Smartphone apps have undoubtedly made life easier for us. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t get monthly reminders for my period, or if I didn’t have a budget management app. This article will explore free apps that other people should know about.
Flo + myPill (period tracker and birth control reminder apps)
With Flo (a period tracker) all you need to do is log your period in the app’s calendar, and it predicts when your next cycle will be by sending you an alert on your phone several days in advance. It gives insights into your body’s health when you log your symptoms during menstruation. Additionally, it tells you what days you are most likely to get pregnant.
Although similar to Flo in some ways, the app myPill has more features and serves as a birth control reminder. Users can select several different types of contraceptives such as the pill, the NuvaRing, and the patch. It allows users to record side effects of whatever birth control/ contraceptive they are using.
If you download the app, you’ll get reminders for when to take or change out your chosen method of birth control, and it will send you reminders for placebo days. Even more useful is that you’ll get reminders when you need to schedule yearly OB/GYN visits.
Another feature is that it can store your prescription information, which your doctor will appreciate. Additionally, it has a nifty graphic for pill users that shows how many pills you have left. The only downside to all of this is that some user reviews indicate that payment is necessary for access to features that should be free, so be wary.
Click here to access Flo: https://flo.health/
Click here to access myPill: https://mypill.app/
Click here for a more comprehensive list of birth control apps: https://www.verywellhealth.com/birth-control-apps-906893
Circle of 6 (personal safety app)
The premise of Circle of 6 is very simple. You input six phone numbers, and when you need to contact your six, the app has various icons that allow you to select the message you would like to send out to them.
The pin icon sends out a text with your GPS coordinates to your six explaining that you be picked up, and that you need to get home safely. The phone icon sends a text out to your six saying that you need someone to call you and pretend to need your help because you need an interruption. The chat icon lets your six know that you need to talk to someone.
In addition to services you can access by tapping the icons, the app also gives you direct access to various national hotlines, such as the domestic abuse hotline or a LGBT+ crisis hotline.
Click here to access Circle of 6: https://www.circleof6app.com/
Click here for a more comprehensive list of personal safety apps: https://callnerds.com/which-personal-safety-app-is-the-best/
Mint (budget management app)
Depending on your age, you may have more experience with budgeting than others. But now is the best time to start learning budget management if you haven’t.
Mint is a wonderful starting place that allows users to see all of their bills and money in one place. When you first download the app it will recommend some budgets based on your spending which you can adjust as you see fit.
It sends reminders when bills are due and will send you alerts when your funds get low. It can help you create savings goals and also help you allocate money for necessities.
These are just some of the many features that Mint offers, and it can really pave the way for healthy spending habits in the future.
Click here to access Mint: https://www.mint.com/
Libby + Hoopla (apps for library ebooks, audiobooks, music, and comics)
Libby is probably my favorite app on the whole list. You just enter your library card number into the app after downloading it, and it gives you free access to hundreds of different ebooks and audiobooks straight from your phone.
Since it is a library app, the material you borrow on your phone gets “returned” to the library after 14 days unless you request an extension. Additionally, you must sometimes place holds on materials and wait for them to become available.
Libby lets you sort and browse by genre, title, or author name. There are several different search parameters you can set beforehand to help you narrow it down. For example, you can preselect audiobooks to exclusively appear in your search results. Moreover you can tag books to read for later or add them to lists that you create.
An alternative to Libby would be Hoopla, which is similar to Libby in premise but allows you to borrow movies and music in addition to ebooks and audiobooks. However, Hoopla isn’t as user friendly or well formatted as Libby. That being said, a combination of both apps is a great way to access lots of different titles and entertainment for free.
Click here to access Libby: https://meet.libbyapp.com/
Click here to access Hoopla: https://www.hoopladigital.com/my/hoopla
