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. This week we have an app to control your Xbox Game Pass account, an IMDbPro account app that's a great resource for anyone in the entertainment industry, and an app that will keep your screen on as long as you wish. So without further ado, here are the most notable Android apps released in the last fortnight.
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Looking for the previous roundup editions? Find them here.
Apps
Insomnia
If you have ever used a Mac or a Linux system, then you should be pretty familiar with a little app called Caffeine. It serves as a useful tool for forcing your screen to stay on, such as when you are watching a movie. So it's no surprise to see it in some form on Android. There are already a few options available on the Play Store, but Insomnia is the latest take on the familiar screen-on functionality, and it has a few added features that may be of some use, such as predefined timers you can set and cycle through.
Monetization: $0.99 / no ads / no IAPs
Bird Identifier
If you have ever looked at a bird and wondered what species it is, Bird Identifier is the app for you. Just point your phone's camera at a feathered creature you would like to identify, snap a quick pic, and then the app should be able to pinpoint the exact species. Oh, and if you want to keep track of the birds you have already identified, you can record each search in the included diary function.
Monetization: $4.99 / no ads / no IAPs
IMDbPro
I find it surprising that IMDB has taken this long to release an IMDbPro app, but I guess a late arrival is better than never. So if you work in the entertainment industry and wish to have the contact and representation details of more than 300,000 industry professionals on hand at all times, IMDbPro has you covered. Just make sure you have enough cash to afford the monthly $19.99 fee.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Tipatch • Backup internal storage
If you are the sort of user who backs up their data and flashes roms often, then you should know full well that TWRP can't back up your internal storage. This is where Tipatch comes into the picture. All you have to do is run a TWRP backup through this app, and it will add a backup of your internal storage to the file. This way you can guarantee your backups are complete. Root is not necessary to use this app, but it can be helpful to simplify the process.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
1lyrics
Dharma Poudel's 1lyrics is a completely free lyrics app that works with the majority of music services out there, including GPM, Spotify, and Amazon Music. You can download lyrics for offline use, and you can even perform bulk downloads of your entire collection of offline tunes. There are absolutely no ads or tracking in this release. Your data stays on your device.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
HiHello Contact Exchange
Keeping track of all of your business contacts can be a pain when dealing with physical business cards. This is why apps like HiHello Contact Exchange exist. Instead of carrying around a bunch of pieces of cardboard in your pocket, you can carry your very own digital business card on your phone that can easily be shared with anyone you wish. This way you will never have to worry about forgetting your cards in the office again.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Volume controls android p - P Volume controls Free
Volume controls android p mimics the look of the volume slider from the developer preview of Android P. So if you liked the look of that slider, but don't own a device that has Android P just yet, then you may want to give this new release a try. There is even a widget included in the app. So if you own a device on Android 4.1 or higher and are looking to change the theme of your volume slider, go ahead and give Volume controls android p a shot.
Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPs
CrOS Updates
CrOS Updates is a simple app for those of you who wish to stay up to date with the current Chrome OS builds for each Chrome OS device you are interested in. So if you would like to be notified the next time the beta channel is updated for your Pixelbook, this app is what you are looking for. There are plenty of Chrome OS devices to choose from, and you can easily select the ones you would like to add to your personal list. Then you can choose the builds for those devices you would like to be notified about when they are updated.
Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $1.99 - $7.49
Manufacturer And Tie-In Apps
Xbox Game Pass
Android Police coverage: Microsoft launches Xbox Game Pass app on Android
The subscription-based Xbox Game Pass service has been around for at least a year now, but if you wanted to manage your account, you would have to do so on a webpage or your Xbox. This is no longer the case as Microsoft has finally released a beta for a new Xbox Game Pass app. You can set up the app to instantly download any of your purchases straight to your Xbox (even when you are not at home to turn it on), and you can also expect some very useful notifications that will alert you when new titles are added to the service. Just keep in mind that you will have to pay a monthly $10 fee to use the Xbox Game Pass service.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Sprint ARx
Sprint ARx does not make a whole lot of sense to me. It is an educational augmented reality app designed to teach users about Sprint products, but the thing is, you need specific signage to activate this content, which means you would need to be in a Sprint store physically to take advantage. The thing is, if I'm already in a Sprint store, shouldn't I talk to a trained salesperson to learn about the store's products? This app clearly points towards a company that knows full well its stores are understaffed and that you will never find the help you need in a sufficient amount of time, so why not use this app while you wait for actual help.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
My Virgin Mobile
My Virgin Mobile is a simple app for managing your Virgin Mobile account. You can update your personal info, manage your security settings, and check your current usage. You can also make payments, add or remove credit cards, manage your AutoPay settings, and view any of your past transactions. So if you have found that you require support for your Virgin Mobile account while on the go, the new My Virgin Mobile app should fit the bill nicely.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Madden NFL 19 Companion
Madden NFL 19 Companion is another video game companion app, but this one is centered around a single game. It gives you access to your franchise mode from the console release, but sadly it would appear most functions are pretty limited, just as they were with last year's app. While I can appreciate there may be a few people out there that will find this release useful, it would seem that the prevailing opinion is that it isn't all that great. Not surprising for an app that comes from Electronic Arts.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Galaxy Watch Plugin
Okay, this is a tie-in app for a tie-in app. You will first need the Galaxy Wearable application installed before you will get any use out of this Galaxy Watch Plugin. Really, the whole point of this listing is so that Samsung can push out easy updates. So you won't really need this plugin unless you are using the Galaxy Wearable app and it asks you to install this release.
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.
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