Download Now! Free Android & iOS apps of the week

This list of free apps will be published twice a week. The usual caveat applies in this case: these apps are available for free at the time of publishing, but by the time you read this article or actually check out the listed apps, they might have reverted to their paid status. Neither Google Play Store nor Apple App Store promos on apps are relatively easy to look out for since there is no particular time frame on when it will last, so they can just be removed from the list just as quickly as they were put up.

• Also read: Complete guide to finding free apps for Android and iOS

Our recommendation: Whenever you come across an interesting app or game in our list but have no use for it just yet, or your device has simply way too much space, you can go ahead and install the app for now. Upon doing so, you can delete the newly installed app from your device as it would already have become part of your app library. This allows you to install it in the future as and when required. This is a reliable method to take full advantage of a short-lived promotion.

Temporary free Android apps on the Google Play Store

Android productivity/lifestyle apps that are temporarily free on the Google Play Store

• 500X Game Booster Pro ($0.99): An app that claims to provide a massive boost to your smartphone's processing capability. 
• Equalizer FX Pro ($1.99): Want the audio on your phone to sound better? Give this app a go!
• Volume Max Booster Pro ($1.99): The tiny speakers on your smartphone not loud enough? See how much more you can pump it up!
• QR and Barcode Scanner Pro ($1.99): Want an alternative to your standard QR code scanner on your handset? This app should be able to straighten you out.
• SkanApp ($19.99): A hands-free PDF book scanner that might just come in handy one day.

Android mobile games that are temporarily free on the Google Play Store

• Bricks Breaker Pro ($3.99): This will require skill and some puzzle solving to break as many number of bricks as possible. 
• Truth or Dare Pro ($0.99): A game that is definitely more fun to play when there is some booze lying around.
• Everybody's RPG ($0.99): An old school pixelated RPG that will definitely roll back the years as you enjoy it on a mobile platform.
• Red Woods ($0.99): A first person mystery game that lets you jump between two characters, requiring a fair amount of brain juice to solve.
• Fastar VIP ($0.99): A rhythm game that tests your reflexes and coordination to the fullest.
• Jewels Classic Pro ($0.99): Fancy a puzzler that requires you to match at least 3 jewels of a single type to make them disappear? This one's for you then.

Temporarily free iOS apps in the Apple App Store

These productivity/lifestyle iOS apps are temporarily free in the Apple App Store

• African Geo ($1.99): Learn all you want about the continent known as Africa using this app.
• Unit Circle Calculator Pro ($1.99): Calculate everything in circles with visual aids to make things easier to understand.
• Solving Pythagoras Pro ($1.99): Here is a fast and easy way to figure out calculations for right-angled triangles.
• Lock Screen 16 ($2.99): Personalize your lock screen like you've never done before...or you can simply get an Android phone. Heh!
• Power Reverse Image Search ($2.99): Want to know where a particular image came from? This app might be able to help.

The iOS games are temporarily free on the Apple App Store

• Fill Me Up ($2.99): A block game puzzler that requires your noggin' to be thinkin'.
• Match Attack! ($1.99):  Match at least three colors of the same type to clear a row or line!
• Enchanted Worlds 2 ($3.99): A stylish adventure game that features great graphics while you go around uncovering and solving puzzles to progress.
• Crystal Cove ($0.99): A variation on the match 3 genre, you might want to think deeply in approaching each level.
• Hello Human ($0.99): Not quite SkyNet, but the AI revolution is out to get rid of humans, it is up to you to survive and fight back!
• Moving Story 3D ($5.99): Mia is searching for her father after having lost her mother. Will you be able to help Mia?
• Chloe Puzzle Game ($1.99): A charming pixel art puzzle game that gets the brain juices flowing.

What do you think of our selection this week? Did you find other interesting applications or games on the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store? Feel free to share your recommendations in the comments.