Third-Party Apps

Organizing your life so that it works for you instead of against you is a great way to lower overall stress and free up some brain power. Wunderlist is a to-do list and task manager that allows you to easily keep track of any area of life, get reminders about what you need to do, and collaborate with others from right within the app. I also use Wunderlist to make lists of random things I want to remember, such as movies I want to watch or books I want to read. On the surface, it’s easy to look at Wunderlist and see just a to-do app, but the plethora of features make it an incredible tool for staying organized and on top of things without having to remember it all yourself. We’ll go over more on what Wunderlist does and why we love it below.

Kik is a free messaging app that lets you send text messages, videos, GIFs, stickers, and more to friends who've also downloaded the Kik app. Kik users can also find new friends to message; and since the Kik app has over 300 million users, the odds are good that you'll find at least a few people you'd like to chat with. It's easy to get started using Kik; rather than using your phone number to create an account, all you need is an email address and username. Once you've downloaded Kik and created your account, you can use the app to message your friends who are also on the platform, and invite other people in your phone contacts to join. There's one problem though: Kik is easy to download on your iPhone, but what about Kik for iPad? Despite the lack of an official Kik app for iPad, there are ways to work around this missing offering. Let's get started learning how to get Kik for iPad. 

It’s the time of the year when we could all use a little help staying healthy. Between winter, the holidays, and New Year’s, the parties are plenty and the food is too good to turn down. But simply keeping track of what you’re eating makes staying (at least somewhat) on track easier. Or if you’re hoping to adopt healthier choices in 2018, set yourself up for success with Lifesum. The beautiful user experience and plethora of features, from tracking to recipes, makes developing a healthier lifestyle enjoyable. Check our what Lifesum does and why we love it below.

There are the apps we try and the apps we use. For the longest time, Day One sat on my iPhone as a wonderful journaling app I never used. Then iPhone Life magazine’s managing editor Rheanne Taylor showed me how she organizes her Day One journaling app. And in that moment, I realized I completely missed arguably the best feature this app has: the ability to create multiple journals. I’ll go more into her brilliant organization below. But with a simple change of outlook, the app has become more invaluable to me than any other note-taking, journaling, or markup app available. If you’re not familiar with Day One, then you’re really in for a treat. This journaling app is beautifully designed and works like a dream. I’ll go over more on what Day One does and why we love it below.

Google found a clever way to make people pay attention to its already impressive Arts & Culture app: selfies. If you’re on social media, you’ve likely seen someone's face next to a piece of art that looks eerily similar—they probably did that with the Google’s Arts & Culture (Free) app. Once you’ve found your doppelgangers, you can learn more about the artwork and the artist that created it. Aside from this really cool feature, there is an incredible reservoir of information available within the app. Anyone with an interest in art, art history, iconic figures, and culture will be delighted by the plethora of fantastic information from around the world and throughout time. We’ll go over more on what the app does and why we love it below.

Let me start off by saying that this is not a perfect app, but I still think Evolve (Free) is worth your time. It’s an app that’s still building momentum, so it lacks some of the features I’ve come to take for granted in an app such as MyFitnessPal. But I’ve been using this app to track my calories for over a week, which is something I’ve never before been able to do every day. But Evolve’s minimalist user-interface makes a huge difference in the level of stress or discomfort I feel when tracking calories. Other apps have amazing features; but for me, it’s often too much. Evolve’s goal is to make tracking food the easiest and simplest it’s ever been. And at this, it succeeds. The clean, unobtrusive interface lends beautifully to this, and the streamlined design is mirrored in Evolve’s features. One of the app’s most promoted features is the ability to track what you’ve eaten with only your voice, which is meant to take only ten seconds (and sometimes does). I’m going to dive into the specifics of Evolve below; find out if it’s right for you.

The Crown, an exclusive Netflix offering, won Best Drama at the Golden Globes this year, and viewers are already excited about news about The Crown Season 3. Will The Crown cast change much? Who will the new Crown actors and characters be? Will Helena Bonham Carter really join The Crown cast? We'll have to wait to find out, but speculation sure is fun! For now, though, if you haven't watched The Crown yet you haven't fallen too far behind. Seasons of The Crown are ten episodes each, and Season Two just premiered on Friday, December 8, 2017. This means that you have nearly all year to watch seasons 1 and 2 of the Crown and can look forward to wrapping your 2018 holiday gifts while watching The Crown Season 3. Here's how to stream The Crown online through your iPhone, iPad, Macbook, or Apple TV.     

