Smartphones became available to the public in the mid-2000s. Compared to the basic flip phone, viewed as high technology in the late 1990s, it extended functionality to include built-in features, not apps, such as a calculator, sketch pad, calendar and address book. Today, there are thousands of apps you can download, many by simply accessing the phone app store or through individual companies. Below are a few useful apps for Smartphones available in 2021.
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Zoom
During the pandemic, schools and businesses alike relied on apps like Zoom and Google Meet as a way to remain connected. Designed for video conferencing, it lets teachers conduct learning lessons and businesses have face-to-face meetings in a safe environment. With many companies returning to the office adopting a hybrid schedule that includes having employees work a few days from home, Zoom is here to stay.
Finance Apps Go Friendly
Keeping track of your finances is important to millions of Americans. Today, useful apps like Mint, Personal Capital and You Need a Budget, make it easy to gain personal control over your finances. Credit card companies like Capital One allow you to schedule payments and track spending. If you want to refinance credit card debt, companies such as Tally, have an app that lets you view your payment history and progress.
Getting Fit
After a year of restrictions including limited access to physical fitness, millions of Americans are using technology to encourage continued progress. Fitbit, well known as a fitness tracker, is also an app you can use independently. Track the daily number of steps. Complete with social features, you can also use it together with friends to compete and encourage each other to achieve set goals. MyFitnessPal is another popular app used to keep track of calories, consumed and burned, and the best foods and exercise to accelerate progress.
Mix Things Up
Whether feeding a large family or dating, apps like Cookpad hook you up with a vast assortment of recipes. Use the app to create a shopping list and add or remove recipes. If you love to cook but are not a big fan of shopping for the ingredients, apps like Blue Apron let you skip the running and make fantastic home-cooked meals for loved ones.
Health Insurance Uncomplicated
Health insurance isn’t simple like it was in the 1970s and 1980s. You had one insurance card and it was accepted everywhere. Today, people have to worry about whether or not the doctor or specialist is in the network and is accepting new patients.
The app Zocdoc provides you with a list of doctors in your area that accept your insurance, are accepting new patients, and have the best reviews. When seriously ill it’s not always possible to see a doctor in person. This is where apps like MDLive and Doctor On Demand provide a cost-effective reliable alternative to get an accurate diagnosis. Here you can talk one-on-one, face-to-face with any doctor.
Other Health Care Needs
Many people wear contacts. Well, now there’s a way to skip the eye exam and the waiting room. Simple Contacts, a startup, gives patients a way to renew their contacts from virtually anywhere. You take both the redness and vision test right from the app. Find out you have a health problem and want to get a second, third or fourth opinion? First Opinion does just that. The free service connects you with several doctors who openly discuss your health-related issues and apply their knowledge, allowing the user to get expert advice from multiple sources.
Mobile apps are the way of the future. They provide convenience to make life easier. You can get help with finances, fitness, and health-related problems. You can also use them to find the best deals on items you buy frequently, play games, and improve your photography skills. Today, there’s an app for just about anything you can imagine.
