[App Roundup] Our Top Seven Picks For The Best New Apps Of November 2014

With Android Lollipop finally getting into full swing, November was the month for developers (or at least those devs that are paying attention) to release Material Design UI updates. Those updates took up a lot of AP coverage last month, but there are still a few standout apps for you to check out below. Just don’t get too attached to Clippit – it’s entirely too cool and useful to survive the wrath of the US copyright system.

QKSMS

Android Police coverage: QKSMS Is A Colorful And Modern Android Text Messaging Client That Pops [Hands-On]

If you’re tired of waiting for your Lollipop upgrade and Google’s various app updates aren’t doing it for you, check out this Material-style SMS client. It includes all of the good looks you’d expect in no less than 19 themes, and more are available via IAP. Unfortunately, it seems to be having some trouble with MMS – be prepared to dig into the settings menu. QKSMS supports group messaging and has no advertising.

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Remember when text messaging was like magic? QKSMS brings a refreshingly modern, beautiful and responsive touch to the stale state of text messaging. In a world with clunky default messaging apps and dated alternatives, QKSMS is something to get excited about. We’re making texting magical again. We pay as much attention to detail in building QKSMS as you would in texting a crush after your first date: you’ll be making sure all your emojis and punctuation are in the right place, and we’ll be making sure you love every second of it.

Home Design 3D – FREE

Android Police coverage: Plan And Organize Every Inch Of Your House With Home Design 3D

Home Design 3D is exactly what it sounds like: a 3D-enabled interior decorating app. You can use it to draw out and customize floorplans, populate them with basic placeholder furniture, and set dimensions, then check out how everything looks in the 3D view. These kinds of programs have gotten very popular on the PC – I used something similar to lay out my new apartment. The free version won’t block any tools, but you’ll have to pay $6.99 via in-app purchase to save any plans.

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For the first time for Android users, you will have access to a powerful app that allows you to create, design and customize all your plans and ideas. Discover the free version of the reference application Home Design 3D. In this version, you can test the features of the application and explore its possibilities. This version can be used without limit. But be careful, projects can not be saved in this version. However, projects created can be saved by obtaining the full version directly from this one.

Z Launcher Beta

Android Police coverage: Nokia’s Z Launcher Blasts Into The Play Store With Its Contextual Predictions And Letter Scribbling

Nokia might only be a shell of its former self, but at least we’re getting some interesting software out of it. Z Launcher is the company’s contextual Android launcher, with interesting features like a main agenda view that draws from your calendar and allows you to find an app with a letter-gesture. Z Launcher has been available for a while as an off-market beta, but now it’s a free download in the Play Store.

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From Nokia, a re-imagined way to use your Android. Adapts to you. Launches anything in one second. Throughout the day, Nokia Z Launcher is learning how you use your phone and promoting your favorite apps so you can get to them faster. The more you use it, the better it gets.

• Scribble – Scribble a letter to find what you want
• Launch – Apps, contacts, or websites
• Adapt – It learns to promote the right stuff at the right time

Mirror Beta

Android Police coverage: Koush Releases New Mirror Beta With Screen Recording And Mirroring, No Root Required On Lollipop

Koushik Dutta’s Mirror app was originally designed to use Chromecast, Apple’s Airplay, or the Amazon FireTV to display your screen on other devices, but now it can record video as well. At least if you have Lollipop. If you don’t, you’ll need root permissions to get it working.

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Record your Android screen to a video file or screencast your Android to a Fire TV, Apple TV, Chrome, or even another Android. This app requires root prior to Android 5.0. Fire TV instructions: On your FireTV, Download AllCast Receiver for Fire TV and start the application. AppleTV: No setup necessary. Chrome instructions: Download AllCast Receiver from the Chrome web store and start the application NOTE: Chromebook is NOT supported.

Clippit

Android Police coverage: Clippit Is A Pretty Awesome Social App (WAIT!) That Allows You To Share Clips Of Live Broadcast TV, Is Probably Hugely Illegal

This app allows you to “clip” television shows from live broadcasted streams and share them over social networks. It’s probably extremely illegal – as soon as the folks at the MPAA see this, they’ll be sending their lawyers in by catapult. In the meantime, enjoy the natural progression of advancing digital technology before the real world screws it all up.

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With Clippit, you can clip your favorite TV shows that are on the air now and share those clips with friends and family. From sports to sitcoms to movies, if it’s on TV, just Clippit. With Clippit, you can clip:

• Breaking news – wild weather scenes, important world events, or exciting police chases
• Your favorite sports – slam dunks, game-winning interceptions, or overtime penalty kicks
• Unbelievable reality shows – housewife cat fights, family reunions, or dangerous shark encounters
• Award-winning moments – award show speeches, music performances, or red carpet fashionistas

WeMail

Android Police coverage: WeMail Organizes Your Inbox’ Clutter And Lets You Reply To Email With Voice Notes

WeMail focuses on two things: making email better by organizing all incoming messages by sender instead of time (which makes a lot of sense) and by focusing on voice replies instead of typing everything out. If that sounds good to you, you might also like the SMS-style message windows that do short replies very well. It works with Gmail, Yahoo mail, AOL, and Outlook at the moment, and the app is free.

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WeMail is a free email app that is designed from the ground up for the way you naturally communicate using your mobile phone. Automatically organize emails by sender, reducing your inbox size by more than 50%. Experience the fastest and most advanced email search of any email client, 1 tap access to attachments, voice email capabilities, and more. WeMail works with Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook and AOL.

Sleep Better with Runtastic

Android Police coverage: Runtastic Launches Sleep Better, A Sleep Tracking App That Has Absolutely Nothing To Do With Running

These days every single “wearable” gadget will track your sleep for you, but don’t forget that your phone has almost the same sensor packed inside. Runtastic isn’t the first company to make a sleep tracker for your phone, but it might just be the most comprehensive. In addition to most of the cyclic data you’ll find elsewhere, this app adds some context to the tracking by asking exactly what you’ve been doing the previous day.

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Track your sleep, monitor your dreams, improve your bedtime habits & wake up better with Sleep Better from Runtastic. Sleep Better offers you a simple and engaging way to improve your sleep quality, whether you struggle to fall asleep, want to learn how your daytime activities influence your sleep efficiency or simply want some new alarm sounds to help you wake up feeling refreshed and ready to seize the day.

Honorable Mentions

• Opera Min Beta
• Target Healthfulâ„¢
• Facebook Groups
• Getaways by Groupon
• NOOK Audiobooks
• Disney Movies Anywhere
• Circle for Bitcoin

That’s all for November. If you’re here looking for Android Wear apps, keep in mind that those get their own roundups – here’s the latest one, or you can just check out everything via the Android Wear tag. Ditto for Android TV, though there are so few decent ATV apps that they actually don’t have any roundups yet.