Got an Android device? If so, Google’s got a great selection of apps and games for you to check out. At the end of each year, both Apple and Google award the best apps and games on their respective app stores. (If you have an iPhone, you should check out our best-of Apple list.) And if you haven’t had the time to try new Android apps this year, our quick list will help you find something interesting real quick. If you want to check out the full list, here’s the Google Play Best of 2021 page.
Balance
Screenshot: Balance
Meditation app Balance is the winner of the best Android app of 2021. The app’s specialty is its ability to tailor your meditations based on your experiences. When you start using the app, it’ll ask you a few questions about your history with meditation and then offer guided meditation plans accordingly. Through the course of each plan, it offers meditations based on your comfort with various techniques, which creates a nice personalised program for you.
Meditation is known to be one of the most effective techniques against stress, anxiety, and even depression, and Balance makes it easy to get into the practice. Balance is free to download and has a limited-time offer that lets you get the first year for free, so go right ahead and try it out.
Pokémon Unite
Screenshot: Pokemon Unite
If you’re looking for a fun competitive multiplayer game on your Android phone, Pokémon Unite is a really good option for you. It pits two teams of five players each against one another, creating an addictive multiplayer experience. Google named this the best Android game of 2021, which is another reason to try it.
And while Pokémon Unite will obviously appeal to Pokémon fans, it’s worth playing even if you’re not into the franchise. You can have fun with it even if you don’t know anything about any of your characters. The game does have some matchmaking issues though, where you can sometimes be paired with super-strong players, and it sometimes suffers from server problems, too.
Bird Alone
Screenshot: Bird Alone
If you dislike fast-paced competitive multiplayer games, you should check out Bird Alone. It’s an amazing single-player experience where you strike a friendship with a bird. This bird has normal questions at first, but eventually, the discussions drift towards existential topics including death. It doesn’t stay that dark for long, however, as you do fun things such as write poems together. The whole point of Bird Alone is to check in on your companion every day and ensure that it is not, in fact, alone.
Moonbeam
Screenshot: Moonbeam
Moonbeam is an excellent app for podcast discovery. Over the last few years, we’ve been moving towards short-form content like what we see on TikTok and Instagram Reels, so primarily long-form podcasts sometimes suffer because casual listeners may be put off by their length. Some of the best podcasts run well over 40 minutes per episode, and that’s where Moonbeam steps in.
It curates special moments from each podcast and helps you quickly listen to decide if you want to check out the full episode. This could help podcasters build a loyal following much faster, and could also help casual listeners become fans of new podcasts.
FWD
Screenshot: FWD
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Source: https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2021/12/10-of-the-best-android-apps-of-2021-according-to-google/