Five Apps that Make Going Over Your Data Limit Worth It

Apps come in all shapes and sizes, and most human beings stick with the usual collection: social media sites, games, music, and a small collection of actually useful tools which normally involve pretending to be an adult (“Stocks,” anyone?). There’s also that handful of apps that your friends have convinced you to download, claiming that they’ll change your life, but have since been exiled to that second page of apps that you always forget about. Cue Writtalin. These are the five apps that you may not have even known you needed. You’ll use them daily. They’ll actually impact your productivity – in a good way – and you’ll never look back. Enjoy.

Venmo

Do you have friends? Do you have friends that you go in public with? Do you spend money while in public? If you answered “yes” to all of these questions, get Venmo.

Venmo allows you to transfer money to any of your contacts in an instant, so it’s great for repaying everything from your rent to that $2.50 slice of pizza you drunk ate last night. Once you’ve entered your banking info, you can add any of your contacts, and choose to Pay or Charge them, along with a line for a description of the payment. The best part? Everyone usually describes their payments using sexual innuendos, emojis, and vaguely embarrassing references, which are then listed in a Facebook-like newsfeed. Who knew exchanging funds could be enjoyable?

Songkick

I don’t understand why this didn’t exist yet. Songkick goes through all of the music that you have on your phone, finds your location, and lets you know when your favorite acts are performing nearby. It’s set up so that you can purchase the show tickets, find other bands that you like, and directly listen to their music through the app. Songkick has a similarly nifty website as well. You will spend all of your money on concert tickets after downloading this app. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Google Maps

Does anyone actually use the “Maps” app that comes standard on iPhones? After it told me that the Golden Gate Bridge was the Bay Bridge, I attempted to delete it from my phone before realizing that iPhones come with some sort of prenup forbidding Maps’ abandonment. I don’t understand.

Anyways, get Google Maps. It remembers your previously inputted addresses, offers a number of route options, and is excellent for cars, public transportation, and walking. I’ve lived in San Francisco for almost two years now and when tourists ask me for directions, I literally just say “Download Google Maps.”

Afterlight

If you post pictures of any kind on any social media outlet, Afterlight will change your life. Instagram filters only go so far. How many posts can you use Lo-Fi for before every sunset looks the same? Afterlight has a zillion options for altering your photos, but it’s still understandable and easy to use. From adjusting the tone of your shadows to the temperature of the photo, Afterlight does it all. And when you’re too hungover to personally edit those photos of your pizza (hey, if I’m Venmo-ing you $2.50 for the slice, I might as well make it look good), Afterlight also offers preset filters a la Instagram. After editing your photo, you can save it to your camera roll, or even post it directly to Facebook/Instagram/whatever.

Weather Puppy

I’d argue that one of the worst feelings in the world is having wet socks. Or cold toes, for that matter. One of the leading causes of wet socks is being dressed improperly for rain. And the easiest way to avoid surprise rain is to have a reliable weather app on your phone.

Cue Weather Puppy. While checking the weather every morning is about as exciting as clipping your toenails, Weather Puppy assigns a seasonally dressed puppy to your forecast. Is it cold in New York? Your French Bulldog will be wearing earmuffs and a scarf. Hot in Hawaii? A poodle in shades. Having a canine friend to greet you every time you check the temperature means that you’ll check more often, therefore avoiding surprise showers.

In a world where there’s an app for everything, it’s necessary to be selective about the content of your phone. There are only so many versions of Angry Birds that you can go through before your storage limit is reached, and you can’t take any more pictures. Bring on the new year with a clean screen, and only the most useful apps. 

Tags : Afterlight, Android, Apple, Applications, Apps, buzzworthy, Google Maps, HTC, iPhone, lifestyle, Smartphone, social media, social media sites, Songkick, technology, The Scene, Venmo, Weather Puppy, Windows