If you have fond '90s cartoon memories of watching Ms. Frizzle and the gang take amazing trips in their magic school bus, I have great news! Your kids can enjoy The Magic School Bus in an updated form, The Magic School Bus Rides Again. In this reboot of the classic kids cartoon, Ms. Frizzle becomes a college professor, so her little sister Fiona Frizzle takes her place as teacher and bus driver at Walkerville Elementary. There are episodes reminiscent of the classic cartoon: trips to outer space, through the human digestive system, and under the ocean, but also shows with updated themes like renewable energy. If you're looking for an educational cartoon on Netflix that you can watch and enjoy as much as your kids will, this is the one!

When you swipe right from either your Lock screen or Home screen on the iPhone, you open the Widgets view. We’ve covered this screen in some how-tos, but overall it’s a place where you can glance at information you need to know and jump directly into apps you want to use. You can add widgets for Maps, Music, Weather, other stock apps, and lots of third-party apps. But the widget I have always, always wanted is a simple week-ahead look at my calendar. Perhaps calendar apps think it would be too crowded or think we don’t need to see that many days ahead, but there something very soothing to me about knowing my upcoming schedule without opening up the Calendar app. So when I found the Eventail (free) app, I nearly squealed. This app allows you to use the calendar app you know and love; the app simply helps you set up the perfect calendar widget. Learn more about what the app does and why we love it below.

Way back in 2013 Instagram introduced direct messaging, called Instagram Direct, to the popular photo-sharing platform. In that iteration, direct messaging, or DMing, had to include a picture taken and edited in the Instagram app. Due to popular demand, Instagram now offers text-only direct messaging, which is really convenient for individuals who not only use the app to create, share, and explore photography, but also as an easy way to stay in touch with friends without switching to another platform or messaging app. Did you know that not only can you direct message friends on Instagram, you can also dm groups of friends? Let's get started learning how to create group conversations with or without pictures in Instagram on your iPhone. 

There is a big difference between deleting and disabling your Instagram account. If you want to delete your Instagram account, it’s actually quite easy to do. But when you delete Instagram, you permanently delete Instagram; that account is gone forever. If you just want to take a break or see how it would feel to delete Instagram, you also have the option to deactivate your Instagram, which is also known as temporarily disabling your Instagram account. When you deactivate your Instagram, you always have the option of re-activating your Instagram account in the future. However, if you’re certain you want to permanently delete your account (or delete a second Instagram account), we’ll show you how to quit Instagram. Here’s how to delete an Instagram account, or just temporarily disable Instagram via deactivation.

Tagging someone on Instagram is pretty straightforward. If you’re viewing an Instagram photo you really like that you want to share with a friend, you can simply tag them in the comments and they'll receive a notification. But did you know you can also send an Instagram picture as a dm, or direct message? If you choose this option, it's more private because you don't have to mention them in the public comments. Let's learn how to direct message a picture on Instagram, or how to just tag someone on an Instagram photo without sending them a dm.

PayPal is a service that allows users to enter their credit or debit card information, then use the PayPal platform to quickly receive and make payments and send money in an encrypted, secure fashion. A top platforms for secure online payments since 1998, PayPal's convenience and security currently serves over 218 million active accounts. PayPal has never suffered a major data breach, and innovates continually to stay ahead of hackers and identity thieves. It makes sense then, that Apple customers would want a PayPal app for their devices. While PayPal rolled out an iPhone app years ago, iPad users are still wondering when a PayPal app for iPad is coming. After all, the larger screen size of an iPad would be much better for reviewing transactions and updating information than squinting at a small iPhone screen. Let's learn how to get the PayPal app for iPad!

