Featured

Best FREE Burner Phone Number Apps in 2024

By admin April 1, 2024

Best FREE Burner Phone Number Apps in 2024, You can probably imagine how frustrating it would be to juggle two mobile phones while managing your professional and personal lives. But in this circumstance, having two mobile phone lines on one device can be useful. Don’t worry! Some best free burner phone number apps can make it very simple to separate your personal and professional lives effectively.

With these free burner phone number apps, you can join several services without risking your privacy. In addition, burner phone numbers are a “must-have” for international trips because they frequently enable you to reduce roaming expenses abroad.

Online burner phone numbers may have a negative reputation due to how they are portrayed in television and movies, yet they have numerous useful functions. So, here are some best free burner phone number apps to use in 2024 to protect your safety and shield you from future spam.

Best Burner Phone Number Apps in 2024 (Android & iOS)

To assist you with adding a second line to your phone, we’ve compiled a list of the 16 best free burner phone number apps in this article. Each of the best burner phone apps listed below is brimming with useful features that will surely make your experience enjoyable.

1. Burner

Burner provides a secondary line for texting and calling without paying your provider for another connection, making it the most well-known and best free burner phone number app. In addition, it gives you a throwaway VOIP number (with local area code) which you may use for online dating, shopping, Craigslist sales, and dodging salespeople.

You don’t need to carry a second mobile device because you can text, call, and manage your contact list from the app. Additionally, you can make several private burner phone numbers whenever you wish. Burner has a 7-day trial duration and is available for free download.

In order to safeguard your privacy and hide your primary phone number, the app intercepts incoming calls and routes them to your phone. In addition, you can archive text messages and voicemails through integrations with other apps and services like Evernote, Dropbox, SoundCloud, and Slack.

Calls made with this app show up as phone calls between Burner and your own numbers on your phone bill. You cannot see the end phone number you are dialing through Burner. Incoming calls appear to be from your free Burner phone number, and you can add more numbers with an in-app subscription.

Download for Android

Download for iOS

2. Hushed

Hushed is another well-known free burner phone app for backup phone numbers. It functions similarly to Burner but provides burner phone numbers for forty different nations. Additionally, local phone numbers from more than 300 UK, Canadian, and US area codes are available.

Your activity is kept separate from your personal number from your carrier, and this burner phone application allows you to place and attend calls and send and receive an SMS on your Hushed phone number. In addition, the program will enable you to manage numerous lines, add additional numbers, and receive a secondary phone number.

Hushed provides flexible prepaid, pay-as-you-go, and long or short-term subscriptions that start at $1.99 monthly. Using a WiFi or data connection, you can call your free burner number worldwide. On all free burner phone numbers, local phone calling is possible. In several nations, MMS and SMS are accessible.

Download for Android

Download for iOS

3. Cloud SIM

It is one best free burner phone number apps through which you can create and add many phone numbers on your phone. You can choose up to four free burner phone numbers from the US, Canada, France, the UK, Poland, and the UK. In addition, you can call overseas landlines, mobiles, and other devices using Cloud SIM.

This free burner app allows you to set up calls through the internet or a GSM network and lets you select your connection type. It makes sure that call dropouts and poor reception are never an issue. Cloud SIM includes several remarkable features, including the quality to tailor your profile as per your preferences and unique voicemails on each profile. In addition, you can choose when you are away or available with the help of the “Do-not-disturb” option.

Overall, it’s one best burner phone number apps, whether you’re meeting customers and joining up for an online selling or dating service. You can also set up an international phone number when traveling or communicating with friends abroad.

Download for Android

Download for iOS

4. 2ndLine

The fully-featured 2ndLine free burner app provides a free burner phone number in addition to your personal phone number. Additionally, it provides a free local calling and texting number supported by advertisements; however, the paid version also includes premium services and removes the commercials.

With 2ndLine, you can download the app, choose a phone number, and start using an additional line on your phone to make and receive unlimited calls and texts immediately. This burner phone app, accessible in the US and Canada, offers free local speaking and text and reasonable pricing for international connections.

The iOS version of 2ndLine is not yet known to be available, unlike the majority of the other best free burner phone number apps on this list. Rather than using your cellular network to provide an extra line, 2ndLine is a VoIP solution that uses your internet or WiFi connection. As a result, 2ndLine calls and texts are not recorded on your device’s regular phone bill. Your conversations voicemail can also be saved as an audio file through the service.

Download for Android

5. Line2

In contrast to the other best free burner phone number apps, Line2 is a service geared toward businesses and provides extra functionality for business users. Additional benefits include toll-free numbers for international clients, conference calls, and auto-attendants. Additionally, this free burner phone app offers free, infinite VoIP phone calls and SMS within North America.

Additionally, users of Line2 can call and message for free. Using an auto-attendant function, users can direct them to the appropriate call queues, such as sales as well as support. It is a cross-platform free burner app that works across desktop and mobile platforms. It also offers on-hold music and pre-recorded call greetings (Windows, Mac).

Users can add numerous business lines to their current phones and acquire necessary business functionality without purchasing new hardware. You can also edit, add, or remove a business phone line by communicating with the support staff. Additionally, users have call-by-call options for screening and banning.

Line2 is among the best free burner phone number apps that allow you to divide your personal and professional conversations. Additionally, it does away with the requirement to buy and carry a secondary phone.

Download for Android

Download for iOS

6. CoverMe

CoverMe is one of the best free burner phone number apps that offers disappearing messages, encrypted messaging, anonymous SMS, etc., which sets itself apart from rivals. You can conceal text messages, secret call records, and personal contacts using the shake-to-lock feature. You shake the phone to lock your private messages and keep them hidden from curious eyes. According to CoverMe, everything is end-to-end encrypted.

With the help of CoverMe Private Messenger, you may conceal your primary phone number for anonymous voice calls and texts by using the US or Canadian number. Additionally, this free burner phone number app provides additional phone numbers with different area codes, which are ideal for business, online dating services, and other situations requiring increased secrecy.

Finally, it enables you to use a temporary second phone line to make secure, private phone conversations via the internet to the US, Canada, and China (VoIP). The fact that your call logs won’t appear on your phone bill is the finest part. This is one of the best burner phone number apps on this list since you may change the temporary phone number anytime.

Download for Android

Download for iOS

7. Flyp

It is another best burner phone apps for iOS and Android that generates burner phone numbers. On your current phone, it offers five alternative free burner phone numbers. Each free burner number can have any area code, and local numbers are always available. The burner phone number offers unlimited talk, text, and picture messaging.

Flyp allows you to text and calls people in over 15 major countries. By setting a “Do Not Disturb mode” for each phone number, you may also choose who can contact you. In addition, Flyp gives each burner phone number personalized voicemail greetings and unlimited calls and messages. For seven days, the initial Flyp phone number is free; each phone number costs $79.99 yearly or $7.99 monthly.

Additionally, Flyp allows you to view all your texts, voicemails, and calls in one location, saving you from going between several apps to view your communication with contacts. Additionally, it boosts reliability by only providing connections through your carrier’s cellular network. However, it appears on your monthly account and deducts from your voice allotment under your cell phone plan.

Download for Android

Download for iOS

8. Google Voice

It is the first free burner phone number app since it has existed for ten years. Voicemail, SMS, and voice messages are available through Google Voice, a virtual phone service. It syncs with your devices and functions on both PCs and cell phones.

You can make and receive calls using Google Voice numbers from anywhere because they operate with mobile devices and the internet. This burner phone app also provides many benefits, including call forwarding, voicemail transcription, AI-powered spam prevention, and more.

You can view advanced voicemail transcriptions in the app or request that they be delivered to your email using Google Voice. Additionally, you can use the service to call abroad at affordable rates without paying a premium. But you can also make calls over a Google Voice access number, which uses your carrier’s cellular network, using Google Voice for Android. Therefore, it also deducts from your voice credit.

Download for Android

Download for iOS

9. Grasshopper

Another best free burner phone number app that gives your personal phone a business phone line and the virtual system is called Grasshopper. Grasshopper, among the biggest corporate virtual phone market players, targets mainly small enterprises. This free burner phone number app provides common features like personalized automatic greetings, Caller ID, and various extensions that make businesses more professional and profitable without spending much money.

Users can get a complete virtual system from Grasshopper for a fair fee. The app offers many US cities toll-free numbers, vanity numbers, and regular local phone numbers. You can also port an active virtual or business number to Grasshopper for free. Access to your voicemail transcription, call history, call forwarding, on-hold music, and other capabilities are significant. In order to test it before purchasing, the app also provides a 7-day trial.

Download for Android

Download for iOS

10. MightyCall

Another best free burner phone number app that generates second phone numbers is MightyCall which mostly targets companies. It claims to be the finest substitute for Grasshopper, and a glance at its features explains why. MightyCall burner phone number app offers toll-free, vanity, and regular local numbers, similar to the earlier app.

Additionally, you receive other features you anticipate in this industry, such as premium (EV) SSL certificates with 256-bit encryption, personalized automated greetings, and support for various extensions for each burner phone number.

MightyCall is a VoIP + CRM solution geared toward small enterprises, with slightly more reasonable costs than Grasshopper. The prices begin at $29.99 per month, including taxes, with 5 virtual phone numbers (toll-free or local) and unlimited users available for $49.99 flat.

So naturally, MightyCall also offers a 7-day free trial to use the service before buying. Other capabilities that this free burner phone number app includes social media tracking call waiting, conference calling, voicemail transcriptions, webphones, softphones, desk phone assistance, international phone calls, and more.

Download for Android

Download for iOS

11. TalkU

TalkU is another best free burner phone number apps that you can use to send unlimited free texts and calls domestically and internationally. In addition, using the free burner phone number you receive from this software, you can freely share your videos, audio files, and images.

Of course, some requirements must be met to make the app free. You can obtain credit scores that you can use for cost-free calls and texts by, for example, watching video advertisements, logging into the app daily, finishing sponsored offers, etc.

Download for Android

Download for iOS

12. Dingtone

Dingtone is one of the best burner phone number apps that lets you utilize a second phone number to make free calls and SMSs. However, it continues to be free since it uses a Gamified credit system. This has a mixed effect on Dingtone’s favor. Users must play games for credit scores, which they may use to make free calls and text messages.

On the plus side, the app’s intriguing idea keeps users interested. The drawback is that a lot of consumers can find it confusing. For example, if you don’t keep up the necessary credit score, you can also lose the Dingtone number you were given.

Download for Android

Download for iOS

13. Sideline

Finally, we have Sideline to wind up the list of the best free burner number apps. With this application, you can perform a lot of actions, such as unlimited calling and text messaging, VOIP calling, and a lot more.

Moreover, Sideline allows you to port numbers from and to other services and choose your carrier or WiFi for calling. Furthermore, there are many business-centric features, such as appointment reminders, broadcast messages, auto-replies, message templates, shared numbers, international calls, and much more.

Download for Android

Download for iOS

14. TextFree

Yet another best burner phone app free available both for iOs and Android is TextFree. The application works over WiFi and has a bunch of extraordinary options. One notable thing is you must use the number in a continuous manner. If left unused for 30 days you can end up losing it.

However, to resolve this you can switch to the Paid version. This upgrade allows you to keep the number intact even when not using it for days. The Free version has ads but the subscription plan fixes this too.

This free burner phone number online application requires no SIM card as it can work on WiFi. But some users also complained about its complicated User Interface. Also, subscription plans are comparatively costlier.

Download for iOS

Download for Android

15. TextNow

You are able to generate and add a large number of phone numbers to your phone by using this software, which is among the greatest free burner phone number applications. Free burner phone numbers from the United States of America, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, Poland, and the United Kingdom are available for selection. In addition, you may use TextNow to make calls to mobile phones, landlines, and other devices located in foreign countries.

Whether you’re meeting consumers, signing up for an online selling business, or using a dating site, it’s one of the finest burner phone number applications overall. If you are going to be traveling or talking with friends who live in other countries, you may also set up an international phone number.

