SAVE YOUR PENNIES AND DISCOVER THE MUST-HAVE FREE OFFERINGS FOR YOUR DEVICE
1. IFTTT
Some apps defy belief at what they can do and IFTTT is one of them. You can create connections between services, known as recipes, that are practically unlimited. There really is no limit to what you can do and the only barrier will be your imagination. Everything from receiving notifi cations when a new album is added to the free list on Amazon to receiving a text showing today’s weather is only a couple of steps away and once you start creating them, there’s no stopping you. Think of it as an automated assistant that requires little training. Input what you want, including account details and contact addresses, and it will all work exactly when and where you want it to with no eff ort on your behalf. To get this much functionality for free is almost unheard of and there is now a rich community of helpers who are only too willing to create new recipes for you to use. Think about what you need and how you want to use your smartphone; in doing so you will be rewarded with handy notifi cations, communications and so much more every day.
iPhone | iOS 6.0
2. EDGE SKI
Edge Ski is unashamedly designed for skiers and this focus on one activity makes it ideal for providing all the information you need. Including an extra social element, from checking in to challenging friends, it is perfectly presented and makes for the ideal companion when you’re off on a skiing trip. It even tracks every run you make automatically in the background.
iPhone | iOS 6.0
3. WALLAPOP
Wallapop is the friendly alternative to eBay and is designed to act as a virtual digital flea market. No matter what you want to sell, you can do so in seconds and, despite the extra security that eBay off ers, there are a lot of useful features here that work perfectly. If you have unwanted objects lying around, this free service off ers an alternative.
iPhone | iOS 6.1
Android | OS 2.2
4. EMBER - CAPTURE, ORGANISE AND SHARE
There will always be moments when we need to collect images and information that is related to specific projects or simply because we have an interest in a subject. Ember is just the tool for such a task and everything about the way it works makes the curation process as easy as possible. A few taps here and there and you’ll be done in no time.
iPad+ | iOS 7.0
5. COOK
Cook is a very professional app that enabless you to create your very own cookbook from your favourite recipes. You can then share the book with friends and include photos, full ingredients and any other information you fi nd helpful. There is inspiration built in from top chefs and in every step it feels as though much care has been taken in the creation of this solution.
iPad | iOS 7.0
6. PURKS
Saving money is never a bad thing and with Purks you can quickly see which offers are available and store all of your loyalty card information. Crucially, it also works with the stores that are local to you, making it more suitable for those who live some distance from town centres. It also includes features such as scanning QR codes and real-time updates. A very useful app to have for no price at all.
iPhone | iOS 6.0
7. INSTAVIDEO
Adding effects and overlays to videos is often not the easiest of work but with InstaVideo you will be able to create unusual moments whenever you find yourself with a few spare minutes. Transitions, subtitles and voiceovers are just some of the features included here, and with some care you will be able to publish some quite impressive works for anyone to view. An app that’s both simple and clever.
iPad+ | iOS 6.0
8. TAGGAR
Tagging objects is not new, but doing so and then being able to immediately compare what your friends have tagged is. You can tag anything at all and see how popular the object is, which then leads to all sorts of potential benefits. The community is already quite large and this could quickly become a very popular activity for many, since it allows people to share opinions in a different context.
iPhone+ | iOS 5.0
9. WIET FREE
This body-shaping app is designed to support you, working with your wishes. It will help you log everything that you eat and also record all of the exercises you participate in, but most importantly it enables you to monitor your body shape alongside your weight as you progress. It offers just the features you need and should help you in your goal to attain your perfect physique.
iPhone+ | iOS 6.1
10. MY9 MUSIC CHARTS UK
It is all too easy to lose track of what songs are popular at the current time, but with my9 you can easily see which singles and albums are flying high and also use coverflow to enjoy the information even more. Favourites can be built and previews of songs are available to help you make a quick purchasing decision.
