Apps

10 free-to-play offline games on iOS and Android

Published

April 25, 2017

Leez

When you disconnect, whether you choose to or have an unstable internet connection, you sometimes want something casual to just pass the time. Don’t worry. We’ve got you covered with 10 offline free-to-play mobile games on both iOS and Android!

Cat Bird

Get it on iOS and Android

If you want a game that’s adorably challenging, I might have the game for you: Cat Bird. It’s a title developed by Rayumi Adventure, an independent studio headed by Ryan Carag. If you like pixel art, you might want to check other titles from the same studio because they’ve developed similarly designed games. This game is fun, adorable, and strangely unsettling when you find out in my review what I sat through.

A Girl Adrift

Get it on iOS and Android

A Girl Adrift is about a survivor who drifts around in a world submerged in water. If you’ve ever tried fishing in Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town, Suikoden 2, and Pokémon, this is the perfect offline mobile game for you. Without the fuss of anything else, this open-world game by DAERISOFT is a great play while waiting. The adorable graphics alongside the simple gameplay make it perfect for passing the time.

Tape It Up!

Get it on iOS and Android

Tape It Up! is hands down the best game to play when you’re bummed out and need a breather. It’s a simple game where you tape up packages going through a conveyor belt to progress. It gets hilariously wacky though, letting you use everything you can think of to tape up packages. From tape to cats to bacon, you won’t get tired of playing this vertical jumping action game!

Hungry Hearts Diner: A Tale of Star-Crossed Souls

Get it on iOS and Android

This game will steal your heart away. If you’re looking for another Diner Dash game on mobile, you’ll like this one — but not for the reasons you’ll expect. Hungry Hearts Diner: A Tale of Star-Crossed Souls is such a wonderfully gentle game of a woman who keeps cooking for the people who come to her restaurant. You can talk to your customers and have a deeper connection to each customer as they drop by. The soundtrack to the game against the stunning graphics makes this game lovely. You should really give this game a go.

Heart Star

Get it on iOS and Android

Heart Star is an incredibly adorable puzzle platformer where you guide two friends through two parallel worlds to meet. You swap between characters and work to get through obstacles. The stages can get challenging and it genuinely calls for moments of switching between characters. This game is not just cute and challenging; the retro pixel graphics and catchy soundtrack make it my personal number two pick on this list.

Warhammer 40,000: Freeblade

Get it on iOS and Android

Warhammer 40,000: Freeblade is an explosive action-packed game with an epic story. There are over 170 chapters of the storyline players can sink their teeth into and explore. When you first play the game, it gets a little overwhelming with the amount of detail the developers put into a mobile title. The mechanics are, of course, optimized for mobile gaming and simplified for tapping and shooting. The aim of the game is to protect your kingdom against an endless horde of invaders.

Happy hop: Kawaii Jump

Get it on iOS and Android

Adding to the list of adorable games on the list, Happy Hop is a simple and easy platformer developed by platonic games where Miimos, narwhals dressed as other animals, can go nowhere else but up. Besides screaming from sheer adorableness, the game does get challenging as you progress so try not to smack your smartphone while you get adorable Miimos through tough pavements.

Asphalt 8 Airborne

Get it on iOS and Android

Fans of racing games are going to love the Asphalt 8 Airborne. The game allows players to live their wildest car fantasies in high-fueled gameplay for hours on end. There’s just a lot of fun content to unlock — leaving a lot to look forward to. This racing game is action-packed with awesome airborne moments — thus, the game name. There’s high-definition graphics, plus you get to choose from an arsenal of good-looking unlockable vehicles!

Magic Tiles 3

Get it on iOS and Android

If you were playing Tap Tap Revenge when it was released around the early 2000s, Magic Tiles 3 isn’t a far cry. Magic Tiles 3 is a popular piano game that has you tap on black tiles before they reach the bottom of the screen. The game will seem simple at first but, once you get into the groove, it’ll get addictively difficult. Magic Tiles 3 has various quests that let you unlock more songs to try out and play. It even has a battle mode to compete against your friends and other players.

