From gaming with friends to editing a photo, there is nothing you can’t do with a smartphone app. Apps are what make our phones fun and functional. They help us get the most out of our gadgets and, in some cases, out of ourselves. Right now there are more than two million apps available in the iTunes store. With so many choices, it can be hard to find true winners. So we’ve done the heavy lifting for you and found the five best apps of 2019.
TikTok: If you’re not paying attention to TikTok, you’re just not paying attention. Downloaded over 750 million times in 2019, this short-form video app is home to everything from lip-syncing to live-action memes. It’s stupidly silly and incredibly entertaining. Pro tip: Don’t open TikTok unless you’re prepared to lose several hours to content that is goofy, irrelevant, and highly addictive.
Later: The glitch with most social media tools is that Instagram does not allow scheduled posting. That can be a drag for content creators but Later offers the next best thing. Use the app to draft a post, schedule it, and send you reminders on the date and time you want it to go live. When it’s time, complete your post with just a few quick clicks. You can also use Later to schedule posts on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest and to get tips that make your posts more engaging. Free plans offer 30ish posts per month for each platform while paid plans come with more posting options and analytics. Later is perfect for your next pre-run selfie that you actually took last week. We won’t tell.
Scribd: Your runs just got a lot more entertaining. Think of Scribd as the Netflix of books and audiobooks. For $9/month, you get unlimited access to all of the content in their online library, and with more than one million titles, that’s quite an extensive selection. Scribd’s catalogue includes titles from all of the major publishers, so chances are if it’s at the bookstore, it’s also on Scribd. Download your favourites to check out later or stream them to read or listen online.
Dark Sky: Why pay $3.99 for a weather app? Allow us to tell you: Dark Sky is so much more than your average weather forecaster. It gives you hyperlocal forecasts for your exact address and minute-by-minute notifications about changing weather conditions. Want to know when the rain will end so you can get your run in? Dark Sky has got your back. Game changer.
Awakee: Awakee is a free habit-tracking and training app that lets you create a checklist to nail down your daily routine. Set a morning schedule that wakes you up and gives you a nudge when it’s time to go for a run, feed the cat, pack your lunch, or head to work. Customize routines for nighttime, workouts, a daily writing schedule, you name it. With Awakee, you will stay on track no matter what habit you’re trying to master.
What was your favourite app of 2019? Let us know on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter!
