I've always liked posts like these. I've spent numerous minutes/hours over the years searching articles for the best new apps of the month and articles that provide screenshots of random iPhone users and their homescreens. For some reason, although I won't list this particular one, the App Store is an app that I am on entirely way too much. Always searching for new apps in the productivity category or entertainment section. Along with finding a new puzzle game or something to pass time by whenever I need. At one point I had over 200 apps on my phone. Yeah, you're right by thinking that that's overkill and a bit psychotic. But I had the room on my phone, so I made folders for every category I could think of ever needing someday.
Now that number has dwindled, but the number still remains well over 100 apps downloaded. I'd say use about half of them weekly. And probably 75% overall, give or take a bit. Bottom line, apps are dope to me. Incredible UI (user interface) can have me locked in on certain apps for a while. The immersive feeling some developers have with an app intrigues me. If the look of the app looks outdated or ugly, nine times out of ten I won't keep it or even press "Get" to download.
I wanted to share a handful of my favorite and most used apps on my phone right now. For those interested, screenshot your homescreen in the comments below after reading this! I may come across a new app, you never know!
These are in no particular order, might I add.
1) Twitter
The best social media app made and available to date. Of course it's arguable with the amount of traction Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook still get. But Twitter is the gold standard. You need it? Twitter has it. Search the news, sports, entertainment, local events, music dropping, political debate threads, just about any celebrity/person of importance (if you like that kind of thing), photography, viral videos, and more. To be honest, I get breaking news alerts throughout the day. Before even opening the article to read what it is about, I search the main point or key words on Twitter to see what the talk of the town is. You can find trusted news sources and journalists, of course, but I what I like about it is that most of the time the news that breaks come with funny responses, normal civilians with their takes and sometimes even expertise, and live videos of what is going on. Right then and there instead of just a bias article, depending on your news of choice -- not to say Twitter isn't bias because it DAMN sure is -- you can get feedback from the local area, visualizations of what actually is happening or has happened along with it. Now just like everything these days, you have to be careful about what you read, view, and believe. Fake news is real. But eventually using Twitter enough, you become familiar with the reliable sources. I fact check a lot through Google once I read something on Twitter. The entertainment portion of it just amplifies the experience of seeing your news. The best part about it, in my opinion, is the entertainment aspect that is the videos, pictures, memes, and all that. Also you can witness a lot of stranger interaction amongst one another. Some arguing, then some others chiming in to mediate the situation. It really is it's own little virtual community. Absolutely my top used app and the most fun one at that.
2) Google Search
I use Safari a good bit, but over the past two years, I think Google, besides Messages, is my most used app. It's nicer to me to use than opening up Safari. Honestly, I can't really tell you if it's faster. Because you have to open both of them, and click the search tab to start typing. I guess I can go back to the UI of Google's search app. It's clean and appealing. Keep some coming back. It also tailors the suggested news articles below your search bar, depending on what you search most -- for example: I have a TON of Apple articles pop up -- and what you include in your personal profile. I like that. You search key words, go to websites, and all. If I need multiple tabs open or I need to mulitask online, that's when I will open up Safari. But Google has my heart for now. It's easy, nice to look at, and smooth.
3) Postmates
I'll be honest, this upsets me in a way. Postmates is such a convenient app. For those that don't know what it is, it is basically another Uber Eats. Which is a delivery service for just about any restaurant in your surrounding area. So if instead of the normal Jimmy Johns or Papa Johns delivery, you want some Five Guys, a steakhouse, or your favorite sit down restaurant, they'll most likely have it on this app. There is a delivery charge depending on the restaurant and distance, but you can also pay a monthly fee for "Unlimited". This takes off the delivery charge every time. I never knew how much I needed it until this past year. Being in the hotel a lot throughout the year for camps and OTA's, delivery services are convenient after a long day of meetings a practice when you don't have a kitchen or want to go back out. But those delivery charges add up. But what Postmates does, is when the year is over, they so graciously add up ALLLL your delivery charges over the year and provide you with a simple notification on how much you "COULD'VE" saved with Unlimited. I have never subscribed to an app faster than the day I got my notification. My wallet about ran from me itself. But all in all, if you're busy, last, can't cook but don't want to go out and need a meal? Postmates is a great app. Uses Apple Pay or card and you can track the courier and even contact them in needed. Listen, we need food to survive and live. It is necessary we pay to eat. So what if you want to keep watching Stranger Things season 3 and deliver a late night dessert or a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts to your house. Don't be ashamed. Feel empowered by this fortunate technology.
