This week in apps: 'Alto' gets a sequel, Instagram gets more like Facebook and Google's SMS reboot
With Uber's never-ending drama, Twitter's somewhat confusing new harassment policies, and Facebook's technical error, you may have lost track of some of the best new apps.
Luckily, we're keeping score for you for you. Each week, we round up the latest app news, along with a few of our favorite new and updated apps, to keep you in the loop with everything coming to your phone.
Here's what we were following this week. And if you're looking for more, be sure to check out last week's look at the most interesting apps.
'Alto's Adventure' is getting a sequel
Finally: Alto's Adventure was one of our favorite apps of 2015 and now it looks like our favorite llama-herding snowboarder is finally gonna get the sequel we've been waiting for. Snowman, the company behind Alto, confirmed a sequel's in the works with a teaser trailer.
Details are scarce but Alto's Odyssey, due out this summer, will apparently bring Alto out of the mountains and into the desert.
Android's Messenger will get a reboot
Texting is about to get a whole lot better for Android users. Google's set to redesign its main texting app with Android Messages, which uses an updated Rich Communications Services (RCS) rather than SMS. This'll give users a feature-rich experience, including things like stickers, read receipts, and other things we've come to expect from messaging apps these days, finally:
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Also on the messaging front: Google's confirmed it's working on a desktop version of its newest messaging app, Allo.
Instagram gets photo albums
Instagram launched a new feature that allows you to attach multiple photos and videos to a single post. While we were pretty sure it was going to be the worst, it turns out there are actually a few situations when it may actually be useful. Just don't overuse it, okay?
Elsewhere:
In the wake of Uber's ongoing public relations nightmare, Lyft has expanded to 50 new cities and Google's Waze says it has plans to expand its carpool service to a lot more cities.
Facebook Messenger now allows you to send money to friends across borders thanks to a new bot from TransferWise.
Airbnb is reportedly moving forward with a plan to acquire social payments company Tilt, according to TechCrunch. The deal should help Airbnb expand its business beyond short term rentals as the company looks to move into other areas of the travel business.
And finally, Futurama is apparently getting its own mobile game for iOS Android. No details yet on what the game will be like but Variety reports its the result of a collaboration with Marvel Entertainment.
Karissa was Mashable's Senior Tech Reporter, and is based in San Francisco. She covers social media platforms, Silicon Valley, and the many ways technology is changing our lives. Her work has also appeared in Wired, Macworld, Popular Mechanics, and The Wirecutter. In her free time, she enjoys snowboarding and watching too many cat videos on Instagram. Follow her on Twitter @karissabe.
