Welcome to the latest edition of Android Apps Weekly, where we discuss the latest in mobile news and take a closer look at some of the most interesting new apps and games. Let’s jump right in and take a look at some of the biggest highlights from the last week:
- Google’s Magic Eraser may soon be available for free, at least according to a recent APK teardown performed by Android Authority. Right now, Magic Eraser is exclusive to Google One subscribers or those with Pixel phones, but a string of code suggests this may be changing in the near future. The only catch is that Magic Eraser use would be limited, with only a few edits available per month.
- Android 15 Beta is finally here and it brings several new changes and features, including the ability to change the default wallet app to something other than Google Wallet. This change isn’t too surprising with all the recent law changes in the EU, though there are not many details yet on which 3rd party wallets will be fully supported.
- Speaking of Google Wallet changes, Google also introduced a new website for its digital payment service. The site will let you access passes and IDs directly from the website.
- Google Messenger received a major update this week that includes several new features, most of which relate to images and photography. Firstly, there is now significantly improved image quality support. Secondly, file size limits have been increased from 25MB to 100MB. Additionally, there’s a new feature allowing users to add contacts using a QR code. Although this feature has been present in WhatsApp for years, it’s nice to see Google catching up here.
- Getting paid to watch TikTok may soon become a reality, according to a new report. In a bid to boost engagement in Europe, the company plans to introduce a new Rewards feature in its app, offering monetary incentives for watching videos, inviting friends to sign up, and more. However, there’s no word yet on whether or when this feature might also be available in additional markets like the US.
- Beeper earned a lot of notoriety for its attempts to bring iMessage to Android, but ultimately the effort has failed due to Apple’s measures to keep access restricted from Android devices. The app has become a more generalist messaging service after losing iMessage support, but even that’s not enough to keep the company going on its own. Beeper has announced an acquisition with Automattic, the company behind WordPress.
- It looks like a VPN by Google One is on its way out, as announced by Google itself. While there’s no exact timeframe for when the service will go away, the company has revealed plans to shut it down later this year. Pixel users will still have access to Google VPN software, however.
Android Apps Weekly: New apps and games
Looking for some new Android apps and Android games to keep you occupied? This week didn’t see any major new apps but there were quite a few games worth highlighting.