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.

  • Google Messages Group Chats to Get Encryption

    Google Messages Group Chats to Get Encryption

    As a part of the Google I/O keynote, Google talked a bit about its Messages app and how many people are using RCS through it, before pitching (once again) to Apple that it should think about implementing the messaging technology, without naming them. What they didn’t mention on stage was that they plan to further expand on Google Messages and its encryption efforts within RCS.

    In a little note sent to press, Google confirmed that Google Messages will get end-to-end encryption for group messages “later this year.”

    This is welcomed news, since Google Messages currently only does end-to-end encryption in single, person-to-person chats. It has done this for well over a year now, and we were starting to wonder what the hold-up was on group chats. While we are still going to have to wait for group encryption, at least we know it is coming.

    Encryption for group chats will first arrive in Google Messages via beta. If you haven’t signed-up for Messages beta yet, you might as well – it always gets new features first. You can sign-up for it here.

    // Google

  • Google Maps is About to Get Very ‘Immersive’

    Google Maps is About to Get Very ‘Immersive’

    Yesterday during the I/O keynote, before we were blown away by tons of new hardware, Google detailed an upcoming AI-powered feature for Maps called Immersive View.

    Using Google’s vast amounts of location data/information, in addition to real-time traffic and busyness data, Immersive View offers a look at locations unlike any other. The idea is that a user can explore a location more in-depth than ever before, powered by computer vision and AI that allows Google fuse together billions of Street View and aerial images to create these digital models of the world. Taking it a step further, Google will even allow users to dive directly into businesses and restaurants for an even more immersive view.

    According to Google, Immersive View will work on just about any device. It starts rolling out in Los Angeles, London, New York, San Francisco, and Tokyo later this year with more cities to follow.

    Below you can watch Google’s segment on Knowledge, which includes the portion about the upcoming Google Maps features.

    // Google

  • Nothing’s Phone Launcher Now Available to All Android 11+ Phones

    Nothing’s Phone Launcher Now Available to All Android 11+ Phones

    The Nothing Phone’s launcher that Carl Pei’s company released for use on a limited number of phones a couple of weeks ago has now expanded its reach. The Nothing Launcher is now available to all phones running Android 11 and above.

    The app is currently carrying a 2.8-star rating on Google Play, mostly because it is as bare-bones as it gets for a launcher. Those who installed are wondering what’s there to keep their attention or pull them away from the launcher currently on their phone. To be honest, there isn’t much. Nothing is either still deep in development of this launcher or…I mean, that better be the reason it offers almost nothing over any other launcher on the market.

    As for what’s new today besides the expansion to more phones, Nothing says these items are new:

    • Launcher app icon now available on the home screen.
    • New How to Set Up page when you open Launcher for the first time
    • Easily change to the Nothing wallpaper with the pop-up box.
    • For easy access, the Dropbox link to download bonus wallpapers and ringtones now sits in Launcher settings.

    OK, so that’s not much. While I’m most definitely interested in Nothing’s first upcoming phone, this launcher is not showing us anything to get excited about. We need more, guys.

    Care to give it another run? It’s free and available at the link below.

    Google Play Link: Nothing Launcher

  • Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion Coming to Android This Month!

    Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion Coming to Android This Month!

    A very popular Steam title, Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion, is headed to mobile devices on May 24. As a side note, I think the developers missed an opportunity releasing the game on April 18 (tax day in the US), but it’s fine, we’ll let it slide.

    In this game, you play a cute little turnip who fails to pay its taxes. After getting evicted from your little home, you must go on a relatively short adventure to pay off your massive debt to a mayor played by an onion. What a whacky world this is.

    Reviews on Steam are incredibly positive, though, many say that the game is too short for the $15 price tag. We don’t know yet what price the game will have for mobile devices, but we’ll be finding out very soon.

    You can pre-register for the game on Google Play right now.

