Like every weekend, we meet at kwgeek as I pick 5 free or paid mobile apps and games that caught my eye on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
Every week I try to bring you the best apps that aren’t personal data traps or microtransaction dens. For my own discoveries, I’ve also added applications that the kwgeek community unearthed and shared on our forums, which I invite you to check out.
From mobile games to productivity apps, here are 5 free and paid Android/iOS apps from kwgeek this week. We post this pick every week, and you can also check out my 5 apps from last week.
Free Games – Dinosaur Park
Create your own Jurassic Park
Aqualert (Android & iOS)
The fact that I took over our top 5 apps of the week this week was the perfect opportunity for me to finally download a hydration tracking app. Because I openly admit: I’m not drinking enough water! And when the temperature warms up in June, I don’t want to be dehydrated and hurt my body while exercising. While looking for the right app, I found Aqualert.
Aqualert is available on iOS and Android, unfortunately it hasn’t been updated since 2020. There are a lot of ads in Aqualert. In any case, the reason I included Aquaert in the list is: According to Exodus, the app does not request access to your location or your Android phone’s external storage. At this point, the most popular water drink app on the Google Play Store and AppStore really matters.
The app itself provides two basic functions. It can remind you to drink water regularly – it can keep track of how much water you drink. You can also hide ads and unlock other features for $2.99.
- Price: Free / Ads: Yes / In-App Purchases: Yes / Account: Not Required / French: Yes
Finally had enough and didn’t solve the data of one octopus! / © kwgeek
Bird Net (Android & iOS)
Forget about Pokémon GO or other fancy collecting games. In BirdNET, you can create a file of real birds for the start of summer. The biggest fan of this app is my sister who works part-time as a tour guide at the bird park. When she found BirdNET, every time she heard birdsong, she pulled out her phone to see which bird was calling for a mate.
This is a great way to see which song goes with which bird. Meanwhile, the app will lure you outdoors in summer. It’s available for iOS and Android, and it’s completely free. It’s very easy to use: just activate the bird song recognition and point your phone in the direction of the noise.
Since the app is not a replacement for mobile games, there are no gamification elements waiting for you. In fact, BirdNET is a research project of K. Lisa Yang of the Center for Bioacoustic Conservation at the Technical University of Chemnitz. So in addition to your brain, you can train birds for speech recognition and contribute to science.
- Price: Free / Ads: No / In-App Purchases: No / Account: Not Required / French: Yes
This summer, BirdNET will be a fun real-life Pokémon GO game! / © kwgeek
Free Games – Zoo 2
take care of all your animals
Photometer (iOS)
Now that there is a chance to write this week’s Top 5 apps, the photographer’s app must also debut! The Photometer is a digital light meter that you can download to your iPhone for €1.99. If you use an analog camera without a light meter – or don’t have a proper battery like my Minolta Autoreflex TC – you can just use your iPhone.
Not only is the photometer beautiful, fast, and easy to use, the app also uses your iPhone’s camera to take measurements. You can use the crosshairs to see exactly where you want to adjust exposure. Many of the alternatives I’ve found in the AppStore try to do the same thing with the front light sensor. But this is not satisfactory.
If the photometer is too modern for you, you can also upgrade to the classic version. This lacks live view and reticles, instead showing pointers for underexposure and overexposure.
- Price: EUR 1.99 / Ads: No / In-App Purchases: No / Account: Not Required / French: Yes
Using the “Light Meter”, you can measure the exposure of an analog camera without using a light meter. / © kwgeek
Adidas Running (Android and iOS)
My last tip before moving on to this week’s mobile game: adidas Running – since the app is also perfect for summer, for me it’s the best app for runners on Android and iOS. This is mainly due to three things.
First of all, adidas Running doesn’t bother too much with its notifications and announcements. When you want to run, you start recording a new run and a 10-second timer is displayed. The app then notifies you of your current pace, distance covered and your total running time every kilometer. This is great because you can focus on your run.
The next benefit is the ability to create an account. It sounds simple, but it allows me to look at my running experiences over the past four years and recall my successes, like half marathons or snail speeds from the first few races. Unfortunately, if you’re a subscriber, you can only view statistics like total distance or average speed for certain years.
Finally, adidas Running has a community element. While I only have a few contacts, I’m glad to see others running on a sunny Sunday as well. Plus, there’s a cheer feature that lets you cheer on others as they run. Plus, you can immortalize many other sports if you want!
- Price: Free / Ads: Yes / In-App Purchases: Yes, Subscription / Account: Required / French: Yes
Adidas running has been an integral part of my phone for years / © kwgeek
Happy Colors (Android and iOS)
Happy Color mobile game is very boring at first glance, but once you try it, it becomes addictive. It took me at least 10 minutes of work to fill the image with color, not sure how long it took. The principle is very simple: as for the classic “painting by numbers”, you have to choose a color and fill the image.
Something that looks simple isn’t easy due to the fine detail and variety of colors in the picture. If you zoom in on the image, you can see how many different numbers appear. Now there are two possibilities: you uninstall the game and end up with an unpopulated image in your mind forever. Or, you can have it as you order, sit and paint.
Luckily, Happy Color offers a ton of free images. However, if you can’t get an image, you can buy extra tips. This is not necessarily necessary if you are patient enough. So relax and have fun coloring!
- Price: Free / Ads: Yes / In-App Purchases: Yes / Account: Not Required / French: Yes
Surprisingly “addictive”: Happy Color coloring app / © kwgeek
What do you think of our picks this week? Did you find any other cool apps or games on the Google Play Store or Apple App Store?