Every week we cover new Android apps with
Fresh Meat on Wednesday, followed by
Android Gaming on Thursday and
Top 10 app updates on
Friday (returning this week). Now every Monday we will look back and
see which ones were the most crowd-pleasing among our audience. Read on
for the 10 most popular Android apps among your peers from last week.
1. Facebook Home
Facebook is the world’s largest social network, so it’s no surprise
that the new Facebook Home app was the most popular Android app last
week. We tested out the app and found it had promise, but the coolest
featured called Chat Heads is available in the stand alone Facebook
Messenger app. Facebook Home is only supposed on a handful of devices,
but
MoDaCo has instructions if you want to side-load it on another device.
2. StatusAgenda
StatusAgenda is a free app that brings your calendars to your
pull-down notification area. The app integrates with Google Calendar so
there is nothing to set up. I normally have the a Calendar widget stuck
to my home screen, so I have yet to test out StatusAgenda, but it
currently has an average rating of 4.4 in the Google Play Store.
3. Twilight
Twilight got a lot of buzz in last week’s
Fresh Meat
column, and it appears the app might live up to the hype. The app makes
your device screen adapt to the time of the day by filtering the blue
spectrum on your phone or tablet after sunset and protecting your eyes
with a soft and pleasant red filter. The average review score is 4.6,
and I’m installing it right now.
4. InCall Recorder
InCall Recorder might be one of the first call recording apps that
works well, and it’s actually free to install. Some users report it
works great, while others say it’s not compatible with their device.
Filter the Google Play reviews by your device to see what others are
saying before you take the time to download it and try it out.
5. Burner
If you like to sell items on Craigslist and you need a disposable
number, then Burner might be the solution you need. Burner maintains a
pool of numbers that you can rent on-demand and then dispose of when no
longer needed. The Android app comes with one free Burner number to test
out, and then you will have to pay for continued use after that. The
app was just released this week and it already received an update over
the weekend, so keep sharing your feedback so that the developer can
improve the experience.
6. Flatout: Stuntman
Last week’s most popular game was Flatout: Stuntman from Team6 Game
Studious. The Flatout series is one of the most popular stunt titles on
gaming consoles, and this mobile version delivers all the same exciting
action. The game is optimized for Tegra-powered devices, but it runs on a
wide variety of Android smartphones and tablets. It’s free to play, so
check it out if you enjoy ragdoll fun.
7. Rando
Dustin wrote a brief
preview of Rando
last week, and I’m surprised it’s not higher up on this list. The
simple app allows you to anonymously share photos with strangers and
it’s strangely addicting. We normally take pics and upload them to get
likes from people we know, so sharing a photo with a random stranger
really changes the behavior of how you capture images. I have been
playing with the app for the last week, and it still has me entertained.
8. Overkill 2
Overkill 2 is a new game for people that like to customize guns. This
sequel to the popular original lets you modify 30 realistic 3D guns the
way you feel they should be and then take them to the action. These
stand-still type of shooters are not my thing, so I have yet to check it
out.
9. Swizzle
Swizzle is a well designed app that can help anyone make cocktails
and mix drinks like a bartender or mixologist. The app features
thousands of drink recipes, including a selection of non alcoholic and
virgin drinks. Additional features include a My Cabinet section that
allows you to store your ingredients inventory, a built-in shopping
list, and the ability to create your own recipies and share them with
friends.
10. Fetch
Rounding out the Top 10 is Fetch, an app discovery platform that is
powered by tags. Users can define the traits they are looking for in
apps, and then Fetch creates a personalized feed of apps that match what
they are looking for. The app allows you to follow some detailed traits
like “button mashing,” “boss battles,” and “war games” so it’s easy to
create a feed that will deliver apps you will love.
