Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
Keeping up with the latest and greatest apps and games is a difficult task, but I’m here to help. Each month, I detail a list of the best new Android apps and games, and this month’s edition is packed with useful apps, including one that brings PC games to Android.
Let’s jump right in. Here are the best new Android apps and games you should try in August 2026.
Messages by OzarksMade
Some people can’t let Samsung Messages go — and they don’t have to.
- Price: Free / $0.99
- Developer: OzarksMade
Samsung Messages recently bid adieu to Samsung phones and the Android world at large, with the Korean company now forcing its users to use Google Messages if they want an RCS-supported messaging solution. However, since Android is still relatively open, a new pioneering solution to keep the spirit of Samsung Messages alive is in the works.
What will you miss most about Samsung Messages?
608 votes
Chat theme customization options.
27%
Chat organization features (folders).
15%
‘Alert when phone picked up’ feature support.
14%
The option to automatically delete old texts.
14%
Meaningful competition for Google Messages.
19%
Something else (leave a comment).
10%
Called Messages by OzarksMade, the new app aims to emulate the look and feel of Samsung Messages and include RCS support via a nifty background integration with Google Messages. This means you’ll still need to have Google’s app running in the background, but at least you can still enjoy the Samsung experience in the foreground — more or less.
The app isn’t widely available yet and is still in the initial development and testing stages, but adventurous users can enroll in the open beta via Google Groups.
Mango Launcher
Android’s latest launcher is packed with color and customizations.
- Price: Free / Pro version $6.99 annually or $24.99 once off
- Developer: Pinya Apps
The newest Android launcher on the block, Mango bills itself as a “minimal, fast, and customizable” product that “puts simplicity and efficiency first.” For the most part, I believe it.
True to its name, Mango is heavily reliant on an array of bright colors, which I absolutely love. Users have a plethora of visual customization options at their disposal, including support for app folders, baked-in home screen widgets, various transition effects, and more. It also includes a Nokia Z Launcher-like scribble search feature. It’s stuffed to the brim with features.
What is the most important aspect of an Android launcher’s design for you?
2366 votes
Customizability
38%
Minimalism
17%
Performance and speed
19%
Aesthetics
11%
Integration with other services and apps
5%
Organization
5%
Widget support
3%
Something else (elaborate in comments)
2%
Mango is just a few months old, but it’s showing plenty of promise. What might put some readers off is its relatively high price. While Mango offers a two-week trial, the Pro version includes most of the launcher’s features and costs $24.99 for lifetime unlock. An alternative annual subscription is also available.
That’s a steep demand for a relatively new launcher, but I’d certainly suggest you give Mango a go if you’re bored with the current crop of home screens.
HomeFeed
A simple RSS widget to keep you informed from sources you choose.
- Price: Free
- Developer: Mohsin Shaikh
I’ve been struggling to find a useful news widget to keep me informed on our crazy world right from my home screen. Google News‘ widget isn’t up to snuff, while standalone RSS apps are far too bulky for my needs in general. Recently, I discovered HomeFeed, an open-source RSS widget that meets my requirements perfectly.
It’s made using Google’s Material You design language, so it’s right at home on Pixels and modern Android phones. It supports multiple feeds that offer up a single string of results in the widget itself. Best of all, it packs its own reader mode, so no need for any webview shenanigans.
As mentioned, it’s an open source project, so you can happily verify its data handling if you so desire.
Glance
A calendar app that lets you zoom in and look way ahead.
- Price: Free
- Developer: Glance Studio
I love the idea of Glance. This calendar app shows tasks and events across the entire year more easily than any other app. Instead of browsing day-to-day or month-to-month, which can be restrictive, Glance displays three full months on a single vertical screen. It’s reminiscent of a large year-sized calendar poster you’d hang in your office, just compressed into a usable app. Tapping a date switches the view into an hourly format.
It’s a surprisingly good calendar app for larger displays, including tablets and foldables. The more real estate you have, the more events you can view in a single go. It’s exceptionally useful for planning long-term events and tasks, or visualizing just how much time you have to accomplish goals.
Notably, while Glance is stable, it is still in its early stages of development. As a result, it doesn’t offer as many features as its contemporaries. That said, I do like where it’s heading, and I’m excited to see how it develops in the coming months.
GameNative
One of the most important Android gaming apps is now on the Play Store.
- Price: Free
- Developer: GameNative / Utkarsh Dalal
Finally, I didn’t include any Android games in this month’s edition, but I will include an app that makes it easier to play games on Android.
We’ve covered GameNative in the past. The platform allows you to access and download games on some of the most popular platforms to play on your Android device. It has been available via GitHub for months now, but it’s finally rolling out to a broader Android audience on the Play Store.
So what does GameNative actually allow you to do? Well, is there a game on your Steam account that you really want to play on your phone? The app will let you do that, provided that the game is supported on your device.
The GameNative website offers a searchable database of supported games — I’d suggest checking it before jumping in with both feet.
Do you play PC games on your Android device?
1568 votes
Yes, via a PC gaming app (e.g., GameHub, GameNative)
34%
Yes, via streaming
15%
No, I don’t
51%
It also supports cloud saves that sync between PC and mobile, controller support, and various other tidbits, making it a perfect travel companion app for gamers.
That’s it for the August 2026 roundup of the best new Android apps and games! Have you stumbled across any new apps or titles that you think deserve inclusion? Would you like to suggest a game or app? Let me know down in the comments below.
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