My Favorite Apps for Summertime

It’s a sad but true fact of modern life: we have our phones with us 24/7. We are constantly connected: during downtime at home, out with friends and family, even when we’re exploring nature without wifi. Despite our best intentions it’s really hard to live without our phones. So instead of aimlessly scrolling Instagram this summer, why not make your phone a more useful resource? Whether you’re enjoying a summer full of traveling, road-tripping or playing in the backyard, these apps can help you make the most out of this wonderful season!

 

1. PackPoint (iOS and Android) Free

This app is a must-have for traveling. It’s great for helping you remember everything (and I really mean everything) you need to pack. It basically generates your packing list for you based on where you’re going, the weather conditions and activities you’re planning. There are limited features on the free version, but it’s still a really comprehensive checklist that takes a little bit of stress off you.

2. Sworkit (iOS and Android) Free

This is my all-time favorite fitness app. It’s totally customizable and features a variety of different workouts like strength, cardio, or yoga. It’s like making a playlist for working out. You just pick the exercises you want to do and the amount of time and it shows you how to do them as you go. It’s perfect to use at home or on the go to maintain your summer beach bod!

3. Sky Guide (iOS) $2.99 or Google Sky (Android) Free

These apps are essential for a night under the stars. They both do pretty much the same thing: just point your device towards the sky and these apps can help you identify stars, planets, constellations and more in the night sky. Whether you’re camping with the kids or on a romantic date in the park, looking at the stars is always a fun summer activity!

4. Groupon (iOS and Android) Free

I absolutely love Groupon. If you haven’t used it before, you should definitely give it a try. It’s basically a bunch of discounts for activities, services and products. These discounts range from boating tours, to massages, to hotel stays and beyond. They even sometimes have giftcards which you can buy for discounted prices. I like having the app because you can just show your purchase from your phone rather than having to print it out, so you can buy deals on the go. If you’re ever traveling or looking for an activity, check out the deals on Groupon!

5. VSCO (iOS and Android) Free

VSCO is a pretty popular photo editing app that features unique filters to add to your photos. It’s perfect for editing all your summer pics before posting to social media. It also is like it’s own social media, where you can create an account and post photos to your feed for your friends to see, although I don’t really use this feature. The thing I like most about it (especially over Instagram) is the ability to upload photos from your computer to then edit on your phone.

6. Spotify (iOS and Android) Free, but requires subscription

This may seem obvious as one of the best music streaming apps out there. But when you’re on a summer roadtrip or chilling by the pool, you really need a great playlist to set the mood! I love that Spotify lets you create your own playlists or play by genre so you’ll always have new music on hand. And the other coolest feature: it also plays podcasts. I love listening to a good podcast on long car trips, and with Spotify, you have a great library at your fingertips.

7. Trip.com (iOS and Android) Free

It’s a pretty useful travel app that lets you filter your search by activity, food, outdoors, etc. It’ll also show you suggestions based on the weather and your interests, such as history or night life. You can search on a map or by a city so you can see exactly what’s on your way. The other cool feature is that it has reviews and user photos of activities/restaurants so you can get a real look at what the place is like.

8. State Parks Guide – Pocket Ranger (iOS and Android) Free

This app is available for most states individually and it shows all the state parks found there. This is a really cool app for me because I love exploring the different state parks and this one shows all the activities and information for each individual park. You can even filter parks by different activities available there. Hello, summer adventures!

 

And that’s about it for today! Let me know in the comments section what are your go-to apps for summertime and if you plan on trying any of the apps I mentioned! As always, thanks for reading! Check back in tomorrow for Day 3 of my mini blogging challenge!

 

 

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