Andrew Grush / Android Authority
Welcome to the 523rd 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:
- Google Pay seems to be following the path of the dodo, with Google Wallet taking its place entirely. Google has announced that it will shut down the app and that it will be completely unavailable after June 4 this year. Users will be able to see and transfer their balance even after using the Google Pay website.
- Google introduced a new AI model this week, called Gemma. The new open-source AI model isn’t as full-featured as Gemini, but it’s perfect for smaller, lightweight projects.
- After recently introducing the Gemini app as an opt-in download, Google has now started phasing out Assistant by default. When you download the Assistant app, you get Gemini and you have to restore it manually.
- Google Messages may soon get new camera effects, as recently spotted in several flags discovered inside the app. That’s not the only change underway, as Google may also experiment with removing the most popular contacts during search and a few other small changes.
- Google is testing a new AI feature in the Play Store called App Highlights. This new feature summarizes the key points around the app, making it easy to cut through the description and get to the bottom of what the app has to offer. For now, the feature is only available to a few lucky users.
- The latest Snapchat APK teardown by Android Authority shows that the company is working on a new feature called Tiny Snaps. In short, the feature allows you to take a small Snap while receiving messages. While we don’t know anything official about the feature, it seems the idea is likely to capture user reactions as they type new messages.
- This week, Google revealed how the Assistant’s AI digests will work on Android Auto-enabled vehicles. The new feature will summarize both group chats and individual texts of more than 40 words, giving you a clearer message that you can easily reply to by voice.
Android Apps Weekly: New apps and games
Looking for new Android apps and Android games to keep you busy? This week we saw two new apps worth highlighting, as well as three great games.
Healthsteps
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
Healthsteps is not your typical health and fitness app. While the core of the experience is engaging in healthy activities, watching lies, and exercising, what sets this experience apart is that it’s also a dating platform.
From what I can see, it can connect you with people who are compatible with your life goals and share your same fitness interests. I’m happily married so I can’t say much about how well this app works, but if it sounds like your cup of tea, you might want to check it out.
Rainbox Six is now on mobile, but definitely not as you know it. Rainbox Six: Smol plays exactly like the traditional entries in the series, albeit with a much more cartoony style. There are still tactical special forces missions, hostage rescues and door busting that you love.
While playing it I noticed that the game is lighter than a typical shooter, but given its mobile nature that’s not too surprising. The good news is that it gets more challenging as you get into the game. The only major catch here is that this Android game requires an active Netflix subscription to play.
Shovel Pirate
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
Shovel Pirate is a puzzle platformer that gives me serious old school Kirby vibes when it comes to the art style. There’s very little in the way of the main story here, but the game doesn’t even need it.
Overall, this game is great to play, even though it is quite short. There are also two different endings you can achieve, one good and one not so good.
Invincibles: Guardian of the Globe
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
The Invincible series has been around for over twenty years, and yet, until recently, it never received a mobile game adaptation, despite its large fan base. The new mobile game, developed by Ubisoft, feels like a bit of a cash grab, featuring familiar gacha-like gameplay with lots of fast-paced battles, a simple level-up system, and more. However, if you enjoy these types of games and are a fan of the series, it might be worth a try.
In my limited playing time, I found the game to be enjoyable enough, with good graphics and easy-to-learn mechanics. I found much of the action to be repetitive, but on the plus side, the game was very stable and I didn’t notice any major bugs. In conclusion, this game may not live up to the legacy of the series it’s named after, but it’s better than nothing and can still serve as a fun diversion. It’s also free to play, although as you might expect, there are in-app purchases.
Nascar manager
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
Nascar Manager places you as a crew chief during the Nascar Sprint Cup Series. You can manage your team, win races to get rewards and much more. If you’re a fan of both strategic management games and racing games, this mix might just be for you.
While playing it, I found the graphics to be excellent and the gameplay wasn’t bad, although the in-app purchases, watching videos to earn coins, and other parts of the experience were much less appealing to me. Personally, I’d rather pay a premium for a game like this and ditch the ads and paid add-ons, but that’s just me. Still, it’s free so it’s at least worth a try.