From scheduling your day and managing your time, to boosting your workout routine and kicking bad habits into touch. Certain apps have the power to change your life, one small step at a time.
But with 1.96 million apps out there, covering every topic under the sun, how does one cut through the noise and side with the best tools on the road to self-betterment? Stick around as we list our pick for the top iPhone Apps that may just change your life!
Productivity apps to take on your to-do list?
You know in Harry Potter, where everyone's zooming or “brooming” around at break-neck speed trying to snatch a golden-winged ball (Snitch) out of the sky? That’s productivity. Elusive as all hell when you need it most, and a massive game-changer when you catch it and keep it. Put it another way, the average person is interrupted every 40 seconds when working in front of a laptop. So, what are some of the apps that combat distraction and boost productivity?
Todoist: A powerful To-Do List/Task Manager. Todoist gives you a place to get your personal and professional tasks down in writing. The app has a bunch of built-in features for creating projects, setting recurring deadlines, assigning tasks, pinpointing priorities and a whole lot more. You can download Todoist for free or opt for the $4 a month Pro Plan.
MindMeister: This digital mind mapping tool is great for planning projects, brainstorming ideas, or setting up strategies. It comes with a variety of different map themes and customization options. You can store your maps in the cloud and share them with other people. Use the basic app on iPhone for free or pay $2.49 a month for unlimited mindmaps.
Other top contenders.
Asana: An intuitive work organizer and team management tool.
Canva: A fast and efficient design tool with free templates and easy navigation.
TickTick: An all-in-one to-do List with a built-in Pomodoro timer to fight procrastination.
Google Tasks: A robust task management tool that integrates with Gmail and Google Calendar.
ClickUp: A cool and stylish collaboration/project management tool.
If This Then That (IFTTT): A slick automation tool connecting different apps & experiences.
Apps for mastering time management.
On some days, 8 hours just isn't enough. Between frantically rushing to and from meetings, wolfing down lunch, answering emails and vetting countless questions on Slack, there’s no time left to work or study. So how do you take your time and put it to maximum effect? These tools may just have the answer.
Focus Keeper: Designed to fight procrastination, the Focus Keeper app for iPhone is a countdown timer with some cool integrated features. The app runs your work routine by timing your focus sessions and splitting them up with 5-minute breaks. Free to download or $1.99 a month on the Pro Plan.
Otter.ai: This app for iPhone turns your conversations and meetings into smart notes that you can instantly find, share and store for later. You’ll never need to scribble down notes in meetings again. Just head into a Zoom call, click record, and the AI will run in the background. You’ll get 600 minutes every month with the free plan, and anything after that goes up to $4.99.
Other top contenders.
Toggl: A stylish, easy to navigate time tracking and project planning app.
MyLifeOrganized: A focusing app that combines neuroscience and music to get the job done.
Rescue Time: A time management app that sends weekly reports for what's stealing your time.
DropBox: A solution to store and send large files without wasting time resizing them.
EverNote: Keeping your best (and worst) ideas in one place, across voice, notes and images.
Apps for making the most of your workout
It’s time to get... Pumped! Ripped, Shredded! And/or, happy and healthy. Whatever it is you're going for, a solid workout app goes a long way. Whether it be tracking your miles, counting your reps or watching what you eat, here are a few Workout Apps to set the plan in motion.
Map My Run: Track your miles and map your routes with a great running companion. You can also track and map upwards of 600 different activities with Map My Run, including walking, cycling, gym workouts, cross-training, yoga, and a whole lot more. The app even has a built-in gear tracker to monitor wear and tear on your shoes. Download the app for free or get the pro plan for $5.99 a month.
Nike Training Club: This family-friendly workout app has around 200 different workouts including strength, core, cardio, conditioning, balance, yoga, and more. The app runs the full spectrum of training tutorials, from beginner through to competitive athletes, and you don't need equipment or a gym subscription to use it. You can download Nike Training Club for free or load up the Pro Plan for $14.99 a month.
Other top contenders.
Fitness and Bodybuilding Pro: Customizable workout plans with timers to track your progress.
Workout Trainer: All-in-one Fitness Coaching platform with 1000+ home workouts & tutorials.
Apple Health: Step counter and goal-setting app with cutting-edge data and analytics.
MyFitnessPal: Counts and recommends daily calorie intake, based on your body weight.
Apps for building and breaking habits
We all have habits we want to tone down or cut out of our lives for good. Too much social media got you staying up and fighting strangers till 3 am? Is 8 cups of coffee enough for you to start levitating, or at least think you are? Here are some of the top apps to break and build habits.
