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 two weeks or so. Today's roundup is sponsored by droidcon, and this year's conference will feature three events you can easily watch from the comfort of your home. Of course, we also have a few notable titles to share with everyone, such as a new Roku streaming app, an educational app from a known YouTuber, and an experimental AI-run marketplace for photos from Microsoft. I've also moved the COVID apps into their own section for easier discovery. So without further ado, here are all of the new and notable Android apps released on the Play Store in the last two weeks.

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Looking for the previous roundup editions? Find them here.

This year, droidcon is going completely virtual! Regardless of where you live, you can partake in any (or all) of the three major droidcon 2020 events from the comfort of your home. Each conference will feature more than 90 tech sessions, workshops, and 1-on-1 meetings revolving around Android development — that's access to 270 sessions, a multitude of face-to-face video chats, and thousands of devs around the globe when you sign up to attend all three. Even better, this year's ticket prices are open-ended: Pay as much or as little as you'd like to participate.

Droidcon EMEA 2020

Droidcon Americas 2020

Droidcon APAC 2020


Apps

The Roku Channel

Android Police coverage: Roku introduces two new streaming devices alongside Roku Channel app

I'm honestly surprised it's taken Roku this long to release a streaming app for mobile, but now that it's here, I suppose people would like to know what it brings to the table. More or less, there's a bunch of free content anyone can stream, which is there to incentivize people into subscribing to Roku's premium channels, the meat of the service. So if you're already invested in the platform, or would simply like to take it for a spin to see how it performs, you can now do so from the comfort of your favorite Android device.

Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPs

Universe in a Nutshell

Android Police coverage: Kurzgesagt and Wait but Why collaborate on beautiful Universe in a Nutshell app

Apparently, Kurzgesagt — In a Nutshell is a popular YouTube channel, and like all popular things, there's an app for that. Surprisingly, Universe in a Nutshell is a nifty release that puts into scale the size of the universe by comparing it to all sorts of objects. This means Universe in a Nutshell is an educational app, and thankfully it's filled with slick animations and all sorts of interesting info. So even if you've never heard of Universe in a Nutshell, this app is still enjoyable.

Monetization: $2.99 / no ads / no IAPs

Trove

Android Police coverage: Microsoft's Trove marketplace lets you sell your photos for money and science

Trove is the latest release from Microsoft, and it's an app for sharing photos so aspiring photographers can get paid for their work. Essentially this is a marketplace app for photos, and these photos are selected by developers when they meet certain specifications for their machine-learning projects. Just keep in mind this release is a limited preview, and should anything go wrong, Microsoft says good luck with support because there isn't any. Oddly enough, there is a FAQ at the bottom of the Trove website (with an additional FAQ a the bottom of the FAQ), so if you're looking for support, this looks to be it.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

Loudly Soundtracks - License Royalty-Free Music

Loudly Soundtracks offers an intuitive way to browse royalty-free music, and you can even license this music if you'd like to use some in a project. Over 4,000 tracks are added every week, and each track is tagged for easy search. So no matter the type of content you create, you may just find a few tracks within this app to give your next project an extra bit of polish.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

Loudly Royalty-Free Music Developer: Loudly
Price: Free
3.2
Download

NFL GameDay in True View

NFL GameDay in True View is the latest release from the NFL to try and get people more interested in the sport. Sadly the app is only available for select registered users, so the majority won't be able to use this release since a password is required to download the title. While I have no idea why anyone would need yet another way to take an "inside look" at the NFL and its ongoings, this app exists regardless. Perhaps this release is a sign of bigger things to come?

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

Noobly: find gamers, meet friends.

Noobly is the latest social media app designed to help gamers find other gamers to play with. While most people already use services like Discord to find like-minded groups for games, I suppose more ways to meet up are welcome. Of course, this app is only useful if it has a mass of users that makes it easy to find new players, which is hard to pull off as a fledgling release. Luckily this title is still in testing, so the low user count isn't yet a factor, though it soon could be.

Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPs

Elision: Learn Through Curated Podcasts.

Elision: Learn Through Curated Podcasts uses visualization through RichAudio in order to offer text, photos, and links on your screen when listening to a podcast through this app, which is useful for digging up more information on the subjects your podcasts talk about. While I can't say this makes for an optimal learning experience, if you like to dig up little tidbits about interesting topics, this app can help you do that.

Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $1.99 - $89.99

Manufacturer And Tie-In Apps

Samsung TV Plus: 100% Free TV.

For some reason, Samsung has started its very own free TV app, and it's designed for Android-based Samsung TVs from 2016 and above. Supposedly this TV streaming app will also work on current Samsung phones, but so far, it would seem the majority of devices are not supported. Still, if you're one of the lucky few that owns equipment that supports this app and have been looking for a new release that streams TV content that isn't worth charging for, Samsung has your back with the launch of Samsung TV Plus.

Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPs

BlackBerry Protect

Who knew BlackBerry was still around in enough capacity to be working on and releasing new security apps for its devices? I sure didn't, which is why this release came as a surprise. So if you're a security-conscious BlackBerry nut, BlackBerry Protect may be of interest. The app can scan incoming SMS messages for malicious URLs, and this app can also scan your APKs to see if there's any funny business going on. It's a standard smartphone security app, and it's specifically for Blackberry devices.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

CylancePROTECT Developer: BlackBerry Limited
Price: Free
4.6
Download

T-Mobile App Experience

T-Mobile App Experience was designed to help Sprint users so that they can easily upgrade to T-Mobile. You see, T-Mobile bought Sprint, and so Sprint users will have to eventually move over to T-Mobile, and this app explains the process while also offering the tools to upgrade your Sprint account.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

Carrier Hub Magenta

Carrier Hub Magenta doesn't actually offer an app once installed, but you will have to install it if you'd like to use T-Mobile features like Secure Wi-Fi. Basically, this is an app that adds functionality to other apps, and as you would guess, this has upset at least one user since T-Mobile doesn't feel it's necessary to explain what this app does despite forcing users to install it. A bit of clarification sure would go a long way.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

COVID Apps

COVID Alert PA

While it sure took its time getting here, COVID Alert PA is the official ENS app for Pennsylvania. The app has already earned its ENS badge on the Play Store, so indeed uses Google's API. This release comes from the Executive Office Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, so the state fully backs it, and unlike many ENS apps that are still in testing, this release appears to be ready for prime time.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

California COVID Notify

California COVID Notify is the early access release for California's official ENS app. This means it has yet to earn its ENS badge on the Play Store, but rest assured the title uses the ENS API. Google simply waits until these apps are officially launched to add the ENS badge. While there's no word when the official launch will happen, what we do know is that the app is in development by the California Department of Public Health. So if you'd like to get in early, now you can.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

COVID Alert NJ

You guessed it. COVID Alert NJ is the official ENS app for New Jersey, and it's already earned its ENS badge on the Play Store, so it uses Google's API. This release comes from the New Jersey Department of Health, and it works just like the rest. Simply turn on your bluetooth, then open this app, and you're off to the races. Should you come in contact with a traced individual that's infected, you'll get a notification.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

COVID Alert NY

Shortly following New Jersey's ENS app release, New York joined the fun with its own app. This title has already earned the ENS badge on the Play Store, so it clearly uses Google's API. The NYS Department of Health runs the app, and much like any other ENS app, this release works through bluetooth. So if you happen to live in the state of New York, this is the ENS app for you.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

SlowCOVIDNC

SlowCOVIDNC is the official ENS app for North Carolina, and it already sports its ENS badge on the Play Store, so it is ready for widespread use. As you would expect, this release comes from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, and like all apps that use the ENS API, it works through bluetooth in order to alert you of potential contact with traced COVID-infected individuals.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

Coronalert - Belgium

Coronalert - Belgium is just that, the COVID tracing app for those that live in Belgium. As it stands, this app has not earned its ENS badge on the Play Store, though its description specifically states it uses Google's API, so it should eventually earn this badge. As you would expect, Coronalert - Belgium works through bluetooth, and should you come in contact with an infected individual that's been traced, you'll receive a notification about potential exposure.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

Saqbol

Saqbol is the COVID tracing app for Kazakhstan, and it was developed by the National Information Technologies JSC at the behest of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The app already contains the official ENS badge on the Play Store, so it certainly uses the ENS API from Google. As you would expect, this release works through bluetooth, just like every other official ENS app.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

Saqbol Developer: NITEC.KZ
Price: Free
1.3
Download

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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