It has to be one of the most addictive apps I have ever used - it’s so addictive that I actually delete it every now and again to stop me going on it!! There’s just so much on there that makes me LOL, and I love that you almost never see any ‘hate’ on it. It’s also incredibly diverse - people from all different races, sexualities etc. Shame on some of the more Western apps really, that it’s taken a Chinese app to spearhead equality in the way that TikTok does.
SnapChat
I love snapchat because it’s so personal - you can post things and not worry about them hanging around the web forever (in case you haven’t used it, photos you put up on your stay up for just 24 hours, and if you send anyone a direct message photo, you can change the time it displays from 1 to 10 seconds (or infinity) and if anyone screen grabs them you get notified - tho there are ways around it so don’t count on that). I don’t use it as much these days tho as I feel guilty for not being able to view everyone’s stories.
Tinder
It’s incredibly well made - the UX is good, intuitive and fast. Although the chances of me meeting people off it are very slim, I like swiping and seeing the match count go up. Not sure if they ever intended it to be, but it’s a bit like a game! I also think the app has probably helped a lot people feel better about themselves as I’m sure people are pleasantly surprised by the number of matches they get. It is addictive tho, and I keep saying to myself that when I get to X matches I will delete it (but then I keeping changing the number!)
Most used…
All of the above feature in my top 5 most used apps according to screen time, but so do the Music app and Messages app.
I’ll add some thoughts on apps I think are good (regardless of whether I use them myself or a lot) another time. Curious to hear everyone else’s favourite apps!
Netflix
I use the web app, because I primarily use Linux (Ubuntu) and they don’t have an official app for Linux.
YouTube
Often the web app on my computer, rarely the android app.
Whatsapp
Twitter
Facebook Messenger
Now used rarely.
Uber
Careem
It was a competitor to Uber until recently. In 2019 Uber acquired Careem for 3.1 billion USD.
Basecamp
In November 2019 Jason Fried tweeted that they launched a free version of Basecamp called Basecamp Personal. Since then I use Basecamp Personal almost always.
Pomicro
My favorite pomodoro app.
7 Minutes Workout (Johnson & Johnson)
I often open 7 Minutes workout app when I have the long break of a pomodoro cycle.
Learning.Oreilly (Safari Books)
Oreilly (Safari Books) offers books and video tutorials/training from Oreilly, Manning, Pragmatic Bookshlef, A List Apart, Smashing, Packt and many others. It also offers online classes by experts.
FaceApp
It’s my favorite photo transformation app. I (only) transform photos of my friends and family and see how they’d look like when they’re old, but I never publish those photos.
I also transform photos of celebrities and see how Faceapp guessed they’d age and how much or how well they really aged.
Besides these, I also use Gboard, Google Drive, Google Maps, Google Photos, Google Translate, Google Calendar, Google Chrome, Google Play Music, Google Play Books, Samsung Voice Recorder (for high quality sound recording), Samsung Radio.
What do you mean by syncing? I can open up youtube music (either via an app or a webpage) and start playing something instantly, whether a playlist I’ve made, songs I’ve added, etc… What else does apple music do (never tried it since it’s not linux friendly, unlike youtube music).
That and things like adding something to my library while on iPhone will propagate to all devices. I can also control Music on my Mac via my phone with the remote app (skip tracks, change volume, switch playlist etc).
Also, I’m not sure, but I think Apple offers pretty good quality - so not quite as compressed as the others?
Oh, and AirPlay which means I can stream music wirelessly to my AirPort express which is connected to an amplifier (though most things can be streamed via it).
Same with youtube and google music? They are server side music services, plus you can mark anything from individual songs to entire playlists to download offline as well for when you don’t have a connection or have a bad connection. ^.^
That’s the Chromecast protocol for androids, supports lots of things from remote control to full audio or video streaming. ^.^
FLAC’s? Though honestly no one can tell a difference in high quality AAC/MP3 and lossless storage anyway (literally, our ears cannot, unless you had a really bad encoder).
Also Chromecast. ^.^
I have so much in my house enabled on the chromecast protocol, including a lot of non-google things that I use for my own purposes. ^.^
Plus it’s an open protocol that doesn’t require Apple licenses to make hardware for!
BBC News App - check this everyday BBC Weather App - mostly check this in the summer Rightmove(.co.uk app) - I like to keep an eye on the property market Notes - A great way to work on something and sync it between your Mac and iOS devices Apple Remote - control your iTunes (Apple Music) app on your Mac via your phone Amazon - I like how it syncs things in basket iMessage - like how I can use on my Mac as well Whatsapp - for when people don’t have iMessage
I thought of naming some of the apps I use on a daily basis i.e Apollo (Reddit alternative better UI, no ads, etc), Spotify, Instagram (trying to use less of it ), Discord, Twitch, or Thinkorswim (for some trading).
BUT, one app that has been really unique that I use weekly which is kind of an app is The Nudge? It helps me plan little adventures on the weekends, discover activities or places in Seattle I would have never thought of, or even date nights with my partner during the week. The Nudge is the perfect intersection of tech and human experiences. I really enjoy the fact that their main goal is to use technology to get you outdoors instead of scrolling endlessly on your phone. The app is pretty straight forward and simple. It relies on SMS to send you “Nudges”(?) which are essentially fun step by step plans designed by locals for your and anyone else to participate in. You can they sometimes give you options to reply via text for preferences of plans (send 1 for an outdoor adventure, 2 for a night on the town, etc.)
For example I most recently got a Nudge for a weekend backpacking trip where they laid out step by step instructions -> 1) COVID safety guidelines 2) Prep: Pack/rent gear and use discount code: ___ (sometimes they partner with other local stores for discounts) 3) Drive to Barclay Lake 3) Hike to the lake and set up camp 4)… so on (there are more detailed descriptions in each step). The app is an interface to save the Nudges you get via text, so if you like a plan you get via text you can open the app and save it for later.
I really have been enjoying this app and the activities have also been a lot of fun for both my partner and I. I really think this app has a lot of potential with the right direction + technology. Anyways, I’m starting to ramble so I’ll conclude haha… Only downside for now is that its only supported in 5 or so cities. You should check it out if its available by you!
The Nudge looks really good Chase! Is it only really useful for those cities and programs or have people all over the world started to use it?
It reminds me a bit about a campaigning site I had an idea for, where essentially once people join a campaign they have a check-list of things to do. That would be useful for campaign organisers to track who’s done what, for people to see how much others care about the campaign, as well as allow others chase people up/‘nudge’ people when they haven’t completed those tasks (tasks such as ‘write to MP’, ‘sign petition’, etc). Looks like their Dr. Akilah Cadet program is doing something similar
I’ve really only heard about it locally, but I think it’s would be a super cool way to experience new cities if you’re traveling (once they’re available there of course). Yeah most definitely! Their application is pretty young I believe so it will be cool to follow what happens!