Streaks: This To-Do list app for iPhone is designed to help you form good habits. All you need to do is jot down a goal and put it into the app. The app will then send you happy little sounds to let you know that you’ve met your goals or friendly reminders when you haven't. You can download Streaks for a $4.99 one-time purchase.
Habitica: Habitica is a cool Role Playing Game (or RPG) for habit tracking and task management. You get your own avatar, and as you complete goals (that you set), your character advances. Fall behind and your character takes damage. The Habitica app is free to download on the App Store, but you can also opt for a $4.99 monthly subscription to unlock more features.
Other top contenders.
Smoke-Free: Quit smoking with daily encouragement, goal tracking and calendar integration.
Remente: Change habits by reflecting on your life and planning out your day.
Fabulous: Habit tracker with expert articles, personalized advice and tailored plans.
EveryDay: Smart habit tracker with a visual dashboard and chain-based tracking feature.
Meditation apps for being present
There’s so much more to meditation than sitting around waiting for divine enlightenment to drop out of the sky. Many people struggle with meditation, but luckily some apps make the process a whole lot easier. Whether you’re after better sleep, mindfulness, renewed energy or a combination, these apps will help you harness your zen from head to toe.
Insight Timer: Get access to 45,000+ guided meditations with Insight Timer. Browse through hundreds of meditations categories, music tracks and ambient sounds to help calm your mind, promote sleep or awaken mindfulness. Insight Timer also has a built-in community forum where you can reach out and take part in discussions. The basic plan is free and Pro will cost you $59.99 a year.
HeadSpace: This daytime meditation and mindfulness portal has 100’s of guided meditations, master classes and music compilations designed to help you find a little serenity between meetings or lectures. They also have a list of great meditations to fall asleep to as well as personalized meditation plans tailored to your needs. The HeadSpace app is free to download, or you can opt for the paid plan at $12.99 per month.
Other top contenders.
Breethe: Learn how to sleep better and destress in five minutes a day.
Welzen: Study mindfulness with guided meditations and a five-day training course.
Calm: Manage anxiety with calming background sounds and short meditations.
Buddhify: Targeted meditations for increased mental health and awareness.
Apps to Heighten Your Memory
Do you ever have those days where you can remember every lyric to an irritating song but you can’t find your house keys (that you’re holding)? External distractions mixed in with a healthy dose of information overload can be a memory killer. Here are some of the best memory apps designed to keep you focused and sharp throughout the day.
Lumosity: Designed to boost brain and memory power, the Lumosity app for iPhone is a series of brain and memory games that change randomly, intending to keep your mind working at full speed. The app is great for a quick burst of brainpower between tasks, with pattern and number recognition games running on a countdown timer. Lumosity is free to download with a paid subscription going for $11.99 a month
CogniFit Brain Fitness: This app was developed by a team of neuroscientists to enhance and increase cognitive ability. The app has a bunch of games across various difficulty levels, designed to make you perform better under cognitive strain. The app has an added feature where you can invite and challenge your friends to a host of different “Brain Battles”. Results are tracked and you get a clear overview of your performance after every game. You can get a CogniFit Brain Fitness subscription for $19.99 per month.
Other top contenders.
Happify: An awesome app for improving your outlook when faced with problems.
Peak: Focus, memory, and problem-solving games with personalized training.
Clockwork Brain: Fun and challenging games designed to test cognitive skills.
Eidetic: Memory enhancement app for important dates and numbers.
Which apps can change the world?
The idea of “Changing the World” is a broad and way too often used term that nobody thinks they’ll ever actually be able to be a part of. But these days it’s more than just a figure of speech. The below apps actually do have the power to change the world, albeit, one small step at a time. Check them out, get on the train and help build a better future for everyone.
Be My Eyes: What an app! Be My Eyes was the first of its kind. This app connects blind and visually impaired citizens with sighted volunteers across every corner of the globe. These volunteers link up via video calls and help the visually impaired with daily tasks, like finding their way around a new home, reading an important document, or highlighting any hazards in their home or workspaces. Entirely free to download and anyone can get involved.
Acts of Kindness: The acts of Kindness app compiles and suggests hundreds of different tasks and deeds that you can do daily to make a difference. Whether that be giving to charity, volunteering for a good cause, or just doing someone a favour, Acts of Kindness promotes humanitarianism and good karma. The app is free to download with 25% of yearly advertising revenue going to charities around the world.
Other top contenders.
Good on You: This app promotes global ethical shopping by providing information and data on how fashion brands treat their workers. They also champion brands that make a positive impact, rating and reviewing over 1200 brands in 5 different countries and counting.
Tree Planet 2: Plant a virtual tree and watch it grow in real life. This RPG game lets players plant, grow, fertilize and defend virtual trees. And, for every tree successfully grown, a real tree is planted by the app developers.