By using this free burner program, you are able to set up calls using either the internet or a GSM network, and you are also able to choose the sort of connection you want to use. As a result, it eliminates the possibility of call dropouts and poor reception ever occurring. One of the many wonderful features that TextNow offers is the ability to personalize your profile according to your tastes, as well as the ability to create individual voicemails for each profile. Additionally, with the assistance of the “Do-not-disturb” option, you are able to choose when times of day you are accessible or when you are away.

Download for Android

Download for iOS

16. Free Tone

Let us introduce you to Free Tone. It is among the best free second phone number apps for iOS because of its free voicemails, location sharing, group texting, and more. Additionally, it boasts many features, such as the availability of a plethora of stickers to make chats interesting, easy media file sharing, 500 minutes of free incoming calls, and a lot more.

Download for iOS

Conclusion

The benefits of having the best free burner phone number apps are numerous. The burner phone apps mentioned above will familiarise you with a real number that will serve as your burner phone number, regardless of the motivation. You’ll be able to forward calls, block calls you don’t want to receive, and identify the caller of an incoming call using that free burner phone number.

Keep Reading

Application

Best Free Productivity Apps to Be Efficient in 2024

By admin March 5, 2024

This article has the best free productivity apps that can help you in enhancing the output and increasing the speed of your work. Follow the article to know more about the apps in detail.

Technology plays a major role in today’s time as you can use the technology and proceed with the projects and work with ease. To improve the efficiency of work you need to have the right combination of apps and software so that you can work effectively and efficiently. That’s where the productivity apps come into play. These apps have professional tools that you can use to make the work easy.

For every profession there are dedicated apps, if you are a designer then you can use graphic design software, if you are an architect then you can use floor plan software. This article will similarly help you find the best free productivity apps that would help you with your work and projects. So without any further delay let’s take a look at the software and apps that you can use to increase productivity.

16 Best Free Productivity Apps to Use in 2024

Here are 16 top productivity apps like the note-taking app, graphic design app, and many others that can help you work efficiently. Read below about the apps in detail.

1. Google Keep

Google Keep is one of the best Google Chrome extensions that you can use to note every important point easily from your browser. You can download this app on your mobile and can even have it on your PC. Remembering the important tasks and dates can be very tough when working, so this app will help you keep track of all the important notes. You can simply add the document with all the important dates and work and then add them to the home screen.

You can add a different color to the notes to differentiate depending on the importance and work. Some of the notes apps require a subscription to use them, but Google Keep is absolutely free and anyone can use the app.

Visit Here

2. MindMeister

MindMeister is very unique and one of the best free productivity apps that you can use. This app can be used to help you remember your ideas. This app will help you keep the ideas saved as most people get ideas while talking to people or browsing on the internet. At that time you can simply use this app to note down the important points for future consideration.

You can simply add solutions and points along with other new ideas together in a very attractive manner. The app offers 3 mind maps for free, if you wish to use it further then you have to pay $4.99/ month. The paid plan will unlock unlimited mind maps for personal use.

Visit Here

3. Google Drive

Google Drive is a great person as well as an office app that you can use to store files. This is another best free productivity app from Google which will help you store and keep the files accessible for every device. Every hardware has limited storage which will be filled someday and in that case, you need to either change the device or choose another way to store files.

This cloud storage platform is available for every device including PC and mobile phones. You can simply log in with your account credentials and get all the data. Other than this the work which you do on Google apps will be saved on Drive only. When you first sign up with your ID you will get 15 GB free storage after that you need to purchase the monthly plan for the storage you require. The app charges $1.99 for 100GB storage/ month.

Visit Here

4. HelloSign

In the digital world, we all need to keep our documents and signatures together to register and start new things. While most people fail to keep the images together, this productivity app will help you sign every document digital without any issue. Now after having this app you don’t have to rush for printouts and then scan those hard copies to share via mail. The process is very simple. All you need to do is click on the add signature field to add it to the document easily.

The app has helped in easing the work which is why it is considered the best free productivity app to use. Using the free version of the app you can sign up to 5 pages a month, if you wish to upgrade the plan then you need to pay $15/ month for the pro plan.

Visit Here

5. Foxit

PDF files are a digital form of the hard copy, you can use the field as .pdf format to share and edit them easily. To help you in the process to edit pdf we have added one of the best free productivity apps that you can use. Foxit is a great app that can help process all the pdf related work.

Using this app you can easily add new files and convert them into PDF format. Other than this you can easily edit and open PDF files.y you can even sign the files without using any third-party application. The software is available for mobile phones and desktops, you can even use it on the web browser and save space on the hard disk.

Foxit is one of the top productivity apps that offers features like read and sign pdf documents in the free version. If you wish to use the core online editing feature then you need to pay $7.99/ month.

Visit Here

6. Scanbot

In this digital world, you need to have all your documents in digital form to share them easily. The main task is to convert those hard copies into digital form but this free productivity app named Scanbot is made to help its users in scanning hard copies easily. Though this app is only available on your phone or tablet so you cannot use it on any other platform.

The app is really simple, all you need to do is open the camera from the app to scan for the documents and just click a picture of the pages or file for which you wish to create a digital copy. After you have saved the image the app will change your file into pdf format so that you can easily share it using various platforms.

This app can be considered as a paid and a free productivity app as it offers both versions to its users. For the core, scanning features the app charges $4.99 and for the Scanbot pro version, the app charges $6.99.

Visit Here

7. Pixlr

There are many apps that can be used to edit and manipulate images. The king of all the software is Adobe Photoshop but then in this list of best free productivity apps, we have mentioned a new name. Pixlr is a great tool that you can try to edit images easily. Though this app is also not among the free productivity apps, the reason for adding this in the list is its amazing features.

The app offers various features which can make your work easy and help you to become more productive. The toll offered by the apps includes crop, resize, rotate, blur, heal, rotate, and others. You can even add elements to your social media handle. The elements offered by the app are borders, stickers, text, graphics, and other effects from various platforms.

The app has professional tools as well, so if you wish to create or edit a project using the professional tool you can easily proceed with the app. The best part is Pixlr has a very easy-to-use interface that can be adapted by any of the users whether newbie or experienced. If you wish to use the pro tools then you need to pay a $5/ month fee to access them. The user who is new and doesn’t want to use the pro tool can use this app for free.

Visit Here

8. Lucidchart

Next app in the list of best free productivity apps is Lucidchart. This app offers various features that you can use to create different and unique charts easily. Whether you wish to create charts for the presentation of school or for work, you can simply create them as per the need. The apps have many templates that can help you easily create charts.

This is very easy: you can simply use the elements from the left menu of the screen. You can even simply drag and drop your creation as per need and requirement. The app can be used on PC as well as on mobile devices. The app offers 3 active documents up to 60 objects for free, if you wish to upgrade then the app requires a $11.95/ month fee that offers larger documents and templates.

Visit Here

9. Screencastify

While researching or working on any product you need to keep adding data from various sources. The data can be anything including images, articles, or files, some of the data isn’t available to download. For those read-only files or data from a web browser, this is the best productivity app that can be used.

This app can be used to record the screen and record audio from the microphone. You can use the recording for your projects and share them easily by using various platforms. Using the free version you can screen record for 10 minutes and if you wish to record more than you have to purchase a monthly subscription for unlimited video length. The monthly subscription costs $24/ year.

Visit Here

10. Rescue Time

The way you can be productive, the same way there are many distractions that can distract you from being productive. You cannot calculate how productive you were. This app is developed to help you track all your activities and time spent browsing through the apps. As the name suggests this app can help in rescuing your valuable time.

This app offers a detailed database of apps under various sections like productivity and distracting. This app also shows a graph comparing today and last week, with a gentle reminder. You can use this top productivity app to access your activity. The app offers free core tracking features but if you want to block distracting sites, track time away from PC and make a detailed report then you can buy the premium version for $9/ month.

Visit Here

11. Zoom

Zoom is one of the best free productivity apps that you should use. The time has changed and the pattern of meetings too, in today’s time you need to have a video conferencing app that can help you connect with your teammates easily. This is a reliable tool that can have up to 100 people in a single room.

The teammates can easily use the virtual whiteboard to explain ideas to other people at the meeting. You use to create and join meetings using a web browser which means users can save space on their PC.

The app can host meetings for 100 members for 40 minutes for free. If you wish to have unlimited meeting time then take the monthly plan. The plan for unlimited time and users costs $14.99/ month.

Visit Here

12. TeamViewer

This is the best productivity app that will let you work remotely on your office computer or laptop. If you are surprised by knowing then believe me this is true. Using this app you can easily control other PCs. The app is not bound for geographical location, you can stay 1000km away and still make necessary changes to your office or home computer.

The graphics can have lower quality but then you can easily get your stuff done from anywhere. This is a free productivity app for personal use but for business use you need to take the monthly plan which costs $49/ month.

Visit Here

13. LastPass

Every website now requires you to sign in with your email address and a password. The password criteria in every website can be different from one another which means you would need to have different passwords for every site. Keeping those passwords in mind is very tough especially for the website which you use once a month.

This top productivity app is created to help you store all your passwords easily. You can download and add the apps extension to your browser. While you browse any website this extension will save the password and even the card information.

You can use this app for free with core features. For premium features you need to pay $2/ month, the premium account holders can share passwords and store encrypted files as well.

Visit Here

14. Grammarly

Next best free productivity app on the list is Grammarly. This app will help you eliminate all the errors which you made in the documents. Whether you are preparing a presentation or working on your blog. You can simply download the app or can even add the extension to the browser. Using the browser extension you can simply rectify all the errors on the documents you open on the browser.

The app will suggest spelling errors, grammar checks, plagiarism checkers, and other tools. The app will give you relevant suggestions according to industry-specific terms. The app offers a free core tool for all users but if you wish to use the advanced tools then you need to pay $29.99/month.

Visit Here

15. CloudConvert

Last app in the list of Best productivity app list is CloudConvert. While you might have struggled many times to use a file with a different file format. Using this app you can simply convert files to the format you want and easily access them. The app has more than 200 file types which include .doc, .xls, and others.

Other than this you can even convert files into design files too so that you can simply use them on the graphic design software. The files can be converted into .psd, .ai, .dwg, and other formats. The files you can convert using this top productivity app can be stored on the cloud platforms like Google Drive, Dropbox, and others.

Using the free version you can convert up to 1 GB files and 25 minutes of conversion per day. To have more conversion minutes you need to pay $8 for 500 conversion minutes.

Visit Here

16. ClickUp

ClickUp is the next name on this list of the best free productivity apps for you in 2024. With the help of this simple tool, you can increase your productivity and bring it to the roof. The app uses artificial intelligence to offer quality functionalities to you. Whether it is your meetings, daily tasks, scheduled events, or anything else, ClickUp is the perfect tool to manage every task.

Visit Here

Let’s Conclude the List of Best Free Productivity Apps

The list shared above has all types of paid and free productivity apps. You can easily choose the app which suits you best. If you wish to use the apps for basic features then the list has the best productivity apps. We hope that we have helped you find the productivity app which you were looking for. If we did, tell us how knowledgeable you find this article. Please write in the comment section below.

Keep Reading

Application

7 Useful Alternatives to Google Docs in 2024

By admin February 9, 2024

7 Useful Alternatives to Google Docs in 2024, Google Docs has been a part of the Google family of productivity software since 2006. While the company’s web-based word processor is certainly reliable in its own right, many have been stuck with it for over 15 years now. As such, it’s not completely out of the ordinary to want a change after all this time spent in the Google interface. But what else is out there in the world of collaborative word processors beyond Google Docs? As it turns out, there are seven useful alternatives to think about instead.

Apple Pages

Pages is Apple’s take on Google Docs.

For every Google software, it’s not uncommon to see a comparable Apple alternative. The same is true of Google Docs, which has an alternative in Apple Pages. Apple’s version of the iconic Google word processor is super user-friendly. (Especially if you’re an Apple loyalist, as the software seamlessly integrates with the rest of the Apple ecosystem.)

