Amazon Replaced Free App of the Day with Amazon Underground

[Manabi]

Amazon has ended their long running free app of the day promotion and replaced it with something new called Amazon Underground. Here's the announcement message (sorry for any typos, it was an image so I had to type it all in):

Amazon Underground is a new app for your Android phone. It has all of the functionality of our regular Amazon mobile shopping app... plus an exciting addition: over ten thousand dollars in apps, games and in-app items that are actually free.

Many apps and games that are marked as "free" turn out not to be completely free. They use in-app payments to charge you for special items or to unlock features or levels. In Underground, you will find 100% free versions of popular premium titles like Officesuite Professional 8, Goat Simulator and Photosuite 4 and popular titles with in-app purchases like Frozen Free Fall, Star Wars Rebels: Recon Missions, Angry Birds Slingshot Stella, Looney Tunes Dash! and many more. We've made this possible by working out a new business model with app and game developers: we're paying them a certain amount on a per-minute playing basis in exchange for them waiving their normal in-app fees. To be clear, we're the ones picking those per-minute charges so for you it's simply free. Just look for apps and games with an "Actually Free" banner.

Normally you'd go to Google Play to download an app onto your Android phone. But Google's rules don't allow an app that offers apps or games to be included in Google play. So you need to download the Underground app directly from Amazon. (Underground apps and games are automatically available on Fire HD and Fire HDX tablets.)

One last point on this. The Amazon Undergroup app is a long-term program rather than a one-off promotion. Over time we'll continue to invent and add more benefits to Underground. For now enjoy some actually free apps and games!

Thank you for being a customer.

(The Underground team)

There are currently 471 apps included in Amazon Underground.

The idea behind this sounds pretty good, but the execution so far isn't quite there. For example, all the Disney apps included still have in-app purchases. For example, Frozen Free Fall comes with the following:

Play Frozen Free Fall with UNLIMITED Lives, Daily Reward, plus MORE for free, only through Amazon!

In this Amazon Special Edition, receive Anna and Elsa's Fever dresses for FREE, plus 10 Ice Picks, 15 Snowballs, 10 Snowflakes, and the first levels of all Season and Endless maps FOR FREE ($31.87 value)!

But you'll have to pay for more ice picks/snowballs/snowflakes once you run out. (And they are not cheap.) I was quite disappointed, as mom plays that and she'd have been thrilled to have the game with free boosters. She'd have even happily started over for that. All this really is, is unlocking seasons, giving you the dresses, a decent starter pack, and turning on infinite lives. It's still not "actually free" as long as you have to pay for boosters. (And there are levels it's nearly impossible to pass without using boosters.)

So I don't know, maybe this will be great in the long run (and it sounds wonderful for the devs, who apparently didn't get paid for the apps given away under the old program), but right now it's not quite what they're claiming it to be.

There are some new games and apps in the list that haven't been given away in the past, and many of those really are completely free without in-app purchases. So be sure to look through the list. Just pay attention to what it actually includes before you download it.

[Cinisajoy]

Is this the first day of Amazon Underground?
If so, maybe the free apps will be back tomorrow.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Is this the first day of Amazon Underground?
If so, maybe the free apps will be back tomorrow.

First day.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Manabi

Amazon has ended their long running free app of the day promotion and replaced it with something new called Amazon Underground. Here's the announcement message (sorry for any typos, it was an image so I had to type it all in):

I kept waiting for the free app to drop and nothing. Then I had a doctor's appointment I had to go to and just got back to see this change.

Interesting

[Cinisajoy]

Well since Amazon Underground is an app, I will wait and see if they have changed from the free app or just offering it as an app.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Manabi

Amazon has ended their long running free app of the day promotion and replaced it with something new called Amazon Underground. Here's the announcement message (sorry for any typos, it was an image so I had to type it all in):

Here's the letter:

[Cinisajoy]

I read that letter. AU is an app for android phones.
Will check Amazon tomorrow.

[Manabi]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

I kept waiting for the free app to drop and nothing. Then I had a doctor's appointment I had to go to and just got back to see this change.

Interesting

I like it in some ways, and apparently the games that are listed as IAP being free mean it. You can go in and "buy" expensive IAP and Amazon will tell you how much you didn't have to pay, but you still get the IAP. That's pretty nice. I'm seriously considering trying out one of the Coin Dozer games since they have free IAP in them. (Will have to install it on my phone first and copy the APK over since Amazon hates my Nook HD+ for some reason, everything is listed as incompatible.)

I really am confused why they even included the Disney games with paid IAP after explicitly pointing out some games charge you for special items... like the Disney games are still doing.

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

I read that letter. AU is an app for android phones.
Will check Amazon tomorrow.

I seriously doubt they'll be back. It would be nice if it would, but don't count on it.

[tubemonkey]

This promo has device restrictions:


Works on these Android Devices

• Android Phones
• Android Tablets
• Fire Tablets

Does Not Work on these Android Devices

• Fire Phone

.

[skinmaan]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

This promo has device restrictions:


Works on these Android Devices

• Android Phones
• Fire Tablets

Does Not Work on these Android Devices

• Android Tablets
• Fire Phone

So it works on Amazon tablets but not phones, and Android phones but not tablets. How'd that happen?

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by skinmaan

So it works on Amazon tablets but not phones, and Android phones but not tablets. How'd that happen?

Beats me. Kinda dumb; and just when I've started carrying my FP around for appointments.

[Manabi]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

This promo has device restrictions:


Works on these Android Devices

• Android Phones
• Fire Tablets

Does Not Work on these Android Devices

• Android Tablets
• Fire Phone

Which is incorrect actually. It lists the apps I've looked at as compatible with my Nook HD+ 32gb (it hates the 16gb, all apps show incompatible) and Mom's Nexus 7 2012.

From what I've seen the apps compatibility is the same as the non-underground versions are. And it let me happily install the Amazon Underground app on my Nook HD+ (ironically, on the 16gb one it hates).

I'm going to give that Cookie Dozer a try on the other Nook and will report back if it lets me buy IAP for free.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Manabi

Which is incorrect actually. It lists the apps I've looked at as compatible with my Nook HD+ 32gb (it hates the 16gb, all apps show incompatible) and Mom's Nexus 7 2012.

From what I've seen the apps compatibility is the same as the non-underground versions are. And it let me happily install the Amazon Underground app on my Nook HD+ (ironically, on the 16gb one it hates).

I'm going to give that Cookie Dozer a try on the other Nook and will report back if it lets me buy IAP for free.

I was just about to post the correction. The app can be downloaded on Android tablets. I just sent the APK to my Galaxy Tab. This app replaces the Shopping app.

[Manabi]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

I was just about to post the correction. The app can be downloaded on Android tablets. I just sent the APK to my Galaxy Tab. This app replaces the Shopping app.

And I can confirm you can buy IAP on an Android tablet for free in games that support that. Bought a $1.99 IAP in Coin Dozer for free. Interestingly there are timers on the IAPs, so you can't just buy willy nilly.

[tubemonkey]

Update on Fire Phone incompatibility.

I emailed Amazon asking why their flagship phone was incompatible with Underground while cheap Android phones were compatible. Here's their response:

From your email, I understand that you'd like to why Amazon Underground application is not compatible with Fire Phone device.

I'd like to bring to your kind attention that Amazon underground application is released recently our developers and it is still in the initial phase, I want assure that one developers will make sure it will be available for Fire Phone device in future as an improvement.

To make the things for you, I’ve forwarded your concern as a feedback to our development team and we'll consider your feedback as we plan further improvements. We're regularly working on improvements to Fire Phone device.

It's gonna be a long wait!