Welcome to the 478th edition of Android Apps Weekly. Here are the big headlines from the last week:
Google is making changes to Android in India following a variety of rulings from the Indian government. Changes include how Android approaches sideloading apps, app stores, user-choice billing, default apps, and more. These changes may find their way into other markets, so it’s worth noting.
Google is introducing a new Perspectives feature in Google Search. The idea is to help fact-check stories using a variety of journalists, experts, and other sources. Of course, this is a little dubious since the media often causes misinformation, but hopefully, Google acts responsibly in this case.
Spotify introduced a new Niche Mixes playlist feature this week. It lets you create a playlist using only a few words. The mixes are updated daily, pretty easy to create, and are available to both free and premium users. Hit the link to learn more.
Google shut down Fitbit Challenges and Adventures features this week, along with the Open Groups social feature. This ends a few of Fitbit’s gamification features, but it does simplify the Fitbit experience quite a bit. You can read more about it at the link.
Twitter wants you to pay for more features. The platform is adding For You algorithm placement to its list of premium features with Twitter Blue. That means you won’t show up unless you pay for it. Elon Musk says this is to combat the bots, but the reception to the news was understandably icy.
Price: Free to play
