The best new apps of 2020 (so far)
It’s fair to say apps are big business nowadays.
The global app market is expected to generate three billion dollars in revenue during 2020, with two thirds of the world’s population now in possession of a mobile phone.
And while a significant percentage of this expenditure will be on established games and workplace utilities, new apps are being launched all the time into a crowded marketplace.
Indeed, some of the best new apps of 2020 may have escaped your notice so far, even if they’ll be ubiquitous a couple of years from now.
After all, every app was newly added to either Google or Apple’s app stores at one point or another.
These are six of the best new apps of 2020 to arrive in the Android and iOS ecosystems, where they’ve respectively joined 2.6 and 1.8 million other available applications…
Google Action Blocks. Platform: Android
Providing a foretaste of tomorrow’s connected home, Action Blocks is an ingenious Google Assistant-powered app which allows users to create preordained instructions for their device.
Blocks can be stored on the home screen. When activated, they automatically perform actions including adjusting home lighting, sending a specific text message or playing certain songs.
Watchworthy. Platform: Android, iOS
There is a wide variety of streaming platforms nowadays, from Apple TV+ and Disney+ to Britbox and Netflix. Choosing what to watch can take more time than actually watching it.
Watchworthy expands upon individual platforms’ ‘you might like’ algorithms by combining results from 200 platforms globally. You won’t miss any unmissable content, anywhere.
Super Status Bar. Platform: Android
Super Status Bar is an attempt to bring some of the personalisation achieved by rooting your smartphone into the Android ecosystem, by allowing customisation of the status bar.
You can change the position, animation, appearance and colours of functions including a (very welcome) battery bar addition, all by using swipe gestures.
Ad-Blocker Pro. Platform: iOS
Although some platforms require advertising to fund their services, many websites are plastered with intrusive ads which ruin the user experience and compromise personal privacy.
This iOS app blocks ads, popups and auto-playing video inserts, as well as preventing trackers from monitoring you. It also reduces the CPU power required to load and display webpages.
Microsoft Edge. Platform: Android, iOS
Although it’s not technically a new app, the Edge web browser was heavily revised back in February, gaining features which make it ideal for use on portrait smartphone screens.
There’s a navigation menu at the bottom of the screen, while functions like History and Downloads are a single-tap away – even easier than using Google Chrome.
Doublicat. Platform: Android, iOS
Finally, after five very practical apps, here’s a completely pointless – yet surprisingly fun – one designed to appeal to social media addicts.
Doublicat overlays your face on GIFs, with results ranging from mildly amusing to genuinely entertaining. However, some people may not want to encourage the use of deepfake technology.