There is a lot of controversy about how we are addicted to our phones in today’s world. I agree that phones could be overused. However, on the other hand, phones and the internet have made our lives so much easier, more organized, efficient by saving us time that otherwise, we would spend, for example, on looking up an English word in a dictionary.
I would like to provide a list of FREE phone (ANDROID) Apps that are very helpful when you are in such a big city as NYC or in life in general. By no means is the list exhaustive, but it offers some options and ideas on what to download.
I will divide the list into two categories, Apps that are helpful in everyday professional life and Apps that we could use in our personal lives. And then there are “Must-haves” which I won’t dig into since it’s obvious you will not survive without those.
Professional Apps:
OneNote – The App lets you save and organize your tasks and ideas by color coding each section. It has very easy interphase, easy to navigate and very useful when taking notes. I use it on my laptop as well as my mobile device.
Tap Scanner – This App lets you scan documents by just taking photos of them. In the end, you have your documents on your email that look like they have been scanned through the real scanner. It has come in handy in times when I was traveling or out of the office, or even when the office scanner was messing up, which often happens back home.
New York Times – You don’t have to dive into every each of the article posted daily, however, it is a good idea to scan the names of the top stories to keep up with the enormous amount of daily news. Later you can have smart conversations with your colleagues.
Google Meet – Download this App if you often have online meetings on your calendar. It is helpful when you are on the road and would still like to engage in a meeting.
Gmail – Good way to organize all your Gmail accounts. For example, currently, I have four email accounts. I don’t have time to log in to each one of them and check emails. Gmail App lets you receive emails from all your accounts into one Inbox. It is very convenient; you click refresh once and get all new mail from your linked accounts into one folder.
1Password – Gaining momentum with a lot of companies for security reasons. On the plus side, you don’t have to remember passwords for all your accounts. This App automatically generates a new, unique password for every time you log into your account.
Personal Apps:
Groupon – Get the cheapest deals on basically everything near you.
iHearRadio – want to listen to hundreds of stations for free? This is an App to have to stay connected to music and news in any state you want.
Spendee – Great App for organizing your budget and spending. You enter each cost you have daily and assign it to the category. You can even create maximum allowable budget for a category per month/week.
AktiBMI – BMI calculator and weight diary. Gives you your weight trends over time and tells you whether you are overweight or not. A Good way to stay healthy.
My Calendar – For ladies, this App keeps track of your periods, sends notifications if you are late on your period, provides information on high fertility days. Each woman should have this App or similar.
Headspace – I found this App based on its reviews. It’s a good App for people who would like to start to meditate and need guidance/reminders to do so.
TodayTix – Want cheaper tickets to go see the Broadway shows? Through this App, you will find tickets for half of the price for that same day when you are looking.
Shazam – Ever hear music that you like and want to find the track info? Use Shazam and it will find the song you are looking for in seconds.
Heart Rate Monitor – If you work out a lot or just get stressed easily, it is a good App that monitors your heart rate. Also, Samsung has a built-in Samsung health App with more features and the same idea.
Roomi – Useful App to find roommates in a new city. You can specify your preferred neighborhoods. There are various filter options.
Hinge or OkCupid – Good Apps if you are into online dating. Don’t try Tinder, save yourself the trouble.
Eventbrite – I love this App because you can find different events that are happening nearby. I usually search for music events, new artists, club scenes, etc.
Time Out New York – Another great App specifically for NYC events near you.
“Must-haves”:
- Google maps
- Uber/Lyft
- Bank of America
- Venmo
- YouTube
Hopefully, I have suggested at least one new useful App for you. If there are some Apps that I have missed and you think they absolutely should be on the list, feel free to write another blog post with the same topic and just continue the list!
