AAW Proton Calendar screenshot

Credit: Joe Hindy / Android Authority


Welcome to the 361st edition of Android Apps Weekly and the first one of 2021. The last week didn’t have a ton of app news, but there were a ton of end of the year stuff. Let’s dive right in:
  • Google Camera received an unfortunate update this week. The update removed astrophotography features from the wide angle cameras on newer Pixel phones. It only works on 1x zoom or greater from now on. Google didn’t release any statements, but consistent complaints about the wide angle camera’s performance was probably the reason. Click the link to learn more.
  • We conducted a poll to see what our readers like the most in streaming in 2020. Among the winners was Attack on Titan, The Mandalorian Season 2, Tiger King, and The Queen’s Gambit. It was a huge year for streaming because of the pandemic and it was nice to see some good shows and movies come out of it. You can click the link to see all the winners, runners up, and nominees.
  • December 31st was the last day for The Office on Netflix. The show now airs on Peacock from here on out. It marks one of the biggest pulls on Netflix’s service. It also serves as a reminder of how fragmented streaming is now. It’s unfortunate, but if you signed up for Netflix for The Office, you’ll need to use Peacock to see the rest of it.
  • We rounded up the most controversial apps and games from 2020. There were quite a bit of controversies, including Fortnite’s removal from Google Play and Apple’s App Store, Totok spying on people, Cheetah Mobile’s final demise, and all of the things Zoom did wrong after it was thrust into significance due to the pandemic. You can hit the link to see all the details about each one.
  • Finally, we also rounded up the best Android apps and the best Android games released in 2020. It was actually a pretty decent year with games like Dead Cell, Levelhead, and Genshin Impact along with apps like Plexamp, Vivaldi Browser, and Firefox’s massive Daylight update. You can click each link to read our full list along with some honorable mentions.

Basketball vs Zombies

Price: Free to play

Basketball vs Zombies is an arcade game with a few different game elements. The first part has you killing zombies with a baseball bat. The second has you shooting zombie heads into a basket to score points. Some of the game’s features include 50 character skins, 60 weapons, and a goofy premise. It certainly wont win any awards, but it’s an entertaining little arcade game for fans of the zombie genre. The game is also in Early Access beta so expect some bugs as the developers finalize things.

Taskito

Price: Free / $4.99

Taskito is a new to-do list app and one of the better ones we’ve seen in a while. The app features a slick UI, plenty of features, and an integrated calendar to kill two birds with one stone. Taskito functions as a calendar first. You can plan your day, add events, and do the usual stuff. The to-do list stuff sits underneath and anything on the calendar can also be a task if you want. It also supports lists so you can do things like grocery lists, chore lists, and things like that. There are also more than 15 themes and some other customization options. This one doesn’t require a subscription. Instead, it works with an add-on model. We honestly just recommend the $4.99 price for all the features at once.

Taskito screenshot

Credit: Joe Hindy / Android Authority

Run Boggo Run

Price: $0.99

Run Boggo Run is an interesting endless runner for two reasons. For one, it’s a fair bit more difficult than most arcade runners in the Play Store. Secondly, it is published by BuzzFeed. Yes, that BuzzFeed. The game features achievements, some extras like wallpapers, and a family-friendly premise. It costs $0.99 up front and includes no ads or in-app purchases as of the time of this writing. It’s actually not half bad. However, a lot of players weren’t prepared for the higher than average difficulty so its Play Store rating is a bit lower than it should be in. In any case, this is a nice premium endless runner to kick off 2021.

Run Boggo Run screenshot

Credit: Joe Hindy / Android Authority

Proton Calendar

Price: Free

Proton Calendar is the latest app from the developers of ProtonMail and Proton VPN. This one is obviously a calendar app. The app features encryption and enhanced privacy and security features like all of the developer’s other apps. It promises no ads, no trackers, and no data sharing so you can plan your day in peace. In addition, the encryption is strong enough that not even Proton can see your stuff, let alone anyone else. In terms of features, it’s a decent calendar app. You can create events, manage ten independent calendars, set recurring events (like trash day), and even add notifications to events to remind you of things. There is also a light and dark theme if you need it. It’s in Early Access beta right now so there are still bugs, but it’ll probably be one of the best when it fully launches.

Proton Calendar screenshot

Credit: Joe Hindy / Android Authority

Bikepark.io

Price: Free

Bikepark.io is a new IO game. This one is a bike racing game. You and other players race along various courses until somebody wins. Players move forward automatically and at increasing speeds. The challenge is not falling off of the track and not hitting obstacles. The first level is super easy and, to be honest, you don’t really have to move your character at all. The second level gets more difficult and it goes on from there. It’s a decent little arcade game. The game is also kid-friendly. It certainly won’t win any awards but it’s not a bad way to kill a few minutes.

Bikeparkio screenshot

Credit: Joe Hindy / Android Authority

Thank you for reading! Check these out too:

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