How are you holding up in the currently tense geopolitical atmosphere, where there is very little certainty and a lot of fear? Well, at least certain things remain constant — like paid or premium apps that are made temporarily free in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Every week, we browse through three apps from each app store that include games. Do note that these shortlisted apps are available for a limited time only.

Free Pro Apps (Android)

  • Word Search Challenge Pro ($1.49) – While retirement and remaining idle is always nice, we still need to make sure our brains do not end up rotting over inane shows. Why not keep your brain power going with this game? It helps with your cognitive abilities and sharpens your thoughts as you search for a bunch of words in each level through a carefully orchestrated muddle of letters.  (4.8 stars, 84 reviews)
  • Sound Meter – Decibel Meter ($2.99) – Peace and quiet. When was the last time you experienced that? If you are curious just how noisy your house or office is, this app will use your smartphone’s microphone to capture the amount of ambient noise level for future reference. Perhaps this is a good tool to settle disputes with noisy neighbors when they think they’re not making too much noise… (4.7 stars, 4.38k reviews)
  • Notch Effects – Notch Animations ($0.99) – The notch. A design choice by Apple that eventually spilled over to some Android smartphones. This is something that you either love or hate it, and there is no in-between. However, if you are using an Android phone with a notch and want to maximize the surrounding pixel space, why not download this app and see how else you can customize your home screen? (3.8 stars, 225 reviews)

Free premium apps (iOS)

  • Debt Free ($0.99) – Being financially distressed is one of the most difficult things to endure in the modern world. Mounting bills, snowballing interest rates on existing loans and mortgages — these are extremely stressful situations to be in. How about using this app to help tackle your debt one by one? You’ll need to be completely honest with your situation to ensure it works properly. (4.0 stars, 876 reviews)
  • Meridian 157: Chapter 1  ($1.99) – You’re trapped in a remote facility located on a sub-Arctic island. With no one around you and a very hazy memory, you try to escape, but wonder whether there are others like you. Basically, this is a point-and-click puzzle adventure game that features logical puzzles. The more difficult ones come with a hint system to help you through. Overall, it provides a decent challenge for the brain. (4.7 stars, 5.1k reviews)
  • True Metronome ($3.99) – Any musician worth his or her salt would know that there is one tool that is extremely useful to keep one’s timing in check — the metronome. This app is free and no-frills, letting you use it with just one tap. Setting it up is a snap. Just determine the weight, choose the time signature, and practice! After all, practice makes perfect, doesn’t it? (4.3 stars, 88 reviews)

Free apps and their pitfalls

All the apps we feature here were available for free at the time of publication. Unfortunately, developers often don’t specify how long these offers will last. So, if you like an app, you shouldn’t wait too long and download it quickly.

Before downloading a free app, you should always take a look at the app’s page in the store. Sometimes, there are hidden pitfalls you should be aware of.

In-app purchases

Most free apps either contain advertising or offer in-app purchases. However, this is also true for some paid apps. It’s particularly important to pay attention to these aspects when dealing with games intended for children.

Permissions

Numerous apps collect user data and often sell it. If you want to be on the safe side, ensure you grant only the permissions the app needs. An alarm clock, for example, doesn’t need access to your cameras or contacts, and a flashlight shouldn’t be interested in your location data.

Which of the above apps will you install?