My Favorite Phone Apps

Today, a friend asked me what apps I have on my iPhone. She has over 200--many of which she never uses, and she says they're cluttering up her phone screen. Plus, it's difficult for her to find those apps that she uses often, without scrolling back and forth constantly.

Just as physical clutter and paper clutter can build, so can 'virtual' clutter, like clutter found in your email inbox, on your computer, and YES, on your smart phone.

If you get an app, and you never use it, it's clutter and it should be deleted from your smartphone.

Here are my current favorite Phone Apps. This is not to say they will be tomorrow's favorites, but at this moment in time, this is what I have:

Apps that came with my iPhone that I don't have the option of deleting (they're all on the first 'page' of my iPhone screen:

Calendar
Weather
Maps
Notes
Utilities
App Store
Game Center
Settings
Stocks
Photos
Camera
Messages
Contacts
Phone
Mail
Safari
iPod

Apps that I have on my iPhone in addition to those that came with the phone (all of these are on 'pages 2 and 3' of my iPhone screen and I use them regularly--some daily:

iTunes
YouTube
Netflix
Shazam
Phanfare
The Weather Channel
Facebook
Twitter
Virtuoso
Amazon.com
Evernote
All Recipes
Fox News
Check Please
AroundMe
Pandora
Seize The Day
Dragon Dictation
Fandango
Google
Angry Birds
Groupon
Living Social
Cool Facts
Birthdays

Remember, clutter can take many forms. Don't allow your smart phone to become a clutter trouble spot. Keep your apps under control and your phone will not only be organized, but will also help you stay productive and stress-free each day.

Comments

[J.S.]

Would you please make GON into an app? Especially the checklists and challenges. Thank you!

[Susan]

I move apps I don't use (preloaded or apps I have installed and am not sure if I will go back to using or not) to a group labeled "Unused" & put it on the last screen.

[AJ]

You can move the app icons to a different page on your iPhone. You just hold the app icon down until the all start to 'wiggle', then hold the one you want to move and pull/scroll it to a different page. You can reorder the app icons in this same manner to organize them in any way you wish! :). Also, a page doesn't have to be full to start a new page, so you can move all the unused apps to a last page where they are out of the way.

[RLJ]

You can organize your iPhone screens better too. If you don't use the "default" apps, they don't deserve to be on your 1st screen. On my home screen is only 7 of the default apps, plus 4 that I've downloaded and 2 folders containing stuff I like to get to without scrolling but a couple of clicks are okay.

Yes, I mentioned folders. With the newer operating systems you can create folders. Just drag one app on top of another for a few seconds and a folder pops up. From there you can name it and add other apps to the folder.

My second screen also has 2 folders - 1 default which contains the default apps that I never use, but of course can't delete and an Archive folder for apps I've purchased but no longer actively use. There are 3 default apps and 3 downloaded apps on that page too.

You can also remove apps from the iPhone with iTunes. When the iPhone is connected, click on Apps. Under Sync Apps, you can unclick any you no longer want showing up on your iPhone. You still can sync the apps in future if you wish by checking it off again in the same place. If you want you can use the same area to organize your apps on your iPhone screens as well.

I realize I don't have many apps, only 25 that are not default. But they all fit on 2 screens (with lots of room on the second screen) and the ones I use often are quickly accessed.

[Ayesha B.]

You can create folders in iPhone and organize your apps within each category.

[Melinda J]

Another great app- Applets. The 99 cent version has many apps within and it is only one icon on your screen. It has weather, tip calculator, google email access, and many others.