iPhone+ | iOS 4.3
11. HIDE & SQUEAK
Hide & Squeak offers all of the charm and professional imagery you would expect in a much more expensive children’s educational app and includes hunting games that involve the child in freeform play. Everything from the styling to the simplistic methods used to teach are blended perfectly and it truly is a fantastically produced app. This should keep the kids quiet – always a good thing!
iPhone | iOS 6.0
12. PINGTUNE
PingTune is a messenger, but is designed to let you send music recommendations to friends any time you like. They will receive a clearly displayed image in their PingTune account and can then play the video and see what is so exciting straight away. If you and your friends are heavily into music, this is an excellent tool to share your favourites in an instant.
iPhone | iOS 7.0
13. iMEASURE!
This clever utility brings the real-world and digital world together in perfect harmony to solve a tricky and at times very frustrating problem. Imagine trying to measure an every day object such as the head of a screw or a ring. You could get out a ruler and fi ddle around forever until you achieve a guess of what the actual size is, but the reality is that you are likely to not end up with accurate measurements at all. With this app, however, you can simply choose a shape in the Settings and then place the object on the screen. When you then use your fi nger and thumb to move the dimensions to match the physical object, you will end up with accurate measurements on every single side with no hassle at all. You can choose the measurement formats and even change the theme of the interface to suit specific situations and objects. The overall simplicity in the presentation belies the sheer usefulness that’s on off er here. It’s clever, easy to understand and will likely come in handy for quite a few people.
iPad+ | iOS 4.3
14. AQUAFRESH BRUSH TIME
Getting your children to brush their teeth for the required amount of time is not easy, but this app turns it into a fun experience and is particularly beneficial for young children. All the animations are extremely friendly and the music lively enough to keep them brushing without even thinking about what they are doing. A very clever solution for parents.
iPad+ | iOS 4.3
Android | OS 2.0.1
15. MOUNTAGO
Mountago isn’t just any ordinary travel app because it really can help you to holiday as though you have visited a resort many times before. From real-time weather forecasts to details on every local amenity, it is all presented in the cleanest of ways and the information is always complete. A huge amount of detail is included in this extensive app, so you won't want to be without it.
iPhone+ | iOS 7.0
16. LUDUS
Ludus is a popular TV show that kids know and love, and with this app it is now possible for them to experience it a new way. The included games can be played anywhere on a mobile device or, even better, played along with the show to create a captivating experience in real time. The graphics are kept simple and the gameplay is tailored perfectly for young kids.
iPad+ | iOS 4.3
Android | OS 2.2
17. SOCL
This social platform is designed to let you share objects that you have collected, whether they be images, collages or memes. The design is professional and clean and everything about it leans towards the more refined social networker, but there is still a lot of fun to be had and much interest held within. It also links to other social networks. This could be very big indeed.
iPad+ | iOS 5.0
Android | OS 2.3.3
18. BBM
The legendary BlackBerry Messenger is now on iPhone and Android and comes with all of the classic features millions have come to know and love. With excellent security, media features and a clean design, there is a lot here considering you will have to pay nothing for the experience. This is a great alternative to some of the other popular messengers out there.
iPhone | iOS 6.0
Android | OS 4.0
19. INSTABLENDER
InstaBlender is a top photo-manipulation app with the welcome bonus of being completely free. You can blend images together or add from a range of clever filters to completely change the look of any photo you have taken. There is also the option to add in text as well. Indeed, the variety included and flexibility on offer is limitless, so you are sure to be having lots of creative fun with this simple and clever app.
iPhone | iOS 7.0
20. PROXIMITY PROJECT
Recreating the sense of exhilaration skydiving offers is not easy, and to do so with realistic physics and graphics is even more difficult – but this game has nailed it. You have to fly close to edges to gain points and it really does feel scary at times. Whether you want to play for five minutes or five hours, this is a great game.
