Kaboom Keyboard, Facebook Messenger, and other awesome apps of the week

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'Appy weekend everyone.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

After the craziness of the week, Sundays are the perfect day for kicking back and sampling some of the delights to have graced the App Store over the past week.

From self-destructing messaging keyboards to massive group chats to a fun zombie blasting game, we’ve combed through the recesses of the app marketplace to bring you the juiciest cuts that will make your remaining time until Monday as memorable as it can be.

Check out our picks below.

Kaboom Keyboard

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This message will self-destruct in…
Photo: Anchor Free Inc.

Sending self-destructing messages usually requires you and your friends to use the same platform, but now with Kaboom you can send anything — text, images, emoji, and more — to any platform and control how long people can see it.

The iOS keyboard app’s self destructing messages work by sending a secure destructible link to contacts. You can set the message to destroy based on the number of views or put it on a timer. Even if your friends haven’t downloaded Kaboom they can see your stuff, and you can post it to Twitter or Facebook without having to worry about going back and deleting it.

Available for: iPhone, iPad
Price: Free
Get it from: App Store

FreshTeam

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Just when you thought Slack was the only team messaging game in town!
Photo: Fresh Labs

Keeping in sync with your co-workers in the fast paced digital age can be a challenge, so FreshTEam is trying to make it a lot easier by putting everything you need to communicate with your team in one simple app.

It does team chatting like Slack but it’s more like an anti-messaging app that tries to give you as much info as possible so you don’t have to check in with the team so often. You can see where team members are at on a map, start group calls, send files and photos, and more. FreshTeam is also pretty handy for family and friends, especially when you’re all out on the town together but have separate destinations.

Available for: iPhone, iPad
Price: Free
Get it from: App Store

Snapchat

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Snapchat’s face-swapping feature just took a leap forward.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Snapchat didn’t have the best of weeks in terms of PR, but its latest app update certainly deserves some good publicity. The app builds on the popular trend for face-swapping apps by letting you use the same face swap effect with any pictures you’ve taken or downloaded to your Camera Roll.

To use the feature, first direct the camera at yourself and perform a long-press on your face. The app should then detect your face and open up the various photo filter options. If you scroll to the last effect and hit the purple icon, this opens your Camera Roll and lets you choose the face you want to swap with. Simple, right? But so, so much fun.

Available for: iPhone, iPad
Price: Free
Get it from: App Store

Facebook Messenger

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Group calling for up to 50 people? Yes please!
Photo: Facebook

Like Snapchat, Facebook Messenger isn’t a new app which arrived on the scene in the past week, but it did get a significant update over the past seven days. The update builds on Facebook Messenger’s ambitions to replace your telephone number/challenge Skype and FaceTime by allowing up to 50 users to jump on a VoIP audio call for a group chat.

To use the feature, simply hit the app’s Phone icon and select the group chat members you want included in your mass tete-a-tete. These members will then receive a Messenger call, which they can join at any point the conversation is taking place. While it’s not yet possible to use video for group calling, this is reportedly a feature Facebook is working on.

Available for: iPhone, iPad
Price: Free
Get it from: App Store

Zombie Hunter: Death to the Undead

If you’re a fan of the run-and-gun action platformer shooter that is the Metal Slug saga, you might want to check out this zombie-blasting game, which consciously mimics many of its moves to create a fun iOS actioner.

While I’ll always have time for a cerebral iPhone puzzle game, there’s still a fond place in my heart for games that let you solve problems with a quick grenade blast or upgrading to a better gun. If you can empathize with that type of thinking, you may well find something to enjoy in Zombie Hunter: Death to the Undead. Be warned about requests for in-app purchases later on in the game, though.

Available for: iPhone, iPad
Price: $1.99
Get it from: App Store

Additional reporting by Buster Hein.

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