Apple Pages offers users all sorts of intuitive features for document creation, editing, and collaboration through iCloud. With its sleek interface and universal compatibility across just about every Apple device, Pages makes for an all-around excellent Google Docs alternative. Android and Microsoft fans might be better off with another pick, though.

7 Useful Alternatives to Google Docs in 2024

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word with Microsoft 365 is very similar to Google Docs.

For those of you who don’t like Apple products (or simply use more from Microsoft and other developers), consider Microsoft Word with Microsoft 365. In combining the classic word processing software with cloud-based collaborative features, the tech giant has successfully created a worthy alternative to Google Docs.

You’ve probably used Microsoft Word at least once in your life. Combine this with the powerful collaboration tools, real-time editing, and other features that come with Microsoft 365’s cloud integration, and the software is elevated to a whole new level of excellence. You’re likely already familiar with how it works, but its Microsoft 365 features make it that much better.

Dropbox Paper

Already a Dropbox fan? Try out Dropbox Paper.

Considering Dropbox is a solid Google Drive alternative, it only makes sense that Dropbox Paper would be just as impressive as a Google Docs alternative. Dropbox’s collaborative document editing platform emphasizes simplicity and teamwork — two things any Google Docs competitor needs to have.

As a bonus, the software integrates seamlessly with Dropbox. This gives you that seamless, streamlined approach to document creation and sharing you crave — and all within the Dropbox interface to boot. You get real-time collaboration, live comments, and even task assignments. What more could you ask for?

Coda

Check out Coda instead of Google Docs.

Even though it doesn’t have the same kind of name recognition as Apple, Microsoft, or Dropbox, Coda still stands out as a worthwhile word-processing platform. Like Google Docs and its Drive integration, Coda combines documents, spreadsheets, and applications into one single unified workspace.

In doing so, Coda goes beyond traditional document editing by allowing users to build interactive documents with tables, buttons, and other integrations right inside the page. This one-of-a-kind approach makes Coda a powerful tool for any collaborative team. It’s a great little Google Docs alternative.

OnlyOffice Docs

OnlyOffice is not the same as Microsoft Office. Honestly, it might be better.

Not to be confused with Microsoft Office, OnlyOffice Docs is an all-in-one cloud-based collaborative suite with a powerful document editor. With this, OnlyOffice gives you and your team an intuitive environment for document creation, editing, and sharing alike. It also offers self-hosting options, giving users control over their data and privacy.

In truth, this is the greatest thing about OnlyOffice Docs. There are far too many privacy concerns with Google, Microsoft, Apple, and even Dropbox. By letting you and your company host, you can better protect your business’s sensitive information with the peace of mind that you’re in control. You won’t find that on Google Docs.

Salesforce Quip

If your office uses Salesforce, then Quip is a good choice to consider.

Most of us know Salesforce as payroll software. But did you know that it has a Google Docs alternative of its own? Salesforce’s Quip is a collaborative word-processing platform that combines documents, spreadsheets, and chat into one single interface. (Sound familiar?) To set itself apart, Quip puts a greater emphasis on centralized spaces for communication and document collaboration.

Unsurprisingly, Quip is particularly beneficial for teams working within the Salesforce ecosystem. You can integrate all your Salesforce data and workflows right into the documents. If you’re not a Salesforce user, you may want to consider another software. However, if your workplace relies on customer relationship management (CRM) software, you might want to give Quip a shot.

Zoho Writer

Zoho Writer takes over for the now-defunct Zoho Docs.

Lastly, there’s Zoho Writer. Formerly offered alongside Zoho Docs, Zoho Writer is now the exclusive and definitive word processing software in the Zoho Office Suite. (Zoho Docs was discontinued in 2023.) Like these other Google Docs alternatives, it emphasizes live collaboration with features like real-time editing, comments, and document sharing.

That said, Zoho Writer stands apart from the crowd with its support for various file formats. Like Google Docs, it also caters to both individual users and businesses alike — making it worthy for either big teams or single users. Better yet, its library software has many high-quality alternatives to other Google products like Google Sheets and Google Meet.

Alternatives to Google Docs: Which Is Best?

Looking at all of these options, it’s only natural to wonder which one is the best. Truth be told, it depends on what you need to use your Google Docs alternative for the most. Working with a large team across Windows devices? I’d lean toward Microsoft Word. Using Dropbox to send and receive documents in your workplace? Think about giving Dropbox Paper a try. Rely on Salesforce for your company’s CRM? Quip is ready and waiting for your trial. Across the board, all are worthy of providing you and your coworkers with a cloud-based collaborative workplace for word processing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I open Google Docs?

To open Google Docs, simply log into your Google account and head to the Google Docs homepage. From there, you can create, edit, and store documents directly from your web browser to Google Drive. If you don’t have permission to view a Doc, request it from the document’s owner.

Is Google Docs free to use?

Yes, Google Docs is completely free to use. There are no add-ons or other features you need to pay for in order to use it. You’re free to create, edit, and store documents on Google’s servers without any subscription fees. All you need is a Google account.

Can I use Google Docs offline?

While Google Docs thrives with Internet access, you can still use Google Docs offline. As long as you check the box that saves your work for offline access, you can continue to work on a Google Doc with or without a connection. (You just won’t be able to see live collaborations without a web connection.)

How do I collaborate on a document in Google Docs?

Collaboration is incredibly easy in Google Docs. Click the “Share” button in the top-right corner and enter the email addresses of your collaborators (or copy and share the link) to give them permission to work with you. Once this is done, they can then edit the document with you simultaneously in real time.

Is it possible to export Google Docs to other file formats?

Yes, Google Docs supports exporting documents to all the most popular file formats. Simply go to the “File” menu, select “Download,” and choose your preferred format. You’ll see Microsoft Word, PDF, and other file types listed in the options.

Keep Reading

Featured

The best Mac apps for 2024

By admin January 12, 2024

The best Mac apps for 2024, One of the best parts about owning an Apple computer is the massive ecosystem of superb Mac apps it gives you access to. There are apps available to Mac users no matter what you are looking for, whether that’s productivity, photo and video editors, security suites, and more. You can get them from Apple’s own App Store or from third-party developer websites, and many of the best Mac apps are even free.

Whether you just bought your first Mac or you’re a longtime Apple customer, here’s a look at some of the best Mac apps you can get.

Alfred

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Think of Alfred as Spotlight with a dash of Siri. It’s an application launcher, but it can do a lot more than just that. With Alfred, you can quickly perform calculations, execute web searches, and find word definitions, among many other functions.

It’s a Mac app that fills the gap between Siri and your Spotlight search by allowing you to automate tasks and perform advanced functions that, frankly, Siri should be able to handle on its own. Version 4 improves the workflow creator, introduces rich text snippets, and more.

Get Alfred

The best Mac apps for 2024

Best Free Phone Number Apps 2024

By admin January 11, 2024

Best Free Phone Number Apps 2024 Here, you will learn about the 9 best free phone number applications for Android that allow you to make phone calls free anywhere in the world. We all have witnessed the era of utilizing actual landline phones but eventually, it comes to an end. Between easily available Internet & cheaper smartphones, it is easy to drop that cord for good. You will still need to get a data connection like WiFi or a carrier plan, but there are certain applications available over the web that allow you to make phone calls at no cost.

Free calling tools help you make or receive international and domestic calls for free using cellular data or WiFi. Phone number apps include other much-needed features such as transferring, call recording, call forwarding, and customized voicemail greetings. Such apps give you a second phone number (typically in the US) that you can consider to text or call any other America-based number, and fortunately, it will exactly show that you are in the US only.

This write-up contains a descriptive list of top-notch free phone number apps for Android, and it will help you make the right decision.

9 Best Free Calling Apps for Android to Making Free Phone Calls in 2024

Below listed are some of the most popular phone number apps that you can consider to make calls for free across the globe. Without further ado, let’s get started.

1. Dingtone

Dingtone is one of the most excellent phone number apps available on the Google Play Store. The application can give you a phone number according to your local area code. Moreover, it can make phone calls across 200 countries. With this free number app, users can easily make an unlimited number of calls over mobile data as long as their corresponding friends & family use the same application. The in-app purchases enable you to make phone calls even to real phone numbers through a credit system. Later on, you can add or get more free credits via numerous adverts and promotions.

Key Features of Dingtone:

• Make phone calls to anyone without any sort of hindrances.

• It supports international calling.

• Make video & voice calls, and send messages in over 200 countries.

• Supports conference calls.

• Comes with an in-built recorder that allows you to record calls.

Get it on Play Store

Best Free Phone Number Apps 2024

2. Hushed

Yet another free phone number app for Android is Hushed. It lets you call, and send pictures, videos, and texts to any number across the world. This app helps you keep your real number safe and protected by giving you a second number that you can consider to make phone calls. What’s more, it allows you to add and manage multiple phone numbers. In addition to this, it also lets you forward a call to another number. Using this tool, the users can also record and customize their voicemails.

Key Features of Hushed:

• Completely free to use.

• Keep your conversation secure and private.

• Enables you to integrate the app with Slack or DropBox.

• You can even access your number through WiFi or a data connection.

• Users can manage more than one number.

• It has full talk, text (SMS), picture messaging, and MMS capabilities.

Get it on Play Store

3. Grasshopper

Grasshopper is a free phone number app that offers excellent communication solutions for small organizations or businesses. The tool provides a one phone number that can be accessed on currently existing mobile devices or landlines, without any hassles. Moreover, it lets you receive multiple calls at the same time by routing to another team member or phone. Its WiFi calling feature easily detects suspected spam calls. Users even can modify the call forwarding settings.

Key Features of Grasshopper:

• You can make and receive phone calls through a mobile or desktop application.

• This app converts voicemail messages to text so that you can easily read without listening.

• It offers a complete view of your business interactions across multiple channels.

• Allows you to record professional messages in order to welcome your clients or customers.

• The tool lets you send/share fax documents as a PDF from your preferred email.

Get it on Play Store

4. Ring4

Be it for business or personal purposes, Ring4 is the best free phone number app that you can consider in order to generate a second phone number. Not only a second phone line or eSim, but Ring4 also supports high-definition (HD) video conferencing, call recording, voicemails, robot call blocking, and international calls. With an unlimited call, text, and video meeting plan, Ring4 is an excellent solution for your virtual office.

Key Features of Ring4:

• Creating and managing multiple phone lines is much easier.

• Allows you to choose a number with your local Area code.

• Provides a contact list and dial-pad.

• Comes with in-built recorders that help you record any call with ease.

• Its smart block feature lets you block unwanted calls.

• Enables you to customize voicemail messages or greetings.

• You can send text messages along with emoticons and picture messaging.

Get it on Play Store

5. MightyCall

MightyCall is one of the best virtual phone systems designed especially for small businesses. This free phone number app enables you to make and answer calls on any device of your choice. It also lets you reject the call, accept, or send it to voicemail. The application helps you to form your flow with a conversational and clear chart. Moreover, it provides you with the complete history of your communications. You can effortlessly forward calls to any phone number or device.

Key Features of MightyCall:

• Offers unlimited calling.

• You can choose a toll-free or area code number without paying a penny.

• Allows you to record your calls.

• Lets you listen to voicemails and receive notifications.

• You can even visualize your voicemail.

• Organize all contacts related to your business in one place.

Get it on Play Store

6. GrooVeIP

GrooVeIP is another deserving free phone number app for Android. Using this application, you can get a real US phone number that you actually give to other people. This service supports both texts and calls. In addition, the app contains in-app purchases. If we talk about the free part, then it is a little bit iffy. You can also earn credits at no cost. But for this, you will have to watch advertisements and complete the required offers. We understand that it is a bit daunting but it works like magic. Additionally, there’s also an option to purchase credits. Not for unlimited, but the tool is a perfect choice for limited free calls.

Key Features of GrooVeIP:

• Lightweight and easy-to-use tool.

• It has a separate dialer that can be accessed to make phone calls.

• This Android free phone number app will provide you with free credits every month.

• Easily call any landline or mobile phone in Canada or the US.

• Send text messages to friends & family.

