to the company, again. That would mean open-sourcing it and allowing people to host their own Newton Mail servers. That’s all just a contingency plan should this new takeover fail.

    The other stuff there is about the price (it’s staying the same at $50/year), building in better support (it’s previously been terrible), creating a place for Newton users to offer ideas and feedback, fixing a bunch of bugs, improving privacy and encryption, and adding features (like dark mode!).

    To start off their new ownership, Newton’s new owners are giving a free extra 3 months to current subscribers, offering a 20% discount for past subscribers who want to come back, and letting current users refer new customers at 20% off.

    Google Play Link: Newton Mail

    // Newton Mail

  • If You Need a Words With Friends Alternative, Word Crack 2 Launched This Week

    If You Need a Words With Friends Alternative, Word Crack 2 Launched This Week

    Word Crack 2 is available on Android this week, published by Etermax, the same company that gave us Trivia Crack and the original Word Crack.

    The game is very much a Scrabble and Words With Friends alternative, where players test each other’s vocabulary and place differently valued letters on a tiled board to score points. I’m pretty sure everyone is familiar with the foundation of these games, but Word Crack 2 also provides a few mini games inside to keep players occupied while they wait for their turn. There are also various power-ups to use against your opponent, but as a Scrabble purist, I’m not overly fond of such things.

    If you need a new time waster with your friends or family during isolation, follow the link below.

    Google Play Link