With millions of apps available on your mobile phone, it can be difficult to decide which ones are useful and functional on a day-to-day basis. Which apps are so essential that everyone should download them?
These 16 are a good place to start.
1. Clear – Streamline your daily routine and your to-do list with this easy to use app. With a simple design, separate lists for your convenience and reminders for important tasks, Clear will have you increasing productivity with the click of a button.
Platform: iOS • Price: $4.99
2. Instapaper – Instantly save any interesting articles, videos or anything else you stumbled upon while browsing. Instapaper also syncs anything you save to all of your devices, so that you can read or watch anything you save, on any device, anytime or anywhere—even offline. This app also allows you to highlight text in any article to easily save it, find it and share it later.
Platform: iOS and Android • Price: Free
3. Fast Customer – Never be on hold again. With FastCustomer, a customer service agent from over 3,000 companies will call you back. No more wasted time, no more hold music.
Platform: iOS and Android • Price: Free
4. InstaSave – Long gone are the days of screenshots and Instagram reposts. InstaSave allows you to download any Instagram photo or video directly onto your phone and into your camera roll. Don't forget to give credit to the original poster!
Platform: iOS and Android • Price: Free
5. GIFwrapped – GIFwrapped is the easiest way to collect and share gifs—with a seamless setup, searching, saving and sending your gifs is a breeze. Save now and send later, your GIFwrapped library will store all of your favorite gifs until you're ready to use or delete them.
Platform: iOS and Android • Price: Free
6. Postmates – This app will allow anyone to get any product delivered to their door in under one hour. Currently available in fifteen cities, Postmates' delivery platform allows users to connect with local couriers who purchase and deliver goods from any restaurant or store.
Platform: iOS and Android • Price: Free
7. Touchnote – In the mood to send some snail-mail? With Touchnote, you can send personal postcards and greeting cards via your smartphone. Choose a personal photo, a template, add your own message and your card will be printed and mailed to the person of your choice.
Platform: iOS and Android • Price: Free
8. Waze – For navigation, traffic patterns, and finding the cheapest gas stations, Waze is the app to get you where you're going. Get alerts before encountering police or accidents from other users on the road, all in real-time. The app was purchased by Google in 2013 for $1.1 billion.
Platform: iOS and Android • Price: Free
9. Icon Parking – Parking just got easier. For the parking garage closest to your destination, daily or monthly passes, parking tips and coupons, Icon Parking will keep you in the loop and help you find the best parking value.
Platform: iOS and Android • Price: Free
10. Automatic – Save on gas, monitor your speed, stay up-to-date on maintenance and improve your driving habits all while staying connected. With a one-time payment of $99.95 you will receive a plug-in for your car, which functions via Bluetooth, to transmit your vehicle's data directly to your phone.
Platform: iOS and Android • Price: Free
11. Mint – Do you ever need insight to all your financial accounts quickly? Mint allows you to manage your checking and savings accounts and credit cards, all in one place. No longer have multiple apps for your bank and different credit cards. This one app will allow you to see pending transactions, account balances, your total net worth, and even the remaining balance in your personalized monthly budget.
Platform: iOS and Android • Price: Free
12. Billr – If you have ever gone out to dinner with a big group, you've experienced the dreaded check-split. Billr allows you to split a check for up to 16 people and even lets you split the cost of specific courses for anyone who may have shared an appetizer. After typing in what everyone ate and drank, you can see what each person owes before and after tax and tip are added.
Platform: iOS • Price: $1.99
13. Reserve – If you're a foodie with a taste for the finer things in life, Reserve will make getting that table so much easier. This app will get you the table you want ahead of time, without picking up the phone. Reserve will also make paying your bill easier by allowing you to have the check automatically be billed to your card, including tip.
Platform: iOS and Android • Price: Free
14. Venmo – Sending money just turned social. Venmo lets you make and share your payments with other users, while browsing your friend's payment activities. Just link a bank account or debit card to the app and pay in seconds. Who knew payments could be so fun?
Platform: iOS and Android • Price: Free
15. Slice – Where's my package? Did it ship yet? When is it supposed to arrive? Don't go rummaging through your emails for confirmation emails or tracking codes ever again. Connect Slice to your email and let the app compile all your shipping information in one place.
Platform: iOS and Android • Price: Free
16. Shyp – Save time and money on shipping your items…while never leaving your house. Just snap a photo of the item you want to ship and request a pickup. For a flat fee of $5 Shyp will pick up your items, pack and send them using the lowest cost.
Platform: iOS and Android • Price: Free
Have an app that's a must-download? Let the world know in the comment section.