Top 5 of the week: Grab these Android and iOS apps

As every week, I have curated five apps or mobile games that I think are worthwhile for you. I have made sure that I do not recommend any in-app cost traps or worse.

Whether Android apps to increase productivity, niche applications for iOS or promising games: all of these can make it into my top 5 of the week and here you can see which five recommendations I decided on this week.

1Widget – Home Screen Widgets (iOS)

As the name suggests, this app offers custom widgets for your iPhone’s iOS home screen. There is a free selection available to you, but unfortunately the selection that interests us is subject to a charge.

So you can unlock the memories widget for 3.99 euros (don’t judge me). This allows you to display series of three photos from your image gallery. The design is inspired by Polaroid and Instax and the date the photo was taken is just below the image. So you can immerse yourself in your holiday memory or in any other moment that you want to highlight.

The app requires works without an account and contains no ads or other in-app purchases apart from the Memories widget. On its page in the AppStore, the developer states that it does not collect any data, but of course the app needs access to your gallery.

• Price: €3.99 / advertising: no / in-app purchases: yes (€3.99) / account: not required / German language: no

Combapu (Android)

Unsurprisingly, this app was created by a German developer who I would gladly trade for one of my roommates. Combapu is a productivity application that aims to help you distribute the different tasks in a household so that household chores are done regularly and evenly by everyone.

You can create your virtual home and add rooms. For each room you can set a list of tasks that you have to do. Simply indicate how often and how difficult or frustrating these tasks are. As with any other to-do list, you can track which chores have been completed and which remain to be done.

The only drawback: the app does not yet allow you to share your house with one or more people. However, the developer states that he is working on this feature, which would be very useful for me personally. The app contains no ads and does not require an account. It’s free, but you can unlock an unlimited number of rooms and tasks as well as a statistics area for a one-time purchase of €4.99.

• Price: free / advertising: no / in-app purchases: yes (4.99 €) / account: not required / German language: no

Tenderize It (iOS)

OK I know. I can already hear Apple hardliners scolding me for only picking useless apps that are totally trolling. But there are weeks like this, and honestly, Tenderize It is one of those apps that’s so absurd and stupid it’s almost kind of nice.

The graphics look like they were hand drawn by a 10 year old kid on LSD. And the gameplay is as simple as tapping your iPhone’s screen to tenderize a large, virtual steak. But I really like the completely self-aware side of the app.

You can e.g. B. Don’t “buy” cosmetic items with your money. Instead, the number of hits on the piece of meat acts as virtual currency (the app plays on the English phrase “beat your meat” which refers to masturbation). You can also start a challenge mode where you have to hit the meat as many times as possible for a minute.

The only downside of the app is that it contains ad banners. In short, don’t take yourself and the game too seriously – it’s the weekend, we’re here to relax, and I promise next week I’ll bring you a productivity appthat will change your life.

• Price: free / advertising: yes / in-app purchases: yes / account: not required / German language: no

Podify for Spotify (Android)

Another app made in Germany, without a doubt! This app plugs into your Spotify and offers you a very clean interface dedicated exclusively to your podcasts.

You can search your podcasts or directly the episodes in reverse order and then filter (heard/unheard, less than 30/60 minutes). You also have your own player, notifications for each new episode and a favorites/bookmarks system.

The app is free, contains no ads or in-app purchases and does not collect any data. Of course, your data will still be collected by Spotify when you listen to your podcasts. If your main use of Spotify is to listen to podcasts, this is a great find I recommend.

• Price: free / advertising: no / in-app purchases: no / account: not required / German language: no

El Hijo – A Wild West Tale (Android & iOS)

This game is the mobile port of an infiltration-based adventure game set in a western-themed world. The game is played in third person from the top view. You play Hijo, a six-year-old boy who, along with his mother, is driven from his farm by bandits.

Since you’re about the size of three apples and as strong as a fly, you’ll have to use cunning and cunning to sneak through the levels and defeat your enemies. I really like the art and the game mechanics seem much more profound than their simple basics would suggest.

The game is paid and quite expensive at €9.99. It contains no ads or in-app purchases. I’ve seen some other websites reporting a lot of good things about it. I personally bought it and will keep playing it over the weekend to see how it performs.

• Price: €9.99 / advertising: no / in-app purchases: no / account: not required / German language: no