Welcome to the 508th 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:
YouTube was in the news a lot last week. First, it started cracking down on ad-blocking, and then Google began raising prices on YouTube Premium in multiple countries. Now it seems the whole move is backfiring, as users are uninstalling the software in record numbers. Many of those who are sticking around have found better ad blockers or web browser solutions that won’t trigger YouTube’s blocking measures.
X, formerly known as Twitter, recently announced plans for a new feature that allows group admins to pin hashtags within a Community. While it’s not a major feature, it could be helpful for keeping communities more organized.
In mid-October WhatsApp finally let users add two accounts to the same device. Now WhatsApp is adding a few other improvements such as a new “alternate profile” feature that lets you restrict your profile photo to contacts, while still displaying an alternate profile photo and name to non-contacts.
Google’s Messages for Web is useful, but it requires you to authenticate the connection between your phone and computer by scanning a QR code. This isn’t the most elegant solution. The exception is for Google Fi Wireless subscribers, who can log into the web portal using their Fi Account. Thankfully, things are about to change. A recent APK teardown unveils Google is working on a new account-based system for Messages authentication. This means soon all users will be able to connect their account to the web by logging into the same Google account they use on their phones.
The EU recently passed new regulations that require many big companies to offer ad-free experiences. Meta is the latest to offer such an option for its Instagram and Facebook apps. The recurring fee is €9.99 (~$10.61) as long as you sign up through the web, as it costs a bit more at €12.99 (~$13.80) through mobile apps as it factors in Google and Apple’s app store fees.
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. This week we have three games and two app suggestions.
