5 of the best new Android apps you need to try this December

Keeping up with the latest and greatest apps and games is a difficult task, but I’m here to help. Each month, I detail a list of the best new Android apps and games, and the Holiday edition is packed with a wide range of options for all.

Let’s jump right in. Here are the best new Android apps and games you should try in December 2025.

Comet

Perplexity’s AI-infused browser is really good for news!

• Price: Free / In-app purchases from $19.99
• Developer: PerplexityAI

I’m not a fan of AI browsers in general. The closest I got to daily driving one was Arc Search. Since then, The Browser Company has moved on to newer projects, but its rivals have been catching up. OpenAI rolled out its contender for iOS called Atlas in late October, but following hot on its heels is Perplexity’s Comet.

Comet has been around for a few weeks now, but it was only recently made available for Android users. As a Perplexity user, I can absolutely see the allure. It’s brilliant as a search and discovery browser, a tool to uncover information from the web easily. I’ve long believed that the Perplexity app is a decent alternative to Google News, and Comet is taking its place with a few more features added.

Notably, Comet is built on the same underpinnings as Chrome, so it’s quick and responsive. It also features an ad blocker with tracking protection, a pleasing if not barebones UI, and a global dark mode. It’s a positive start.

Sift

Recipe management has never looked this good.

• Price: Free / Requires separate AI service API key
• Developer: Mats Cornegoor

I use Samsung Food as my leading recipe manager, but having a backup option isn’t a terrible idea. Sift throws its hat into the ring, and I think that it’s well worth considering.

It’s a minimalist recipe manager that relies on a dedicated AI provider of your choosing. The app offers a choice of three: OpenRouter, OpenAI, or Google AI. Essentially, you can choose the service you prefer and proceed from there. This makes Sift a little more technical than Samsung Food, but it does give users far more control over how this data is crunched.

And it uses this AI to significant effect. Like Food, this allows Sift to easily import recipes from a plethora of sites, as the provider scrapes the recipe for important info (calories, cooking time, ingredients, quantities, etc.) and displays all this in a particularly fetching UI. You can also add recipes manually if you don’t want to go the AI route, but this will slow down recipe collection considerably.

Escape Launcher

A minimalist Android launcher for distraction-free phone use.

• Price: Free
• Developer: GeorgeClensy

A new day, a new launcher, right? Well, since Nova’s demise, it feels like a slew of pretenders have come out of the woodwork, challenging for the best Android launcher crown. I’ve gravitated towards minimalist, productivity-first launchers like AIO Launcher and Niagara Launcher in recent months, and Escape Launcher is cut from a similar cloth.

Escape is about as barebones as any launcher I’ve ever used, but that’s a good thing. Its focus is chiefly on providing a distraction-free working environment. You can select several favorite apps to display on the home screen below a simple digital clock. The launcher does support widgets, but I don’t believe any would really mesh well with this app’s aesthetics. Several themes are available, too. It’s super simple functionally, too. Swipe left to open the searchable app list and right to view a Digital Wellbeing-like breakdown of the time spent on each app, that time compared to the day previous, and the deviation from the launcher’s recommendation.

Escape Launcher doesn’t contain the kitchen sink, but it’s an interesting new addition to the minimalist launcher competition, and I do like the focus on personal smartphone health.

Red Dead Redemption

Remember when this game was an Xbox exclusive?

• Price: Free / Requires an active Netflix subscription
• Developer: Rockstar Games / Netflix

Let’s not waste any time here: Red Dead Redemption is coming to Android on December 4. Set a reminder. Set an alarm. Stick a note to the fridge. Write this date on your bathroom mirror. Whatever you have to do to remember!

Thanks to Netflix, those with an active subscription can soon play as wronged Western outlaw John Marston as he hunts down the gang that is threatening his family. The game is brilliantly fun if you’re into that dusty, desperate setting, love riding steeds in-game, and finding inventive ways of dishing out justice.

Notably, this download also includes the Undead Nightmare DLC, which turns the title into a zombie survival game. It’s effectively a two-for-one deal. Not bad for a freely available title.

OniTools

Find many useful digital tools all in one place.

• Price: Free / In-app purchases from $0.99
• Developer: Snitl

I have a soft spot for apps that contain a multitude of smaller tools, and I may have just found my new favorite in this category. It’s called OmniTools, and it absolutely lives up to its name.

Users can convert various units of measurement, including digital storage, pressure, weight, speed, and more. It also offers a few useful math tools, like a percentage calculator and a quadratic solver (I wish I had this in high school). Then there’s the actual toolkit. The app offers a bubble level, paint estimator, tile calculator, and compass. There’s so much packed into this app, and it’s all handy.

I also want to shout out the app’s UI. It’s sensibly colorful, giving each tool category its own hue. There’s also a tinge of Google’s Material 3 Expressive throughout. Very nice!

That’s it for the December 2025 roundup of the best new Android apps and games! Have you stumbled across any new apps or titles that you think deserve inclusion? Please let me know in the comments below.