It has been years, however I nonetheless miss these lifeless Android apps dearly

I’ve used some nice Android apps through the years. Many of those nonetheless exist and discover a dwelling on my dwelling display screen to at the present time. Nevertheless, a slew of apps have come and gone. Feeling notably nostalgic, I donned my rose-tinted glasses and took a longing look again at a number of the lifeless Android apps that I nonetheless want have been actively developed, listed on the Play Retailer, or weren’t shuttered by their homeowners.

Climate Timeline was effectively forward of its time. Constructed by Buzzkill and Bouncer developer Sam Ruston, the app used loads of Materials Design UI cues, pastel tones, and easy but useful components. It drew its knowledge from Darkish Sky, one other platform and app wretched from Android units far too quickly.

Climate Timeline’s premature demise got here in 2018 when it was offered to a different agency and spliced into MyRadar. It noticed a short resurgence a 12 months later, however the injury was already achieved. The app was a shadow of its former self.

I’ve since changed Climate Timeline with a number of climate apps, together with Meteogram and Climate Right this moment, however no single product comes near matching its feel and appear.

Google is well-known for its rising graveyard, and loads of lifeless Android apps lie inside it. Google Inbox was an experimental e-mail app that provided extra administration and organizational instruments than the threadbare Gmail on the time. The app included smarter e-mail categorization and bundling that intelligently positioned mail of their respective cubbies. It additionally provided helpful design components, from its timeline e-mail feed to its included reminder characteristic.

Though I liked Inbox, I knew that it will in all probability be a short-lived enterprise. Inbox wasn’t ever going to coexist with or usurp Gmail, and it took the autumn in 2019. Nevertheless, we do need to thank Inbox’s service, as a lot of its options now exist within the fashionable Gmail app.

Google Journeys was one in all my favourite Android apps. Ever. I didn’t journey usually, however after I did it was as important a part of my digital go-bag.

It was a sensible journey supervisor that leveraged its relationship with Gmail and Google Maps to arrange your journey data, journey documentation, and reserving particulars below one roof. Journeys additionally provided customers ideas on the place to go to or eat. Extra importantly, it labored offline.

Journeys wasn’t actually spun off into every other Google property after its demise in 2019. That’s a disgrace, as a result of it doesn’t have a de facto successor.

IntoNow

Google wasn’t the one firm taking names and kicking apps within the 2010s. Yahoo as soon as had loads of nice merchandise below its cell umbrella, together with Aviate Launcher and IntoNow, an progressive social media app particularly designed to enrich the present or film you have been watching on the time. Its largest promoting level was its skill to acknowledge the content material you have been watching with its nifty audio recognition tech, making it one thing of a Shazam for video content material.

The app wouldn’t stay lengthy sufficient to see the golden period of streaming content material, although. Yahoo successfully purchased it in 2011 to bolster its expertise shops and shut it down three years later.

Dawn Calendar was a fantastic calendaring app. It provided broad assist for companies and codecs and packed a nice early Materials Design-inspired UI. It boasted snappy efficiency, featured broad third-party app and repair assist, and had an online interface to take it past the small display screen. Every part labored with out subject.

Dawn would turn out to be a sufferer of its personal success. It was snapped up by Microsoft in 2016 and confronted its demise quickly after, all to gas Microsoft Outlook’s new cell revision.

Keep in mind when third-party Twitter apps have been a factor? It feels so way back now. I couldn’t fairly decide on a favourite, usually defaulting to the inventory app for its ease of use. One app that I do bear in mind fondly is Flamingo — one other challenge from the Climate Timeline developer.

It’s value noting that not each foolish determination Twitter ever made got here after it modified its title to X. In 2012, the corporate applied a restriction limiting the variety of customers who might entry third-party apps. Flamingo, launched in 2016, was massively hampered by this.

Though the app boasted a clear design with loads of customizations and a Materials Design-friendly face, a hover preview mechanic like fashionable Instagram, and a number of account assist, it by no means did overcome that Twitter restriction.

The app was unpublished from the Play Retailer in 2018, successfully killing it for brand new customers.

Right here’s a divisive one. Many individuals now love YouTube Music, however many others, together with myself, nonetheless reminisce about Google Play Music. Its vermillion borders, swift UI, and lack of video made it my music platform of selection within the late 2010s.

Positive, the app had its points. Its UI was dated, however like an outdated, rusty automotive, it was principally useful. It solely wanted a rebrand and refresh. As a substitute, we obtained a wholly new app that launched with out polish and an annoying behavior of toying with my YouTube watch historical past.

4 years later, the scenario has fortunately modified. YouTube Music is now a extra centered platform, however Google didn’t retain many legacy Play Music customers.

