I’m the first to admit that my iPhone is rarely out of sight. Even if I’m not using it, it’s right by my side… tucked into my coat pocket, on my desk or nightstand, or right in my hand. I have a love/hate relationship with my phone. I love being able to work whenever and wherever I need to and I hate that I can connect to work whenever and wherever I am. It’s a Catch 22!
While there are days I’m tempted to toss my phone into a large body of water to free myself of it, I think it does have some great benefits. Some of the apps I use the most are the usuals (Twitter and Instagram which I’m thankful I can categorize under play and work, Snapchat, Facebook, Gmail), there are some apps out there that I can’t get enough of:
Philips Hue: Last year, Garrett got me these special lightbulbs you can control from your phone. I can’t tell you how obsessed I am with it. It’s one of those little luxuries to be able to turn the lights on from wherever (aka my bed) without having to find a switch. You can control all the lights at once, individual lights, the color, the brightness, etc. One of the best features is that you can set different “scenes” or moods I guess for the lights. A super bright white when you’re working, a low blue when you’re resting, whatever you want! You can also program the lights to turn on at a specific time every morning like an alarm.
VSCOcam + Snapseed: My two favorite apps to edit photos with. I use them interchangeably depending on the look of the photo I’m going for, sometimes using both to edit a single photo for Instagram. Snapseed is completely free and VSCO is freemium (meaning you can pay for additional filters, which I’ve never had the need to do).
Dropbox: I’ve been really trying to be good about storing everything to the cloud. I always feel fancy when I say that. Having the Dropbox app on my phone has certainly saved the day a handful of times. I love having access to all my files on the go. Need to access files without using data or connecting to Wifi? Star the file to favorite it and you’ll be able to access it in airplane mode. This is SUCH a good thing for students and young professionals to have on their phone. Keep updated copies of your resume, copies of your syllabus, scanned projects, your presentations, etc.
Carousel: This is an app that’s also by Dropbox. I just downloaded it and I have to say, it might be my favorite one so far. Carousel backs up the photos on your iPhone to your Dropbox cloud… The features are pretty incredible. Not only are all of your photos and videos safe and backed up (in the case of a broken phone or even a stolen phone), the app helps you free up space on your phone. It will let you know if there are photos backed up to the app that can be removed from your camera roll! Sharing photos is also a breeze; you can share an entire album like your vacation photos with everyone from the trip.
Goodreads: This has always been one of my favorite apps since downloading. Now that I’m (finallllly) back into the habit of reading, I’ve been using it even more. Keeping track of the books I’m reading and also, the best, searching for the next book to start. I like seeing what friends are reading too. PS Just finished Yes Please… pretty good!
Mobile banking: I used to use Mint’s app religiously. It’s an amazing app for someone who’s figuring out how to budget and needs the accountability of reminders. I still have it on my phone, but don’t open it often anymore as it doesn’t totally fit my needs anymore. Instead, I’ve been using Bank of America’s mobile app. (Of course, this one depends on what bank you have.) Mobile banking is genius. Depositing checks via mobile phones has to be one of the biggest time savers. I also use it to regularly watch my transactions on all my accounts. You can pay bills, transfer money between accounts, contact customer service, and even send friends money (like if you’re splitting a cab or paying someone back).
Oral-B: A newer download for me, this is such a random, not necessary but still useful app. Oral B sent me a new toothbrush that’s Bluetooth enabled. (I know, totally Zenon.) The toothbrush itself is great, but it’s being able to connect it with my phone that’s pretty fun. It automatically starts a timer when you turn the toothbrush on. While you’re brushing, the timer counts and the app displays the weather, your calendar (great in the morning), and entertaining bits of news.
Do you have any favorite apps?
xoxo
PS Don’t forget to download The College Prepster app! An easy way to never miss a post.
I can definitely get behind all of these apps! Oral B recently sent my boyfriend the same toothbrush, and the hardest part is brushing for the 2 minutes, but my teeth already feel cleaner!
Nidhi
An Unblurred Lady
Woah I want one of those toothbrushes, too cool!
Caroline
http://www.rainbootsandretail.com
I love using VSCOcam and online banking really is amazing! That Oral B one sounds really interesting, wish I could try one of those toothbrushes!
xx, Mikkaela
The Southwestern Prepster
A toothbrush app? That's hilarious!
The Oral-B app looks like so much fun!
Hunter
Prep on a Budget
Downloading Carousel right now! I hope this saves me some space that is really needed…for more pictures. x.x So excited! Thanks.
-alex
skyscrapers & palm trees
I'm a huge fan of banking on my phone as well. I like the newsstand app so that I can read the Wall Street Journal on the go
Alyssa J Freitas
Thank you so much for posting this!! The light bulb app looks SOO cool!! I really want to try that. Also, I'm BIG on brushing my teeth, and that Oral-B app looks so fun! I teach high school, and I just told my class about that app after I read your blog! 🙂
I love your app! It is my guilty pleasure when I'm in between classes with my coffee. I may or may not read it during class as well…. shh! 🙂
– Michelle
simplymichelleraven.com
I love these app suggestions. 🙂
Try Untappd! It's a fun way to track all of the (craft) beers you try over the years. You can add your friends, too, and toast eachother!
I love VSCOcam! I use it pretty much religiously when it comes to photo editing. One of my favorite apps personally is the Starbucks app – I love being able to pay for my drink from my phone!
– Caitlin | Your Typical Prep
these apps sound great! Thanks for sharing 🙂
lifeisashoe
I love PhotoGrid for making collages.
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
I love the idea of the app that turns on your lights for you, that's even easier than a clapper 😉
xoxo, SS
The Southern Stylista
Love Snapseed (which I have also featured in an "apps I cannot live without" on Lifestyle Counter) & have found Dropbox extremely useful on more than one occasion. I am on Goodreads too (have been for years and love their yearly TBR challenge). Always looking for new friends on that (not many of my existing ones use it), so do let me know in case you fancy connecting… Have a great day, XOXO
http://www.lifestylecounter.com
I love VSCO Cam and Dropbox a lot, I usually use both of them to edit my blog's photos. I also create watermark using PicMonkey though. Thanks for sharing xx
http://ainnabila.com
A toothbrush app! That's funny!
-Meg
http://www.smalltownsisters.blogspot.com