Welcome to the 527th edition of Android Apps Weekly, where we discuss the latest mobile news and take a closer look at some of the hottest new apps and games. Let’s jump right in and take a look at some of the biggest events from the past week:
- We finally got our first look at Gemini Assistant in Messenger. The upcoming feature has yet to be officially unveiled, but that hasn’t stopped the folks at TheSpAndroid from getting Gemini to work on Messenger’s beta. The new assistant will be able to help you by recommending places, generating code, creating images and more.
- The Epic Games Store isn’t just coming to iOS in the near future, Epic has confirmed that it will also bring the same Epic Games Store experience to Android. While there was already a third-party Epic app for downloading games like Fortnite, this new version will be better integrated with the desktop and iOS iteration. No firm launch dates yet.
- While we already knew the feature was in the works, Google is now finally unveiling its new App Highlights. In short, this feature uses AI to generate summaries that highlight key aspects of each app in the Play Store. The idea behind the change is that it will make it easier to discover what the app has to offer, removing unnecessary descriptions and other nonsense.
- WhatsApp was in the news several times last week. First, Whatsapp is testing a new feature that allows users to post videos longer than 60 seconds in their status updates. Additionally, a recent APK teardown also revealed that the app may soon allow Android users to transcribe voice messages, a feature that was previously limited to the iOS app.
- A new APK teardown of the Google Messages app reveals several references to Android satellite messaging, pointing to a system that will work similarly to Apple’s Emergency SOS. Furthermore, this change is expected to be rolled out with Android 15.
- Google is rolling out a new change to the Contacts app, adding a new Contact Ringtones option that lets you quickly add, change, or delete a contact’s unique ringtone, all from one place. While it’s a small change, it’s still welcome as it’s a bit lighter than the current system.
- Not a fan of the new taskbar that debuted back in Android 12L for the Pixel Tablet and newer devices like the Pixel Fold? The latest Android 15 preview lets you do something about that, giving you the option to go back to the classic persistent taskbar. While this probably isn’t a big deal to most of you, I’m happy to see that Google is still taking customization seriously.
Android Apps Weekly: New apps and games
Looking for new Android apps and Android games to keep you busy? There weren’t any big new apps this week, but there were plenty of games worth highlighting.
A Kiss in Hell: Fantasy Otome
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
If you love series like Demon Slayer or Hazbin Hotel, and you’re also a dating sim fan, you’ll probably want to check out the latest from StoryTaco, Kiss in Hell: Fantasy Otome. In this unique dating simulator, you have four Demon Lords to choose from and thirty days to do so. Although the game is free to play, be aware that there are quite a few ads, although you can pay extra to get rid of them. There are also plenty of other in-app purchases such as special date episodes, meaning it’s highly likely that you’ll end up spending at least a little on this title if you want to get the most out of the game.
Oh my Anne
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
While most match-3 games aren’t very story-rich, Oh My Anne is a big exception. This new match-3 puzzle was developed by the Neowiz-owned ROUND8 studio and is essentially a reinterpretation of the Canadian novel “Anne of Green Gables”. The game puts you in the role of Annie as she meets new friends, renovates Green Gables, and more, while completing simple match-3 puzzles in the process. The game is free to play, although there are in-app purchases and ads.
Boomerang RPG
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
A few hundred years ago, Dude World was destroyed by a bunch of demons that appeared out of nowhere. Like the hero of legend, a brilliant baby named Dude was born with extraordinary boomerang powers. Yes, that’s a real story. The game’s graphics and minimal story are quirky and fun, but I find the game a bit buggy as it crashed on me twice in a span of only twenty minutes. If you’re looking for something fun and different, this is worth a try, but keep in mind that the game isn’t the most stable right now. Hopefully this will get better with future updates.
Guardian War: Ultimate Edition
- Price: Free basic experience with ads, $0.99 premium version
Guardian War is one of the best games ZITGA has ever made, and now it gets even better with the new Ultimate Edition. This new edition includes an exclusive new hero class, the ability to change the game’s weather, new worlds to explore and more. Although the game is free, we recommend unlocking the ultimate experience for just $0.99.
CookieRun: The Witch’s Castle
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
Witch’s Castle is the latest in the CookieRun series of mystery games, offering the same charming graphics and style you’d expect from other titles in the series. Overall, the game is pretty fun, but I feel like the level progression happens a little too fast, and the Gatcha system is far from great. As for stability, fortunately, I didn’t encounter any bugs.