Welcome to the roundup of the best new Android applications and live wallpapers that went live in the Play Store or were spotted by us in the previous two weeks or so. Today’s roundup is sponsored by FamiSafe, an excellent company that offers a comprehensive parental control application with a suite of robust features. Of course, we also have a few more titles to share with everyone today, such as Google Assistant’s new interpreter mode, an AR experience for The Mandalorian, and a note app that can save your text on your homescreen. So without further ado, here are all of the new and notable Android apps released on the Play Store in the last two weeks.

Featured App

FamiSafe

FamiSafe is an all-encompassing parental control application that offers a suite of robust features to help parents like you monitor and control your child’s smart device usage. It includes location tracking, screen time scheduler, built-in app blocker, website filter, and software that can detect potentially harmful text messages and photos. All of this detailed information is then compiled into a daily activity report stored on your phone for easy browsing. Start your free three-day trial by downloading the FamiSafe app today.

Apps

Google Assistant – Interpreter Mode

Android Police coverage: Quickly access Google Assistant’s interpreter mode with a homescreen shortcut

Google Assistant – Interpreter Mode serves duty as a homescreen shortcut for the primary Google Assistant app’s interpreter function. So if you’re sick of using the voice command “Hey, Google” to activate the interpreter mode, Google now provides a homescreen shortcut through the installation of this brand-new early access release.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

The Mandalorian AR Experience

Android Police coverage: Google created a Mandalorian AR experience, only available on select 5G phones (APK Download)

The Mandalorian AR Experience comes from Google, and for some reason, it’s an app that’s only available Google Pixels that support 5G as well as a few select 5G Android devices. Why 5G is a requirement for an augmented reality app that basically serves as an advertisement for Disney’s Star Wars TV show, I don’t know, but the app exists all the same, so if you own the appropriate equipment, you can bring the characters of The Mandalorian into the real world through this augmented reality release.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

Heynote

Android Police coverage: Heynote turns your wallpaper into a personalized to-do list

Heynote is a simple app for creating notes that can be easily displayed on your homescreen. Heck, you can even create notes for your lockscreen, guaranteeing that you’ll never forget a note. There’s also an option to choose your background for these notes, allowing for easy readability if you go with a single color. Best of all, this app is totally free to use, so if you’d like to customize your wallpapers with text or would like to keep your notes on your lockscreen and homescreen, Heynote provides precisely that.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

Sialia for Twitter

Sialia for Twitter is the latest third-party Twitter app to land on the Play Store, and thanks to the developer publishing a recent post on Reddit, the app has received some well-deserved attention. While customization is still lacking, what’s there still makes for a useful release that’s fairly accessible. A few themes are included, so you can get close to a preferred look to match your phone’s theme, and better yet, there’s a conversation layout that makes things easy to read. So if you’re looking for a new Twitter app, or would like to check out a competent up-and-coming option, Sialia for Twitter is a solid choice this week.

Monetization: $2.99 / no ads / IAPs $1.99 apiece

Mangamo

Mangamo is a new manga reader, but unlike most of the manga readers on the Play Store, this is an official app where you pay a subscription to access your favorite books. You can test the app for free for thirty days, and once your trial is over, the monthly sub is $4.99. So far, most complaints are centered around the small library, but I’m sure this will change as the app grows. So if you’re sick of buggy manga readers like Viz and Crunchyroll, perhaps you should take a look at the new kid on the block.

Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs $4.99 apiece

Bluetooth audio device widget – connect, play

If you’ve ever had trouble with automatically connecting your phone’s bluetooth to your car, then you’re going to love Bluetooth audio device widget. You can easily create a shortcut for your homescreen that can connect your bluetooth to the intended device with a single tap. So no longer will you have to fuff about in menus just to get your bluetooth to connect, which I’m sure will appeal to many bluetooth users out there since the tech can often be a pain.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs $1.99 apiece

Manufacturer And Tie-In Apps

Microsoft Tunnel

Microsoft Tunnel is an app designed to provide access to corporate networks without having to worry about potential security issues, which is excellent for people that have to work from home during COVID, since they wouldn’t otherwise have a secure way to connect to their work’s network. Of course, your work will have to subscribe to Microsoft Intune, and your work account will have to be set up with Azure Active Directory, or else you won’t be able to use this app.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

Google Automotive Keyboard

Google Automotive Keyboard is just that, a keyboard for Google Auto. Sadly it would appear that Google has cut and pasted the description from the standard Gboard listing, and so there are no specifics offered for Google Automotive Keyboard, though I suppose it stands to reason both software keyboards offer the same options. However, it sure would be nice to see Google make an effort to explain the differences in its growing catalog of releases.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

COVID Apps

COVIDaware MN

COVIDaware MN is a COVID tracing app for Minnesota residents, and it has already earned the ENS badge on the Play Store, so it indeed uses Google’s API. Much like every other COVID tracing app, all you have to do is install this release, turn on your bluetooth, and then open this app. This way, you’ll be notified of potential exposure should you come in close proximity with an infected individual that’s been traced.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

WeHealth Bermuda

WeHealth Bermuda is a COVID tracing app for those that live in Bermuda, though it has not earned the ENS badge on the Play Store even though the app works with bluetooth. Luckily the app’s website makes it clear that it does use Google’s API, so it’s only a matter of time before Google adds the ENS badge to this Play Store listing. So if you live in Bermuda and would like to receive notifications of potential exposure, this is the app for you.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

Госуслуги.COVID трекер

Gosuslugi.COVID tracker is the COVID tracing app for Russia, and as expected, the app does not specify what kind of data it collects, so there are already a few reviews calling the app’s policies into question. Still, this is the official tracing app for the country, even though it’s a tough call whether or not it should be used.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

Live Wallpapers

Google Photos

Android Police coverage: Google Photos lets you set a live wallpaper of your cool — or random — memories (APK Download)

Google Photos was recently updated, and now the app offers a slick live wallpaper mode that can display all of your pictures on your homescreen. So yes, this is an old app, but thanks to new functionality, it’s now a fantastic live wallpaper, which is precisely why I’ve included this release in today’s roundup. So if you’d like to display a revolving montage of your favorite pics on your homescreen, you should probably check out the newest feature in Google Photos.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

Bobble Heads | Live Wallpaper

If you couldn’t tell by the name, Bobble Heads is a live wallpaper that displays precisely that on your homescreen. Sadly it would appear that this app is offering copyrighted content, such as images of POP figurines, so it’s only a matter of time before the owners of these properties notice. This means if you’re interested in this release, you should install it sooner rather than later since it could go down at any moment.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

Know A Worthy New App? Let Us Know!

If you have an application in mind for the next issue of the roundup, feel free to send us an email and let us know.

Important: there are 2 requirements in order for the app to be considered, listed below.

• the app’s launch date has to be no longer than 2 weeks ago
• it has to be original, ground-breaking, well-reviewed, interesting, fun, etc – the cream of the crop

Now, if and only if the above requirements have been satisfied, fire up an email to this address: [email protected].

1 sponsored placement per week is available (your app would be featured at the top and marked as sponsored) – please contact us for details.