Top 5 Android and iOS apps of the week

If you have a Netflix account, you should check out Paper Trail, a puzzle game that will ask you to use your imagination. Mindfulness and wellness apps seem to be all the rage these days (aside from AI), which is why Balance is hoping to help you realize its namesake in your life, and Evolve is taking a closer look at care you give yourself. Be My Eyes and Stamurai are accessibility apps that will make life easier for the visually impaired and people who need help expressing themselves with ease.

If you don’t want to get bored with your smartphone, maybe it’s time to discover new apps and games. If you have no idea where to start, know that you’ve come to the right place. That’s why we work hard behind the scenes every week to bring you our Top 5 Apps of the Week article.

This top 5 is not like our selections of free applications that we offer you twice a week. Here, we install the applications on our own smartphones and test them. We check if there are not too many in-app purchases, ads and if the applications respect your personal data more or less.

We try to select useful applications, whether for productivity, personalization of your interface or digital well-being. And, our top 5 always includes at least one mobile game. Applications can be free or paid, with or without a subscription. But, it will always be indicated!

We take issues related to in-app purchases and advertisements seriously. This is why we mention them in the descriptions of the affected applications.

Paper Trail (Android and iOS)

I remember reading Mad magazines in my youth and was always fascinated by the back covers where you are presented with a visual that changes when you fold the cover following the given lines. Paper Trail is a bit like that, where you solve puzzles and explore locations in the paper world. It takes a bit of thought to progress, and the artwork that accompanies the game is definitely worth considering.

I like the art direction and would love to see a printed copy of this game, although I wonder how one can run it in the real world. You’ll have to call on the magic of Hogwarts, that’s for sure! Take your time to piece together the different segments of the “page” to open paths to new areas and solve different puzzles. As you meet new characters, you will also be able to access other parts of the game.

Since there’s no timer, you don’t have to worry about racing the clock for sweat-inducing sessions. Take your time. When you find yourself faced with a seemingly impossible puzzle, take a break. That’s what helped me the most: thinking of something else to come back to later and solve the puzzle.

• Price: Paid (Netflix account) / Advertising: No / In-app purchases: No / Account required: Yes

Balance: Meditation & Sleep (Android and iOS)

I’ve felt it from time to time when work piles up and it seems difficult to find a way to break away from it. After all, bills have to be paid at the end of the month, so why take the risk of getting fired? So I grit my teeth, pull myself together and continue. This doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten about my overall well-being, because I know that when I die, the company won’t attend my funeral, but will find a replacement for me in no time.

Balance aims to manage my stress levels, help me sleep and prides itself on being the world’s first personalized meditation program. Every day I have to answer several questions about my meditation experience, my goals and my preferences. After answering these questions, Balance will put together a daily meditation for me from its audio library. It goes without saying that honesty is the best policy, and I don’t think an app will report me to my best friend.

• Price: Free / Advertising: No / In-app purchases: Yes / Account required: Yes

Stamurai (Android and iOS)

Stuttering is no fun at all, and children can be quite mean in school and other social settings when they ostracize a person who stutters. I should know, I’m ashamed of having sometimes made fun of those who were “different” from the norm in my youth, without knowing what that was. At the time, speech therapy was not available to everyone, but with Stamurai, here is an application that can help people overcome their stuttering. I like how the video explains how to get started, and it’s pretty easy and convenient from there.

Outside of working out, I like the Community tab which allows me to do group video calls at a time of my choosing with other people. This shows that I am not alone and, armed with this knowledge, it becomes easier to overcome stuttering knowing that other people are on the same path as me. There is also a library feature that offers different practice tracks, including breathing exercises and meditation, among others.

Of course, this application cannot be tailored to the needs of every individual. And an application can never replace the care of a specialist, so always consult a professional.

The Samurai words used for practice may not be difficult for me to pronounce, but I’m sure the developers have done their share of research to cover as broad a base as possible. What I would have liked is a video demonstration of a real person saying these words.

• Price: Free / Advertising: No / In-app purchases: Yes / Account required: Yes

Be My Eyes (Android and iOS)

Sight is a gift that not everyone has, and while technological advances have made life easier for the visually impaired over the years, there are still vast areas for improvement. With Be My Eyes, it is a unique application that allows people who are blind or visually impaired to get a trio of powerful tools through their smartphone.

This is a volunteer-powered app, where those who can see can sign up as volunteers, enable Bluetooth, microphone and camera access on their smartphone, and choose a language .

The last feature, “Be My AI”, is interesting. This AI assistant has been integrated into the app, allowing the user to send images through the app where the AI ​​will then be able to provide answers to questions regarding the image while providing conversational visual descriptions generated by AI. Of course, there are limitations such as language, since the app is currently available in 36 languages, but it’s a start.

Scenarios in which Be My Eyes can be useful include assisting a person in using household appliances, reading medication labels, matching outfits for a night out, or navigating TV menus more complex than the three channels and volume controls of yesteryear.

• Price: Free / Advertising: No / In-app purchases: No / Account required: Yes

Evolve: Self Care & Meditation (Android and iOS)

No man is an island, and it makes perfect sense to want to improve over time. Enter Evolve, a self-care and meditation app that includes a slew of meditations, breathing exercises, ADHD-related therapy modules, gratitude journals, and, for those whose words of affirmation are the main love language, an unlimited number of them!

The different “exercises” vary in terms of time, but they have been divided into extremely manageable levels. For example, to improve my mental well-being, I need between 5 and 7 minutes a day for three weeks (which makes sense, since that’s how long it normally takes to form a new habit). For example, to feel better about my body, I had to answer a few questions worth thinking about before writing down a reflection for the day, before moving on to the next day.

There are many ways to improve yourself, and based on the previous questions I’ve answered, I’ve come across various categories ranging from improving relationships, to dealing with loneliness, to making change attitude towards failure. There are many life lessons to be learned from this book and, ultimately, it is a gentle way of “forcing” the user to think deeply about issues that, in the long run, have importance, and to act accordingly.

• Price: Free / Advertising: No / In-app purchases: Yes / Account required: Yes

What do you think of the list of applications presented this week? Did you like any of our recommendations? Is there another app you’re dying to share with the rest of the world? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments!