5 Android apps you shouldn't miss this week | Android Apps Weekly

Welcome to the 146th edition of Android Apps Weekly! Here are the headlines for this week:

• Over the last week, Google Play has been rolling out an update to the Store app that allows for quick access to beta testing apps. This is an effort to help those willing to test out new, but buggy apps connect to developers that want someone to use their app before it’s released. If you don’t have the update yet, you can try to find the latest APK or just wait because it is coming to you soon.
• Walt Mossberg reached out to Apple late last week to find out why iMessage didn’t come to Android. Apple’s reply was, essentially, that the service is doing good enough already and that it was a selling point for Apple devices. Of course, behind all of that, there is confirmation from Apple itself that Android isn’t getting iMessage, at least not for a long time.
• There is a big Google Play sale going on right now with some really good apps and games. Among them are Fenix for Twitter, Nova Launcher, all four Grand Theft Auto games, the entire Anomaly series, and Poweramp. If you’ve been waiting to pick up any of these apps or games, now’s a great time to do so.
• Tencent purchased Supercell for $8.6 billion this last week. Supercell is known for making some of the most popular freemium games of all time, including Clash of Clans, Clash Royale, Boom Beach, and others. This comes on the heels of Tencent’s acquisition of Riot Games, makers of League of Legends. That gives them one hell of a portfolio to work with.
• Facebook began rolling out SMS support to Android devices this week. However, as per the norm, Facebook found a way to screw it up. Many users who were prompted to turn on SMS actually weren’t given an option to say no. You could get away from the pop up by going to the settings and pressing the back button, but the lack of an option to say no prompted quite the backlash. After complaints, users began to see a no button and things went back to normal.

For even more Android apps and games news, updates, and releases, don’t forget to check out this week’s newsletter by clicking here. It contains a ton of stuff that we didn’t have the space for here. If you’d like, you can sign up for the newsletter using the form below and we’ll send it to your inbox every Sunday! If you want the news even faster, you can check out the Android Authority app!

[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
VOEZ is a new rhythm game from Rayark, a developer known for making some excellent rhythm games. This one has a selection of electronica, techno, and similar styles of music and you must tap to the beat when provoked. There are also swipe, hold, and directional mechanics that craft together beautifully to create a really good looking game. The game features a campaign mode, tons of songs, and you can buy more songs if you want to via in-app purchases. If you dig rhythm games, you should definitely try this out.

[Price: Free / $1.99]
Footej Camera is a simple camera application that boasts a simple interface without too much extra bloat. With it, you can take pictures as per the norm and one of its unique features is being able to separate the focal point from the exposure point which we found to be a nifty little feature. It has manual controls if your phone supports them and you can get additional features if you go in for the $1.99 pro version which is sold as an in-app purchase. It’s surprisingly good and worth a shot.

[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Rodeo Stampede is the latest infinite runner game from Yodo1 Games, makers of the acclaimed Crossy Road. In this title, you’ll be riding a variety of animals and you must jump from one to the next using your lasso in order to remain in the game. It features a lot of the same graphical style as Crossy Road and the mechanics are quick to grasp for beginners. You’ll also collect animals for a collection that is view-able to other players. It’s a time killer through and through, but it plays well and looks good.

[Price: Free]
After three long years, ADW Launcher is getting a huge update, a complete redesign, and, hopefully, some stability and support. Some of the new features will include Dynamic UI scrolling, fast scroll, various additions and changes to the various customizations, the ability to add custom made widgets, a backup manager, and a lot more. It’s currently in beta, so if you want to check it out, you’ll have to join the ADW beta in the Google Play Store. We have that link for you below.

[Price: $4.99]
Never Alone: Ki Edition is a re-release of the popular and critically acclaimed Never Alone game, except this one is for pretty much all smartphones. In this one, you play as Nunu and her pet fox, known as Fox. The two of you work together to make it through each level. It bills itself as an atmospheric puzzle platformer which means you’ll be doing a lot of jumping and puzzle solving. The storyline is quite touching, the graphics are pretty decent, and it’s an overall enjoyable game to play. Best of all, there are no in-app purchases.

Related best app lists:

• Check out more of the best camera apps for Android by clicking here!
• It’s a rare occasion to talk about a good rhythm game and you can check out the best rhythm games here!

If we missed any of the best office apps for Android, tell us about them in the comments!To see our complete list of best app lists, click here.