Welcome to the 461st edition of Android Apps Weekly. Here are the headlines from the last week:
Google Messages received an update this week. It brought end-to-end encryption for group chats. This is a pretty big deal since end-to-end encryption is a big feature these days. The feature is currently in the app’s beta version, so we expect the full rollout to happen sooner rather than later.
South Dakota banned the use of TikTok for all state workers. In addition, the state is urging other states to follow suit. TikTok is almost constantly embroiled in data-sharing controversies. The governor of South Dakota decided that it wasn’t collecting data on her employees. Hit the link to learn more.
Google took another potshot at Apple for iMessage this week. Google once again touted the good things about RCS and is pressuring Apple to adopt the technology once again. We hope Apple listens, but it probably won’t. Google compared Apple’s approach to messaging to the 1990s, which is a pretty good burn. Since we’re on the topic, a new app is trying to let Android users actually use iMessage without an iPhone. We’ve been testing it out, but it still needs a lot of work.
Spotify and YouTube Music released their end-of-the-year stuff this week. Spotify’s Wrapped launched on November 30th, and you can access it now if you have Spotify. Spotify also includes a music personality on top of its usual stats and insights. YouTube Music Recap launched on November 29th and, aside from some rollout drama, includes things like Google Photos integration. Anyone with either music service can check it out now. For anyone interested, here are the most popular YouTube videos from 2022 as well.
Google announced the winners of the 2022 Google Play awards this week. The winners include Dream by Wombo, Apex Legends Mobile, and BeReal. George R.R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood was the top-selling book and “I’m Glad My Mom Died” by Jennette McCurdy was the most popular audiobook. Hit the link to see all the winners and runner-ups.
The Eminence in Shadow
Price: Free to play