    Pre-Register on Google Play

  • Firefox 100 Brings Picture-in-Picture Subtitles, New Browser Wallpapers, HTTPS-Only Mode

    Firefox 100 Brings Picture-in-Picture Subtitles, New Browser Wallpapers, HTTPS-Only Mode

    There was a particular time in history, for me it was 2007 to when Google released Chrome, that Firefox was my go-to web browser. It had sweet themes and it wasn’t Microsoft’s Explorer. That was enough for me. Well, years later and we’ve reached Firefox 100, the 100th version of the browser for users across the globe.

    Inside, users can now find subtitle support for the picture-in-picture feature, currently supported by Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, and other websites that support WebVTT format, fresh browser wallpapers for the app’s wallpaper function that was introduced a couple of months ago, as well as Firefox’s HTTPS-only mode for Android users.

    Firefox also highlights a new “clutter-free” look for their tabs, but this is for iOS users, as it was first made available to Android quite some time ago. Overall, a solid update.

    Congrats to the Mozilla team. Quite the milestone!

    // Firefox

  • Google Wallpapers Gets 3 New Images to Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

    Google Wallpapers Gets 3 New Images to Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

    To celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, taking place for the entire month of May, Google has released three new wallpapers into its own Wallpapers app available to owners of Pixel devices.

    After checking my Pixel 6 Pro, I can confirm the wallpapers are already there. All three have very nice colors, especially the Tiger one I’ve highlighted above. All three lovely images were illustrated by Sarula Bao. You can view more of their work on Instagram. Some very cool images.

    Below you can view the other two wallpapers. To get them onto your Pixel device, open up the wallpapers app and head to the Curated Culture section.

    // Google

  • Telegram Gets Paid Features in iOS Exclusive Beta

    Telegram Gets Paid Features in iOS Exclusive Beta

    iOS users who utilize Telegram, our go-to chat app around these parts, are spotting new paid features inside of beta version 8.7.2. As of right now, Telegram is completely free to use with no premium tier, but it looks as if that may soon change, should Telegram’s testing prove fruitful.

    As for what Telegram Premium gets you, it doesn’t appear to be too much. What’s been spotted are additional quick reactions and stickers, plus what could be some sort of custom avatar creator. Users are finding access to the Premium tier by selecting these new quick reactions, which then prompts a sign up. For those not paying, they won’t see the special stickers or reactions being used by premium members. If they want to see them, they’ll need to pay up, too.

    There is no information of how much Telegram Premium is costing these users, but for some reactions and stickers, I really hope it’s not too much.

    I think it’s completely acceptable for Telegram to want to monetize its platform. It’s a fantastic service. However, I do hope they can find something more to offer than just stickers and reactions. I’d hate to see useful features behind a paywall, but all I’m saying is, we need more than stickers.

    // Android Police

  • The Nothing Phone’s Launcher Now Available for Download

    The Nothing Phone’s Launcher Now Available for Download

    After confirming that the first phone from Nothing would arrive at some point this summer, the company founded by Carl Pei also said to expect another toy to play with before a physical device lands in the hand. The Nothing Launcher, which should be the launcher that comes installed on the Nothing phone, has arrived on Google Play for select devices to install.

    For now, this Nothing Launcher is available to the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S22, as well as the Pixel 5 and up. They mentioned that OnePlus support is “coming soon.”

    So what’s cool about the Nothing Launcher? It’s a really minimal launcher experience, at least for now. As far as I can tell, it’s a single page launcher (and you can’t add more), there are 3 Nothing widgets included (2 clocks, 1 weather), and the ability to make icons and folders “Max,” which blows them up. It looks like 3rd party icon support might be here as well.

    Here’s the description of the features from Nothing:

    Max Icons and Max Folders: A new experience for Android. Hold and press to enlarge app folders or individual apps, so the things you use the most are more visible. Launch any app directly from your folders.

    Bespoke Clock & Weather widgets: Raw tech, balanced by human warmth. These widgets use the same dot matrix font as our logo.

    Nothing Wallpaper & Style: Update your home screen with the Nothing wallpaper and matching colour palette.

    I’m not sure this is giving us much of a taste of what’s to come on the Nothing phone, but hey, a free launcher! Oh, and if you want a couple of extra Nothing wallpapers and sounds, they posted some to Dropbox.

    Google Play Link: Nothing Launcher