iPad+ | iOS 4.0
Android | OS 4.0
21. ARE WE THERE YET
Finding local activities to keep children happy is never easy, but with Are We There Yet you will have a world of locations available to you any time. The interface is built specifically to entice children into what is on offer and the database is both varied and complete. Designed by parents for parents, you will find that no matter where you end up going, this app will prove invaluable many times.
iPhone | iOS 6.0
22. VLC FOR iOS
Video playback can be restrictive in terms of the formats supported on iPhones and iPads, but VLC for iOS changes all of that. It off ers a beautiful interface and will let you play a variety of videos without the need for any of the conversion hassle at all. The features on off er here are almost too good to be true, including the ability to stream from web servers.
iPad+ | iOS 5.1
23. FIFA
FIFA is designed to highlight the most important happenings in world football at any time by perfectly presenting the updates in both visual and textual form. With world rankings, world cup information and a clever live world match centre, there is more than enough on offer here to keep any football fan entertained and on top of everything happening.
iPhone | iOS 5.1
Android | OS 2.3
24. HEYDAY - JOURNALING. REIMAGINED.
Many apps offer the ability to create a diary, but Heyday takes things a stage further by doing it all for you automatically – that’s right, absolutely no effort on your part. Photos are captured and presented perfectly, your locations are noted on maps and everything about the presentation feels both personal and professional. This could well be a glimpse into the future of apps since so many features are automated with little effort required.
iPhone | iOS 6.0
25. WEATHER LIVE
With weather apps being so plentiful, to the point of having their own category in each app store, you need something special to truly stand out. Weather° manages this by off ering all of the weather data you could possibly need in a highly informative and sublime-looking environment. With the ability to see the current temperature on the icon badge, extended forecasts and alerts when the temperature drops below zero, you really will have everything you need in the one place. The feature set continues with wind chill, wind direction and humidity information plus many customisable areas that allow you to create your own virtual weather centre to carry around with you at all times. The current conditions are presented using advanced imagery and with small tiles to ensure that you can gain an overview of what is happening immediately. Some apps offer many features and advanced functionality, but few go as far as Weather° for no cost at all.
iPhone+ | iOS 5.0
Android | OS 2.2
26. MY PAPER FEED READER
My Paper will take your RSS-fed articles and present them in a way that is much easier for reading on a mobile device. With clean text and perfectly aligned images, it really does feel like a personal newspaper that is constantly updated, ready and waiting for you to read it. It also lets you easily save long articles for reading later on.
iPhone | iOS 7.0
27. SENDLY
Sendly is designed to do one thing: to top up mobile phone accounts for phones that are abroad. This has historically been very difficult to achieve, but with the right security restrictions in place you can now do so with just this app. It is simple, beautifully presented and, more importantly, completely painless to use. An app that really does deliver on its promises.
iPhone | iOS 6.0
Android | OS 2.2
28. CURRENCY CONVERTER XE
XE is well-known as one of the premier sources for currency pricing information and this app is designed to leverage the core data and present it to you in real time. There is an official app available, but this one includes many presentation tweaks that make it extremely easy and quick to use when you need currency information in a hurry.
iPad+ | iOS 6.0
29. TVPLAYER
Finally, you can now watch live TV on your phone in a format that is clean and, most importantly, reliable. The range of channels is impressive and it will work on Wi-Fi and 3G/4G, giving you the TV you want whenever you want to watch it. You can even browse channels while watching another channel. This is a genuinely great mobile entertainment experience.
iPhone | iOS 6.0
Android | OS 3.2
30. LOCI - SOCIAL NEWS
Loci takes Facebook and Twitter videos and images and shows you the ones that are local to you. Draw a circle on a map and you will be shown everything that is happening within that particular vicinity. All wrapped up in a vibrant and pleasing interface, Loci is a simple idea but offers a new take on the major networks – and is actually quite addictive once you start using it. For more local happenings, this is perfect.
