Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Check out these 5 cool new apps for iOS and Android

best new apps 11 20 2016 tie
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Apps are a dime a dozen, and it’s hard picking new ones to try — so we’ve done it for you. Take a look at a these five apps of the week, ranging from a productivity app to a slick news reader that just landed on Android.

The Room 3 ($5)

The Room Three for Android

Like its predecessors, the Room 3 is a puzzle game that has an overarching plot. You’ll traverse through various rooms and stumble upon tricky puzzle boxes you’ll have to unlock to find out the next part of the story. The iOS version of the game has been out since November of 2015, but it’s finally out on Android — and with its release come much improved graphics compared to last two in the series. It’s a fun game that’s a little pricey, but it’ll will give your mind a workout — unless you rage quit first.

iTunes

Google Play

Wildcard

wildcard
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Here’s another app that has finally arrived on Android. Launched for iOS last year, this news reader app is slick and beautiful, as well as functional. It’s reminiscent of the now dead Circa news app, which provided short blurbs of top and breaking news throughout the day. Wildcard uses the card format to provide curated news and also has an algorithm to give you stories you’ll like. You can even save cards for offline reading, and “follow” stories to receive updates when they’re available.

iTunes

Google Play

WaiveCar

waivecar
Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you’re not in the Santa Monica or Venice Beach area in California, you probably won’t be able to use this app for quite a while — but it’s an interesting one to keep track of. WaiveCar is essentially a ride-sharing service like Uber and Lyft, except it’s free, or least, the first two hours of your drive are free. How’s that possible? Well, the car is ad-supported — so whoever comes to pick you up won’t be hard to distinguish from the crowd of taxis. The company also uses 100 percent electric and emission-free vehicles. After two hours, you’ll be charged $6 per hour.

iTunes

Google Play

Proud for iOS ($5)

proud for ios
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Another to do list app? This iOS app is a little different, not just in its award-winning user interface, but also in its number of features. Similar to Google’s Inbox, you can schedule lists or mark them as done. It offers “superpowers,” such as the option to “de-stress.” It plays ambient music and offers breathing techniques for a set time, so you can take a step back in your busy work day. The focus feature lets you set a time to play music and focus on a certain activity until it ends and you can relax. Another superpower is “Give Me More Time,” to push your tasks forward in time. The app is a joy to use with its polished gesture controls and animations, and its price reflects that at $5.

iTunes

Trove Market

trove
Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you need a place to buy or sell second-hand furniture, try Trove. To add items for sale, take a picture and then add a description, price, whether you can take cash or credit, and then specify times you can meet buyers. Buyers make offers with their card, and the money transfers once you like the product after seeing it in person. Users get a feedback score that reviews previous transactions or interactions with others on the Trove app. Buyers can barter prices with the sellers to bring the price down, like you would in real life or on eBay. The marketplace is local, so you’ll be seeing things for sale in the vicinity of where you live. You can also follow sellers to keep track of items they are selling.

iTunes

Google Play

Editors' Recommendations

Julian Chokkattu
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Julian is the mobile and wearables editor at Digital Trends, covering smartphones, fitness trackers, smartwatches, and more…
We now know when Apple is adding RCS to the iPhone
The iPhone 14 Plus held in a man's hand.

Last November, Apple made a surprise announcement when it confirmed that RCS was coming to the iPhone in 2024. It's something iPhone and Android phone users alike have been waiting years for, but there was just one small problem: Apple never said when in 2024 RCS was coming. Thanks to Google, of all companies, we now have a better idea of when RCS is heading to the iPhone.

As spotted by 9to5Google, the Android website was recently updated with a new page dedicated to Google Messages. If you click on the "See more features" button for the section talking about RCS, there's a section titled "Better messaging for all" with the following text: "Apple has announced it will be adopting RCS in the fall of 2024. Once that happens, it will mean a better messaging experience for everyone."

Read more
iOS 18 could add a customization feature I’ve waited years for
iOS 17 interactive widgets on an iPhone 15 Pro Max.

iOS 18 is coming later this year, and all signs point to it being a dramatic iPhone update. Now, thanks to one new report, it looks like iOS 18 could add a customization feature I've been waiting years and years and years for: better home screen customization.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, iOS 18 will introduce a "more customizable" home screen. More specifically, iOS 18 will allow you to place app icons and widgets anywhere you want. If you want a space or break between an app icon or your widget, welcome to the future: iOS 18 may finally let you do that. MacRumors corroborated this report with its own sources, too.

Read more
Your iPhone just got a new iOS update, and you should download it right now
iPhone 15 Pro display with iPhone 15 Pro Max in background.

Apple has just released a new security update, iOS 17.4.1. This comes a little over two weeks after iOS 17.4, which was a big update. iOS 17.4.1 doesn't add any new features, but it's still an important update you'll want to download as soon as you can.

With iOS 17.4.1, Apple states that the update “provides important bug fixes and security updates and is recommended for all users.” Apple doesn’t mention any specifics of these bug fixes, but more details on what this security update addresses may be revealed at a later date.

Read more