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If you’re already familiar with the must-have apps like Google Maps, Dropbox, Evernote, and the like, then this list is for you. We’ve got a bunch of fresh and exciting apps that can totally transform your smartphone.
So, grab your favorite device, and let’s dive into these awesome apps you won’t want to miss this year!
Screenshots of Calm for iOS
What We Like
Choose the type and length of meditation desired.
For adults, but suitable for children, with adult help.
Thinking of giving meditation a try? Calm is a free app geared toward beginners. It offers short, guided meditation sessions ranging from three to 25 minutes.
Sessions focus on various topics, including anxiety reduction, stress management, improved sleep, breaking bad habits, cultivating gratitude, and more.
In addition to individual sessions, hundreds of programs are available if you’re interested in a long-term meditation challenge. There’s also an option in this meditation app for unguided sessions with a timer and more than 30 soothing nature sounds.
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Screenshots of Canva for iOS
Whether you need to design a new Facebook header photo or create a cover to publish your Kindle e-book, Canva is the free and intuitive graphic design app that can help you get it done in minutes.
Upload your images or choose from premium stock photos and illustrations before customizing your design using the app’s easy drag-and-drop feature.
Canva offers a variety of layouts, free photos, fonts, shapes, icons, charts, lines, illustrations, grids, and background options you can use to design your graphic exactly the way you want.
When you’re done, save it as a high-quality image to your camera roll or photo folder or share it directly using your favorite social app.
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Screenshots of Files Go for Android
What We Like
Easy, effective way to free up space.
Transfers large files quickly.
Unearths duplicate files so that you can delete them.
The Files by Google storage manager helps you find files faster, free up space, and share files quickly with others while you’re offline. You can use it to delete old photos quickly, identify duplicate files, get rid of apps you no longer use, and clean up anything else that needs to go in a snap.
One of the best parts about this app is that files can be shared between Android users, similar to Apple AirDrop. As long as you’re physically close to another Android user using Files Go, you can quickly share photos, videos, and other files without using the internet.
Screenshot of Zedge for iOS
What We Don’t Like
Some sounds are low quality.
Icon packs are no longer available.
Need subscription for an ad-free experience.
If you really want to make your smartphone or tablet your own, Zedge is the app you’ll want to use to personalize your device’s ringtones, notifications, and alarm sounds. The app offers thousands of high-quality sounds that are free and easy to download.
Browse through the categories or use the search function to look for a specific sound. From obscure sounds to classic jingles, you can set a custom ringtone for each person in your contact list, so you always know who’s calling.
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Screenshots of Forest for iOS
What We Don’t Like
Must subscribe to use credits, compete, and sync devices.
You lose tree progress if phone battery dies.
Need to be productive but can’t resist wasting time on your iPhone? Forest is a premium app that motivates you to stay focused by starting every work session with a planted seed in your very own virtual forest.
You’ll have to stay in the app to watch the tree grow over the time period that you work, and avoid leaving the app or risk killing the tree.
The more you use the app to be productive (and thus grow more virtual trees), the more coins you earn. You can spend coins through the app as donations to help plant real trees in the developing world.
To accomplish this, Forest partnered with the non-profit organization Trees for the Future, which helps improve impoverished farmers’ livelihoods by revitalizing degraded lands.
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Screenshots of Fabulous for iOS
What We Don’t Like
Some might find articles and questions distracting.
Requires single payment up front, rather than monthly.
Fabulous is an entertaining and interactive habit app that helps you improve your energy levels, fitness, sleep, and productivity.
Based on scientifically proven techniques, you’re challenged to complete daily meditation, work, creativity, exercise, and other types of self-improvement sessions to help you change your habits in as little as 19 days.
You’ll start small with incremental goals that help you build your habit progress over time. Eventually, you’ll have renewed rituals for your morning, workday, and nighttime routines.
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Screenshots of Pocket Casts for iOS
What We Like
Automatically finds new episodes.
Intuitive interface with lots of handy features.
Listen without committing to a subscription.
What We Don’t Like
Can’t put together lists of episodes you’d like to hear.
Useful trim function, but can result in choppy-sounding play.
You’ll need to upgrade to access premium features.
Pocket Casts is a premium app worth checking out if you listen to podcasts and want to discover great podcasts and easily manage your library. Browse podcasts by charts, networks, and categories, and then add the ones you like to play episodes on the fly and create your own playback queue.
The app constantly checks for new episodes, so you always have access to the latest from your favorite shows, with automatic downloading and custom filters to keep them organized.
You can also personalize your listening experience with powerful features, including an up-next option, a silence trimmer, chapters, a playback skipper, and more.
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