You’ve either gifted yourself a new phone or got one from somewhere. Either way, you’re here. wondering what to do next. We’ve pulled together a list of the best apps to download to your new phone.
Transfer Everything from your Old Phone
The first bit of advice I have for you is to check what options to have to transfer everything from your old phone. When setting up Android phones or an iPhone, you’ll be given a choice to transfer everything from your old phone. Even if moving between operating systems, you’ll likely be able to save yourself some hassle. Samsung Smart Switch will let help you move from iPhone or another Android phone to Samsung, while Apple offers similar options going the other way.
I’ve used both of these and find it’s great for contacts and photos, but can sometimes miss some apps. So, for that reason, it’s good to have a reminder of the best apps most people download on day one with a new phone.
Most Popular Apps to Download to Your New Phone
There are many apps that you might find useful on a new phone. Here are a few recommendations for apps that you might want to consider downloading.
A messaging app
Your phone will come with a default SMS messaging app installed. But SMS, while tried and tested, is old-fashioned and can’t offer the benefits of a modern messaging app.
Convenience
Messaging apps offer massive convenience. You can communicate with friends, family, and colleagues quickly and easily, without having to place a call or send an email. This can be especially useful if you want to communicate with someone who is not in the same country as you. It all runs through data.
Group messaging
Most messaging apps allow you to create group conversations, which can be a convenient way to communicate with a group of people at once. This is handy not only for messaging but usually for group video calls too. If you have a dispersed family on Christmas day, this is essential tech.
File sharing
Many messaging apps allow you to send photos, videos, and other files to people quickly and easily. This can be useful if you want to share something with someone without having to send it as an email attachment. Of course, with traditional SMS systems, you can send multimedia messages through the MMS system, but no one really knows if that properly works or delivers anymore.
Security
Many messaging apps offer end-to-end encryption, which means that your messages are secure and can’t be intercepted by third parties while they’re being sent. This can be especially important if you want to ensure the privacy of your conversations. Not all apps are equal in security. For example, Telegram doesn’t offer end-to-end encryption, but popular apps like WhatsApp and Signal do.
The best messaging apps
Here are the most popular messaging apps.
- Signal (my app of choice)
- iMessage (only for iPhone-to-iPhone communication)
- Facebook Messenger
A social media app
Social media can be great and terrible. But unfortunately, nowadays it’s almost unavoidable. It does offer some advantages.
Staying connected
Social media apps allow you to stay connected with friends, family, and colleagues, even if you’ve all moved far away from each other. You can see what they’re up to, share updates about your own life, and interact with them through likes, comments, and direct messages.
Discovering new content
Social media apps can be a great way to discover new content and stay up-to-date with the latest trends and topics. Many social media platforms have algorithms that show you content that you might be interested in based on your activity and preferences.
Building a personal brand
If you’re looking to build a personal brand or promote your business, social media can be a powerful tool. You can use social media to showcase your work, share your expertise, and connect with potential customers or clients. Many people use the likes of LinkedIn as a complete hub for their entire career.
Staying informed
Many social media platforms have news feeds that show you updates from sources you follow, such as news outlets, celebrities, and influencers. This can be a convenient way to stay informed about what’s happening in the world. Twitter had become one of the best sources of news, but today it’s faltering thanks to one Elon Musk.
Entertainment
Social media can also be a source of entertainment. Many people use social media to watch videos, look at memes, and participate in online communities centered around their interests. I’m not sure I would have gotten through lockdown without TikTok.
The best social media apps
Because social media can be good and bad, it’s critical you make some good choices. For example, I use Signal for messaging, not WhatsApp. Instead of Twitter, I recommend Mastodon and finding your fellow Mastodaoine. Here are the most popular apps, but do your research first!
- Mastodon
- TikTok
- Twitter (hanging on by the skin of its teeth)
- Facebook (not far off the same)
A navigation app
I live in Dublin. I have Google Maps and use it a good few times a week. I use it in the car, on the bus, on foot, cycling and even for the Luas. Having a good navigation app is essential when getting around a city, whether it be home or on a holiday. Here’s why.
The easy life
Navigation apps provide turn-by-turn directions, making it easy to find your way to your destination. You can input your destination and the app will provide you with the best route to take.
Real-time traffic updates
It doesn’t take much for Dublin to fall apart. In the city center, you can usually tell if there’s been a crash on the M50 purely from traffic build-up. Many navigation apps provide real-time traffic updates, so you can see if there are any delays or accidents on your route and choose an alternate route if necessary.
Public transportation options
Some navigation apps also provide information about public transportation options, such as bus or train schedules. You can easily find the best way to get to your destination using a combination of driving and public transportation. Again, quite often in Dublin, you’ll find that walking or cycling is the fastest way to get from A to B.
Offline use
Many navigation apps can be used offline, which can be helpful if you are in an area with poor or no internet connection. you should download the map for any city you’re about to visit, just in case you hit roaming issues.
Finding great spots
Some navigation apps also offer additional features, such as the ability to search for points of interest (such as petrol stations or restaurants) along your route or to share your location with friends and family.
The best navigation apps
To be honest, even though I moved to iPhone, Google Maps remains the ultimate navigation app. Between real-time updates and Google Reviews helping you find hidden gems, it’s hard to recommend any other app. But there are alternatives if you want to cut Google out of your life.
One great app that does something unique is Waze. This app will help you spot speed cameras, accidents and other crowd-sourced transport issues.
- Google Maps
- Apple Maps
- Here WeGo
- TomTom
- Waze
A music streaming app
Nothing passes the time, beats boredom and keeps everything running smoothly in work, quite like listening to music. I think most people have some kind of music-streaming app. Here’s why.
Wide variety of music
When music streaming apps first hit the market, they had a somewhat limited selection of music available. However, over the years music streaming services have morphed into virtually every genre and taste imaginable – from hip-hop to classical music, and from R&B to pop music.
Having a music streaming app gives you access to an almost infinite variety of music, allowing you to find songs that perfectly match your tastes.
Stream or download
Not only does this app give you access to a wide array of music, but it also allows for convenience when traveling or when you don’t have an internet connection. You can easily download music onto your device in advance and listen on the go – whether it’s while on an airplane or just out and about.
And as an added bonus, with many streaming services now giving users the ability to store their favorite music offline, having a music streaming app is essential for anyone who loves listening to music!
Value
Back in the day, an album could cost up over €1 to buy. Today, you can get access to music streaming services for this fee and access every album in the world.
While there are some debates about payments to artists, music streaming services are undoubtedly excellent value for consumers. Some, like Spotify, still offer free access. You are served ads to pay for the platform.
Social features
Some music streaming apps offer social features that allow you to share your music tastes with friends, discover new music through their recommendations, and collaborate on playlists. You can even listen along to the same song at he same time remotely.
The best music streaming apps
If you buy iPhone, there’s. a good chance you’ll try out Apple Music and stick with it. Personally, I’m a Spotify guy. I pay for YouTube Premium and still don’t use YouTube Music. A lot of that is down to how bloody good Spotify is.
- Spotify
- Apple Music
- YouTube Music
- Amazon Music
- Tidal (really high quality)
Let me know if you think I’ve forgotten a big app!
