I’m always really curious to know what apps people use on a daily basis, and what about those apps makes them so awesome?
I have a couple of apps that have just slotted so easily into my everyday life, that I don’t even realise I am using them.
Here they are:
PushBullet
This app is integral to using an Android phone, if you haven’t installed this app, you are not taking advantage of all of your phone’s capabilities.
Basically it allows you to see notifications from your phone, on your computer. It pushes notifications to your computer and you even have the ability to interact with some of the notifications. As an example when you are using TuneIn Radio on your phone, you can pause and play the music on your phone from your computer. You are even able to see your phone ringing, on your computer. Rad right?
The app also allows you to easily send links, text or files to your devices from your computer using Google Chrome. Gone are the days of emailing yourself links & files to get them on your phone. The Chrome extension also allows you to send SMS messages from your computer on your phone (if you are all old school cool and like sending a good old text message).
This is definitely one of my favourite apps, and I feel like Google should include this functionality in their operating systems by default, because it’s so cool.
PushBullet is also really easy to set up: (https://www.pushbullet.com/get-started)
IFTTT
You know those painful tasks that should be easy but aren’t? Like every time you post a photo to Instagram, you have to go to Twitter and upload the same picture, just so it will appear nicely in your Twitter feed?
Well IFTTT can handle these kinds of things for you. The whole concept is “If this, then that”. Basically, you can create recipes (or use ones already created by other people) that will result in an action if certain conditions occur. As an example, you can set the app to save all your instagram photos to dropbox, which means that every time you upload a new photo to instagram, it will also save that photo in a specific location on dropbox, without you having to do anything.
This app really appeals to the developer in me. You can also buy these cool Philip Hue Lights that can turn on when you arrive home. My only gripe with this app is that it is a bit buggy, sometimes the recipes don’t run and that makes me a bit sad.
App Store Downloads:
CloudMagic
Apparently all companies have decided that Microsoft Exchange Mail is the best thing ever. I tend to disagree, I feel like we should all be using Google Apps for business, but for those of us who are subjected to using Exchange Mail every day, this app is really useful.
It is one of the best mail apps that integrates quite seamlessly with an exchange server. I love the look of the app, it’s stability and reliability. You can also connect multiple accounts of different types: Gmail, Exchange, Outlook, Yahoo, Office 365 , iCloud.
Best of all? The app is free and doesn’t have any adverts. One thing that is not so cool, you can’t view your calendar and event invites are still a bit weird in the app. But nevertheless, a great alternative to Microsoft’s attempt at Outlook for Android.
App Store Downloads:
TuneIn Radio
I hate downloading music, especially because you need to know what the song names are and then there is the whole effort of finding the songs online (usually on some obscure website, with a million ads).
It frustrates me, so I normally end up listening to the same songs over and over again. Introducing TuneIn Radio. I never need to download another song again, or rip MP3s from a CD (Is this even still a thing? I mean, how old school can you get?)
TuneIn radio, has a massive list of radio stations you can choose from, that play all different types of music. Including local stations such as 5fm, 94.7, Metro FM. My current favourite – Capital London. There is a wide variety of stations to listen to, and every music taste is catered for (Including some delightful tunes by Tibetan Throat Singers)
App Store Downloads:
What apps can’t you live without?
9 replies on “Four Apps I Can’t Live Without”
I have not heard of CloudMagic. I use myMail, it does the job but could be better. Is CloudMagic a killer app as in would it be worth the time and effort in changing over?
I haven’t used myMail before, I have tried countless apps to try integrate with Exchange, and this one is by far the best I have tried. If you aren’t using Exchange mail then I’m sure there are a few good ones to use.
I have used myMail for Exchange. My problem is I need an app that supports multiple email servers. Gmail, Yahoo, Exchange and some other ones.
+1 for PushBullet, can’t live without it. I use the GMail app for my exchange account, works quite well for me.
I haven’t been able to set up the GMail App, I will try it again.. Maybe it has improved since. The only problem is that I will need to grant admin access to remotely wipe my phone to the exchange – which I am not a fan of, CloudMagic doesn’t require those permissions.
That’s interesting, also not a fan of granting those permissions. Maybe I’ll give CloudMagic a try, thanks.
The Android GMail app now supports Exchange and other mail types, not sure if it covers all your bases though.
Zapier is also a good alternative to IFTTT, however it has a limited free plan. I do find the integrations better though
I have been looking for a few alternatives to IFTTT, will try out Zapier. I am actually quite surprised there aren’t a few more of these kinds of apps.