Wunderlist was one in all Android’s greatest job administration and to-do checklist apps within the mid-2010s. It provided all of the options you’ve come to count on on these apps these days, from its folder group options to sublists and real-time sync with numerous platforms.

Previous to its Dawn catch, Microsoft snapped up the property in 2015, however the app remained in limbo for the subsequent 4 years. Ultimately, the Redmond firm referred to as time on Wunderlist’s existence in 2020.

Wunderlist would go on to closely encourage Microsoft’s fairly nice To-Do app, so this story has a considerably completely satisfied ending.

Fluid Navigation Gestures

Fluid Navigation Gestures is an app I got here throughout later than I care to confess. It improved older Android variations’ static button navigation methodology, offering swift and nifty full-screen swipe gestures. It additionally included numerous different swiping gestures and zones, with assist for swipes from the edges of the telephone display screen, to swipe and maintain shortcuts, too.

I nonetheless use this app day by day. Due to muscle reminiscence, I truly battle to make use of a tool with out it. Nevertheless, it’s successfully abandonware, with its final replace pushed again in 2019.

It’s nonetheless listed on the Play Retailer, and you may nonetheless obtain it, however be effectively conscious that it’s not being maintained.

Again in 2016, few climate suppliers provided extra correct knowledge than Darkish Sky (at the least in my expertise).

The platform additionally had its personal Android app, which included many good UI components that made it straightforward to know many climate circumstances with a fast look. It demanded a subscription for minute-by-minute forecasts, however that wasn’t the rationale for its demise.

In 2020, Apple added Darkish Sky to its iOS household. Whereas the Cupertino firm is normally completely satisfied to share its toys with Android, it wished Darkish Sky all to itself. The app quickly joined the lifeless Android apps membership, leaving many customers who relied on it for forecasts excessive and dry (or soaked, relying on the circumstances).

Whereas the app is lifeless, it lives on as a climate supplier. You possibly can nonetheless entry its knowledge from choose third-party apps on Android.

Nokia Z Launcher was forward of its time in so some ways, from its clear aesthetic that centered on minimalism to its nifty write-to-search performance. It stood other than main different launcher choices on the time, just like the venerable Nova Launcher.

Maybe it was just a little bit too distinctive, contemplating that its improvement tapered off simply two years after touchdown on the Play Retailer. Though it coincided with Microsoft’s buy of Nokia’s smartphone division, I don’t suppose we are able to blame Redmond fully for this one.

Some folks refuse to let Nokia’s innovation rot within the lifeless Android apps pile. A 3rd-party reimagination dubbed ReZ Launcher lives on, whereas loads of different fashionable launchers, like Niagara, additionally draw inspiration from it.

Whereas composing this checklist, I believed Titanium Backup was nonetheless alive and kicking. However after one colleague instructed including it to this checklist, I checked the Play Retailer itemizing. And sure, although it’s nonetheless listed, the app was final up to date in 2019.

Titanium was as soon as one of the simplest ways to again up your Android telephone when the platform lacked dependable backup and restoration options. Customers might create a shadow copy of their machine, from apps to Wi-Fi particulars, and save that backup to a third-party cloud storage service. It stays widespread with the rooting neighborhood however is not a necessity for contemporary inventory Android.

Not like many apps struck down of their prime, Titanium’s demise was far much less swish. Slowly, it light into obscurity with the prevalence of break up APKs and the emergence of higher options.

We are able to add Google Stadia to Google’s tall lifeless Android apps pile. The cloud gaming service confirmed a lot promise, permitting customers to play AAA titles from virtually any display screen. The idea was wonderful, however the execution lacked polish and a core consumer base.

Stadia as a service was killed off in 2023 — 5 years after it debuted as a closed beta — and with it went the app. Granted, I personally don’t miss Stadia. As Google doesn’t service my nation, I by no means obtained the prospect to make use of it. Nevertheless, loads of my colleagues nonetheless lament its demise.

Just a few years in the past, earlier than the good Reddit API gaffe of 2023, there have been many unbelievable third-party purchasers that made the social media platform top-of-the-line on the web.  My private favourite was Joey. It provided a nifty theming system, loads of customization choices, and ad-free presentation all backed by an lively, dedicated developer.

A lot of my colleagues used different Reddit purchasers, like Sync, Enhance, RIF, and BaconReader, however all of those at the moment are lifeless, because of the corporate’s restrictive API insurance policies.

Whereas some Reddit purchasers nonetheless exist, together with the completely horrible inventory app, looking the platform on cell simply isn’t the identical.

These have been a number of the lifeless Android apps I nonetheless take into consideration sometimes. Do you may have any apps that you simply miss? Be sure you let me know within the feedback under.