5 Android apps you shouldn't miss this week - Android Apps Weekly

Welcome to the 501st edition of Android Apps Weekly. After a brief one-week recess we’re back and ready to bring you the latest news and apps from the week. Let’s start with some of the biggest headlines from last week:

• Google Maps is a great GPS app that many of us trust to get safely where need to go. Unfortunately, it’s not always perfect and Google can take a long time to respond to user requests around new roads or other issues. Now a new lawsuit claims Google was responsible for the death of man who was driving home late at night and came across an unbarricaded bridge that had collapsed back in 2013. The suit claims many users warned Google about the issue and yet it was never fixed. The lawsuit is also holding those accountable who were supposed to be responsible for the bridge and for putting up proper barricades.
• Facebook is finally rolling out a feature that lets you add up to four additional profiles from the app. This is perfect for those who maintain multiple accounts for work and business, as well as families that share a single tablet. That said, certain features won’t be available for additional profiles like Dating, Marketplace, Professional mode, and payments.
• After delaying its Android 14 stable release, Google is rolling out a new Android 14 QPR1 beta update for Pixel phones. This new update actually brings a few new changes including a new screen search gesture inspired by Google Now on Tap, and the ability to keep apps open even when you close the Pixel Fold. 
• Find my Phone may soon be able to find a Pixel phone even when it’s off. The new feature is apparently found within the code of Android 14. How is this possible? Basically the Bluetooth chips would function even if there’s not enough power to boot the whole OS, similar to a feature that already exists for Apple’s iPhone.
• The One UI 6 Beta is slowly rolling out to new devices and it seems the Galaxy S22 is next in line. For now, the update is only available in South Korea, though it might not be too much longer before international models of the S22 family also get the beta.
• Google is rolling out a new Fitbit app design. This new app is easier to use with just three tabs: today, couch, and you. There are also plenty of sub-sections under each of these. This is the first major change to Facebook’s look in years and we really like what we see so far.
• Google Bard now works with your Google account and many Google apps. You’ll now be able to use Bard to dig through Gmail, Drive, Maps, and more. This will make it easy for you to ask Bard questions related to your own agenda and documents.

Android Apps Weekly: The best new apps and games of the week

Looking for some new Android apps and Android games to keep you occupied? Below we take a look at some of our favorite suggestions for the week:

Monster Hunter Now

• Price: Free to play
• Release Date: Sep 14

The latest entry in the Monster Hunter series arrived last week during our brief hiatus. While it’s technically a week old, we’d be remiss not to cover this. This free-to-play title works a bit differently than your average Monster Hunter game, drawing inspiration from titles like Pokémon Go. In fact, it’s developed by Niantic (the makers of Go) in collaboration with Capcom. The game features easy-to-use controls, allowing you to slide, hop, run, cut, and more, all with just your index finger. Unlike traditional Monster Hunter games, you have only 75 seconds to take down every beast you encounter. This approach makes sense, as the game is designed to be played in the real world during short bursts. While the combat isn’t perfect, this is still a charming game and absolutely worth giving a go (no pun intended).

Ghost Detective

• Price: Free for Netflix users
• Release date: Sep 19

Ghost Detective puts you into the action as Detective Tess Robinson. Your goal? To figure out who murdered you, amidst the backdrop of a ghost-riddled New Orleans. To solve the case you’ll need to haunt your way across New Orleans looking for hidden objects. You are given a list of the objects you need to find, and you have to do it all within a time frame. You’ll also talk to different ghosts and living beings in order to solve the case.  While I didn’t spend a ton of time with this game, I enjoyed this one quite a bit as it has great dialogue and is easy to jump right in and get started. One catch, you will need a Netflix subscription to play this as it’s part of the company’s growing effort to get into gaming by offering unique experiences to its members. 

Retro College Bowl

• Price: Free to play
• Release date: Sep 19

This new spin-off of the popular game Retro Bowl focuses on college sports, allowing you to immerse yourself in the role of a head coach for one of 250 college teams. This game is pretty simple to learn with straightforward mechanics right from the start, although you’ll find it challenging to master. I also appreciated the team customization options, although I felt the gameplay got a bit tedious in my short time with it. For those who love fantasy sports, this could be the perfect way to scratch that itch.

Dragonheir: Silent Gods

• Price: Free to play
• Release date: Sep 19

Dragonheir: Silent Gods is a new party-based online multiplayer RPG set in Arkendia, a world of dragons, magic, and fantasy races. While it leans on the “chosen one” trope, it’s still a lot of fun. The game is fairly open-ended with non-linear missions and sidequests that allow the player to make the characters their very own. For those who value storyline, the dialogue and story seem pretty top-notch from what I can tell so far. Fans of MMOs and roleplaying will definitely want to give this one a download.

YouTube Create

• Price: Free
• Release date: Sep 21

YouTube Create is a new app from Google, offering a suite of free tools that allow you to easily make shorts and longer videos. You’ll be able to easily create GIFs, special effects, stickers, trim down videos, and much more. The company consulted with over 3,000 creators to develop the app and used their feedback extensively. The app even has access to royalty-free music tracks you can quickly add to the videos you produce without worrying about copyrights or crediting the composers behind them. The app is currently in beta but already seems to have a ton of functionality.