Welcome to the 504th edition of Android Apps Weekly. Once again we bring you the latest news and apps from the previous week. Let’s start with some of the biggest headlines from last week:

• After several betas, Android 14 has finally arrived for eligible Pixel devices. The latest version of Android brings plenty of new features including improved device security, new accessibility features, and better integration with the Health Connect app. There are also a few Pixel 8 specific features in Android 14 including generative AI wallpapers.
• Generative AI continues to be a big buzzword, and now Google has announced it’s coming to the Fitbit app early next year. One of the core features here is the ability to find connections and correlations between your fitness data and then provide you insights. AI will also be used to provide personalized coaching and dynamic workout recommendations to ensure you are making progress on your goals. 
• Another one bites the dust. Google has announced plans to discontinue Google Podcasts, though the app will continue to work until “sometime in 2024”. The good news is Google is making it easy to migrate your podcast data over to another service. We can’t say we are too surprised, as Google has killed a lot of apps over the years. 
• TikTok recently started testing a new ad-free monthly subscription. The new plan costs $4.99 during the testing phase, but the final pricing could differ. Having an ad-free option is nice, though the shift towards paying for social networking apps is one we don’t completely love. 
• Meta has announced its new Meta AI virtual assistant is coming to WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger. For now at least, the assistant will only be available in the US and in the English language. 
• Samsung is bringing mobile driver’s licenses and state IDs to Samsung Wallet. Iowa and Arizona are the first states to offer a mobile version of their driver’s license to residents, but more states are to follow. Samsung is also working with the TSA so it can accept mobile licenses at 25 federal airports. 

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:

Google Magnifier

• Price: Free (Pixel users only)
• Release Date: Oct 6

Google’s new Magnifier app allows you to easily read text from a distance such as menus, airport signs, street signs, and more. This app is perfect for those who have less-than-perfect vision like me, or if you just want to get a closer look at something that’s too far to see with your eyes, whether you wear corrective lenses or not. You can pick different zoom increments from 1x to 30x. The only catch is the app is exclusively for Pixel devices, though we’ve confirmed that it works with devices as old as the Pixel 5. 

Slim Battle: Idle RPG Games

• Price: Free with in-app purchases
• Release date: Oct 7

If you’re looking for a story-heavy RPG, this isn’t it. The minute you load up the game you’re given a quick tutorial of sorts and then you are immediately launched into stage 1. You play as a slime that is being attacked by countless humans. Each time you take down a human, a small red splat is all that is temporarily left behind. As the onslaught continues you get temporary cards that can boost your powers. Each level eventually ends in a boss fight. As you might guess, this is meant to be a casual game for those moments when you’re waiting in line or just have a little time to kill. 

Soccer Manager 2024

• Price: Free with in-app purchases
• Release date: Oct 7

Invincibles Studio has earned a reputation for crafting precise and enjoyable soccer management games. The latest version provides access to over 900 real clubs in 54 leagues across 36 countries. In this manager game, you can buy, sell, and oversee real players. If you’re a fan of fantasy soccer, there are few other games that can match the caliber of this one. While I’m not personally big into these kinds of management games, I gave it a quick go and have to say I appreciated how easy it was to jump in and get started without any real previous experience. This looks like a game that will be easy to learn but hard to master.

Aznana

• Price: Free with in-app purchases
• Release date: Oct 6

Ever wanted to play a game about a boy who can’t talk, is stuck in a crummy walled-around town where he was found in the garbage, and his only friend is a talking girl’s head named Aznana he discovered in the trash? Me neither, but I’m certainly glad I did. To say this game is quirky would be an understatement. The general premise is that you are looking for a way to leave town together. You come across a man who says he can tell you how, but he wants 10,000 dimes for the information. That’s a lot of dimes. The boy and Aznana go about attempting this goal by finding cans as well as buying and reselling items for more than you paid. From the art style to the dialogue, this one is a lot of fun. In fact I found myself playing it much longer than I’d initially intended. 

Cloaked

• Price: $10 a month
• Release date: Oct 4

Cloaked is a privacy app designed to safeguard your personal information from businesses. This app allows you to effortlessly create cloaked IDs, so you don’t have to share your actual account details. This includes generating a false username, email address, phone number, and more. For instance, you could use Cloaked’s generated identities to sign up for online subscriptions, and any communication sent to these identities would be securely routed to the Cloaked app. The concept is quite intriguing, but it does come at a cost. While there is a 14-day free trial (no credit card required), the subscription fee after that is $10 per month or $96 per year.