I am always trying to declutter my phone, yet there are some apps that never manage to make their way off of my phone. These are my time-honored apps that I love using and love playing with. Almost all of these apps offer in-app purchases, but I enjoy the free versions of these just as much and I probably would the paid version. I have put them into several categories.
These are my favorite apps for each life category, the descriptions are posted below. All are available on iPhone.
- Sleep
- Sleep Cycle
- Google Routines
- Engagement
- Lumosity
- Elevate
- Period and Sexual Health
- Flo
- Life
- Finance
- Mint
- Amazon
- Living
- GasBuddy
- Groupon
- Education
- Livesafe
- Unidays
- Pocket Points
- Sleep Cycle
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This app is pretty cool. It is like big brother, but in a positive way. I like this app because after each night it shows me the quality of sleep I got, as well as a chart of the way I actually slept. It works in two ways. The first way is using your phone’s microphone. It listens to how frequently you make noticeable movements or sounds. That means it can even track your snoring. The other way is through vibrations. You keep your phone on the bed rather than the nightstand and it feels how often you move. Another great feature is the alarms. I no longer have to wake up to harsh Apple alarm sounds. Sleep Cycle has their own soothing sounds that gradually get louder to peacefully pull you out of sleep. But if you are a heavy sleeper this may not work. It also has what they call “wake up periods.” These allow you to wake up and snooze repeatedly. I use this every night.
- Google Routines
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Claim your free Google Home Mini now while supplies last with Spotify Premium! Click here to read more.
I recently got my first personal smart home device. I got my Google Home in coral because why not. I don’t use it for much besides my nightly routine. When I say “Ok Google Goodnight” it starts my routine by telling me tomorrow’s weather, calendar events, asks me for my alarm time and then sets my sleepy time playlist I linked from Spotify. With Smart Plugs or more Google Home products it can do even more. It also has routines for the morning, commute to work, leaving and returning home.
- Lumosity
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This app has brain games that are simple and fun. You don’t even realize that you are training your brain. It works by giving you daily brain games to try. They are simple and are actually fun. It is perfect for beginners to brain training.
- Elevate
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This is a new one I tried for a more intense brain training. It works similar to Lumosity except it has more targeted goals and assessments. This is good for beginners as well who are looking for a bit of a harder challenge.
- Flo
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I recently switched to Flo. After backing up my info from life into Apple Health, I then inputted my Apple Health info into Flo. It immediately gave me tailored recommendations and courses about my body. One thing I love is that all the articles and courses come from medical professionals. Another thing I love is that there is an anonymous community where you can talk about absolutely anything. There are multiple interests and topic ranging from LGBTQ to first trimester pregnancies.
- Life
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This was my go to app for a very long time. I tried a lot of period apps before I settled on this one. It very accurately tracks your period based on past patterns. I had info from 2013 in here. I liked it because I could control what types of things I inputted. I could create new tags or symptoms, use the journal, log my feelings. It was all in one location. This is a great app if you want the simplicity of tracking.
- Mint
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This is a budgeting app that I use. I can create budgets based on my monthly income. It puts my expenses into categories and lets me know what percentage of my income I’m spending on things. It can have annoying notifications and alerts, but these can be turned off.
- Amazon
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You might be thinking, “Why is Amazon listed under finance?” Well, Amazon is packed full of amazing deals that are normally lower than in-store sales. I think this is universally a great app for anyone. There are thousands of deals for Prime users and not. Having my brother work for Amazon is a great perk because he helps me find great deals. This app is great for the average buyer. Not only does it normally offer lower or alternative prices for typical retail items, but it also makes good suggestions. There are even options for monthly subscriptions for select items.
- GasBuddy
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My freshman year roommate told me about this app and it changed my life when I drive somewhere unfamiliar. GasBuddy shows you prices from different gas stations around the area. It can be filtered by price or distance. It is easier than having to look of Google Maps.
- Groupon
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I actually just started using Groupon after seeing Tiffany Haddish’s commercials so much. It definitely is a good app if you like to find new experiences. I have used it for food, pottery and snow tubing.
- Livesafe
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Livesafe is an app that is provided to me by Millersville University. It is a safety app. This app can put me in contact with the police, health services and counseling services. It provides any way you might need help. It also has a friend walking feature. If you ever feel unsure about walking by yourself, you can ask a friend to watch you walk simply by texting you a link. You can also watch someone walk. This works not only on campus but off it as well. It is a wonderful app for those in fear like me that a Ted Bundy connoisseur might do something at night while I walk. While you are walking if something happens, you can call the police or your friend.
- Unidays
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This app is for college students only. Similar to Groupon, it lets you find coupons in your area, but they are based on different brands.
- Pocket Points
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The teacher in me loves this app. This app is unique; it’s similar to Unidays except it works on a point system. The way to earn points 3 separate ways. On-campus mode lets you earn while you are in class by setting the timer to be on during class time. If you don’t use your phone once during that time then you earn the points. Goal mode is similar to that but it works off campus. Lastly there is driving mode. This goes without a goal timer. It just works for every undistracted minute. With your points you can use them to get discounts on a ton of things. It can even be used for extra credit if you share it with a teacher. Teachers or future educators, click here to read more. For Teachers | Pocket Point
These are just some of my favorite apps to use. Everyone has their own preferences. Let me know what you think!
HCXO, Cecilia