iPhone | iOS 7.0
31. Material
Material uses your social networking information and analyses your Twitter or Facebook feed to create a personalised magazine that matches your particular interests. The design is very neat and appealing, making reading a pleasant experience. There is a lot of automation involved, so you will have to do almost nothing except sign in to be presented with relevant news every single day. This is just one of a new breed of apps that do everything for you.
iPhone | iOS 5.0
Android | OS 2.3
32. FURBY BOOM!
This app works very well as a standalone creation, but comes into its own when used alongside a real Furby. This is absolutely perfect for children to enjoy any time and really will help them to get a lot more out of their new best friend. It also highlights very well how an app and a physical object can come together to create some playtime magic.
iPad+ | iOS 4.3
Android | OS 2.2.3
33. iMUSIC - FREE MUSIC FROM YOUTUBE
Trying out music usually involves playing a series of quick previews or buying lots of separate tracks, but with this app you can leverage the huge amount of content available on YouTube and collect as many songs as you’d like. You can even play songs in the background, a function that the official app lacks. The sound quality is excellent and the interface is ideal for the task at hand, meaning you can be up and running in no time. A neat solution.
iPad+ | iOS 7.0
34. HERMES READER
The developers of Hermes Reader claim that this app can speed up your reading by more than 70 per cent, which is an undeniably useful skill to have if you lead a busy life. The app supports books and articles and could potentially become your main hub for all of your reading on the daily commute or for whenever you have a few spare minutes. Don’t, however, expect a miracle moment where you pick the app up and just start reading because it will feel alien at fi rst and there will be moments where none of it makes sense at all. Each word is highlighted on screen singularly which means that initially you will actually be reading slower, but once you are familiar with the process you could be reading faster than ever before and with minimal eff ort. The aim isthat eventually, you will be able to let your eyes rest on the screen and let the software do all of the hard work for you, and it has been proven to work for those who require a quick reading burst when time is short. Hermes Reader is a great example of how a free app can also be extremely worthwhile.
iPhone | iOS 5.0
35. ARCADIE PING
It’s time to take yourself back to the very early days of console gaming. This app offers a faithful representation of the classic Pong game and is just as difficult and frustrating to play as it always was. Featuring realistic sound effects, excellent use of the screen and usable controls, it is enjoyable on every single level. For many users, this will transport them back to retro gaming heaven.
iPhone | iOS 4.3
36. MONEY OK
Finance apps are often expensive, but Money OK offers everything you need in an easy-to-use package for free. From income and expense records to multiple accounts, you can keep track of your finances easily and the interface and navigation will help you understand how it all works immediately. You can even back up your data using iCloud and keep your data safe using a password.
iPhone | iOS 5.0
37. COOKIE CLICKERS
Sometimes the simplest of games makes for the best experience on a mobile device and Cookie Clickers is an example of this. The game involves lots and lots of tapping on giant cookies and is blessed with attractive colourful graphics that will keep you playing for a while. Suitable for all ages and the perfect way to pass some time on the commute, you will love every minute of this sweet download.
iPad+ | iOS 5.0
38. BBC CBEEBIES PLAYTIME
The selection of games here will suit younger children perfectly. They will be able to create their own profiles, receive rewards and, perhaps most importantly, learn as they are playing. Everything about the app is professional and there are even more games available once you start exploring. A brilliant app for kids.
iPad+ | iOS 4.0
Android | OS 2.3
39. FLASHSCORE LIVESCORE
When you need scores in real time, wandering around various websites can be frustrating, but with FlashScore you can get instant updates. With 26 sports and 3,000 leagues covered you will have access to all that you need, and it is all presented in a way that makes each moment immediately accessible. A perfect score from us.