4) Apple Music
Yes, it's better than Spotify. I am not here to argue, I am here to explain why I use it so much. If you know me, you know what music is to me. Majority of my battery sheds its life to this fantastic app. As I tell most people, you delete this app and my music from my cloud, you delete me as a person. All my playlists, suggestions, friends followed, and albums in one place. Like that was anything you didn't know. It just sounds like a selling point, so I felt like writing out what this app includes. I have spent hours on this app in one sitting. Digging through similar artists, discovering new music, and making new playlists. It's legit a hobby. Curating moods and memories into lists is fun. I think the navigation on this app is easier than Spotify which is why I've stuck with it. Not just because it's Apple, I'm sure you'd say. I have had my complaints just like any app I use, but I am also too deep to climb out anyways by now. I like to think of this app as the portrayal of me. The different types of genre filled playlists and albums filling up the storage explain who I am. I don't care if I'm driving 100 ft. or 100 miles, Apple Music will be opened, played, and connected to my car. A quiet car is a dead car. If you don't use a streaming platform, I suggest you do so. Not only is it only $9.99 a month individually, which is a damn steal. You download one album and it's already your money's worth. Now go and download 100 albums. Still $9.99. They have family plans too which make it even cheaper. GET IT NOW! Start curating your life into playlists. The modern day version of mixtapes. Send one to your boo too.
5) Tick Tick
This app I think will be used less or deleted when the new iOS 13 comes out with a revamped Reminders app, but for now this is my go to. The stock Reminders app is flaky and not made well. This app allows me to customize my to do lists and reminders however I want. The option to create smart lists and tags (with personal filters to combine certain filters together), change the theme of your app, and even change the app's icon -- which is something I wish all apps did sometimes. You can even start to develop a habit tab. Get a habit and keep track of it. I see this as both personal and business type. Change your sound alerts and notifications settings easily. It's a well made simplistic app to help you stay organized with your day-to-day business. There are a ton of similar apps with different features. I just found this simple to use and functional for me. Reminder apps are crucial for me. I forget things. A LOT. And it's annoying to me and very annoying to my surrounding peeps. So this helps in that aspect of my life, lol.
6) Reddit
Some call this the center of the Internet. A lot of what we find on Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat end up here on Reddit first. Allegedly. Anything you can possibly want to know on the internet is basically here. You basically subscribe to a topic, called a Subreddit, and the topics are endless. From "aww" which is a bunch of cute pictures of animals and babies and such. Shower thoughts subreddit which is a bunch of posts of relatable thoughts you'd normally think to yourself alone in the shower. Highly relatable posts in there. My personal favorite sub is "Nosleep". Late at night when you can't sleep, you open this up. Thousands of incredibly talented story tellers creating their own short stories. At times you come across stories that are said to be "true". You come up with your own opinion. I've come across a few that could absolutely be true. But you'll never know. Through my experience, most of this app is anonymous. I was told to even create a username that wasn't my real name when my friends suggested I download it. I do like that part about it. I will absolutely say the difference between this and Twitter is that Twitter tends to be much more personal. Which is what it was intended for, though. There are highly educated people on this app. I learn a lot though "TIL" subreddit. Which stands for Today I Learned. They then go on to explain what historical fact or scientific fact they learned that day. Pretty fascinating. It's a time killer, educational form of entertainment. But remember to follow the rules of each subreddit if you dare to start posting.
7) Instagram
We all know the hype behind the picture collages of our lives. Or the lives we want people to see. Which right off the bat is the reason why Instagram doesn't touch Twitter personally. A lot of the pictures are edited and filtered for the perfect post. Which is nice, but to over do it creates a downfall. Which happens a lot. But the app is fun. You can basically keep up with all your friends and people you know through pictures of what is going on in their lives. Videos for a more personal interaction with your followers. I'd be a fool to go on and explain how Instagram works. If those don't know, they either don't want to know and don't care. Which in a way I respect. I am on this app entirely way too much and have recently put a time limit through the iPhone setting for Instagram. I've gotten less motivated to post a bunch of pictures all the time lately. I like the story feature a lot more now. That's also a little bit more personal and interactive with people who follow me. And no my Instagram feed is not everything and the only things going on in my life.
8) Angry Birds 2
I've been playing this game since the first iPhone I ever got. This is just updated and a newer version. One of the best puzzle games around. I get lost in this app. Level by level you lose yourself in the different towers to destroy and get even more annoyed from not being able to kill those damn little green pigs. Just stretch that bird back and let it fly. Over and over again until your lives run out and the game tempts you to buy more lives. (I've been a culprit, unfortunately)
9) Kickstarter
This is another part of the tech geek in me. Now this app does have all kinds of start up projects. Art, fashion, journalism, theater, comics and crafts. All kinds of categories to see what the up and coming invention or project is. I spend 99.9% of my time in this app on the technology side. Seeing what people are mustering up out there. Back these projects to help the creators get to their goals to get their product launched. You can back them by giving money for supporting their idea, but also have to understand that that particular product may not even reach public eyes. Some items are backed 200%+ and some don't even get half of their goals. These are all independent creators. Customers and supporters can share these creators ideas with friends and the world. Creating even more backing for them. It's always been a dope concept to me. Some of these concepts and ideas have blown up to become well known products that people use daily. Check it out and find some up and coming ideas that interest you. Maybe even back them up and purchase an item in hopes they reach their goal and make it public.
Again, these are just a handful of apps I use the most right now. In about a month or two, I guarantee this list will have changed. With one or two taken out and some new discoveries added. Technology is changing daily and new apps and ideas are being created every second. And I'll be sure to always be updated. Share your favorite apps below that weren't mentioned! Let me know why and even share your home screen! I need some new adds to my phone actually! Thanks for reading!
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