Best of 2020: Apps that saw us through the stormy year

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Bite sized entertainment

We cannot talk about 2020 without mentioning TikTok, the free social media app that became a global phenomenon. Allowing its users to create, watch, and share videos from their phones, it turned everyone into creators. The convenient-to-use app won its users owing to the easy edit and upload process in comparison to other popular photo apps. Catering to those with short attention spans, TikTok especially appealed to younger users. The app's eventual ban, earlier this year, left many users disappointed.

Home workouts for all

With gyms and other such facilities shut, people turned to their phones to work out. The Cure fit app is the all-in-one fitness app that got people sweating it out with its extensive range of do-it-yourself workout videos from cardio to yoga. The health app also offers guided workout sessions by their specialised trainers and is suitable for beginners as well. Sessions range between 15 minutes to 40 minutes and each session is targeted towards achieving specific goals, such as weight loss, strength, stamina, and more.

Meditate and chill

There is no denying that 2020 has taken its toll on mental health. Meditation has long helped people deal with stress and anxiety and Let's Meditate is part of that solution. The easy-to-use app offers aims to relieve anxiety and aid calmness via guided meditations. Users can select from a curated list of tracks that are focussed on distinct areas including anxiety, sleep, healing, body scan, and more. We know meditation can be tough at first, which is why they have guided meditation tracks for as less as five minutes to start off.

New skill alert

Learning a language is something that crosses almost all our minds. It is also something that can be delayed indefinitely. Being stuck at home made many turn to Duolingo- one of the most popular free language apps. The app offers over 30 languages for english speakers to learn, including Spanish, German, French, Portuguese, Russian, Korean, Turkish, and Welsh. With a clear structure and a number of self-paced audio-visual exercises and tests, Duolingo is a great place to sharpen your skills.

Doze of culture

With most of our social engagements being shut for a good part of the year, many cultural enthusiasts had to look elsewhere for entertainment. Google Arts and Culture is a one-of-a-kind one stop app for anyone who adores art, culture, and history. An initiative to make the world's art and culture accessible to all, the app's content is diverse and exceptionally rich. Browse through the galleries of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, discover the best of street art across the globe, or indulge in quizzes. Their most recent feature, virtual tour, allows users to explore over 100 global museums and cultural sites, from the Palace of Versailles to the Taj Mahal.

Design at ease
Be it presentations or projects at work or school, Canva has been a lifeboat through it all. The free graphic design application allows users to create graphics with ease, be it a poster, social media post, or a Christmas card. One doesn't need to be a graphic designer to use Canva. Its seamless interface and templates make it easy to use for kids as well.

(e)Read more
What better than spending your time reading all the books you never got around to? With deliveries being interrupted, the Kindle app became an excellent solution. Among the most well-known e-reading apps, the app offers a wide range of reading material, books, newspapers, and magazines. Users don't need a Kindle device, any iOS or Android smartphone will do.

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