It’s a new year! And for many people, fervently hurling last year’s calendar into the abyss, a new year is a time to try new things. With the right apps, your iPhone or iPad can make this process much easier.
So whether you’ve resolved to try something new and amazing over the coming twelve months, or want ideas on how to improve your life, check out these iOS greats.
Remind yourself: Cheatsheet (free or $5.99/£5.99 per year)
Rather than plaster walls (or pets!) with sticky notes, use Cheatsheet as a reminder of your resolutions – or any other nugget you need to remember, such as phone numbers and Wi-Fi codes. They’ll then only ever be a prod or swipe away.
Infuse new habits: Streaks ($5.99/£5.99)
Whether you want to start a new daily habit or rid yourself of a bad one, this app is the best around. The no-nonsense interface makes it a cinch to spot your tasks, and you can dig into various stats to see how you’re progressing as the months pass.
Be more focused: Bear Focus Timer ($1.99/£1.99)
Stop being distracted by your iPhone when you’re supposed to be working by starting up this Pomodoro timer – which only works when your phone is face down. Stick to the schedule and you’ll be rewarded with cartoon bear cards. Fail and your furry master will scowl at you.
Waste less time online: Unhabit (free)
Can’t stop visiting websites that steal hours from your life? Install this browser add-on and it’ll block access attempts. You can get past Unhabit, but only after a lengthy countdown that may well get you to think again about your choices.
Get started with exercise: Streaks Workout ($4.99/£4.99)
When you’ve got the urge to start moving about, but lack time and/or equipment, this app is ideal. You can define routines that work for you, or kick things off with a pre-defined six-minute workout. Probably avoid the 30-minute ‘extreme’ option until you’re into the swing of things.
Learn to run: ZRX: Zombies, Run! (free + IAP)
Should you prefer getting out of the house or need more encouragement, how about running along local streets, fleeing from zombies? Not keen on undead horrors growling into your ears during story-based missions? ZRX also includes material from other properties, including Marvel.
Sleep more: Sleep Cycle (free + IAP)
Not everyone needs eight hours of sleep, but you might feel you need more than you get and wake feeling groggy. This app analyzes your patterns, aiming to rouse you during your lightest phase of sleep. And once you’re up, you can examine detailed graphics and data.
Eat better: Kitchen Stories (free)
Plenty of apps want you to eat more healthily. But many folks just need to eat better – and that comes from cooking your own meals. Kitchen Stories combines recipes with videos and photos, meaning you can check everything’s looking just so at every step.
Learn a language: Duolingo (from free)
Trying to learn a new language can feel like a chore. Duolingo turns it into a game, with bite-sized quizzes that can be completed in a few minutes. You’re rewarded for streaks and can compete against your friends – and on worldwide leaderboards against other players.
Take up painting: Procreate Pocket ($5.99/£5.99)
This app helps you unleash your inner artist. The interface gets out of your way, turning your iPhone into a canvas. As your confidence grows, you can explore features like layers, transform tools and custom brushes. You might never hang your iPhone in the Louvre, but Procreate sure beats paints and paper.
Master an instrument: Yousician (free or IAP)
This one acts as a personal tutor to help you learn guitar, piano or singing. The interface is akin to Guitar Hero rotated 90 degrees, with you matching chords and notes that scroll across the screen. The game-like vibe is effective, quickly letting you plot your way to chart superstardom.
Learn the world map: Seterra Geography (free)
For adults and students alike, this app is an excellent way to finally learn where countries and states are located, by working through speedy custom quizzes. And once you know your Andorra from your Angola, you can try your luck at identifying flags.
Become a coding guru: Mimo (free + IAP)
Keen to refresh coding skills or get started on HTML, JavaScript, Python, Swift or some other language? This app eases you in with short lessons you can squeeze into any gap. Keep up that resolution and dip in daily and you’ll be a coding guru by the time you write next year’s list.
Read the classics: Serial Reader (free or $2.99/£2.99)
If you’ve always wanted to read the classics, but reckon you don’t have time, Serial Reader begs to differ. That’s because it serves up famous works in short chunks you can read in a few minutes. Even War and Peace becomes manageable when you’re tackling a few pages every day.
Read more books: Book Tracker ($14.99/£14.99)
Should you be keen to read more books in general this year, Book Tracker keeps tabs on where you’re at and your wider collection. You scan physical books in via bar codes, or use search. There are loads of stats, and spaces for comments, along with loans.
Enjoy albums again: Longplay ($5.99/£5.99)
Do you miss albums? Have you resolved to listen to more of them, rather than having Apple Music shuffle every song ever created at random? This opinionated player is based around albums and even has an option that disables skipping tracks if you want to be properly hardcore in your resolve.
Write a novel: Scrivener ($23.99/£22.99)
If you’ve always believed you have a novel in you and this is the year to get it out, Scrivener is a great way to get started. You can use it to stash ideas and gradually grow your manuscript by piecing sections of writing together – and then eventually export the lot and hurl it a publisher’s way.
Keep a diary: Journal (free)
The idea of keeping a diary might feel quaint – even archaic – but getting your thoughts down can be therapeutic. And also handy, when you want to revisit past days. Apple’s Journal speeds things along by using details from your iPhone, including photos you’ve taken and places you’ve visited.
Keep in touch: CatchUp (free)
A commonplace resolution for many people is keeping in touch with friends. But the weeks tick by and then it’s December. Don’t let that happen by using this app to add contacts and remind you when it’s been too long since you last spoke to someone – or at least sent a quick message.
Budget better: Pennies ($4.99/£4.99)
When money is a concern, you might resolve to spend less of it. Or to at least spend more meaningfully. However, budgeting apps can overwhelm. Not Pennies, which has a fun, simple interface that’s money management for the rest of us.
Travel more: Google Earth (free)
A promise people often make is to travel more over the coming year. Google Earth is a great way to plan. It’s not trying to sell you tickets, car hire and hotels – it just wants to inspire you to see more of the world, swiping around the planet to partake in a spot of virtual tourism.
Be secure online: Passwords (free)
It’s unlikely many people reading this have decided on improving online security as a resolution. But perhaps you should, because so much of our lives sit behind passwords that could be stronger. Apple’s app tracks password breaches and helps you make stronger passwords when the time comes.
Learn to relax: Oak (free)
In today’s hectic world, a great resolution is to give yourself some time to relax every day. Oak helps you make the most of that time with breathing and guided meditation exercises, thereby transforming your iPhone from a device that can cause stress to an essential component of ongoing wellbeing.
Give yourself space: Pause ($3.99/£3.99 per month)
If you want to unwind in a different way from Oak’s approach, Pause invites you to follow a blob with your finger and zone out to relaxing audio. You might initially feel daft immersing yourself in this minimal world, but if it releases stress, downloading Pause could prove to be the best New Year’s resolution of all.