Get it on Play Store

7. ConXhub

Last but not least, ConXhub is another free phone number app for Android users. It is a lightweight and user-friendly application that enables users to generate multiple numbers and profiles. Using this advanced business phone number app, you can even receive phone calls from multiple numbers. Not only for Android, but it is also available for iOS devices.

Key Features of ConXhub:

• Provides good and high-quality calls.

• Lets you forward calls to any phone or mobile device around the world.

• It can provide you with a local, international or toll-free number from any country of your choice.

• Simple and quick navigation.

Get it on Play Store

8. Phone.com

Last but not least, Phone.com is the last free phone number app for Android. This tool is quite more advanced than any other conventional alternative. This tool is used by a lot of businesses to take care of their professional needs like sales, support, and many more.

Key Features of ConXhub:

• The interface of the app is quite simple.

• You can create multiple numbers as per the number of users with the tool.

• You can use the app to send SMS and MMS from your smartphone.

• The app also supports conference calls.

Get it on Play Store

9. 2ndLine – Second Phone Number

Here’s yet another of the best free phone number apps for Android. 2ndLine – Second Phone Number is an amazing app that allows you to get the caller ID of the user calling you. You can even search for the phone number on the app and get its details.

Key Features of 2ndLine – Second Phone Number:

• The tool can easily transcribe text from a voicemail.

• The app works well in the US and Canada.

• 2ndLine – The second Phone Number allows picture messaging.

• The app is compatible with Android smartphones and tablets.

Get it on Play Store

That’s A Wrap!

So, the above suggested were some of the best free phone number apps available for Android. We hope you liked the information shared in this article helpful.

If we missed out on anything, then let us know in the comments section below. Furthermore, you can also drop your queries or doubts in the comments. Before you go, do subscribe to our Newsletter for receiving daily technology updates.

Keep Reading

Mobile

The History of iOS, from Version 1.0 to 17.0

By admin December 24, 2023

The History of iOS, from Version 1.0 to 17.0, A complete view of the operating system that launched the smartphone revolution

iOS is the name of the operating system that runs the iPhone and iPod touch. It’s the core software that comes loaded on all devices to allow them to run and support other apps. iOS is to the iPhone what Windows is to PCs or macOS is to Macs.

Below you’ll find a history of each version of iOS when it was released, and what it added to the platform. Click the name of the iOS version, or the More link at the end of each blurb, for more in-depth information about that version.

See our article What is iOS? for a lot more on this innovative mobile operating system and how it works.

iOS 17

Apple announced iOS 17 at the June 2023 WWDC, with a public rollout to take place in Fall 2023.

One of the most notable updates to iOS 17 is the change from, “Hey Siri!” to, “Siri,” as well as the ability to give Siri back-to-back commands,

iOS 17 includes upgrades to Phone, FaceTime, and Messages, which also features an all-new Stickers experience. AirDrop has been upgraded to include NameDrop to allow for easy contact sharing. Journal is an entirely new app that provides an intuitive journalling experience based on your photos, locations, contacts, music, podcasts, and more.

In addition, iOS 17 offers a fullscreen experience called StandBy, which is similar to Nightstand Mode on Apple Watch. While you’re charging the phone, you can put it into landscape mode to display the time and other information on a minimalist, easy-to-read display.

iOS 16

iOS 16 was announced at 2022’s WWDC in June. It rolled out to consumers in Fall 2022.

Updates include new Messages features, SharePlay availability in FaceTime and Messages, and upgrades for Apple Wallet including Apple Pay Later and Apple Order Tracking.

iOS 16 also featured an Apple Maps redesign and new features, such as cycling, lookaround, and multi-stop routing. The iOS upgrade also offers improvements to Spatial Audio that allow for the personalization of audio on AirPods.

The History of iOS, from Version 1.0 to 17.0

iOS 15

Apple Inc.

Support ended: n./a
Current version: 15.5, released May 16, 2022
Initial version: 15.0, released Sept. 24, 2021

Much like iOS 14, iOS 15 is more of a collection of improvements to the iPhone platform than it is a themed release. Generally speaking, iOS 15 moves forward a number of important things Apple has been working on for a number of releases: Increases security and privacy, blocks more ad tracking, improves Siri and the camera app, and much more.

Some of the biggest steps forward are influenced by the recent remote-work trend. Features in that area include improvements to FaceTime audio, support for FaceTime conferencing on the web and Android, improvements to the Messages app, and more.

Key New Features:

• FaceTime received numerous improvements aimed at improving the experience of using the app and expanding the audience for it, including:

1.SharePlay allows people on a FaceTime video call to watch video or listen to audio together, and share screens

2.Spatial Audio brings Apple’s more-natural, 3D audio experience to improve the naturalness of FaceTime sound

3.Enhanced Mic Modes allow you to isolate your voice from background noise to improve audio quality

4.Portrait Mode brings this terrific still-photos feature to video to blur your background

5.Cross-Platform support allows you to invite anyone to a FaceTime call with a link and for them to join from a web browser or Android devices.

• Focus adds a set of smart notification and communication s settings based on what you’re doing at that moment.

• The Photos app gains major improvements such as:

1.Live Text lets the app detect text inside your photos and convert it to text that can be copied and pasted, or phone numbers that can be tapped to call

2.Visual search lets you search within the Photos app for text embedded your photos.

• In keeping with Apple’s ongoing commitment to user privacy, iOS 15 adds:

1.App Privacy Report lets you know what permissions each of your apps has, how often it accesses your data, and what third-party domains the app has contacted.

2.Mail Privacy Protection blocks tracking pixels, hides your IP address from marketers, and blocks the connection of your data from email with other data sources.

3.On-device Siri means that Siri recordings are no longer sent to or stored in the cloud. Siri works completely on your iPhone, and now works offline.

• Support for the iCloud+ service that adds new Homekit and VPN-style features.

• Notifications scheduling and summary.

• Improved driving directions in Maps.

• A redesigned experience and features for managing tabs and groups of tabs in Safari.

• Better ways to find content shared with you and to share medical data from the Health app with your family.

Dropped Support For:

• iPhone 6 series. All iPhone models from the 6S series and up are supported.

• 6th Gen. iPod touch. Only the 7th Gen. iPod touch is supported.

iOS 14

Apple

Support ended: n/a
Current version: 14.6, released May 24, 2021
Initial version: 14.0, released Sept. 17, 2020

There’s no single major change or theme to the changes introduced with iOS 14. Instead, iOS 14 is a collection of numerous small and medium-sized changes to the user interface, features, and overall ease of use that add up to making the experience of using an iPhone even better.

Maybe the most notable changes are around customization, thanks to the addition of Homescreen Widgets, the ability to choose default apps in some cases, and improved privacy controls.

How to Change the Color of Apps on iOS 14

Key New Features:

• Homescreen Widgets for customized home screens and shortcuts.

• Smart Stacks that deliver different Homescreen Widgets at different times of the day based on your habits.

• Set third-party apps as default for email and web browser apps.

• App Library, a new way of organizing apps and keeping your home scree neat

• App Clips

• Picture in picture mode

• Improved privacy features to block tracking online.

• Built-in language translation for 11 languages.

• Spatial audio for AirPods delivers surround sound, along with other AirPods improvements.

• Design changes allow phone calls and FaceTime calls to take up less space on the screen and allow you to do other things at the same time.

• Numerous improvements for group texts in iMessage, including threaded replies and mentions.

Dropped Support For:

• None. iOS 14 supports the same set of devices as iOS 13

iOS 13

Apple Inc.

Support ended: n/a
Current version: 13.7, release Sept. 1, 2020.
Initial version: 13.0, released Sept. 19, 2019

Perhaps the biggest change introduced with iOS 13 is that the OS no longer runs on the iPad. That’s due to the release of iPadOS (which begins with version 13). That’s a new OS dedicated to the making the iPad a more useful productivity device and a potential laptop replacement. It’s based on iOS 13 and has many of the same features, but also adds iPad-specific items.

Beyond that, iOS 13 shores up some core features, including launching apps faster, unlocking devices with Face ID faster, and overhauling pre-installed apps like Reminders, Notes, Safari, and Mail. Maybe the most obvious new feature is the Dark Mode, but the changes range much wider than that and further bolster the already-strong OS.

Key New Features:

• System-wide Dark Mode

• Sign In With Apple user account system

• New privacy and security options

• New Portrait Lighting options

• Look Around, a Google Street View-style feature for Apple Maps

• New, improved Siri voice

• Overhauled stock apps like Reminders and Notes

Dropped Support For:

• iPad (due to the release of iPadOS)

• 6th Gen. iPod touch

• iPhone 6 series

• iPhone 5S

iOS 12

Apple Inc.

Support ended: n/a
Current version: 12.4.8. It was released July 15, 2020
Initial version: It was released on September 17, 2018

The new features and improvements added in iOS 12 aren’t as extensive or revolutionary as in some previous updates to the OS. Instead, iOS 12 focused more on making refinements to commonly used features and on adding wrinkles that improve how people use their devices.

Some of the key features of iOS 12 included improvements to Siri like Siri Shortcuts, enhanced Augmented Reality with ARKit 2, and giving users and parents ways to monitor and control their device use with Screen Time.

Key New Features:

• Grouped Notifications

• Screen Time

• ARKit 2

• Siri improvements, including Siri Shortcuts and multi-step actions

• Memoji, a personalized kind of Animoji

Dropped Support For:

• N/A

iOS 11

Apple Inc.

Support ended: n/a
Current version: 11.4.1. It was released on July 9, 2018
Initial version: It was released on September 19, 2017

iOS was originally developed to run on the iPhone. Since then, it’s been expanded to support the iPod touch and iPad (and versions of it even power the Apple Watch and Apple TV). In iOS 11, the emphasis shifted from the iPhone to the iPad.

Sure, iOS 11 contains lots of improvements for the iPhone, but its major focus is turning the iPad Pro series models into legitimate laptop replacements for some users.

This is done through a series of changes designed to make iOS running on iPad a lot more like a desktop operating system. These changes include all new drag and drop support, split screen apps and multiple workspaces, a file browser app, and support for notation and handwriting with the Apple Pencil.

Key New Features:

Dropped Support For:

• iPhone 5C

• iPhone 5

• iPad 4

• iPad 3

iOS 10

Apple Inc.

Support ended: 2019
Current version: 10.3.4. It was released on July 22, 2019
Initial version: It was released on Sept. 13, 2016

The ecosystem Apple built around iOS has long been referred to as a “walled garden” because it’s a very pleasant place to be on the inside, but it’s hard to gain access. This was reflected in the many ways Apple locked down the interface of iOS and the options it gave to apps.

Cracks began to show in the walled garden in iOS 10, and Apple put them there.

The major themes of iOS 10 were interoperability and customization. Apps could now communicate directly with each other on a device, allowing one app to use some features from another without opening the second app. Siri became available to third-party apps in new ways. There were even apps built into iMessage now.

Beyond that, users now had new ways to customize their experiences, from (finally!) being able to delete built-in apps to new animations and effects to punctuate their text messages.

Key New Features:

Dropped Support For:

• iPhone 4S

• 5th gen. iPod touch

• iPad 2

• 1st gen. iPad mini

iOS 9

Apple, Inc.

Support ended: 2018
Final version: 9.3.9. It was released on July 22, 2019
Initial version: It was released on Sept. 16, 2015

After a few years of major changes to both the interface and technical foundation of iOS, many observers began to charge that iOS was no longer the stable, dependable, solid performer it had once been. They suggested that Apple should focus on shoring up the foundation of the OS before adding new features.

That’s just what the company did with iOS 9. While it did add some new features, this release was generally aimed at solidifying the foundation of the OS for the future.

Major improvements were delivered in speed and responsiveness, stability, and performance on older devices. iOS 9 proved to be an important refocusing that laid the groundwork for the bigger improvements delivered in iOS 10 and 11.

Key New Features:

• Night Shift

• Low Power Mode

• Public beta program

Dropped Support For:

• N/A

iOS 8

Apple, Inc.

