We’re now living in the new era of quarantine, social distancing, and self-isolation. Governments around the world close borders and ask people to stay home to fight COVID-19. It can be pretty burdensome, even for introverts. But the digital world is always here to help, providing thousands of services and ideas.
With software development experts from Diceus, we’ve made this list of the best mobile applications you may need now. From video chats that alleviate isolation to training apps that keep your body and mind in shape, you’ll find something useful or just entertaining for sure. Let’s check out top-rated applications!
Communication Apps
Probably, the most challenging thing nowadays is the lack of social interactions. People often can’t leave their homes, so they can’t meet friends, colleagues, and just strangers. Instead, they either have to face loneliness or spend time with cohabitants. While online communication isn’t the same as real meetings, it’s the only alternative we have now. That’s why we suggest a few services that connect people via online chats.
The best communication apps to fight social distancing:
- Dialup – this unusual project connects strangers randomly.
- Discord – a famous voice and text chat often used by gamers.
- Google Hangouts – a free native Google app for video conferences.
- Houseparty – this app mixes communication and games for parties.
- Zoom – another much-hyped video chat that supports up to 500 people.
Other messengers like WhatsApp, Viber, and Telegram are viable, too, as they support both text and video communication. As well, don’t forget about social media giants such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. They also can compensate for the lack of personal interactions.
Educational Apps
Quarantine is an excellent moment to master new skills or acquire new knowledge. You can start drawing, writing novels, learning languages, and even visiting the world-famous galleries. A lot of projects and services opened free access to their apps, at least till the end of April. Try them, find your new passion!
The best educational apps to learn something new:
- Civilisations AR – this BBC app combines AR and ancient cultures.
- Duolingo – probably, the greatest language learning application ever.
- edX – one of the most popular online course aggregators also has its own app.
- Google Arts & Culture – artworks from 2,000+ museums and galleries.
- Google Classroom – a conference-style tool for teachers and students.
- Rosetta Stone – another language tool with a highly immersive approach.
- SoloLearn – an app for mastering coding and programming.
We also highly recommend exploring native museum apps. Guggenheim Museum, Amsterdam State Museum, Musée d’Orsay, Museum del Prado, Louvre – all of them have official applications with a virtual experience. If you have a VR headset, check the virtual-only collection of Kremer Museum.
Health Apps
In addition to personal development, it’s better to remember about physical things. During isolation, your activity may go down significantly, so consider doing a workout at home. What’s great, health and fitness apps are either free or much cheaper than real gyms, as well as more convenient due to lack of commute. Surely, mind mental health, too. In addition to training, meditation sessions can help a lot to deal with distancing.
The best health apps to keep fit and calm:
- Adidas Runtastic – here are three apps for walking, running, and training.
- Fitocracy – an app that delivers professional support from expert trainers.
- Headspace – this application provides guided meditations and tips.
- Mi Fit – it’s an indispensable companion for all owners of Mi Bands.
- Nike Training Club – it’s another app with personalized coach experience.
- Youper – a smart AI assistant that helps to reduce anxiety and improve sleep.
Info Apps
This section is the most evident. The coronavirus pandemic unites and divides the world simultaneously. People don’t leave their homes and countries, but they’re constantly monitoring the situation. For this, you want the most unbiased news apps that deliver fact-checked information about different regions.
The best info apps to track COVID-19 news:
- CDC – this app is for Americans who want to get the latest updates.
- Feedly – a classic RSS reader for people who want to scan key news.
- Flipboard – another reader and aggregator with personalized feed.
- NHS – the best news center for UK citizens who seek medical advice.
- UN News Reader – includes daily digests with stats from the United Nations.
- WHO Info – the official WHO app delivers updates and suggestions.
Of course, if you want to take a break and isolate yourself from COVID-19 news, feel free to skip this section. News isn’t obligatory, they help to keep in touch with the world.
Media Apps
Of course, we can’t miss this broad category that entertains millions of quarantined people. Traditional TV services and cinemas are outdated because users now prefer online streaming platforms, including video, music, and even radio apps. The majority of top-rated services are paid, but they offer a free trial or free access for the isolation period. Check out and try what you like, and don’t forget about other categories.
The best media apps to watch movies and series:
- Disney+ – a video streaming service that became the cornerstone for Disney.
- Netflix – one of the most popular streaming platforms at all.
- Quibi – a long-awaited app with series consisting of 10-minute or shorter episodes.
- Soundcloud – a platform and an app that supports indie musicians.
- Spotify – the most famous free music streaming application.
- TuneIn Radio – a radio streaming app with music, news, podcasts, and sports.
Planners
Finally, let’s talk about work a bit. Many self-isolated specialists switched to remote work, so they still have to complete various tasks, connect to colleagues, and make vital decisions. To keep things optimized, planners and digital managers offer dozens of options. Using them, you can track tasks and set priorities, improve your productivity, stay in touch with other team members, and so on.
The best planners to stay organized:
- Evernote – a convenient tool to note ideas, make lists, and store resources.
- Forest – this application helps you not to get distracted by your phone.
- Todoist – a universal planning app with to-do-lists and reminders.
- Toggl – a simple and powerful manual/automatic time tracker.
- Zapier – a service that brings automation to your daily processes.
And don’t forget to check the top three project management applications that are also available for desktops: Asana, Atlassian Jira, and Trello.
#StayHome and Stay Healthy
The pandemic is a real challenge, but it won’t last forever. As for now, it’s better to isolate yourself to slow down the virus spread. We realize how difficult it can be, but it’s essential for public health systems and vital for people. The least you contact them, the lower chances of getting infected or infecting others.
Follow basic rules: wash hands, use sanitizers, wear masks when you’re leaving your home (it’s vital, too, because people need some fresh air regularly). Consider this quarantine as a new opportunity to rethink your life goals, learn something new, relax a bit, spend time with the close ones. We will survive.
