We’re increasingly reliant on our smartphones. It’s estimated that the average person picks up their smartphone at least 2,617 times daily—that’s a lot. Whether you’re staying in touch with loved ones or for entertainment, our smartphones are a vital part of our everyday life. That said, we’re increasingly pressed for space on our smartphones, and sometimes, deciding on the right apps to install onto our phones can be challenging. To help, we’ve gathered a list of seven useful apps for things like productivity, finance management, and more.
For cashback: Shopkick
Shopkick lets you earn rewards for your online purchases. All you have to do is to download the app, sign up for its program, and start shopping at participating stores. You’ll earn “kicks” for every purchase you make and bonus “kicks” for completing stipulated tasks. These “kicks” can then be converted to gift cards eligible for use at various stores, including Amazon, Walmart, and Target.
You can stack your rewards up with other cashback programs for additional rewards.
For better privacy: ExpressVPN
If 2022 is the year you’ve decided to prioritize online privacy, then getting a virtual private network (VPN) app on your phone is one of the best and easiest things you can do for yourself.
Most major VPN providers have apps compatible with various devices such as smartphones, PCs, and smart TVs. The ExpressVPN app is an excellent example of this. Besides being available for iOS and Android, it’s also easy to use.
Depending on your device, your entire internet connection goes through an encrypted tunnel in just one click or tap. This prevents your internet service provider, government, and even hackers from seeing your online activities.
For productivity: Trello
Trello is a great way to manage all your tasks. You can create various boards through its Kanban-style management system for better productivity. It’s also straightforward to use and satisfying to move your tasks from one panel to another once completed. Several companies, too, use Trello to project manage their work.
Trello is available for free, with some limitations. If you’re finding it particularly useful, you might consider purchasing a plan with them.
For crypto: Coinbase
The Coinbase app is available on both iOS and Android. As one of the major cryptocurrency exchanges today, Coinbase lets users trade crypto securely through their bank accounts. If you’re concerned about safety and privacy, you’ll be glad to know that the app has security measures in place to protect your account.
For finance management: Expense Manager
As its name suggests, the Expense Manager app can track all financial transactions. From splitting bills, tracking spending, and tax payments, this app is a lifesaver if you’re finding it difficult to stay on track and manage various bills and receipts. The best part? It’s free.
For storing articles: Pocket
Pocket is an app that lets you bookmark and store articles, web pages, and even images so you can view them again later on. It’s particularly useful if you’re the sort that opens multiple tabs on your browser but might not have the time to read them all on the go.
It’s also available on the desktop as a browser extension and is free to download.
For exciting news: Reddit
Reddit is a great way to receive news, images, and other information that you’re actually interested in on your smartphone. On Reddit, you can customize the types of topics—also known as Subreddits—that you’d like to follow. You can also join a community and connect with like-minded individuals through the subreddits you follow.
There are plenty of different apps out there. Often, it’s going to take some experimenting to figure out if an app you’ve downloaded is best suited for your needs. As always, delete apps you don’t use often and keep all your apps updated to reduce cybersecurity risks.