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

[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
This week’s episode of the Android Apps Weekly show is sponsored by Whack Magic 2. This unique whack-a-mole game pits you up against various monsters that’ll you’ll have to take down. You’ll be tapping, holding, and swiping to perform various attacks based on the enemies to take them down as quickly as possible within a given time limit. There are also RPG elements as your character levels up and gets more powerful over time.
Your hero can be equipped with upgraded armor and weapons to make them more powerful and you can find power ups, special abilities, and more to help things along. It really is a fun little game and a pleasant way to spend a little time. Give it a shot and show your support for the Android Apps Weekly show.

Welcome back to Android Apps Weekly! Here are your big headlines from the last week:

• Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was remade for the Wii U and released this last week. In celebration, for the next few days, Link will adorn Google Maps instead of the usual pointer icon. It’s a fun way to celebrate the series, especially since it celebrated its 30 year anniversary late last month.
• Instagram is the latest social network to begin blocking links from other social media services. From now on, links to Snapchat and Telegram should stop functioning in Instagram posts and you’ll get a little message letting you know if you try. Most other social media sites are still accepted for now.
• Spotify has always used Facebook as its social network of choice and now it seems Facebook has tapped Spotify. Facebook Messenger will soon have Spotify integration. You’ll be able to access it from the menu and then share your favorite songs directly over the service. It’s a bit clunky but it’s also a new feature that’ll be updated over time.
• It’s true for right now that Apple Pay leads both Samsung and Android when it comes to the whole Pay thing. However, new data suggests that Samsung Pay is actually growing at a faster rate than Apple Pay. Android Pay is still growing quickly as well but no one’s quite sure yet if it’s growing faster than Apple Pay or not.
• Google has updated their Play Store terms to address advertisements by penalizing apps that have ads that prevent people from using the app. Along with that, there are new rules against bypassing Doze mode, against collecting user data inappropriately, and more.

For even more Android apps and games news, don’t forget to check out this week’s newsletter! There you’ll find all of the headlines, new releases, and updates that we didn’t have space for here. If you’re so inclined, you can use the form below and subscribe to the newsletter to have it sent to your inbox every Sunday.

[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Thumb Drift is a fun little racer that features retro graphics and one-finger swipe controls which makes its ridiculously easy to play. You’ll be drifting around corners quite often trying to get the high score and there are 50 vehicles that you can unlock. It also features leaderboards so you can challenge friends if you so choose. It’s easy, it’s accessible, and it’s free to download. There are worse games to whip out while you’re standing in line at the movie theater.

[Price: Free]
Hands Free is a new application from Google that tries to change how we pay for things. The app works by connecting to cashier terminals over Bluetooth or WiFi and then pays the bill for you as long as you state that you want to pay with Google. The app then sends your photo to the register where your identity is verified and the purchase is pushed through. It’s an entertaining idea although there aren’t many places that can take advantage of it yet.

[Price: $9.99]
Fahrenheit, also known as Indigo Prophecy, was originally released back in 2005 and had a loyal cult following. The game has been remastered and re-released on mobile in all of its glory. This title classifies itself as an interactive narrative, playing more like a movie that the gamer controls rather than just a game. It looks good and seems like it’s going to be a fun ride. It’s a tad expensive at $9.99 but there are also no in-app purchases.

[Price: Free]
Hound is the personal assistant app from SoundHound that’s been in beta since its initial announcement last year. It has come out of beta and is now available to everyone without an invite. This personal assistant features a quirky side that likes to tell jokes and play games and you can also use one of the many voice commands to do things like get an Uber driver, check out weather, check reviews of a restaurant, and many, many more. It’s a good third party personal assistant and worth a shot.

[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Clash Royale is the latest game out of Supercell, developers of the critically acclaimed Clash of Clans. This is a card collector where you collect cards and then use them in duels to beat other players. Every round is live PvP and you’ll be battling for trophies. The characters and cards are all themed from Clash of Clans to give fans a familiar setting. It’s meant to take on Hearthstone in the dueling cards game type and I guess we’ll see if it works.

Related best app lists:

• The best Android games, ever!
• 10 best personal assistant apps for Android!

If we missed any big Android apps or games news or releases, tell us about them in the comments!