Support ended: 2016
Final version: 8.4.1. It was released on Aug. 13, 2015
Initial version: It was released on Sept. 17, 2014

More consistent and stable operation returned to iOS in version 8.0. With the radical changes of the last two versions now in the past, Apple once again focused on delivering major new features.

Among these features was its secure, contactless payment system Apple Pay and, with the iOS 8.4 update, the Apple Music subscription service.

There were continued improvements to the iCloud platform, too, with the addition of the Dropbox-like iClould Drive, iCloud Photo Library, and iCloud Music Library.

Key New Features:

Dropped Support For:

• iPhone 4

iOS 7

Corbis News / Getty Images

Support ended: 2016
Final version: 7.1.2. It was released on June 30, 2014.
Initial version: It was released on Sept. 18, 2013

Like iOS 6, iOS 7 was met with substantial resistance upon its release. Unlike iOS 6, though, the cause of unhappiness among iOS 7 users wasn’t that things didn’t work. Rather, it was because things had changed.

After the firing of Scott Forstall, iOS development was overseen by Jony Ive, Apple’s head of design, who had previously only worked on hardware. In this version of iOS, Ive ushered in a major overhaul of the user interface, designed to make it more modern.

While the design was indeed more modern, its small, thin fonts were hard to read for some users and frequent animations caused motion sickness for others. The design of the current iOS is derived from the changes made in iOS 7. After Apple made improvements, and users became accustomed to the changes, complaints subsided.

Key New Features:

Dropped Support For:

• iPhone 3GS

• iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, 3rd gen. iPad, and iPad 2 couldn’t use all features of iOS 7

iOS 6

marco_1186 / Flickr

Support ended: 2015
Final version: 6.1.6. It was released on Feb. 21, 2014
Initial version: It was released on Sept. 19, 2012

Controversy was one of the dominant themes of iOS 6. While this version introduced the world to Siri — which, despite being later surpassed by competitors, was a truly revolutionary technology — problems with it also led to major changes.

The driver of these problems was Apple’s increasing competition with Google, whose Android smartphone platform was posing a threat to the iPhone. Google had supplied the Maps and YouTube apps pre-installed with the iPhone since 1.0. In iOS 6, that changed.

Apple introduced its own Maps app, which was badly received due to bugs, bad directions, and problems with certain features. As part of the company’s efforts to solve the problems, Apple CEO Tim Cook asked the head of iOS development, Scott Forstall, to make a public apology. When he refused, Cook fired him. Forstall had been involved with the iPhone since before the first model, so this was a profound change.

Key New Features:

• Apple Maps

• Do Not Disturb

• Passbook (now Wallet)

Dropped Support For:

• None, but iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and iPad 2 couldn’t use all features of iOS 6

iOS 5

Francis Dean / Getty Images

Support ended: 2014
Final version: 5.1.1. It was released on May 7, 2012
Initial version: It was released on Oct. 12, 2011

Apple responded to the growing trend of wirelessness, and cloud computing, in iOS 5, by introducing essential new features and platforms. Among those was iCloud, the ability to activate an iPhone wirelessly (previously it had required a connection to a computer), and syncing with iTunes via Wi-Fi.

More features that are now central to the iOS experience debuted here, including iMessage and Notification Center.

With iOS 5, Apple dropped support for the iPhone 3G, 1st gen. iPad, and 2nd and 3rd gen. iPod touch.

Key New Features:

• iCloud

• iMessage

• Notification Center

• Wireless syncing and activation

Dropped Support For:

• iPhone 3G

• 1st gen. iPad

• 2nd gen. iPod touch

• 3rd gen. iPod touch

iOS 4

Ramin Talaie / Getty Images

Support ended: 2013
Final version: 4.3.5. It was released on July 25, 2011
Initial version: It was released on June 22, 2010

Many aspects of the modern iOS began to take shape in iOS 4. Features that are now widely used debuted in various updates to this version, including FaceTime, multitasking, iBooks, organizing apps into folders, Personal Hotspot, AirPlay, and AirPrint.

Another important change introduced with iOS 4 was the name “iOS” itself. As noted earlier, the iOS name was unveiled for this version, replacing the previously used “iPhone OS” name.

This was also the first version of iOS to drop support for any iOS devices. It was not compatible with the original iPhone or the 1st generation iPod touch. Some older models that were technically compatible were not able to use all features of this version.

Key New Features:

Dropped Support For:

• Original iPhone

• 1st Gen. iPod touch

iOS 3

Justin Sullivan / Getty Images News

Support ended: 2012
Final version: 3.2.2. It was released on Aug. 11, 2010
Initial version: It was released on June 17, 2009

The release of this version of iOS accompanied the debut of the iPhone 3GS. It added features including copy and paste, Spotlight search, MMS support in the Messages app, and the ability to record videos using the Camera app.

Also notable about this version of iOS is that it was the first to support the iPad. The 1st generation iPad was released in 2010, and version 3.2 of the software came with it.

Key New Features:

• Copy and paste

• Spotlight search

• Recording videos

iOS 2

Jason Kempin / Getty Images

Support ended: 2011
Final version: 2.2.1. It was released on January 27, 2009
Initial version: It was released on July 11, 2008

One year after the iPhone became a bigger hit than almost anyone projected, Apple released iOS 2.0 (then called iPhone OS 2.0) to coincide with the release of the iPhone 3G.

The most profound change introduced in this version was the App Store and its support for real third-party apps (rather than web apps). Around 500 apps were available in the App Store at launch. Hundreds of other crucial improvements were also added.

Other important changes introduced in the 5 updates iPhone OS 2.0 included podcast support and public transit and walking directions in Maps (both in version 2.2).

Key New Features:

• App Store

• Improved Maps app

iOS 1

Apple Inc.

Support ended: 2010
Final version: 1.1.5. It was released on July 15, 2008
Initial version: It was released on June 29, 2007

The one that started it all, which shipped pre-installed on the original iPhone.

This version of the operating system wasn’t called iOS at the time it launched. From versions 1-3, Apple referred to it as the iPhone OS. The name shifted to iOS with version 4.

It’s hard to convey to modern readers who have lived with the iPhone for years how profound a breakthrough this version of the operating system was. Support for features like the multitouch screen, Visual Voicemail, and iTunes integration were significant advances.

While this initial release was a major breakthrough at the time, it lacked many of the features that would come to be closely associated with the iPhone in the future, including support for real third-party apps. Pre-installed apps included Calendar, Photos, Camera, Notes, Safari, Mail, Phone, and iPod (which was later split into the Music and Videos apps).

Version 1.1, which was released in Sept. 2007 was the first version of the software compatible with the iPod touch.

Key New Features:

• Visual Voicemail

• Multitouch interface

• Safari browser

• Music app

FAQ

• How can I see the version update history of an iOS app?

Go to the App store, select an app, and tap Version History. There, you will see all updates for the app, plus the date of each update.

• How can I get notifications about new versions of iOS apps?

To receive notifications about new versions of iOS apps, you must turn off automatic updates on your iOS device. Go to Settings > App Store > turn off App Updates. When you turn off automatic updates, the App Store is forced to notify you that an update is available for your iOS app.

Keep Reading

Application

The 9 best free photo editors in 2024

By admin December 19, 2023

The 9 best free photo editors in 2024, Tired of everything being a subscription? Need to edit a photo or make a social media graphic right now?

I get it—the cost and the impatience. Adobe Photoshop is the industry standard for a reason, but there are plenty of free Photoshop alternatives out there. As a certified Creative Person, I’ve used Photoshop for over 20 years in both my corporate marketing and freelance careers and for personal projects ranging from web graphics to sarcastic t-shirt designs.

From that experience, and based on hours and hours of sifting through and testing dozens of options, I can confirm these are the best free AI photo editing apps.

The 9 best free Photoshop alternatives

• Adobe Express for easy AI features

• Canva for maintaining brand consistency across remote teams

• Pixlr E and X for an authentic Photoshop experience

• Photopea for using custom Photoshop brushes

• Sumopaint for the full Adobe apps experience on a budget

• LunaPic for powerful one-click editing tools

• PhotoRoom for product photos and eCommerce

• Krita for artists and illustrators

• Inkscape for graphic design

What makes the best free photo editor?

How we evaluate and test apps

All of our best apps roundups are written by humans who’ve spent much of their careers using, testing, and writing about software. We spend dozens of hours researching and testing apps, using each app as it’s intended to be used and evaluating it against the criteria we set for the category. We’re never paid for placement in our articles from any app or for links to any site—we value the trust readers put in us to offer authentic evaluations of the categories and apps we review. For more details on our process, read the full rundown of how we select apps to feature on the blog.

Based on my experience, here’s what the best free photo editing software offers:

• AI tools and advanced features. All apps let you adjust brightness, contrast, and crop or add a filter. To be truly in Photoshop’s class, an app needs graphic design features and the latest AI advancements to speed up your workflow.

• Ease of use. The basic layout and design of Photoshop haven’t changed much in 30 years. Why? It’s intuitive, and it works. The best free photo editor will make it equally as easy.

• Non-destructive editing. An “undo” button is great, but the true gold standard is layers.

• The ability to add text and design elements. Beyond photo edits, today’s tools also need to include graphics, trending fonts, and templates to make creating social media content easier and faster.

• 100% free. We’re trying to not pay for Photoshop here, right? There are several high-end, paid Photoshop alternatives out there, but this roundup will focus on free options, so you can edit like a pro on a student budget.

This year, I tested 40 apps before choosing the nine best to feature here. When evaluating each of them, I tested everything I usually use Photoshop for, including color-grading, toning, cropping, retouching, masking, blending modes, creating social media graphics, and adding text. I also tested the unique special effects or features of each app.

Find the best free Photoshop alternative for your needs below, based on over 35 hours of hands-on research.

The 9 best free photo editors in 2024

Best free Photoshop alternative for easy AI features

Adobe Express (Web, iOS, Android)

Adobe Express pros:

• Easy-to-use AI tools to speed up content creation

• All-in-one editor for graphics, photos, videos, animation, documents, and more

Adobe Express cons:

• Other apps offer more useful video-specific editing features

• Access to AI tools is limited in free version

If you’re already an Adobe Creative Cloud subscriber, you have access to Photoshop, so why would you use Adobe Express? Because you can take the power of Photoshop anywhere with Express’s web or mobile apps.

Plus, Adobe recently updated Express with a ton of useful AI-powered features like generative AI to create images from text prompts, one-click text effects, and smart object removal and replacement. While testing, I found Express’s AI tools to be among the best and easiest to use—a difficult combo to achieve.

Especially useful for generative AI are the dropdown options, so you don’t have to phrase your prompt just right to get the result you want, like with Midjourney and other competitors. Even so, Express translates prompts quite well. For example, writing “isolate on white background” reliably gives you a clean cutline around an object, and bam, you’ve got a transparent PNG you can use anywhere you need it.

Express has a lot to offer for those familiar with Photoshop, too. It’s got the most popular blending modes from Photoshop, with real layer-y layers, and lets you complete common tasks way easier, like removing an object or background in one click. You don’t have to painstakingly select anything—it just works.

Express has also expanded its video editing capabilities with animation options. Even I, a total animation noob, found it easy to select a layer and apply animation effects with just a few clicks in the side menu. Set it to loop, export it as a GIF, and you’ve got a great asset for social media posts or to use within longer video content.

It’s not surprising that the makers of the real Photoshop have created such a convincing Photoshop alternative.

Express enables both power users and graphics newbies alike to create everything they need in one place, including editing GIFs, videos, and PDFs. And let’s address the elephant in the room: Express’s impressive lineup of free customizable templates makes it a notable Canva alternative. For those with premium access, you also get Adobe Stock photos, Adobe Fonts, and a built-in social media post scheduler.

Because Adobe Express uses Creative Cloud libraries and storage, you can use the Creative Cloud Zapier integration to connect Express to thousands of other apps. There are tons of possibilities, like sending automatic notifications via Slack or emails to your team when you export a new Adobe Express design.

