As we head into a new year, it’s time to clean up and declutter not just our physical spaces, but our devices too. Start by deleting the apps you don’t use and add some new ones to your lineup! This list of cleverly designed, highly rated, and incredibly useful apps will help you stay happy, organized, and knowledgeable in 2025.
Are you weather-obsessed? A meticulous planner, an aspiring meal prepper, or compulsive photo taker? There’s an app here for you.
TRAVEL & OUTDOORS
Wanderlog
Lets you build, research, and share trip itineraries
This is by far my favorite travel planning app, and I’m asking for the pro version for Christmas. Whether you’re spending a quick weekend in NYC or two weeks in Africa, it’s got a bevy of features that help you (and your fellow travelers) get on board with the plans. You can import reservations with a simple forward of an email, invite friends to collaborate, and add notes about any activity.
When you add a stop to the day’s plan, it shows you the Google rating, address, phone, website, and even the time and directions from/to each stop. The free version is great, but the paid ($50 a year) has lots of extra snazzy things. Download it here.
Strava
GPS tracks your outdoor fitness in a data-driven and fun manner
If you do any outdoor movement like running, walking, cycling, hiking, or even paddleboarding, this app is a must. You can find new walking/hiking routes, set weekly distance goals, and interact with friends. It tracks your workouts with GPS, giving you detailed stats like distance, pace, elevation, and calories burned. Download it here.
Merlin Bird ID
Identifies birds you hear or see
Have you ever wondered what kind of bird was singing that sweet, sweet song … or which one woke you up at 4 a.m.?! Simply answer a few questions about the bird you saw/heard — like size, color, and behavior — or snap a photo, and Merlin works its magic to identify it in seconds. Created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, this app is for casual bird enthusiasts and hardcore birders worldwide. It’s totally free and downloadable here. Check out how it works.
Carrot Weather
Offers weather and news in a seriously unserious way
This is the weather app with attitude. It gives you forecasts, radar maps, and alerts but also roasts you for even checking. Depending on the setting you set up with, Carrot goes from professional to snarky to downright SAVAGE. It’s like a sarcastic meteorologist in your pocket who doesn’t sugarcoat the fact that your weekend picnic is doomed.
The quirky, snazzy, customizable interface makes the weather so entertaining, and the weather news articles section is fantastic, too. Get the free app here (the paid version is $20 a year).
PHOTO & VIDEO
Adobe Lightroom Mobile
The most sophisticated and user-friendly photo editor app out there
Adobe Lightroom Mobile is like having a mini photography studio in your pocket. Whether you’re a pro photographer or just someone who wants their family photos to pop, this app is for you. You can tweak everything from exposure and contrast to colors and sharpness with precision sliders that make it weirdly fun to play around.
The preset filters are game-changers for giving your photos that aesthetic, moody vibe in one tap. Plus, it syncs seamlessly with the desktop version, so you can start editing on your phone and finish on your laptop if you’re feeling fancy. You can download it for free here — pricing goes to $11.99 a month in January for all the premium features (there’s a discount to pay a year up-front!)
InShot
An easy video editor that offers tons of features for a great price
If you’ve ever thought about dabbling with video editing, this app is for you. It has so many fun-to-tinker-with features. You can splice together a birthday slideshow for your kid or produce a YouTube-ready vacation vlog about your big trip. In fact, Grammar Guru uses this for most of her videos … wink wink!
You can add text, filters, effects, music, and so much more. The fabulous premium version is just $14.99 a year, and you can download it here.
FUN & LEARNING
JustWatch
Tells you what movies and shows are streaming and where
This app is the peacekeeper your couch desperately needs. JustWatch saves you from endlessly scrolling through streaming platforms while yelling, “There’s nothing to watch!” It’s your one-stop shop for determining where your favorite movies and shows are streaming. It even lets you filter by genre, release year, or price. Download it here.
The StoryGraph
A sleeker, better reading catalog/tracker to Goodreads
If Goodreads drives you a little cuckoo with its limitations, bugs, and outdated user interface, this app is for you. It’s for bookworms who want their reading habit to feel deeply curated and just a little pretentious (in the best way). The StoryGraph tracks your reads, analyzes your preferences, and recommends books based on your mood.
