* All * Android Terminology
Picture the scene. You have been chosen to make first contact with an alien race, and they notice your smartphone in your hand. “What’s that?” they ask.
You explain that it’s a tiny piece of technology that ensures you can listen to any song, watch any movie, research any subject or purchase any item – all at the touch of a button. “Wow!” our new intergalactic overlords will exclaim. “That’s astonishing. What do you use it for most?”
How will you answer that question? If you’re being honest, you’ll probably say “watch funny cat videos and take selfies.” There’s nothing wrong with that – but it always helps to remember just what smartphones are capable of. Here are 10 apps that can make a positive difference to any Android user’s everyday life.
Sick of finding scraps of paper around the house that were supposed to remind you of essential tasks? You need a To Do list. This offered by Microsoft’s app, which can constantly be referred to and updated.
This app is free and takes a no-nonsense approach to managing your time. There’s nothing on the interface to distract you or encourage procrastination. The app will also make suggestions for activities based on patterns of activity. With Microsoft To Do, your productivity will skyrocket.
Smartphones have countless amazing qualities but storage space is rarely among them. If you’re trying to keep your spending on a handset down, it can be tough to find sufficient space to store all necessary apps, media files and any important documents. With AirDroid, there is no need to do so.
This app acts as a mirror between your desktop PC and your smartphone, easily transferring documents between hardware with greater security than a conventional cloud drive. The basic version of AirDroid is free, with additional features available under a subscription model.
As technology continues to advance, the world is getting smaller than ever. Whether travelling overseas or simply conversing with somebody from a different nation, there are more and more advantages to becoming multi-lingual. Google Translate is great, but it will never win awards for accuracy.
DuoLingo makes it fun to learn a new language, offering short, sharp lessons that also function as games. It’s free to download and use, and there is a great deal of satisfaction to be gained from beating a previous score in a test.
After a year in lockdown, it’s more important than ever that we take care of our physical fitness. There are a plethora of health and fitness apps out there, but we consider MyFitnessPal the finest. This app is a one-stop-shop for any wellbeing considerations.
You will need to pay for a subscription to MyFitnessPal, but you’ll get plenty of return on your investment. You can set weight loss goals, track the calories of what you have consumed, log your exercise and moment, and find a wide array of healthy and nutritious recipes to sample.
Of course, it’s not just physical health that matters. We all need to check our mental health from time to time. If you’re keen to take a moment outside of your mind, learning the basics of meditation or mindfulness, Headspace is the app for you. It will help soothe anxiety, improve sleep and enhance your mental focus.
Have you ever wandered the aisles of the supermarket in a daze, simply filling your trolley with the same ingredients as last week? Welcome to the human race. Whisk ensures that you’ll become a mean, lean consumer machine, though.
This app pulls the ingredients from any recipe you find online, and at the touch of a button creates a shopping list. With the aid of Whisk, you can plan meals for days or even weeks ahead and ensure that you shop appropriately.
If you find yourself in a strange city – or even a familiar one – getting around can be challenging. If you’re in a hurry, this becomes an ever-bigger concern. Transit will get you from A to B in the fastest way possible. Install this app and you will be furnished with real time information on bus routes, train times and road traffic.
With the aid of Transit, you’ll know whether you have a long wait for public transport or whether calling an Uber will lead to a frustrating wait in traffic with just Magic FM for company. It’s indispensable when negotiating unfamiliar terrain.
If you follow the advice of security experts, you’ll have a different password for every app and website that you use. That’s safe, but it’s also more data than the human brain could ever hope to retain. If you use LastPass, you can maintain security without sacrificing your sanity.
This app will assign passwords to all the apps and sites that you frequent. Each one will be unique and strong, keeping malevolent hackers at bay. The app will save these passwords securely though, logging you in each time so you will always have access to what you need.
When shopping in a brick-and-mortar supermarket, you’ll likely choose whichever superstore is closest to your home or offers the best parking facilities. When it comes to home delivery, these logistics are redundant.
With the aid of the MySupermarket app, you can add items to a basket from the comfort of your own home. Once you’re done, the app will inform you which supermarket chain can provide your shopping for the lowest price. Spoiler alert – it’s unlikely to be Waitrose.
Everybody loves a bargain and outfoxing The Man by making a saving. Of all the coupon apps out there, Voucher Codes is the most comprehensive. Through GPS, this app will pinpoint any discount to be had in your area. This could be for a local eatery or a retail store.
Naturally though, Voucher Codes also accounts for online discounts. If you’re considering a purchase, install this free app first. You may find that you’re eligible for an unexpected saving with a bare minimum of effort.
Now, let’s go full circle here. You have installed these apps, and you’re delighted with your decision … but you’ll still want to protect those selfies and cat videos. With that in mind, we’d like to make two more recommendations – Cover and Dumpster. This way, you can rest assured that your treasured memories are secure – while also exploring everything the world of Android has to offer.