Adobe Express pricing: Free; the Premium plan is $9.99/month (automatically included for existing Adobe Creative Cloud subscribers)

Best free photo editor for maintaining brand consistency across remote teams

Canva (Web, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows)

Canva pros:

• Most cohesive, useful, and easy-to-use AI photo editing tools in one place

• Best-in-class generative AI video and social media video tools for beginners

Canva cons:

• Most advanced features are for premium subscribers only

• File organization could be improved

Canva is targeted more to beginner or amateur designers, but it still does a good job of including the majority of photo edits a pro would make. Canva has always been a popular “all-rounder” photo and graphic editing app, but it’s really stepped up the game even more by launching the AI-powered Magic Studio in September 2023.

Magic Studio is, in my opinion, the best-in-class suite of AI photo editing tools available right now. It’s more advanced than Adobe Express’s (though Adobe is no slouch), and allows you to make professional-quality video, graphics, animation, presentations, documents, and more. Beyond editing, Magic Studio also includes generative AI features like text-to-image prompts and even text-to-video. Yep, write what you want to see and Canva gives you a completely AI-generated video—no camera required. When used correctly, this is a game-changer for social media content.

Magic Grab is a unique tool that works similarly to iPadOS 17’s new update, where you can tap and hold an element in a photo (person, object, etc.) and drag it out as its own transparent PNG to use in another app. This works inside Canva to cut out people or objects to use between Canva projects or easily isolate elements to export and use in other apps.

Canva has also added generative AI copywriting into the mix here with a ChatGPT-style content generator. I may side-eye it as a writer, but I can’t deny it’s a useful feature for creators and small businesses on a budget, and makes the subscription price of Canva highly competitive in cost vs. value.

Canva also includes a one-page website builder and templates to create simple landing pages, an extensive pre-made templates library offering what I think are the best-looking social media, document, and other templates, and illustrations and stock photos too. Whew.

In terms of actual editing, layers are easy to use: you can click and drag elements around independently, or behind or in front of each other. Still, Canva’s true strength is teamwork. Creating a team allows others to use assets you’ve uploaded to Canva, leave feedback, and edit designs collaboratively. The Premium plan contains the “Brand Kit” function, where you can store logos and have brand color swatches and custom fonts readily available.

But you can still achieve brand consistency on the free plan: Just keep your logo files and an image with your brand colors (including hex codes) in Uploads or a shared Google Drive/Dropbox/etc. folder imported to Canva. Your entire team will always be using the correct logo, colors, and fonts across all marketing materials, no matter where they are in the world. It’s a perfect solution for small businesses and entrepreneurs starting to build a marketing team or hiring external contributors to help with graphics.

Canva pricing: Free; the Premium plan is $14.99/month for one user or $29.99/month for up to 5 team members

Best free Photoshop alternative for an authentic Photoshop experience

Pixlr E and X (Windows, Web)

Pixlr pros:

• Text-to-image generative AI interface is great for beginners

• Most authentic Photoshop user experience

Pixlr cons:

• Features confusingly divided between two apps: Pixlr X and Pixlr E

Pixlr reproduces an authentic Photoshop layout and interface, all in a tidy, web-based app (or grab the Windows app for desktop). Or, rather, two apps: Pixlr X and Pixlr E, which is kind of confusing at first. I think they could easily combine them into one app, but it seems like Pixlr E is meant to be the “more complex photo editor” and Pixlr X the “beginner-friendly” option.

Pixlr E looks like Photoshop. You’ve got all the familiar tools along the left side and menu options up top. The Layers panel will also look familiar to Photoshop users. Layers work exceptionally well in Pixlr, including all the same blending modes and opacity settings as PS—even Soft Light.

Pixlr X is where things get a little spicier with their latest generative AI update: you can now create artwork with text-to-image prompts. It’s great for those new to AI prompting, as you can use the easy button menu on the right to refine the style, size, and more of your generated image. On the free plan, you get five images per day.

Pixlr X also contains simpler editing workflows for things like object removal or animation. This edit of my dog (who fell asleep with his tongue hanging out) took me less than 30 seconds in Pixlr X with the heal brush and clone stamp tools—and zero technical knowledge.

It’s easy to switch between Pixlr X and E as they both save projects in a combined library, so you can pop a photo into Pixlr X for a quick retouch, then switch back to Pixlr E for more advanced editing again. (Be advised: It saves into your temporary cache folder only, so cleaning your browser cache will delete them. For anything you want to keep, download it as their PXZ format, and save to your hard drive.)

Pixlr E and X pricing: Both are free to use; the premium plan, which includes both apps, is $7.99/month for 1 person, or $12.99/month for teams of 5 or more

Best free Photoshop alternative for using custom brushes

Photopea (Web)

Photopea pros:

• 100% free

• Familiar Photoshop user experience and tools

Photopea cons:

• Doesn’t have some of the AI features of other apps, like auto object removal

“Wait, how did these ads get into my Photoshop?” is what you’ll find yourself saying, only to realize you’re in a web browser.

Photopea has a dang accurate Photoshop-inspired layout, with the functions to back it up: it can open PSD files, edit RAW files, and export anything you make to PSD. And something completely unique compared to all the other apps on this list: you can import ABR files to use custom brushes.

My personal favorite? You can right-click for additional option menus. Right-clicking in a web app—what is this sorcery? Plus, check out that Layer Style window: it’s nearly identical to Photoshop.

The attention to detail in Photopea is impressive. It doesn’t feel like a web app at all, and that’s the point. While you won’t find one-click filters or AI-powered features here, Photopea is the most functional Photoshop alternative on the web today. Upgrading to a premium account gets you more online file storage and ad removal, but honestly, you don’t need to. It’s refreshing to find an app that includes all its editing features in the free plan.

Photopea pricing: Free; the premium plan is $8/month

Best Photoshop alternative for the full Adobe apps experience on a budget

Sumopaint (Web, Mac, Windows)

Sumopaint pros:

• Free, although the entire Sumo app suite is only $4/month

• Text-to-image AI prompting

Sumopaint cons:

• No masking capabilities for photo editing

If you’re looking for an affordable alternative to the Adobe suite, check out the Sumo family of apps. Sumopaint is their free Photoshop alternative, which does a great job of having all the photo editing tools you need and a simple interface.

It’s actually a great Illustrator alternative, too. You can use a mouse to click and draw, and it works on mobile devices. I tested it with my iPad and Apple Pencil, and drawing felt as easy and responsive as working in Procreate. While you may not want to digitally paint the next Van Gogh in your browser, Sumopaint is perfect for creating quick digital illustrations or drawing on top of your photos, like for YouTube thumbnails.

Sumo has added a bunch of AI tools to all its apps, which in Sumopaint includes image quality upscaling and a surprisingly good AI text-to-image generator. You get three for free with more included in the premium plan. Overall, the prompt process is a little clunkier than Adobe Express’s or Canva’s, but it yields really good results, especially when using the “negative prompts” field to write in what you don’t want the image to have. The slider for “prompt strength” is a bit mysterious without any help text to guide you, so you have to play around with each option to fine-tune your image.

Sumopaint contains everything you need to edit a photo, including adjustment sliders for exposure, color, and everything else, plus the ability to add graphic elements on separate layers and combine all that with AI-generated images.

Sumopaint is free to use, although the $4/month premium subscription to all Sumo apps is an unbeatable value for everything you need to edit your creative work, including videos, music, podcasts, and even 3D modeling.

Sumopaint pricing: Free; the entire Sumo suite of apps is $4/month

Best free photo editing app for powerful, one-click editing tools

LunaPic (Web)

LunaPic pros:

• The easiest way to accomplish advanced edits for beginners, like object removal, background blur, and more

• 100% free and web-based

LunaPic cons:

• Doesn’t save your work if you accidentally close your browser

If you can look past LunaPic’s 1990s interface, you’ll find all the tools you need here and a ton of extras, including one-click background blur, animation effects, resolution upscaling, and easy object removal.

Be sure to read the text above your image as you edit. I found it easy to overlook it, but it actually links to a lot of important features, like the cropping and background removal tools, and it’s where you’ll click “undo” when needed.

A really unique feature is the Animation menu. These are well-done effects that are perfect to turn a photo into a GIF or short video (AVI, MP4, or MPG format) to use in TikToks or Reels. Best of all, they’re all automatic. Just one click, and LunaPic animates it. So easy.

Since we know the algorithms favor videos over photos right now, these effects can really boost your social marketing efforts. Personal favorites include “Snowfall” and “In Focus.” Another favorite feature: focus adjustment. You can sharpen slightly out-of-focus photos without getting that over-sharpened look with “Adjust Focus” and give any photo an iPhone portrait-mode makeover with “Auto Blur Background.” LunaPic does a great job of isolating your subject, but I suggest keeping the background blur under about 50% to keep the effect looking as natural as possible.

Subject masking and object removal work surprisingly well. Go to Edit > Smart Object Removal, loosely brush over the thing you want to remove, and click Remove at the top. This took me only a few seconds for results that would take me ages (and a lot more clicks) in Photoshop with the clone stamp tool.

At first, LunaPic’s UI made me cringe, but the longer I spent using it, the more it grew on me. It’s the perfect mix of advanced tools and one-click simplicity.

LunaPic pricing: Free

Best free photo editing app for product photos and eCommerce

PhotoRoom (iOS, Android, Web)

PhotoRoom pros:

• Batch mode saves a ton of time creating product photos

• High quality background removal and swaps to create professional-looking product scenes

PhotoRoom cons:

• Free version doesn’t include many background swap options

If you sell products online, you need PhotoRoom. While you can edit exposure, color, and more with PhotoRoom, its most powerful features are aimed at eCommerce sellers, including automatic background removal, background swaps, a full range of t-shirt and other mockups, and platform-specific size templates for Etsy, Poshmark, eBay, and other popular marketplaces.

Oddly, simple things like being able to resize an image, are premium features, although you could simply export your finished photo and resize or crop it for free in another app, or natively with your phone’s Photos app.

PhotoRoom has tons of social media-ready templates for retailers to promote Black Friday sales, new collections, or upcoming launches. My favorite feature is the instant background swap. When you upload a product photo, PhotoRoom automatically scans it and accurately removes your existing background in less than a second—and you can swap in any of their flatlay or scene backgrounds. The end result doesn’t automatically scream “fake background” and is high enough quality to use as product photos on your website and across social media.

But the key feature that makes PhotoRoom a must-have for sellers is Batch Mode. Yep, upload a bunch of product photos at once, and PhotoRoom will isolate them, swap out the background, and export them ready to use. Mega time savings.

For even more time savings, connect PhotoRoom with Zapier to automatically remove the background of every photo you put into a specific folder or record.

Remove backgrounds and update new images in Google Drive with PhotoRoom

Try it

•

• +2

•

Google Drive, Filter by Zapier, PhotoRoom

Google Drive + Filter by Zapier + PhotoRoom

More details

Remove backgrounds with PhotoRoom from new Airtable records and update them

Try it

•

Airtable, PhotoRoom

Airtable + PhotoRoom

More details

These automations work with any cloud storage provider that integrates with Zapier, including Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Box, and more.

PhotoRoom pricing: Free for up to 250 exports; $14.99/month for unlimited exports and additional features.

Best free photo editing app for artists and illustrators

Krita (Windows, Mac, Linux)

Krita pros:

• Advanced brush library for artists

• 100% free and open source

Krita cons:

• Clunkier process for photo editing adjustments than other photo-specific apps

The interface of Krita is similar to Photoshop, although I found the brush selection and customization panel much easier to use. This really struck me when I went back to using Photoshop after testing Krita for a bit. By default, brushes are nested right underneath the layers panel (though you can customize windows any way you like), and you can choose from many predefined brush styles, from sketching pencils to watercolor brushes and more.

In both Krita and Photoshop, you can customize each brush and add your own custom brushes or import downloaded ones, but this out-of-the-box brush panel is so well thought out, I can’t imagine needing to change them. Of course, many digital painters and illustrators would most likely want to customize these more than me.