More than 160 million people use Snapchat every day, and developers keep rolling out new, versatile features to keep Snap fresh. Whether you want to use Snapchat to send a photo, video, or message to one friend or to a whole group of followers, live video chat, or discover short-form content from publishers and celebrities, there's a lot to keep you connected and engaged. Beyond that, Snapchat allows users to send and receive money through Snapcash, create avatars, augment content with filters and AR lenses, stickers, and a drawing feature, and share locations for still shots and live chat. Formerly a non-archival platform, Snapchat now allows users to save photos and videos, called snaps, with their Memories feature. A frustration many Snapchat users share is the inability to download Snap for iPad. Snapchat for iPhone is super convenient, but when you have the ability to use an iPad, it sure would be great to have a larger drawing surface so you can add more detail to your still shots and filters, and have more screen space to explore Stories. Although Snapchat for iPad is not officially available, there's an easy trick to install Snapchat on iPad. Let's get started learning how to get Snapchat on iPad! 

Signal is a privacy app that uses end-to-end encryption for individual and group texts, videos, documents, voice, and picture messaging. Open Whisper, Signal's parent company, produced Signal using grants and donations, utilizing Open Source software, with the aim of providing a free and secure platform for worldwide communication, without SMS or MMS fees—this even includes free long-distance calls to anyone, anywhere in the world who also has the Signal app! No one at Signal or anywhere else can read or view communications on the platform, they can only be viewed by the individual user, who can also choose when each message will disappear. Since the whole point of an encrypted communication app is to ensure privacy, Signal is free of tracking, affiliate marketers, and ads. Signal uses your existing address book and phone number, and will only allow you to register one mobile device, so you'll need to choose if you want to use your iPhone or iPad. Getting Signal on your iPhone is free and easy, it pops right up in the App Store, but Signal for iPad is a bit more complicated. Read on to learn how to get Signal on your iPad!

Apple CEO Tim Cook had an exciting announcement at the Worldwide Developers Conference this year; an Amazon Prime Video app would soon be coming to Apple TV. Six months later, it's finally happened; the Amazon Prime Video app is ready to download and use with your Apple TV. This marks the official end of Amazon's refusal to cooperate with Apple in facilitating streaming for Amazon Prime tv shows and movies on Apple TV. Why wouldn't Amazon allow a video app for Amazon Prime customers on Apple TV up until now? Well, Amazon competes with Apple, not just in devices like the Kindle Fire versus the Apple iPad but in selling and streaming media. Up until a few months ago Amazon wouldn't even sell Apple TVs on their platform! But now it appears the ice has not only cracked but melted altogether, and Amazon is streaming favorites like The Man in the High Castle, Vikings, and The Tick for Apple TV at last. So let's take advantage of this truce and learn how to watch Amazon Prime on Apple TV with the official Amazon Prime Video app. 

The camera roll on my iPhone is jam packed with pictures of my dogs—there's just something about those fuzzy faces that demands to be adored and photographed so that the pictures can be adored as well. Then of course there's the sharing; #instadog #socute #sorryyouguysicantrestrainmyself. I've been known to take dog photos with Instagram, share them to Facebook, then text and private message them to friends and family that really must see the latest iteration of canine cuteness right away. Therefore it is with great delight that I announce the discovery of my new favorite app, BarkCam, the "Instagram for Dogs." 

Recipe apps are a dime a dozen. But every now and then, I come across and test out one that really stands out from the crowd. Fit Men Cook is a healthy recipe app with meal plans, shopping lists, and lots of helpful information.The name may declare this an app for men, but lots of women (including myself) use and love the app as well. Whether you’re trying to lose weight without feeling deprived or looking to incorporate more healthy foods into your diet, Fit Men Cook is for casual exercisers and bodybuilders alike. We’ll cover more on what the app does and why we love it below.

It’s not often that I feature a gaming app. For the most part, we understand that a fun game isn't a top priority for many on iPhone. But if you'd be so kind as to indulge me, I have a gaming app to feature that is, by far, my favorite iOS game ever. I have played a lot of iOS games. I succumbed to Candy Crush many years ago when it first was a huge hit; I played Super Mario Run and beat every possible metric to completion last year. I have enjoyed many games, but none of them have been able to hold my attention for as long as Battlejack. This game combines the simplicity of blackjack with the adventure of an RPG (role-playing game), creating an addictive mix of strategy, luck, and powerful creatures. Check out more on what this game does and why I can’t get enough of it below.

Whether you’ve got dozens or hundreds of unread, Spark by Readdle (Free) will help you easily go through them in minutes. The Smart Inbox sorts your emails, helping you keep personal emails and newsletters separate. It also has Smart Notifications, so you’ll only get notifications for the mail you care about. Keep reading to learn more on what Spark by Readdle does and why we love it.

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