iPhone | iOS 6.0
40. EMOTIONMANAGER
While we would never suggest that your iPhone is an adequate replacement for an actual psychiatrist, with EmotionManager you at least have a free tool that could change your life for the better. It is designed to work with users at diffi cult times, pinpointing the specific feelings that they are having, and also helping you to understand the causes. Sometimes people cannot control how they feel because of outside events, but visualising the emotion and then watching it disappear in an understanding and soothing environment could be of genuine help. It may sound crazy and that it could never really work, but the way this app has been programmed does lead you to a place that feels comforting, silent and most of all it is able to help you visualise letting go of negative emotions. The imagery is stunning and the simple controls let you virtually speak to the app as you attempt to dispel the thoughts that are holding you back. You’ve got nothing to lose by giving it a go.
iPhone | iOS 5.0
41. FLOW FOR INSTAGRAM
There is no official Instagram app for the iPad and it would be easy for a developer to simply create one – but here we have one that makes the entire Instagram experience feel more immersive and much more pleasing to the eye. As a viewer it excels in every way and you can also share images and view specific feeds. A brilliant solution.
iPad+ | iOS 6.0
42. ALARM CLOCK 2.0 THE SIMPLEST - FREE
An alarm clock that looks professional and enticing is one thing, but here we have one that will let you fall asleep and wake up to your favourite music. You can use a variety of built-in alarm sounds and also choose if you require vibrations or want the alarm to fade in. It is simplistic, but comes with every feature you could possibly need.
iPad+ | iOS 6.0
43. JALOPY
The panic that sets in when you have a new problem with your car is a common feeling, but with Jalopy you can immediately understand what the error codes mean and quickly run through a simple troubleshooter to narrow down the issue. It could potentially save you from a few large bills and increase your overall knowledge of how your car actually works.
iPhone | iOS 7.0
Android | OS 4.0
44. CODECADEMY: HOUR OF CODE
Many people have a yearning to learn to code, but it is far from easy for the novice. With this app, however, anyone can quickly learn the basics and use real-world examples to gradually build up their knowledge and produce an app.
iPhone | iOS 7.0
45. GOISSWATCH - INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION TRACKING
The International Space Station is a wonderful object to witness as it streaks over the night sky and with this app you will know exactly where it is. It presents its position in real time on a map and can also use augmented reality to give an clearer view of where you need to look. It’s visually splendid.
iPad+ | iOS 4.3
46. DOTS: A GAME ABOUT CONNECTING
Dots offers the most addictive mobile game experience without pushing you to buy add-ons. The gameplay is generous and it is the ultimate ‘one more go’ game. Connect the dots, gain points, clear colours and repeat. The perfect recipe for mobile fun.
iPad+ | iOS 5.0
Android | OS 2.2
47. ANGRY BIRDS GO!
Angry Birds Go! takes the familiar characters you know and love and puts them in a new 3D racing environment. The game offers a genuine challenge that will keep you coming back for more and, best of all, it is still perfectly playable without having to spend a lot of money on in-app purchases. Brilliant fun.
iPad+ | iOS 6.0
Android | OS 2.3.3
48. WORD SEARCH PUZZLES
The traditional word search puzzle may seem old hat to some, but they can be challenging and quickly while away the hours. This game includes a huge number of puzzles and is designed to feel like the traditional game in every way.
iPad+ | iOS 5.0
Android | OS 2.3
49. CAN YOU ESCAPE 2
A hidden object game, but with a running theme that means you have to collect all of the pieces to make your way out of the room. It is very frustrating at times, but also very rewarding when you achieve your goal, so be prepared for a slow romp and feeling stuck most of the time until freedom arrives.
iPad+ | iOS 4.3
Android | OS 2.2
50. DRAGON FINGA
Dragon Finga is a fighting game that is accessible to most ages thanks to the cute graphics and unusually friendly gameplay. You will get a lot of enjoyment out of it without needing to spend a lot and the more you play, the more enjoyable it becomes. The timebased element is particularly nerve-wracking, but it’s still great, addictive fun.
iPad+ | OS 6.0
