Welcome to the roundup of the best new Android applications and live wallpapers that went live in the Play Store or were spotted by us in the previous week or so. Today I have an in-home delivery app from Walmart, six separate Digital Wellbeing Experiment apps from Google, and a new password manager for T-Mobile users. So without further ado, here are the most notable Android apps released in the last week.
Please wait for this page to load in full in order to see the widgets, which include ratings and pricing info.
Looking for the previous roundup editions? Find them here.
Featured App
MyScript Nebo
Nebo allows you to write, draw, edit, and structure professional notes — including text, mathematical expressions, and diagrams. Unlike most other apps, which simply record written input and treats it like a static image, written text in Nebo works in conjunction with typed text. You can delete individual words or sections, type notes with your keyboard in between written words, and even re-flow written input to fit images or other content you might add later. With Nebo, you don't have to choose between physically writing notes or typing them with a keyboard — the two input methods work with each other flawlessly.
Apps
Walmart InHome Delivery
Android Police coverage: Walmart releases app for placing in-home grocery deliveries
In case you haven't heard, Walmart is now offering home delivery for in-store items, such as groceries. So, of course, there's an app for that, appropriately named Walmart InHome Delivery. As someone that works from home, home delivery is a godsend, though I'm a little trepidatious about letting Walmart pull my food for delivery. Maybe if the stores around me were actually managed well and kept clean, this would be less of an issue, but as it stands, I'm not so sure Walmart would be my first choice when it comes to in-home grocery delivery.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
We Flip - A Digital Wellbeing Experiment
Android Police coverage: [Update: 6th app, APKs] Google releases 5 experimental Digital Wellbeing apps
Earlier this week, Google released six new experimental Digital Wellbeing apps on the Play Store, and We Flip is the first I would like to cover. Essentially this app works like a game where you can collect a group of devices (that all have this app installed), set them all screen down, and then the first person to flip their phone over is the loser. Ideally, this would be useful in a social setting where looking at your phone is frowned upon.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Unlock Clock - A Digital Wellbeing Experiment
Android Police coverage: [Update: 6th app, APKs] Google releases 5 experimental Digital Wellbeing apps
The next experimental Digital Wellbeing app from Google is Unlock Clock, a live wallpaper that counts the number of times you've unlocked your device in a day. When installed, you'll gain access to this app in the Google Wallpapers app. Each day a large counter on your wallpaper will start at zero, and every time you unlock your phone, the number goes up. This should highlight how much you use your phone in a day, thus discouraging power-users from teetering on the edge of obsessive use.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Post Box - A Digital Wellbeing Experiment
Android Police coverage: [Update: 6th app, APKs] Google releases 5 experimental Digital Wellbeing apps
Post Box is another experimental Digital Wellbeing app from Google, and this release is useful for bundling your messages together so that you can receive them in bulk at specific scheduled times (up to four) every day. This way, you won't have to worry about a constant stream of notifications interrupting your daily activities, which should allow for more focus when at work or at home.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Morph - A Digital Wellbeing Experiment
Android Police coverage: [Update: 6th app, APKs] Google releases 5 experimental Digital Wellbeing apps
Morph is one of the more useful experimental Digital Wellbeing releases from Google this week. By default, having only one homescreen means users have to mix work and play on one device, which is why there are many third-party launchers out there that allow you to set up different modes for all manner of situations, such as a screen for work, and a screen for personal use. Mostly, that's what Morph offers, so if you'd like to set up different home screens that only show the pertinent apps for a particular use-case during certain times of the day, then Morph is the app for you.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Paper Phone
Android Police coverage: [Update: 6th app, APKs] Google releases 5 experimental Digital Wellbeing apps
Paper Phone is yet another experimental Digital Wellbeing app from Google, and just like the rest of these apps, it's centered around spending less time with your phone. Through this release, you'll be able to print out the pertinent information for your day so that you won't have to look at your screen, which should allow users to stay productive while cutting down on their screen time.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Desert Island - A Digital Wellbeing Experiment
Android Police coverage: [Update: 6th app, APKs] Google releases 5 experimental Digital Wellbeing apps
Desert Island is the last experimental Digital Wellbeing app from Google this week. Much like Morph, this is also an app launcher, but this release is designed to highlight seven apps during the day. You can choose these apps, and you'll still have access to the rest of your apps through a side-drawer, but the entire point of this release is so people can focus on a small number of titles to avoid distractions. After 24 hours, the app will even provide a summary of what apps were opened, so you'll know how well you did.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
bthere - location sharing & group messaging app
As we all know, there's already a plethora of messaging apps available on the Play Store, and yet there's still plenty of developers out there releasing odd twists to the standard messaging app. The release of bthere encompasses all of the messaging features you would expect, such as group chat, but the real draw is the location sharing, so you can easily meet up with your friends. So if you'd like to stay connected through chat features and location sharing, bthere is a solid choice.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
BlizzCon Mobile
At this point, I'm sure most people are familiar with Blizzard's recent snafu. Because of Blizzard's stance on political speech, many fans are enraged, and with BlizzCon right around the corner, things might get a little dicey at the event. Since Blizzard is in a bit of a bind where canceling BlizzCon isn't an option, it would seem things are moving forward, and so the latest BlizzCon Mobile app has arrived on the Play Store. Ideally, this is an app that's useful for viewing the event if you don't plan on personally attending, and there's also a storefront included if you'd like to purchase some exclusive swag.
Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPs
Cometin
Cometin is an interesting release that offers a growing collection of tricks and tweaks for your Android device, split into many separate modules. So if you'd like to tweak things like the ambient display, rotation, caffeine, brightness, and remap Assistant without root, then this is indeed the app for you. Of course, like all apps of this nature, your mileage may vary from device to device.
Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $1.99 - $7.99
Dark Mode
Dark Mode is a nifty app from Julian Eggers that should allow those without a default dark mode setting in their phone to turn on the feature. So if you happen to own a device that does not natively support dark mode, then you'll probably want to give this release a look. One word of warning, some manufactures turn the feature off to the point that even this app can't turn the mode back on, so make sure you're aware of what your device supports before you spend any money on this release.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $10.99
Manufacturer And Tie-In Apps
ZenKey Powered by T-Mobile
Android Police coverage: [Update: Sprint, T-Mobile] US carriers launch system that could replace app passwords with your phone itself
ZenKey Powered by T-Mobile is an early-access release for T-Mobile users that would like to manage their passwords with ease. With ZenKey, you can log into your mobile and online apps without the need to create a username and password. It's easy to use, and of course, it's secure, plus it's free. So if you're a T-Mobile user that would like to keep your passwords safe, then you should probably check out ZenKey posthaste.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Motion Sense Bridge
Android Police coverage: [Update: It works] Headed South is a Motion Sense game for Pixel 4 from Monument Valley's creators [APK Download]
Motion Sense Bridge comes from Google and is necessary to get the most out of your Motion Sense interactivity on the Pixel 4. If you don't own this phone, then you won't have to worry about this release, but since it's listed on the Play Store, this simply means Google won't have to rely on carriers to push fixes and features to the app.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Android System WebView Beta
Android Police coverage: [Update: System Webview release tracks] Android 10 no longer uses Chrome app to render in-app web content
Android WebView is a system component powered by Chrome that allows Android apps to display web content, and just this week, Google has released a beta, dev, and canary version for users to test out. In particular, this listing is the beta version, so it is most likely the stablest out of all three. So if you'd like to test the beta, dev, or canary app to see what may be coming down the pike for WebView users, Google has you covered.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
sMouse
Kinesthetic's sMouse is a third-party app that ties into the Note10 S Pen so that you can use it as an air mouse. This app uses the information from the gyro sensor in the pen to control a virtual mouse cursor on your Note10. Keep in mind this release is a proof of concept, so bugs may be included, though so far, user reviews are overly positive, which is promising.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Oneplus Oxygen Icon Pack
Google may have released the majority of apps this week, but that doesn't mean One Plus isn't pushing out its stock apps to the Play Store for easy updates. The Oneplus Oxygen Icon Pack arrived on the Play Store earlier this week, and if you're a One Plus user, you can now receive updates for these icons from the Play Store instead of waiting for carrier updates.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Boost Mobile Secure WiFi
Boost Mobile Secure wifi is a new app for BOOST users that can automatically encrypt your data when you connect to an unsecured wifi network, which is excellent for those that tend to use public wifi often. Sadly it would appear that this is not an app for everyone, so if you don't use the Boost service, then you can skip this release.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Live Wallpapers
Pixel Live Wallpaper
Android Police coverage: Pixel Live Wallpaper app arrives on Play Store
Pixel Live Wallpaper is a new release on the Play Store that offers an easy way to update the app on the Pixel 4. The app itself contains a bunch of beautiful live wallpapers, but of course, they are only available to Pixel 4 users. Essentially, if you don't own a Pixel 4, you don't have to worry about this release because you won't be able to use it, which is why the Play Store listing doesn't show for everyone.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Know A Worthy New App? Let Us Know!
If you have an application in mind for the next issue of the roundup, feel free to send us an email and let us know.
Important: there are 2 requirements in order for the app to be considered, listed below.
- the app's launch date has to be no longer than 2 weeks ago
- it has to be original, ground-breaking, well-reviewed, interesting, fun, etc - the cream of the crop
Now, if and only if the above requirements have been satisfied, fire up an email to this address: oh.no.its.the@androidpolice.com.
1 sponsored placement per week is available (your app would be featured at the top and marked as sponsored) - please contact us for details.