6 Apps That Are Just Plain Useful

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A smart phone is nothing without apps, right? We've all got a list of apps that we love and can't live with out, and for many of us that list is pretty similar. We've got Facebook and WhatsApp and Chrome and Candy Crush, etc. etc. But today we're talking about apps that you might not have heard so much about, but that once you've downloading them are game changers. If you're looking to make the most of your phone, then check out these apps!

Flippr

Okay, so your home screens are full of little widgets that when you tap them open apps, correct? But what happens if, say, you're surfing the net and suddenly want to change the track that's playing over your headphones? Normally you'd have to back out of your browser, go into your music player and then hit next. But not anymore. Flippr is a cool little app that lets you choose a selection of widgets that will be available from anywhere in your phone. You select the ones you want access to (like your music player, camera, WhatsApp or whatever) and then there'll be a little floating bubble that follows you around. Hit that bubble and you can open any of your widgets. This is multitasking at its best, and if you frequently hop between apps then Flippr is a must.

MightyText

Most of us have a smart phone, but a whole bunch of us also spend most of our day stuck in front of a computer screen. Picking up your phone every few minutes at your desk is slightly inconvenient, but also could end up getting you into trouble, so why not get MightyText? This handy little app syncs your SMSs and app notifications to your PC web browser, letting you read all your messages, reply, even start new messages, right there on your big screen. Pretty useful if your boss is always keeping an eagle eye on your phone use, but convenient even if he doesn't…

Flynx

If you're like most people when you browse the web on your PC you're constantly loading up tabs. Say you're on Facebook, or Reddit, or anywhere else, you open links in new tabs, and then go back to finish what you were reading until you have time to get to that new tab. This is a pretty efficient way of doing things, it means you don't waste time waiting for pages to load and that you don't get distracted from your current page, but it's not something that most phones handle particularly well. Until Flynx. Flynx does exactly what you'd do if you were on your computer rather than your phone. Hit a link and rather than opening immediately, Flynx loads it in the background until you're ready to read it. It even comes with a feature that lets you save stuff to read later. If mobile web browsing disappoints you, then Flynx is going to make you a happy bunny.

MacroDroid

We all dream of having a gadget that takes care of stuff for us so that we don't need to worry about it, and there are a few useful apps around that can be programmed to respond to certain signals in certain ways. However, many of these apps are tough to use, and over complex for the regular old Joe phone user. MacroDroid is an exception to that rule. Incredibly easy to use all MacroDroid needs is a cause and a consequence. You choose from a list of actions and then from a list of results, and your phone takes care of the rest. There are tons of options here, maybe plugging in your headphones makes your phone automatically open your PodCast app, or maybe a certain time makes your phone switch to silent mode, or updates don't occur until you get home and onto your home WiFi. This app is as useful as you make it, but the main reason we love it is the simple interface. Even a toddler could figure this one out.

Universal Copy

Here's a great example of an app that you didn't know you needed, but once you do need it will be overjoyed that you have it. Most phones let you copy and paste, which is pretty useful for all kinds of things. Copying a restaurant address to paste into Google Maps, for example, or copying down an email address to add to your address book. But every now and again you run up against a web site or app that doesn't let you copy and paste things. Twitter doesn't let you copy tweets in Android, for example, or Instagram doesn't allow descriptions to be copied. Universal Copy is the solution to this, literally letting you copy and paste anything. And it works in exactly the way you're used to, using long presses to open up the copy/paste menu. Easy, simple, and an app that you really shouldn't even need to think about, since it does its job seamlessly.

Pie Control

Got one of those whopping big screen phablets? Then Pie Control is going to be a must for you. With phone screens getting to ridiculous sizes these days many of us are enjoying a great viewing experience, but finding that using that phone one handed is a bit of a nightmare. Then along comes Pie Control. The app works by placing a pie shaped easy control panel on your phone. You decide where the menu goes (in a corner, against an edge), you decide what apps are included on the menu (though there are fixed buttons for useful stuff), and then you can easily control your phone with just your thumb. This is a good app for multi taskers, but even for things like opening up a text in a busy train where you might not be able to use both hands Pie Control definitely earns its keep.

Sure, you've probably got a list of all your favourite apps, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't discover some new must haves. Check out the apps above and find out just how useful your phone can really be!

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