Apps, Apps…everywhere.
I recently upgraded my smartphone and in the transfer of data from my old phone to my new phone a number of my apps…disappeared.
No problem. I can always replace them.
But, not so surprisingly, I don’t really miss ’em.
(I mean, how many apps do you have? And how many do you use?)
My point exactly.
A new study by comScore reveals that smartphone owners in the U.S. typically use only three apps frequently despite the average smartphone user visiting 25 apps per month. So, even if we have many apps, most of us tend to stick to a handful we use over and over.
And it isn’t just millennials who are spending large amounts of time with their favorite apps. Even baby boomers and seniors (aged 55+) spend more than 21 hours across an average of 22 different apps per month. More information here.
Of course, most apps used are social media (Facebook, Twitter, and more) and search (various Google apps). Entertainment viewing, including video, audio, and gaming apps has grown significantly as well. But, there are millions of other apps out there from photography apps (to make that perfect photo), games, news and information, productivity and tools, commerce, and much more.
Let’s look at a few apps that are favorites of your BoomerTECH Adventures guides.
Some of our favorite apps
Jill is an avid reader and naturally loves apps that allow her to continue this activity on her smartphone and tablet. Words with Friends is a multi-player game like Scrabble. that goes with 
her everywhere. She is also partial to other word games — 7 Little Words, Red Herring, and Word Streak. Spider and Solitaire are card games, strictly for fun. Not surprisingly, Jill also uses her Kindle app on her iPad to read books, especially when she is on the road.
Other popular apps she uses…Notes for keeping track of things when on the move, Pandora to listen to her self-designed music stations, Around Me to find restaurants and other points of interest when traveling or when in a new location, and a flight tracker to stay current with her airline information.
Chris is a chef and photographer among many other interests. He also plays Words With Friends, a social puzzle/strategic game/friendly competition with..friends! In addition it also allows for simple chats if desired. Sometimes the chats are quick comments about the game, usually expressing mild frustration with one’s letters (Chris can sing Old MacDonald with his letters!) or positive comments about the amazing play your friend just made.
From time to time new words are learned, which is always enlightening. The app also keeps a running tally of game statistics between you and your friends. Things like won/lost, average word scores, high/low scores, and graphs of your past history. The app also allows you to challenge/invite Facebook Friends and friends on your mailing lists. You can even search for new friends (By geography and gender) who are using the app but are not connected to you otherwise. The app lists their average word score so you can decide whether their skill level is appropriate. You can play against yourself as well. Chris tends to play in the morning before starting his day and again last thing before dropping off to sleep.
His second most used app is the camera on his iPhone. Chris says, “I just realized what causes me to use it as often as I do is for social networking. I share images on Facebook with friends mostly. Images from the day, landscapes, food, cooking classes, family events, and more. I’ve used the time lapse more often lately to show quick movies of cooking processes such as rolling out fresh pasta, folding spring rolls, and making wontons.”
I (Ed) use a small handful of apps, most notably Dark Sky, a weather app that is specific to my exact location. Last weekend when we were in Boston we had up-to-the-minute weather information, keeping us well informed about showers, temperatures and the best time to take our grandchildren for a stroll. Well know as a top-shelf weather app, Dark Sky is currently available on the iPhone now (an Android version is in the works) and it gives great hour-by-hour forecasting. Read about how Dark Sky is revolutionizing the way we get weather. 
The other app that I really like and use a great deal is my Podcasts app that pulls together a variety of podcasts I subscribe to—from The Boomer Business Owner, 60 Minutes, A Taste of TEDTalks, This American Life, and Daniel Pink’s Office Hours. I listen to a podcast on running days or when I am inside exercising. Here is an article and another that give you other choices of podcatchers besides Podcasts.
How do you select an app?
Everyone has his/her own opinion about which app is best. Perhaps the best place to begin is to read several articles (or view several videos) which make suggestions. Here are two articles—one for iPhone apps and one for Android phone apps. Take a look. And don’t neglect the comments section which might have the best ideas yet.
Best apps for your Android phone
Finally, click below to receive your FREE copy of BoomerTECH Adventures Tip Sheet on SELECTING APPS THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
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