Unlike on other apps, you can nerd out over charts and stats about your reading habits, award half and quarter stars, and SO many other customizations. Download The StoryGraph here and check out this quick and dirty tutorial.
Libby
Audible but free … because LIBRARIES
If you don’t have this app yet, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? (Likely wasting your hard-earned money on Audible!) Thousands of public libraries offer free books through Libby, so you can consume books — text or audio — without spending a dime.
Just sync it with your library card (pro tip: sync multiple library cards from different cities/states!), and voilà — you’re suddenly swimming in free eBooks and audiobooks. Whether you’re reading to learn or escape, Libby’s got you covered. Download it here.
Duolingo
Gamifies and breaks down language learning
This beloved app makes learning a new language feel like a game where the goal is not to disappoint a sassy green owl. With their bite-sized, on-the-go lessons, you can brush up on Spanish before a vacation, start Mandarin, or dabble in Klingon (yes, really).
Duolingo will have you saying, “Just one more lesson,” until it’s midnight, and you’re conjugating verbs in your dreams. The updated version includes real-time language coaching with AI-powered feedback. It’s like a tutor in your pocket! Download it here.
Mimo
Teaches you to code from scratch
This is the coding app for absolute beginners. The easy-t0-digest lessons make you feel techy-er and smarter with every tap. Whether you want to build an app, design a website, or impress your coworkers and tech-savvy friends, Mimo’s got you.
Warning: Once you start, you might actually begin to understand JavaScript! In 10 minutes a day, you can pick up web design, app development, or even data analytics skills. Download it here. There are both free and paid options.
PRODUCTIVITY
Things 3
The to-do list you will actually get through
This award-winning app has a tribe of devotees that tout its ability to make you get things DONE. The beautifully fun-to-use interface gently bullies you into getting your life together by keeping it ridiculously simple. Each day, it asks you to jot down just three tasks to focus on because, let’s be honest, your 27-item to-do list isn’t fooling anyone.
It’s all about prioritizing what really matters and feeling accomplished instead of overwhelmed. Perfect for busy days or when you just need to feel like a productivity rockstar, one tiny win at a time. Download Things 3 here.
Genius Scan
Helps you scan, organize, and send physical papers digitallyÂ
I use this handy app a lot. It’s a pocket-sized scanner, PDF creator/combiner, and more. Just snap a photo of any document — receipts, contracts with a wet signature, or your latest doodle — and watch the app magically transform into a crisp, clear PDF. It automatically detects the document’s edges, corrects perspective, and enhances readability, so you don’t have to.
Batch scanning lets you digitize multiple pages in seconds, and it integrates with cloud services like Dropbox and Google Drive, ensuring your documents are always accessible. Get Genius Scan here.
HOME & COOKING
Paprika
The only recipe app you need
This is the app for organizing your recipes, meal planning, and grocery lists all in one place. It lets you import ANY recipes from the web with a single click — and weed through the author’s dissertation about her grandmother’s cornbread. It helps you save your favorite dishes, shop the grocery aisles efficiently, and determine the correct measurements. The $4.99 third version is super feature-rich and only getting better. Download it here.
Yuka
An easy way to scan for harmful ingredients in food and household products
Yuka can help turn your grocery trip into an often-needed health audit. Scan the barcode on that “healthy” snack you love, and Yuka will unabashedly rate it on a scale from “angelic” to “Why would you do this to yourself?” It breaks down ingredients, points out hidden nasties, and even suggests better alternatives.
Bonus: It also works for cosmetics, so you can audit the bathroom cabinet and your pantry. Download this free app here. You can upgrade to a $15-a-year premium version if you love it.
Houzz
An all-in-one home designing/remodeling resource
This app has 4.8 stars and more than 300k ratings. It turns your casual scroll into a full-blown renovation fantasy. Open it to “just look for ideas,” and suddenly, you’re pricing marble countertops and debating if you need a reading room. Upload photos of your rooms, and this app will suggest furniture, color palettes, or even layouts based on your preferences.
This app also gives you shopping options and even connections to contractors. Perfect for quick inspiration or a complete makeover. Download the free app here, you interior designer, you!
Get your apps in shape this year!
**********
For more life hacks and inspiration, follow StyleBlueprint on Pinterest!
