Tanish PatelFabric uses a smart combination of GPS, pedometer and beacons to log your movements. It keeps a list of the places you visit and the contacts you meet to build up an activity journal of your life. [iOS, free]
Nigerian-American artist Ekene Ijeoma wants New Yorkers to engage with their city instead of looking down at their phones. His app runs in the background and, once you reach a busy street intersection, alerts you to “look up” and allow something serendipitous to happen. [Android, free]
This Y Combinator-funded developer tool is an app for making apps. Its open-source framework enables you to build native apps for iOS and Android while coding in JavaScript and React Native. Founder Charlie Cheever is one of the co-founders of knowledge-market Quora. [iOS and Android, free]
Alzheimer’s Research UK simulates the experience of life with dementia with this VR app, designed for Google Cardboard. [Android, free]
This is designed to help you cram more episodes of your favourite podcast into the commute – by training the brain to listen faster. Start at 2x speed and use the app’s Automatic Speed Ramping feature. [iOS, £2.29]
Unlockd
As advertisers scramble for an answer to ad-blockers, Unlockd may have a neat solution. It offers to give you a discount on your monthly phone bill in exchange for showing you an advert every third time you unlock your smartphone. The scheme is backed by Yahoo!, Lyft and Starbucks. [Android, free]
EquiTable
EquiTable bridges the wage gap by splitting restaurant bills based on each person’s race and gender. The app uses labour statistics to adjust for income inequality, calculating how much each person
should contribute. Feel unfairly burdened? Never fear, the app has a “protest” button. [iOS, free]
Cove
This musical journalling app keeps a digital record of how you feel each day. Begin by choosing from six base emotions – playful, calm, longing, clouded, gentle and struggling – before layering melodies using a simple interface. Each unique song can be kept as a personal record or shared with friends and family. [iOS, free]
Hangover
Hangover takes away the horror of waking up to find embarrassing photos from your night out plastered all over social media. It makes selected albums and short videos “disappear” into inaccessible folders when friends leave the “circle of trust” – a space defined according to the proximity of their smartphones. [iOS, free]
Twizoo
Looking for restaurant tips based on what people really think? Twizoo analyses millions of tweets to show you which eateries are trending nearby. It uses a traffic-light system to indicate which to check out – or avoid. [iOS, Android, free]
DreamLab
Donate your spare mobile processing power to the fight against cancer with this app, which downloads genetic sequencing profiles and processes them during the night when phones aren’t in use. [Android, free]
If you’ve wondered what goes on in your house when you’re not in it, Perch is the answer. Connect your phone with a strategically placed laptop, tablet or phone camera and watch live from anywhere. [Android, free]
With Safari integration, this content blocker prevents website ads from loading, resulting in a claimed 4x increase in browsing speeds and 50 per cent reduction in data usage. [iOS, free]
The Stream App
No more nagging your friends for their Facebook photo uploads: this app creates an event-specific stream, with your group’s photos automatically uploaded as they are taken. [iOS, free]
Deliveroo
Takeaways have never been more appealing since the launch of Deliveroo, which lets you order food from hundreds of restaurants and then have it delivered to you. It has built relationships with many of the UK’s most popular restaurants in 14 cities. Delivery is £2.50 – often less than the cost of a tip. [iOS, free]
Great Little Place
This swipe-and-discover app is a great tool for discovering cool places to eat and drink that are off the beaten track. We particularly like the Shortlist and Little Black Book features. [iOS, free]
One Drop
Designed for people living with diabetes, One Drop can be used to track medication, food intake, glucose levels and exercise. Users can leave advice and feedback based on their own experiences. [iOS, free]
Grabble
Scroll through endless fashion designs from major high-street names, including Selfridges and Zara, and swipe right on your favourite items to see a personalised feed. Save the items you love and you’ll be notified when they drop in price. [iOS, Android, free]
NYT VR
As VR becomes more accessible, more newspapers will incorporate it. The New York Times’ VR app turns its international reporting into Google cardboard-compatible videos. Android and iOS, free
STACK
Stack tests your timing. As a block tessellates across the screen, you tap at the moment it, building a larger ombre structure. Its beautiful palette and soundtrack make it all the more enticing. Android and iOS, free
Focus Keeper
Based on the Pomodoro Technique, Focus Keeper breaks down working into intervals of 25 minutes, with a five-minute break between. The “goal” feature will encourage the competitive to stay focused. iOS, £1.49
I love fur
This app lets you stroke the scales, fur or spikes of creatures until you (or they) are satisfied. Complete a challenge to unlock other characters, such as Bipolar Bear or Fire Intolerant Dragon. Strangely therapeutic. iOS, free
Sprayscape
This app lets you create abstract panoramic landscapes for others to experience in virtual reality. Use the phone’s gyroscope to overlay images. Android, free
DOO
Doo is a task list/reminder hybrid that lets you create lists, which can be linked to specific deadlines. Items can be delayed until the following day – or swiped away when the deed is done. iOS, £2.99
Animatic
Animatic lets you embrace your inner cartoonist by placing drawings after each other to create animations. It shows the outline of the previous frame to ensure greater accuracy. iOS and Android, free
Tinycards
Like flashcards? This game from language-learning app DuoLingo uses them to help you learn faster and test you on topics from sign language to Greek gods. iOS and Android, free
Inks
This new take on pinball comes from the team behind Lumino City. Move the ball around the screen to release bursts of ink and traces of its route, creating custom art to print or share. iOS, £1.49
Howl
This open-source synthesiser uses formants (the vocal tract’s acoustic resonance) to create guttural sounds. It’s not clear why, exactly, but it’s addictive all the same. iOS, free
Jassica Dean
Tanish Patel
elijah Williams
United States
United Kingdom
India
Canada
Singapore