Lanota

Get it on iOS and Android

Lanota is deceitfully the best offline mobile game on this list for me. Why’d I say deceitful? Because I thought the game demanded online play. It’s a simple musical game where you follow the rhythm but with the added layer of amazing graphics and a riveting plot. You get to unlock music of various genres, conquer specially designed boss stages, and gaze at an amazing artistic picture book.

There’s a ton of games out there to try out on your mobile — perfect for when you want to unplug. Not everyone has a stable connection so it’s nice to have something to play while you aren’t online. I tried to pick as many games of different genres so anyone can try and pick one up for fun. Found something you’re installing now? Let us know in the comments below!

Apps

iOS 26.5 will support end-to-end encryption RCS messaging

The final update should come out within the month.

Published

May 5, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Back in 2023, Apple finally adopted the RCS messaging standard, ensuring that iOS and Android users could communicate more seamlessly despite being on different platforms. This year, the platform is adding an improvement to the feature: end-to-end encryption.

Starting with the upcoming launch of iOS 26.5, Apple will now support end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging between iOS and Android users (via 9to5Mac). Besides the seamless communication, users on both platforms can start enjoying secure messaging with one another.

Apple has been testing the feature since February. Now, the company is confident enough to release the encryption technology in a new build for iOS 26.5 meant for developers. At this point, it’s just waiting for an actual release.

Why is this a big deal? Encryption adds an extra layer of security for your messages. Plus, end-to-end encryption means that messages is encrypted and decrypted only by the sender and the receiver. Third parties, which includes Apple, cannot intercept and access your information.

With the feature on, both messaging platforms on Android and iOS will show a lock icon to signify that, yes, your messages are encrypted.

Though the current build isn’t meant for end users just yet, it’s expected that iOS 26.5 will launch within the month, if not by next week.

SEE ALSO: Apple iPhone 17e review

Apps

YouTube makes picture-in-picture mode free for everyone globally

The update is rolling out globally now.

Published

April 30, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Picture-in-picture (or PiP) mode is a godsend for multitaskers. The feature lets users watch videos in a tiny floating window while doing other tasks. However, the feature isn’t readily available for all users. Or wasn’t, at least. YouTube is now rolling out PiP mode for free globally.

Previously, PiP mode was exclusive to YouTube users who pay for Premium or Premium Lite. It was also exclusive to the United States.

Now, YouTube is making the feature completely free for users all over the globe. It will be available for both iOS and Android versions of the app.

There’s still a catch, though. The free version is available only for “longform, non-music content.” The same goes for Premium Lite subscribers. Music is still an exclusive feature for those who pay for the regular version of Premium. Basically, there is no change for paying users or users in the United States.

Using PiP mode is simple. All you need to do is load up a video you want to watch in the background. Then, just exit the YouTube app and go about your other tasks. The video will be inside a floating, resizable window while you look at other things.

There’s no timeline on when the update will reach your device. However, YouTube has promised that it will roll out globally within the coming months.

Apps

Google might be moving away from flat design

Bye bye, Material Design.

Published

April 27, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

It’s time to kindly shove off, flat design. After over a decade of Google’s Material Design, Android is finally showing signs of ditching flat, monotonous colors. In a series of logo redesigns, Google is reportedly trying out gradients as its latest reinvention.

As spotted by 9to5Google, Google is moving forward with incorporating gradients into its designs. Previously, the company started changing the icons of a few first-party apps including Photos and Maps. Now, it seems that the new design philosophy will reach the rest of Google’s suite.

In the obtained designs, the rest of Google’s plethora of apps will no longer look static. The splash of gradient adds the feeling of layering without losing the company’s roots in flat design. Docs and Sheets, for example, look like a light shining on pieces of paper.

Image source: 9to5Google

It’s unknown when Google plans to incorporate the new philosophy. However, with Google I/O coming fast, it’s fair to bet that an update might come out around that time, especially since that event’s logo already has gradients.

Google’s evolution is not without its precedent. Besides the company’s small trial previously, Apple’s iOS has also made inroads into more three-dimensional designs with the new Liquid Glass. However, unlike Apple, Google’s newest design is a far cry from the former’s return to Windows Vista aesthetics.

Personally, I don’t mind the transition to 3D, as long as it’s done well. Though still visually pleasing, flat design has started overstaying its welcome. It’s time to try something new.