Amazon Underground boasts ‘actually free’ Android apps and games

Shh, don’t tell anybody

Well this is interesting. Normally we brave, noble Android users get the shaft in terms of software, with iOS set up as the lead platform for a lot of games and developers muttering “we’re working on an Android version set to release some time in the future.”

Amazon has given out free apps of the day through its Android service in the past, but this sounds like a whole other enchilada. Amazon Underground is a whole ecosystem where “free” actually means “free,” and not “the first hit is free, after that I gotta charge.”

It sounds almost too good to be true, but it might be worth investigating. The full pitch shows up when you visit the Underground site, and I have transcribed it below.

Dear Customers,

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 played basis in exchange for them waiving their normal in-app fees. To be clear, we’re the ones picking up those per minute charges so for you it’s simply free. Just look for apps and games marked with an “Actually Free” banner.

Normally you’d go to Google Play to download an Android app onto your 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 direction from Amazon.com. (Underground apps and games are automatically available on Fire HD and Fire HDX tablets.)

One last point on this. The Amazon Underground 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)