How do you like your Apps in the morning?
Many of our morning routines begin with picking up our cell phone or tablet so it makes perfect sense to have apps on it that get us started with our day in a positive and useful way. It can start with an alarm that wakes us gently, to music or is loud. Next we want to know some things about the day – the weather perhaps. We might follow that with a glance at our to-do list for the day or check out local and national news. The following ten apps are at the top of the list as the most popular although they are not listed in any particular order since we all have different ways to spend our morning.
1. Morning for iPad by Tamper
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/morning-weather-to-do-news/id659672658 (iPad Only – looking to release an iPhone version soon)
Android: not available Developer: http://tamper.io/morning/
The downside of this app right now is that it is only available for the iPad but you can sign up for an email notification for when the iPhone version is ready. Users can choose one of five color themes for their screen and they plan to continue adding new colors in the future. There are eight panels to use which can be arranged in any order desired: time/date, commute time, to-do, news, weather, stocks, events and a countdown timer. Each panel can be customized to your needs. It is a low priced app that currently has a 4-star rating in the Apple store.
2. RadiOn by EnSight Media
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/radion-free-worlds-best-music/id431554845?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
Android: not available
Developer: http://ensightapps.com/
EnSight Media offers three versions of their Radio Alarm (now called RadiOn) including the free version link shown above and a paid version (currently $1.99) and HD version (currently $2.99). Users can listen to 50,000+ radio channels worldwide. The app has an alarm feature which allows users to shake the phone to turn it off and a sleep timer feature so one can go to sleep to music as well. Solid 4-star reviews by customers makes this an ideal app for those that want to begin their day with music and be able to enjoy music from around the world throughout their day.
3. Sleep Time by Azumio Inc.
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sleep-time+-alarm-clock-sleep/id498360026?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
Developer: http://www.azumio.com/apps/
Sleep Time is an alarm clock that monitors and analyzes your sleep cycles to wake you when you are in the lightest sleep phase. It is based on the philosophy that if you wake at the right moment you will feel more rested instead of irritable. The app for iPhone also includes the ability to fall asleep to soundscapes or white noise. The app saves data so you can look back and analyze sleep cycles. The best mornings begin after a good night’s rest so using this app can help one determine how to get the best rest possible.
4. SpeakToSnooze by j labs
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/speaktosnooze-alarm-clock/id529000772?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
Android: not available
This app has a solid 4.5 star rating in the Apple store with over 1,000 ratings posted. It is currently a free app with some in-app purchase options. The advantage of this app is that you can control the alarm clock by voice instead of having to open your eyes and reach for the phone itself. Users can set the alarm, ask what time it is, tell the alarm to snooze or turn off, turn on the flashlight or even set an alarm that you cannot reset with snooze command. They also have a pro version which eliminates ads, has premium clock designs and allows users to set multi-day alarms.
5. Luminosity Mobile by Lumos Labs, Inc.
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lumosity-mobile/id577232024?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
Android: not available
Developer: http://www.lumosity.com/
Luminosity is a way to improve your memory, attention and overall brain performance. While a physical morning workout is on many people’s agenda, a mental one often is not yet it is equally important. Brain stimulation in the morning can do wonders for a person’s day by boosting problem solving and other mental abilities. The app is free to download but it will take either a monthly subscription or annual subscription to get the full ongoing personalized training program. Over 62,000 user ratings give it a solid 5 star rating.
6. Living Social by Living Social
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/livingsocial/id340295413?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.livingsocial.www
Developer: https://www.livingsocial.com/mobile
Here is an interesting way to start the day – by planning ahead to save money on restaurants, spas and more. The app will push daily deals to your phone each day for things going on in your city and also things that can be purchased right from your phone. Both the Apple and the Android app are highly rated by users. This app will be particularly useful for those in metropolitan areas. Just show your phone to the merchant – no need to print anything! See a deal that you think your friends would like? Simply share it with them via email or tweet with one click. What’s even better is that if three of your friends buy the deal that you purchased, you will get yours for free!
7. Daily Horoscope by Comitic/Max Binshtok
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-dailyhoroscope/id363920434?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
Developer: http://www.comitic.com/dailyhoroscope/download/
This app has one feature and one feature only – to give you your horoscope for the day. Reading one’s horoscope is a part of many people’s morning routine and this app appears to do it beautifully. The app has a 5 star review with over 50,000 ratings posted on iTunes and a 4.7 star review with over 175,000 total ratings in Google Play. Customer review comments often remark on the authenticity of the predictions. Could just be that extra bit of inspiration to get out of bed!
8. Smile Alarm by Antoan Tateosian
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/smile-alarm-10-games-to-wake/id399405682?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
Android: not available
Developer: http://smilealarm.com/
This app is a great way to break that snooze alarm bad habit while refreshing your brain in the process. Instead of being able to touch a snooze button or even use your voice as some do, this app makes you play a game. Users choose the game they want to use and set the difficulty level or set it at random to be surprised. Choose songs and playlists or use the music mixing option to play random parts of your chosen songs. You can even record voice to use as alarm sounds. There are 6 brain-waking games to choose from. Getting one’s brain engaged is a fun way to wake up. The app supports unlimited alarms with custom repeatable days. Average customer rating is 4.5 stars with over 500 ratings posted thus far. The app currently costs $1.99 but all upcoming updates including more games and clock themes will be free.
9. Daily Workouts FREE by Daily Workout Apps, LLC
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/daily-workouts-free/id469068059?mt=8
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tinymission.dailyworkoutsfree&hl=en
Developer: http://dailyworkoutapps.com/dailyworkoutapps/Daily_Workouts.html
While most people understand the benefits of a regular morning workout routine it can be difficult to get started sometimes. This app is like having your own personal trainer and since it has 10 to 30 minute full body routines and 5 to 10 minute targeted workouts for both men and women it won’t take up much of your morning to do them. They also have a full version that includes more exercises and routines as well as being ad-free. Users won’t get bored since the workouts are randomly created and different each day. There are videos to show how to do each exercise along with on-screen instructions and a timer. Customers for both the Android and Apple versions are rating this app with 4.5 stars.
10. Newspapers by David Earnest The Dreaming Phone
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/newspapers/id308196376?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
Android: not available
Reading the newspaper is a common morning activity for many people yet trotting out to the driveway for the local paper can be a bit of a pain especially during inclement weather. This app has an easy to use directory for finding free online content in newspapers around the world. The app is inexpensive and is updated regularly with updated newspaper links. The current version has a solid 5 star customer rating. Why settle for one soggy newspaper when you can have more than 6,000?
This is just a small sampling of all the great apps that can be used to make your mornings better. Some other thoughts are apps for getting in a morning run, finding a daily bible verse or finding breakfast recipes. Mornings do not have to be boring when there are so many great apps. You know you pick up your phone first thing in the morning so why not put some apps on it so your phone picks you up too!
