Voracious App-etite (What Apps are hot for 2016?)

Apps used to mean appetizers.

A gastronomic tie-in exists, as we seem to be gluttonous when it comes to apps. We use them for all kinds of things — to stay organized, to find stuff, to connect with each other, to stockpile and rate music, films, booze, and food. Here are the most popular apps of 2015. Seems as if social interaction and navigation are among the main reasons we love our apps.

What could be hot this year? Here’s one Forbe’s blogger’s take on it. I’ve been using SlideShare for years, and after it was bought by LinkedIn, it became even more useful. But then you have more apps designed for taking photos and sharing them, shopping for more stuff that you probably don’t need, and otherwise exercising your fingers and being narcisstic. I also just read about Peach, which is described as a “slick new messaging app.” How many more messages do we need? When will the madness end?

That said, lots of apps make our lives easier and more convenient. Here are the app categories that make me app-happy.

1. Social media apps: a great way to build brand awareness and engage with people far away. Hootsuite and bit.ly are good for saving time and knowing if anyone is really reading ones stuff.
2. Uber and Via and SpotHero: Save me time and money getting places. I also love Google Maps. I still get lost sometimes, but not as much.
3. Mindmeister and Google Docs and Basecamp: ways to spark innovation and collaborate. And if you’re a list-making type, List Master can be your master.
4. The WeWork app lets me do everything from booking a conference room in Amsterdam to chatting with a colleague two floors down to finding some obscure service or product in minutes.
5. Apps that keep me from becoming a total work nerd and share my cultural and shopping tastes with others: Goodreads and Spotify. Fandango, Open Table, and TodayTix are good when I’m going out (or thinking about it).
6. My password app (aWallet). I’d be confused without it.
7. Flipboard: Can make you smarter in just five minutes a day.
8. MyFitnessPal and my Fitbit app prevent me from sitting on my butt, playing with my apps.
9. Expedia, Booking.com, and my airline apps. When I’m traveling, they come in handy. And my banking app has become a lifesaver on the road. Here are even more travel apps!
10. Speaking of moving around, WordPress enables me to write my blog from anywhere and on any device — and then share it with the world (see #1)!

As you evaluate your app needs (or app wants…we don’t really NEED any of them), ask yourself:

1. Will this make my life easier? Save me time, money, or resources? Keep me organized?
2. Will this make me happier? Will I learn something amazing?
3. Will it do something that I can’t do another way?

If you don’t need it, think twice before downloading it. The space and time you save can be used for other things in the real world!

What are YOUR favorite apps?

More app facts:

	Want to make your own app? Here’s how.
	Love and money. The financial future of dating apps.
	Apps that violate your privacy.
	If you’re interested in appetizers and not just downloads, here are the best recipe apps.