What are some of your app-solute must-haves? Most of us would agree that it’s hard to do without direct messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, Viber and Telegram nowadays as they help us stay in touch with our friends and loved ones. Of course, we have our go-to social media tools too, including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok that keep us up to date on the buzziest topics and trends.
Beyond these key platforms, there’s still a plethora of mobile applications out there that we can easily gain access to at a touch of our fingertips that are designed to suit every want and need. From user-friendly organisational tools that will help to boost your productivity or informational resource tools that can educate you on living more sustainably, read on as we highlight five women-founded mobile applications that are deserving of a spot on your home screen.
Organise your life with 24me
Available on the App Store (iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch) and Google Play Store.
Scheduling work meetings. Filing taxes and claims. Making time for a long-overdue dinner date with the other half. When life gets incredibly hectic, wouldn’t it be nice to have a “Personal Assistant” by your side to remind you of your upcoming tasks? Meet 24me, a free-to-download productivity app that taps on Machine Learning, Big Data technologies and Artificial Intelligence to provide users with “anticipatory information” when they need it most.
“As a busy mom of four who manages a career in tech, I really needed something that will keep together both my personal and my work schedule and will help me remember all other tasks and errands that I need to accomplish,” shared 24me’s co-founder Liat Mordechay Hertanu, who developed the app with her business and romantic partner Gil Hertanu.
Why it’s home screen-worthy: 24me is a one-stop shop for all your productivity needs. Instead of toggling between different organisational apps such as your calendar, phone and email, 24me allows you to manage your schedule in one place with in-built features. P.S. It also comes with a “Procrastination Fighter” function, which notifies you to work on your overdue tasks whenever you have an open slot in your calendar.
Get movin’ with Classpass
Available on the App Store (iPhone) and Google Play store.
Gym memberships and fitness class packages can cost up to thousands of dollars a year. Plus, it can be tough to commit to a single fitness centre if you’d prefer to keep your options open and try out different experiences before deciding on the ones that you’d like the most. On the flip side, having too many options for you to choose from might leave you feeling frustrated too.
To solve this common woe that many fitness enthusiasts face, dancer Payal Kadakia founded ClassPass, an app that connects users to millions of fitness and wellness industries in 30 countries worldwide. “I didn’t want to build a product for a month. I wanted to build a lifestyle. And the biggest thing we’d discovered was people loved variety. The trend we’d hit on was that fitness could be fun and exciting and something new that people want to do,” shared Payal.
Why it’s home screen-worthy: With the app’s monthly subscription service, you’ll be given a number of credits that you can use to redeem for classes or services of your choice. This not only motivates you to prioritise your health but keeps your fitness journey fresh and exciting as well.
Design visual content with Canva
Available on the App Store (iPhone & iPad) and Google Play Store.
Are you the “the artistic one” in your family who’s always tasked to prepare emotional, photomontages for your parents’ birthdays and wedding anniversaries? Or are you an emerging content creator who’s new to creating fun and engaging layouts for your own website? Graphic design platform Canva might just be what you need to take your creative works to the next level, especially if professional software such as Adobe Photoshop seems to be too daunting at the moment for you.
Co-founded by Filipino-Australian Melanie Perkins in 2012, the platform features an extremely user-friendly interface that provides users with a huge variety of design templates that they can easily modify according to their needs — whether it’s an event poster for school or an Instagram video post for your profile.
Why it’s home screen-worthy: Canva gives you access to all the key functions and features that you’d need from a professional photo editing software, sans the hefty subscription price tag and complicated-looking features.
Calm anxiety and stress with Shine
Available on the App Store (iPhone, Apple Watch) and Google Play Store.
Following our discovery of tech-mediated mental health apps last year, we witnessed how they can serve as gentle reminders for us to care a little more for our mental well-being. Shine’s co-founders and co-CEOs, Marah Lidey and Naomi Hirabayashi didn’t see themselves represented in mainstream wellness and hence, decided to develop their own self-care app in 2016.
“It felt like living ‘well’ and prioritising yourself was reserved for a privileged class of society that we just didn’t fit into. And that frustration fueled us to create a self-care community and tool for all of us,” shared the co-founders in an Instagram post. The Shine app provides users with new self-care strategies every day and provides them with access to over 800 original meditations, bedtime stories and calming sounds to help them lower their stress levels.
Why it’s home screen-worthy: It encourages you to make caring for your mental and emotional health a habit — especially with many of us still learning to adapt to the challenges of our new norm. And if your friend ever peeks at your phone and asks you about it, it’s a great opportunity for you to speak up about your own mental health experience and encourage healthy conversations around it, rather than shy away from it.
Shop sustainably with Good On You
Available on the App Store (iPhone, iPad) and Google Play Store.
Fashion and sustainability are inextricably linked in today’s day and age, as we battle against climate change and limited resources and fight for ethical production, equal wage and opportunities. With more brands hopping onto the “clean and green” bandwagon, it can be tough to discern which organisations actually walk the talk in terms of sustainable fashion.
Fortunately, there’s the Good On You app, which has assessed over 3,000 clothing companies and their impact on people, animals and the planet so that users can make more informed purchases online and in-store. Co-founded by Sandra Capponi, who was the former Corporate and Social Responsibility adviser for the National Australia Bank, the app counts actress Emma Watson among its faithful supporters.
Why it’s home screen-worthy: It takes away all the confusing, web engine search work that you need to undergo in order to learn more about a clothing brand’s stance on sustainability. Furthermore, with the app’s newly introduced “Location” feature that allows you to find sustainable brands near you, you can be even more empowered to enjoy fashion more consciously.
Which of these apps are you most intrigued by?
(Cover photos from: Charlotte May via Pexels and @24meapp)
Next, discover 5 AR beauty tools that can make your online shopping easier.
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