10 Ways to Make Your Phone More Efficient
We all love our phones. When was the last time you left home without yours? But our phones can be used for so much more than just calling and texting. I’ve been living in England this past year, so I can’t make any calls on my phone. However, I still use it all the time! Your phone can do so much for you. Check out these 10 ways to make your phone more efficient!
1. Keep Your Bank on Your Phone
I’ve downloaded the app for my bank, and it has made my life so much easier. I can easily check up on how much money I have in my accounts, transfer money between them, and even deposit checks! Keeping your bank on your phone will help you ensure you never spend more money than you have, and it’s so satisfying to be able to immediately see when that direct deposit comes in. Plus, with a bank app, you almost never have to actually go to a bank. You’ll save so much time avoiding this errand, making your life much more efficient.
2. Use a Budgeting App
Along with having your bank on your phone, it’s really helpful to download a budgeting app, such as mint. You can link the app with your bank account and use it to create a budget you may actually stick to. In your budget you can divide everything into categories from food to pleasure, and even create your own. Plus, you can create goals to strive towards, such as paying off your student loans or going on a vacation.
3. Catch Up on Your Reading
When you’re constantly on the go and have limited space in your bag, the last thing you want to try to cram in is a book. It’s big and bulky, and tends to weigh you down. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take the time to read when you’re on the go! That’s where your phone comes in, with apps such as the Kindle App. You can download tons of books to read right on your phone. That way, when you’re bored on the subway or while waiting in a doctor’s office, you can catch up on your reading without having to drag around a big book. It makes everything much more efficient when you can just use your phone!
4. Work From Home
Do you need to work on a big group project while on the go? Your phone can help with that too. If you’re office uses Google docs, sheets, or slides, you can just download the app right to your phone and keep working even after you’ve left the office! You can be more efficient by working on the go, and if you forgot to add something to your project, you can just do so at home.
5. Avoid the Traffic
How frustrating is it to sit in traffic on your daily commute? No one likes to sit in traffic, which is why apps like Waze come up with routes to avoid it! Just put your destination into the app and it’ll take you the fastest, least traffic-y route. That’s a sure fire way to become more efficient. It’ll even warn you if there’s a police officer in the area, or if there is any accident. With the app, you’ll be bound to get to your destination as fast as possible.
6. Run for Charity
If you are a runner, your phone can help with that too! There are tons of apps out there that can help track your mileage and progress, but my favorite is Charity Miles. Once you make an account, you can run for charity! Just turn on the app every time you go for a run, walk, or bike ride, and choose from one of the many charities they’re connected to, from Save the Children to Stand Up to Cancer and tons more. The app will track how many miles you go, and donate 25 cents (10 cents if you’re biking) for each mile you run. It’s fantastic motivation for running, since every time you do you make a little bit of a difference. Plus, you can see just how much your miles add up. In the year and a half since I downloaded the app, I’ve run 278.21 miles, and raised $69.55. So every little bit adds up!
7. Stay Connected to People All Over the World
In our modern world, people you know end up all over the world. Just because someone is in another country doesn’t mean you don’t want to talk to them, even if your phone can’t call them. That’s where apps like WhatsApp come in. This app has been a lifesaver while I’ve been abroad this year. I can still call and text my parents and friends through the app, as long as I’m on Wi-Fi. It’s so nice that being in another country doesn’t have to mean I can’t talk to my loved ones. Now if only there was an app to fix the time difference…
8. Exchange Money Easily
The most awkward moment whenever you’re out to eat with friends is definitely when the check comes. It can be so tricky to split it evenly, especially if not everyone has cash or exact change. Then someone ends up putting the whole thing on their card, hoping they’ll eventually get paid back. But this can all become much easier and more efficient with money sharing apps such as Square Cash. If all of your friends make an account, you can easily exchange money between each other at no additional cost. That way if you pick up the check, you can make sure everyone pays you back immediately. They’ll have no more excuses!
9. Find Your Phone If You’ve Lost It
Now that you’ve got all of these apps to help make your phone more efficient, the last thing you want to do is lose it. But if you’ve got an iPhone, it’s super easy to find it again using Find my iPhone. Just log into the app on another device and as long as your phone is on, you’ll be able to track its location.
10. Ensure You’re Never at Low Battery
The other thing we all never want our phone doing is lose charge. Avoid this fear by purchasing a portable charger. As long as you’ve charged up your portable charger, you can use it to keep your phone from dying when you’re out and about and see that terrifying low battery message. Alternatively, you can purchase a charging case, which will help in the same way. Then you’ll never have to fear losing too much battery again!
Your phone is almost always at your side, so why not take advantage of its many features to make your life more efficient? You can use your phones for so much more than just talking and texting!
Are there any other great apps we’ve missed? Let us know in the comments!