When combined with a connected desktop drawing tablet, Krita is a powerful drawing app that can handle professional workflows. It also does a great job with photo editing, though adjusting things like exposure and colors isn’t as straightforward as photo-specific apps like Lightroom. However, Krita’s built-in noise reduction effect is better at cleaning up high ISO or background noise than some paid app options (I recommend keeping it under 25% for the most natural look).

Krita also has many advanced capabilities, like enabling you to code your own automated tasks in Python and animation features, and it can open and save PSD format files, so you can work in Photoshop at work and Krita at home.

Overall, Krita’s feature set makes it better for artists than photographers, but it can still take care of any graphics or photo editing task. The best part? It’s completely free and open source.

Krita pricing: Free

Best free photo editing app for graphic design

Inkscape (Windows, Mac, Linux)

Inkscape pros:

• Advanced path, stroke, drawing, and typography tools

• Automated pattern creation

• 100% free and open source

Inkscape cons:

• A bit intimidating to learn for newbies and non-designers

At first glance, Inkscape is quite different from Photoshop. It definitely has a stronger focus on graphics vs. photos, containing lots of tools for geometric pattern design, shape creation, and alignment.

While I’m not a pro designer, I did find Inkscape’s pen tool easier to use than Photoshop’s version. At first, I thought I must be sooo good at selecting all the points around my dog above to isolate him from the background. The lines seemed to follow his curves perfectly, and once I completed the path, Inkscape automatically selected him with perfect separation from the background. Turns out Inkscape is smart enough to see the little details I missed when creating the path around him, like little furs sticking out and the shape of his ears, to create a proper subject mask even from my quick and sloppy pen path. It made me feel like a pro.

With my subject mask created, Inkscape allows for finely detailed edits like exposure and color control on just my dog while leaving the background untouched, or the reverse—both pro photo editing features I deem necessary in any editing app.

Graphic designers will find even more to love about Inkscape, with advanced path, stroke, vector illustration, calligraphy, and typography tools to achieve any art or design project you can think of—absolutely free.

Inkscape pricing: Free

Which free Photoshop alternative should you use?

The right free Photoshop alternative for you depends on what you need most. Do you need generative AI to create graphics and photorealistic scenes out of thin air? Do you need pro-level noise control and coloring tools for your photography? Do you need done-for-you templates you can easily customize for social media or your website?

Since these are all free, you can try out the ones that seem like they might be a good fit for you until you find the shoe that fits.

There are so many more free Photoshop alternatives out there that didn’t make this list. A few I tested and recommend for specific types of users include:

• Hotpot for free AI image generation

• Capture One Express for Fujifilm photographers looking for the best Fuji RAW format editor

• Lensa for free AI-powered portrait art for social media

Or, if you’re willing to pay for your photo editing software, take a look at this list of the best AI photo editors.

Keep Reading

Featured

The best Android apps in 2023

By admin December 4, 2023

The best Android apps in 2023, Samsung, Google, OnePlus, and even Motorola have been coming out with fast new Android phones that match a number of lifestyles and design tastes. And that means you’ll need apps that can take advantage of those larger screens and faster processors. They’re how we communicate with friends, watch movies, stay productive, and so much more. You can have the best Android phone on the market, but if you don’t also pair it with the best Android apps, you’re missing out.

There are millions of Android apps on the Play Store. Many of them are great, some are fine, and others are bogus. To help you sift through everything and focus on the apps you should actually care about, we’ve rounded up 50 of our favorite ones right here. If you’re looking for games, check out our list of the best Android games. And if you are in the market for a new Android phone, make sure to check out our latest smartphone reviews.

If you have an Apple iPhone, then check out these helpful guides: best iPhone apps and best iPhone games.

Android essentials

YouTube

It’s probably the Android app, so you likely have YouTube already — but that doesn’t make it any less essential. YouTube’s mobile app is sleek and intuitive, bringing the entirety of the video-sharing site to the palm of your hand. For those subscribed to YouTube Premium, you’ll have access to premium content, as well as special features like audio playback while the screen is off. But even when used as a free app, YouTube is essential.

GOOGLE PLAY

X (formerly Twitter)

Now that Elon Musk has purchased Twitter and renamed it “X,” there have been some interesting developments at the company. That little blue tick, which used to mean you were a bona fide and verified VIP, can now be purchased by anyone, and those who have been banned from the platform are welcomed back. But that doesn’t mean a lot of people are not using the popular platform.

Sometimes unfairly viewed as the lesser version of Facebook, X is the place where everything seems to happen instantly. Birthplace of the now now-ubiquitous internet facet, the hashtag, X is the best place to be if you like to be on top of the latest breaking news as it happens. Follow your favorite content creators, actors, or crazes, and follow all the news, impressions, and opinions as they roll in. Musk has big plans for X and aims to add voice calling and financial payments to the platform down the line, so it’s worth keeping an eye on regardless of how you feel about the recent changes.

GOOGLE PLAY

Google Home

There’s no time like the present to complete that connected-home project you always swore you’d do. If you are the proud owner of a Google Home device, then you already know the ins and outs of a digital assistant. The Google Home app takes this one step further, allowing you to control a plethora of connected smart home devices. It also serves as a command central for any native Google-connected device and your Google-connected accounts, like maps, contacts, calendars, and more.

GOOGLE PLAY

The best Android apps in 2023

Movies and videos

JustWatch

It’s not a streaming service, but JustWatch is the app that tells you what to watch and where to watch it. So no more wondering where you can catch the latest season of The Boys or whether The Witcher is available to stream on Netflix — JustWatch will keep you right. The app also gives you personalized recommendations based on your streaming services and supports casting to your TV from your device. There are over 90,000 movies and TV shows listed, and you can check out trailers, cast details, and synopses before you watch. There’s even a handy timeline showing what’s coming to your favorite streaming services and when, plus you can create your own Watchlist.

GOOGLE PLAY

Netflix

Netflix isn’t just one of the best video-streaming services; it’s the video-streaming service. There’s a huge selection of Netflix movies and TV shows for subscribers, and the performance is silky smooth. It’s not just restricted to old favorites either, as Netflix has produced a huge amount of excellent exclusive content. If you’re anything like us, though, you’ll just put Seinfeld on again.

GOOGLE PLAY

Disney+

Disney holds possibly the largest library of film and television properties in the world, and they are all on Disney+. From Hamilton to The Mandalorian, you’ll find something for every member of the family. As theatergoers are slow to return all around the globe, Disney has begun using Disney+ for major blockbusters like Mulan and Soul. You’ll also have access to original television shows like Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

GOOGLE PLAY

Music and audio

YouTube Music

If you listen to as much music on YouTube as we do, then it’s a no-brainer to use YouTube Music. The music app is geared very well toward your tastes if you’ve spent much time watching and listening to music videos on YouTube, and the ability to listen with the screen off is very helpful, but the key element is being able to listen to any live performance or other alternative performance of a song.

GOOGLE PLAY

Pocket Casts

Pocket Casts is one of the last podcast players left standing after the assault by music apps like Spotify, and the reason it’s still around is because it’s very, very good. You’ll find most of the popular podcasts here (as long as Spotify hasn’t signed an exclusivity deal with them, of course), and you can sort and arrange podcasts into folders and set up filters to find what you’re looking for even faster.

In episodes, you can speed up, slow down, and set the player to skip out periods of silence, and your listening progress and playlists sync across devices. If you want to take advantage of all it has to offer, like the web-based player, you’ll need to pay for the Plus service, which costs $40 a year or $4 a month.

GOOGLE PLAY

Spotify

Spotify is probably the first name that springs to mind when you think about music apps — and for good reason, as it’s one of the best streaming services out there. There’s a massive selection of music on offer, from the latest huge releases to up-and-coming acts. Spotify also now offers video support for some of the best podcasts on its platform.

There’s a free version if you want to try it out, but if you want ad-free listening and to download music, play any song, and have unlimited skips, then you’ll need to subscribe for $11 a month, though Spotify does offer a generous three-month free trial. Spotify also offers a family household plan for $17 a month, a student account at the reduced cost of $6 a month, and a Duo account covering two people in the same household for $15 a month.

GOOGLE PLAY

News

NewsBreak

It’s not hard to find news apps that cover national and international news, but what about more local events? NewsBreak specializes in digging out the news that’s local to you so you can stay updated with your personal community. It’s not just about the news, though — it also has safety alerts to show you nearby hazards and can help you find local experts to guide you around new areas if you’re visiting or want to know more about your home. Just make sure to add Digital Trends to your news feed!

GOOGLE PLAY

The Wall Street Journal

During these harrowing financial times and in a volatile macroeconomic environment, you’d be well served to stay up to date on the goings-on of our economy, markets, and financial news. The Wall Street Journal app places all this information in your pocket as well as the multifaceted award-winning journalism that’s been printed there since 1889.

GOOGLE PLAY

NPR News

The official app of National Public Radio provides a steady stream of straightforward reporting in both print and audio. Users can listen to news reports and various NPR staples such as All Things Considered and Radiolab.

GOOGLE PLAY

Sports

Fox Sports

Get the same industry-leading coverage you can expect from Fox Sports television right on your smartphone. Track your favorite teams, players, and leagues, and watch it all unfold live from inside the app. The Fox Sports app offers a complete experience with bonus cams and angles of the game you caught on television, as well as up-to-date sports news.

GOOGLE PLAY

ESPN

Having the official ESPN app installed is a no-brainer for any die-hard sports fan, especially if you have ESPN+. You can quickly get the latest news on your favorite teams and leagues, including MLB, NFL, NCAA, MLS, NHL, and more.

GOOGLE PLAY

Social media

TikTok

Essentially Vine for a new generation, TikTok is the home of short videos that are amusing, meme-laden, and just generally fit for easy consumption. What started as the app Musical.ly, geared at miming songs while dancing, has bloomed into one of the fastest-growing social media apps in the world. Its algorithm has become legendary as it curates content for you based on what you like and interact with, and there is now content on the app for all generations, hobbies, backgrounds, and interests.

GOOGLE PLAY

Instagram

Instagram is ubiquitous in photography now, so you might as well have it on your phone. Owned by Facebook, the social network centered on photos offers great filters and connectivity with others. Instagram has also been angling for a younger market share with its TikTok competitor called Reels.

GOOGLE PLAY

Messaging

The Google Play Store has no shortage of messaging apps, but WhatsApp’s secure end-to-end encryption and feature-rich interface mark it as one of the best. This cross-platform app lets you send and receive messages, pictures, audio notes, and make video calls for free. A must-have for messaging addicts, travelers, and anyone with loved ones abroad.

GOOGLE PLAY

Discord

Hugely popular among PC gamers and office workers, Discord is a place for messaging, image sharing, and voice and video calls. It features an intuitive interface that makes it easy to communicate and share with friends and co-workers. Discord is also home to countless communities where members with shared interests can hang out digitally.

GOOGLE PLAY

Dating

Grindr

The largest social networking and dating app for gay, bi, trans, and queer people of all sorts, Grindr uses your phone’s location to put you in contact with other nearby members to chat, swap photos, or meet in person. Initially launched as a dating app, Grindr now has a much larger remit as a great chat and networking app.

GOOGLE PLAY

Hinge

Hinge is the app “designed to be deleted.” By highlighting our most personal values, future plans, wants, and needs, Hinge focuses on bringing people together looking for serious relationships. The company also enforces a zero-tolerance policy on harassment, abuse, or any untoward behavior against their terms of service. Hinge sets out to provide an alternative to the fast-casual nature of many other dating apps, and according to the company, four out of five users go on second dates.

GOOGLE PLAY

Reading

Kindle

Don’t worry if you don’t have a Kindle — you can still read your ebook directly on your smartphone. From best-sellers to the classics, it’s all here, with more than 900,000 titles in Amazon’s store.

GOOGLE PLAY

Audible

Audible is the premier place to consume audiobooks on your Android device. There are thousands of audiobooks on offer, from classics to the most recent hits, and you get your first audiobook for free. A $15-per-month subscription gets you a credit per month to spend on any audiobook, and options for playback speed and cross-device syncing make listening even easier. There’s even a car mode for listening on the go.

