Whenever we need to pass time, we look at our phones. We stare into that vast abyss of previously-seen content whenever we’re feeling awkward or bored in a social situation. We waste time away looking at the same things because we think we’ve already discovered all of the apps we’ll ever need.
But oh how wrong we are.
There are so many apps out there beyond Instagram, Facebook, and the same dumb games (Crossy Road, I’m looking at you). Here are just a few that you should get ASAP and make a part of your life. Because life is too short to refresh your Instagram feed every five seconds.
Tastemade
Basically Vine meets Yelp meets Instagram, this app will change the way you eat. Your purpose as a user is to make short videos that serve as restaurant reviews with the help of Tastemade’s extremely user-friendly editing software. Now instead of just taking pictures or writing reviews, you can bring other people on your dining adventures and physically show them what you like or don’t like about a restaurant. The more creative and fun your video is, the more followers you’ll get! Even if you don’t want to make videos yourself, you’ll love watching other people review your favorite restaurants. You might even discover a few new ones that you need to try!
Afterlight
You probably spend way too much time looking at other people’s pictures on Instagram and Pinterest. So why not spend a little bit more time looking at and editing your own pictures? Afterlight is the best photo editing app out there, in my humble opinion, and it will change your life if you have an iPhone. All of the filters add really cool effects to your pictures that make them both unique and beautiful. You’ll never use Instagram filters again! Bonus points if you use this in conjunction with InstaSize- because square pictures are so 2014.
Spotify
I know, I know, everyone has Spotify. But the more people I talk to, the more I realize that a lot of people either don’t use it at all or don’t use it to its fullest potential. If you subscribe to Spotify Premium (a measly $4.99 a month for students), you have access to basically every song under the sun- except Taylor Swift’s, but I think you can get by without those. You can create your own playlists or subscribe to other people’s playlists for a nice introduction into music you’ve never heard before. I personally love the playlists made by Katrina Dawn (of Tone It Up’s Karena & Katrina)- they’re very California and perfect for any workout… or party or chill sesh or anything.
Hinge
My friend told me about this app the other day, and it seems really cool. It’s a dating app that connects you to other people via your mutual friends. This prevents creepsters from finding you and sending you sketchy messages that likely always end in “bae.” You’ll also probably have more in common with the people you’ll meet on Hinge, which will lead to infinitely better dates. So Hinge: because Tinder is creepy. <--- they should hire me as a promoter, I know.
Spitfire Athlete
Looking to up your fitness game this winter? Check out Spitfire, a fitness app that helps women break into the world of weightlifting and strength training. Barbells and machines can seem scary at first, but with Spitfire, you’ll feel more confident to tackle them and push yourself to new limits. You can also use any of their training plans for your fitness goals, whether you want to train for a sprint triathlon or a bikini competition. I also love that they have plans for bodyweight exercises if you’d rather do your workouts at home instead of in a gym.