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 CallApp, an excellent caller identifier and blocking tool that also offers call recording. Of course, we also have a few more titles to share with everyone today, such as Proton Calendar, a new calendar app from the creators of ProtonMail. We also have an app that allows you to run ADB shell commands locally without root. 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.
Featured App
CallApp
CallApp is a free caller identification, call blocking, and call recording solution for Android. It comes equipped with an intelligent caller ID system that allows users to block or blacklist spammers, scammers, telemarketers, and robocalls with ease. CallApp also uses caller ID anti-spoofing technology to ensure that the number you see on your screen is the actual number that's trying to reach you, plus it includes visual customization options, automatic call recording, and more. These features are available for free in the base version of CallApp, and you can eliminate ads and unlock even more features by subscribing to CallApp Premium for $1.99 per month.
Apps
Proton Calendar - Private and secure calendar
Android Police coverage: ProtonCalendar is now available on Android (APK Download)
At this point, I'm sure many people are familiar with Proton Mail, a popular end-to-end encrypted email service. Well, the same people behind this secure email service now offer an encrypted calendar app. This app arrived on the Play Store in early access this week, though it's currently exclusive to ProtonMail and ProtonVPN subscribers. Still, if you're security-conscious and are looking for a secure calendar app, you'll probably want to keep an eye on Proton Calendar's development.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
LADB — Local ADB Shell
Android Police coverage: This app gives you a local ADB shell, no need for root
LADB stands for Local ADB, as in you can run shell commands using this app without the need to install ADB on a separate device or root your phone. While it's pretty easy to install this service on Android 11, Android 10 devices will have to follow a much more complicated tutorial to get things working. But despite the limited use of this app, it's an excellent tool for those on Android 11 that wish to take advantage of shell commands while they are away from their PC.
Monetization: $2.99 / no ads / no IAPs
Taskito: To-Do List, Calendar & Reminders in one
Android Police coverage: Hands-on with Taskito, a to-do app that does things a little differently
Taskito isn't quite a new release, but since we've yet to cover the title in a roundup, I wanted to point it out. This is a to-do list app, and it brings a reasonably clean look while offering an intuitive UI. This may not be the most robust to-do app out there, but the fact it's easy to use and stays out of your way makes it clear it's an excellent app for many people. So if you're not too demanding of your to-do list apps, then I definitely recommend checking out Taskito.
Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $4.99
Gusto Wallet - Money management and savings
Gusto Wallet is a money management app, but it also appears to be a PayPal competitor in that you can keep all of your money and your business's money with the service to then use the account for payroll or personal spending conveniences. Basically, Gusto is a newfangled bank, and you can even get a debit card to use your Gusto funds with ease.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Gawq - Breaking US & World News
Gawq is the latest news feed app that claims to solve fake news as well as the bubbles personalized news feeds create. You'll be able to compare breaking stories against 150 different sources, though this doesn't really solve the bubble scenario when many of these outlets often report the exact same things. It would seem there's no solving the problem of biased news when all news is biased, though it sure is fun watching one organization after another claim that they have the solution. As far as newsreaders go, Gawq is adequate, though it would seem there's still nothing that beats the RSS readers of years past. At the very least, the app is free, so you can easily take a look to make up your own mind.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
App Locker Free - Fingerprint locker free
If you use apps you'd like to lock access behind a pin code or fingerprint, then you may want to give App Locker Free a look. As its name implies, this is a locker app that forgoes all of the bloat found in similar releases. All in all, App Locker Free is the free version of Simple App Locker, and it performs its job without any hassle, so it's easily worth a look if you're worried about anyone getting into your apps when they have access to your device.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $1.49
Touch Lock : Lock touch screen
Touch Lock is a simple app designed to lock your device's screen with a single tap on the screen. So say you're watching a video, but while you're holding the device, you keep pulling up the video's menu by accidentally touching the screen. Well, you can use this app to lock the screen while the video plays so you won't have to worry about accidental touches.
Monetization: $0.99 / contains ads / no IAPs
Manufacturer And Tie-In Apps
Canvas AOD
Android Police coverage: OnePlus puts Canvas AOD in the Play Store for faster updates in the future
Canvas AOD is a tie-in app for OnePlus devices that offer Canvas AOD. Basically, the company released this app on the Play Store so that it can update the AOD software on its devices without having to worry about carriers pushing out OTA updates. So if you own an OP phone that supports Canvas AOD, you should already have this app on your device, and OP will update it through the Play Store going forward.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Skrmiish Esports
Skrmiish Esports is a mobile app that ties into a desktop app for the purpose of creating online gaming matches, even though there are already millions of places to perform similar tasks. For some reason, Skirmish doesn't provide any explanation why regular people or influencers would want to use this app over connecting with people on social media or the thousands of other communication methods the internet provides, but I'm guessing that's intentional since I can't think of a good reason either.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Instant Guard
Instant Guard comes from ASUS and is a tie-in app intended for use with the company's routers. While the description states this release is only for network managers, if you have an ASUS router in your home, then guess what, you're a network manager. So if you'd like to remain anonymous while using public wifi by connecting to your ASUS router at home for anonymity through a VPN-like service, this is the app for you.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
COVID Apps
WHO COVID-19 Updates
Android Police coverage: WHO’s official coronavirus app gets a public release (kind of) for the second time (APK Download)
It would appear the WHO COVID-19 Updates app made an appearance way back in April but was pulled soon after because it was supposed to be a private beta release. Well, the app has made an appearance again, but only for those that live in Nigeria, so the rest of us will have to continue to wait for this app to land in our territories. As you would expect, this is primarily an app that offers info about COVID, though there also appears to be some sort of notification function, so it's possible this app will also work as a tracker.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Wisconsin Exposure Notification
Despite the fact Christmas was this week, plenty of devs have been releasing apps, and of course, COVID tracing apps are still rolling out. As you can guess, Wisconsin Exposure Notification is a tracking app for those that live in Wisconsin, and it has already earned its ENS badge on the Play Store, which means this app indeed uses Google's API.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Smittestopp
Smittestopp is the official COVID tracing app for Norway, and it has already earned its ENS badge on the Play Store, which means it indeed uses Google's API. So if you live in Norway and would like to receive notifications about potential COVID exposure should you come in contact with a traced individual that's infected with the virus, Smittestopp is the app you're looking for.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Live Wallpapers
Crazy Christmas Tree
Here I thought we wouldn't see any worthwhile Christmas themed live wallpapers this year. Thankfully maxelus.net has published Crazy Christmas Tree, a 3D animated tree that offers low-poly art. As you would expect, you can change the color of the tree and the background in this app, and you can do this by simply shaking your phone, which is a nice touch. Of course, if you'd like to play around with the full set of customization options in this release, you'll have to plunk down a few bucks through an in-app purchase to unlock the good stuff.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $1.49 - $1.99
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.