GOOGLE PLAY

Gaming

Roblox

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Roblox deserves a spot as an essential app because it is so much more than just a game. With over 160 million active users and representing more than half of all children under age 16 in the United States on the platform, Roblox has ballooned into an online universe reminiscent of the “metaverse” that purports to be the future of online life and interaction. Roblox is itself a platform for game development and is responsible for millions of children gaining an interest in coding and software development.

GOOGLE PLAY

Twitch

While platforms like Facebook Gaming try their best to compete, Twitch remains the preeminent option for video game streaming and sports a growing roster of celebrity streamers. With the power of Amazon behind it, it’s unlikely Twitch will be dethroned anytime soon.

GOOGLE PLAY

Nutrition, cooking, and food

DoorDash

There are so many food delivery apps out there to choose from, but DoorDash is one of the most popular. That’s likely because not only can you order from your favorite restaurants — from Wendy’s to The Cheesecake Factory — but you can also get alcohol, fresh groceries, household goods, and more delivered to your doorstep with no minimum spend. Whether you forgot some ingredients for cooking, ran out of shampoo, or are craving sushi, DoorDash will deliver, and if you sign up for DashPass, there are zero delivery fees for your first month. You can also schedule deliveries for a future date, track orders in real-time, and pay via Apple Pay, Venmo, PayPal, or credit card.

GOOGLE PLAY

Yummly

There are plenty of recipe apps, but Yummly is one of the best. There are over2 million recipes stored in this app, but don’t be scared by the sheer number of choices, as Yummly uses AI to narrow down your list of options and presents them to you based on what you’ve made before. You can set up dietary requirements and filter by cooking time, ingredients, and other criteria. You can even set up a smart shopping list for your trip.

GOOGLE PLAY

Fitness and health

MyFitnessPal

Like it or loathe it, there’s little doubt about the effectiveness of calorie counting. But it can be tough to keep track of everything you’re eating, especially when you have to look up calorie counts for everything. Thankfully, MyFitnessPal can do it for you, with its enormous database of foodstuffs, bar code scanning, and more.

GOOGLE PLAY

Caliber

Caliber is an all-in-one training app that includes strength training, nutrition tracking, and reminders to build healthy habits so you can focus on your fitness goals without having to juggle different apps for every aspect of your journey. A Caliber membership gets you personal coaching to ensure you’re hitting your personal goals, as well as supplies in-depth analysis, but you can also use the app for free and keep track of your activity, schedule workouts, and take short weekly lessons.

GOOGLE PLAY

GoodRx

GoodRx can help you save on your prescription medicine costs by helping you find coupons for your most important prescriptions accepted at most pharmacies. The app also offers a medicine tracker and pill reminder to help track your daily health routine. Before you pickup a prescription, check GoodRx to save some money.

GOOGLE PLAY

Finances and money

Acorns

Looking to save a little more money? Acorns helps you invest by rounding off your credit card or debit purchases to the nearest dollar. Once you’ve accumulated a little money, it’s easy to transfer the funds to your bank account. Acorns also offers retirement accounts like a Traditional IRA, so you can start saving for retirement now.

GOOGLE PLAY

Fidelity Investments

Fidelity Investments brings the power of the brokerage and financial services company Fidelity into your pocket. Open a retirement or taxable account and handle your trades and portfolio right from the app. Fidelity allows you to buy fractional shares, and execute trades with $0 commission fees on U.S equities or ETFs.

GOOGLE PLAY

Shopping

eBay

There’s very little that you can’t buy or sell on eBay. The app is full-featured and much easier to use than the website. Bid on items, track your orders, and sell all of your unwanted stuff right here.

GOOGLE PLAY

Amazon Shopping

There’s no more essential shopping app than Amazon. Practically anything you need, anywhere you live, and anytime you want, Amazon has it. With the Amazon app, you can order groceries through Amazon Fresh and all your essentials through Amazon Prime.

GOOGLE PLAY

PayPal

The easiest online checkout method is on your smartphone. You’ll be able to manage your PayPal account, send and receive payments, and more. The app can also notify you of transactions, offering handy reminders and alerts when you use PayPal as a payment method or have an upcoming bill due.

GOOGLE PLAY

Travel and events

Duolingo

The Duolingo owl is one of the most celebrated (and feared) app mascots around, and for good reason. Duolingo is an excellent way to learn a language, with a constantly updated learning track evaluated by experts and bite-sized lessons that you can complete in a matter of minutes. Learn as much or as little as you want, but keep in mind your hearts (mistakes) are limited on free accounts, and if you want completely limitless learning, you’ll need to subscribe to Duolingo Plus.

GOOGLE PLAY

Uber

If you need to get somewhere and don’t have wheels of your own, hop in someone else’s ride. Uber allows you to call upon a private driver in your city who will help you get to where you need to go. It’s all the ease of a taxi at a lower cost and without the fumbling for cash at the end.

GOOGLE PLAY

Airbnb

Forego the headache of trying to find and book a hotel and instead find an open room or home to stay at on your travels. Users can search for accommodations, communicate directly with hosts, and book, all without leaving the app.

GOOGLE PLAY

Going out

Overdrop

One thing you need to know before you head anywhere is what the weather’s got in store. Never get caught in an unexpected rain shower or snow flurry again with Overdrop, the app that gives you a live weather forecast powered by Dark Sky, Accuweather, and WeatherBit. There are over 60 widgets to choose from, a 96-hour radar map, severe-condition alerts, an air quality index, and seven themes to choose from. Get a 24-hour or seven-day forecast, and use colorful temperature, rain, and wind graphs to see what the weather will be like in advance.

GOOGLE PLAY

Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor is the ultimate going-out app, with millions of recommendations and reviews from people all around the world, covering the best things to do wherever you are. Plan ahead with Tripadvisor’s tools, allowing you to organize your hotel bookings, restaurant trips, and attractions. You can even book them from the app with Google Pay access. It’s also great when you’re traveling, thanks to support for mobile tickets and bookings.

GOOGLE PLAY

Waze

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Never get caught off guard by a car accident, broken traffic light, or speed trap again. Waze harnesses all the power of user-submitted information to help drivers avoid the common pitfalls of their daily commutes or long road trips. Waze is designed to get you where you’re going as quickly as possible by using up-to-the-minute live information to navigate. It will even help you find the cheapest gas along your route.

GOOGLE PLAY

Photo editing and management

Snapseed

Snapseed is the best option if you’re looking to edit a photo. Google’s photo editing app has tools for whether you’re quickly polishing up a snap or diving in really deep to dramatically change the details of a photo. Snapseed’s control method can take a little getting used to, but once you’ve got the hang of it, it’s intuitive and incredibly fast to use. Best of all, it’s absolutely free.

GOOGLE PLAY

Adobe Photoshop Express

Image used with permission by copyright holder

While not as feature-filled or extensive as the desktop version, Adobe Photoshop Express still offers an impressively wide array of tools for editing and creating images directly on your Android device.

GOOGLE PLAY

VSCO

One of the original players in the photo editing space, VSCO sparked an entire movement and brought an iconic photo aesthetic to a generation of social media users. The VSCO photo editor offers a variety of presets, vintage filters, and texture effects. VSCO also supports video editing for those longer video posts.

GOOGLE PLAY

Documents, web, and email

OfficeSuite

It’s one of the most downloaded apps on the Play Store, and that’s for a very good reason. OfficeSuite is a full-featured alternative for Microsoft Office, and includes tools to view, edit, and create Word, Excel, and Powerpoint documents, as well as including support for various PDF operations. It’s an all-in-one solution for your document woes, and it’s free to get most of the features. OfficeSuite Premium gets you the ability to work on password-protected files, 50GB of cloud storage, the ability to export PDFs to other formats, and more.

GOOGLE PLAY

Dropbox

Dropbox is another cloud storage service, and while you think you have that covered with Google Drive, Dropbox is still useful to download and use, because it often works with many third-party apps Drive doesn’t. It only gives you 2GB for free, but if you use it primarily for smaller files you should be okay with that amount.

GOOGLE PLAY

Grammarly

Grammarly has grown above and beyond its key use case of email writing assistance and has grown into an integrated extension and app offering grammar and spelling suggestions or corrections for not only emails, but across all apps on your smartphone. Whether you’re composing a LinkedIn message, a text, or a Yelp review, Grammarly will help you maintain composure by perfecting your composition.

GOOGLE PLAY

Productivity

Memorigi

Feel like you’re always ticking off an endless to-do list? Step up Memorigi. This colorful app acts as a daily planner, to-do list, and task manager — and actually makes staying organized more fun. The My Day feature focuses on today’s most important tasks, or you can add shopping lists, goal lists, or a simple to-do list, as well as create reminders for appointments and payments. The app also has cloud sync, making it easy to keep on top of things from any device. Upgrade to premium and you’ll get Google Calendar integration, progress tracking statistics, and the awesome Nag Me feature, designed to make procrastinating a thing of the past.

GOOGLE PLAY

BitWarden

BitWarden has been the password manager of choice for many since LastPass changed the way its free tier worked, making this app the best free choice for keeping your passwords safe and secure. Save your passwords to BitWarden’s vault and lock it up tight, and then access it on your smartphone or computer or generate super-secure passwords automatically. It can be set up to automatically fill recognized password fields or do it with a single click. It’s free, and the paid tier is incredibly cheap at less than $1 a month.

GOOGLE PLAY

Slack

Slack remains one of the biggest communication tools for businesses everywhere. Organize your teams and employees into channels to help with team productivity. Slack’s intuitive layout and ability to integrate workflows with other popular productivity apps such as Google Drive, Salesforce, and Dropbox make it a powerful tool to help get work done.

GOOGLE PLAY

Keep Reading

Dropbox

Best Free Phone Number Apps 2024

9 Best Free Calling Apps for Android to Making Free Phone Calls in 2024

1. Dingtone

Best Free Phone Number Apps 2024

2. Hushed

3. Grasshopper

4. Ring4

5. MightyCall

6. GrooVeIP

7. ConXhub

8. Phone.com

9. 2ndLine – Second Phone Number

That’s A Wrap!

How to set up Windows 11 Hyper-V virtual machines

Best dash cams 2024

Best free antivirus 2024

Dropbox

Best Burner Phone Number Apps in 2024 (Android & iOS)

1. Burner

2. Hushed

3. Cloud SIM

4. 2ndLine

5. Line2

6. CoverMe

7. Flyp

8. Google Voice

9. Grasshopper

10. MightyCall

11. TalkU

12. Dingtone

13. Sideline

14. TextFree

15. TextNow

16. Free Tone

Conclusion

16 Best Free Productivity Apps to Use in 2024

1. Google Keep

2. MindMeister

3. Google Drive

4. HelloSign

5. Foxit

6. Scanbot

7. Pixlr

8. Lucidchart

9. Screencastify

10. Rescue Time

11. Zoom

12. TeamViewer

13. LastPass

14. Grammarly

15. CloudConvert

16. ClickUp

Let’s Conclude the List of Best Free Productivity Apps

Apple Pages

7 Useful Alternatives to Google Docs in 2024

Dropbox Paper

Coda

OnlyOffice Docs

Salesforce Quip

Zoho Writer

Alternatives to Google Docs: Which Is Best?

Frequently Asked Questions

The best Mac apps for 2024

9 Best Free Calling Apps for Android to Making Free Phone Calls in 2024

1. Dingtone

Best Free Phone Number Apps 2024

2. Hushed

3. Grasshopper

4. Ring4

5. MightyCall

6. GrooVeIP

7. ConXhub

8. Phone.com

9. 2ndLine – Second Phone Number

That’s A Wrap!

iOS 17

iOS 16

The History of iOS, from Version 1.0 to 17.0

Read More : The best Apple HomeKit devices 2023

iOS 15

iOS 14

iOS 13

iOS 12

iOS 11

iOS 10

iOS 9

iOS 8

iOS 7

iOS 6

iOS 5

iOS 4

iOS 3

iOS 2

iOS 1

The 9 best free Photoshop alternatives

What makes the best free photo editor?