Make your life easier with these 18 mobile apps

If you're seriously into plants, you already know that keeping track of when to water them can be a real pain. After uploading your plants to the app and setting a schedule, Planta will keep you on track with watering, fertilizing, and even letting you know when it's time to repot. (Note: some features only available with premium subscription.) Available in the App Store and Google Play store. 

Use Mint to keep track of your spending and saving, stay on top of your bills, and just generally keep your finances in order. This app, available in the App Store and Google Play store, allows users to connect their bank and credit card accounts to create a financial dashboard that will allow you to see the big picture. 

Access to mental healthcare can be tricky, but TalkSpace makes it pretty easy. Download the app to be connected with counselors, psychiatrists, and other mental health providers that can help you talk through your struggles or seek a diagnosis at an affordable price. Available in the App Store and Google Play store. 

Your phone likely comes with a pre-installed navigation app, but it's probably not nearly as accurate as Waze. Waze users make real-time updates on traffic, crashes, and even debris in the road, which are surprisingly accurate. Available in the App Store and Google Play store. 

For prolific readers, Goodreads is a must. This app allows you to rate the books you loved (or didn't!) and organize a virtual to-be-read shelf. There's also a social element, where you can see the books your friends are reading and even participate in annual reading challenges. Available in the App Store and Google Play store. 

If you're looking for a free video chat app that will allow you to connect with family, Google Hangouts is a good option. You can chat with multiple people at the same time, along with screen-sharing if you need. 

Times are stressful right now, and everyone could use a little meditation. Calm offers a wide range of relaxation content, from a 30-day introductory course on meditation to five-minute lessons that can help reduce anxiety or help you go to sleep. A subscription is required. 

Right now, few topics are more pressing than gas prices. Use GasBuddy to compare prices at the pump at gas stations in your area, which could help you save some serious cash the next time you need to fill up. Available in the App Store and Google Play store. 

This content curation app makes it easy to find the news you're interested in. Flipboard arranges it in a way that's easy to consume and isn't bogged down by ads or other pop-ups. You can customize your feed according to your interests and easily share stories with friends. Available in the App Store and Google Play store. 

If you've got a few spare minutes every day, you can start learning a language. Duolingo offers courses on 19 different languages, from Irish to Welsh to Spanish, that can serve as an excellent gateway to learning how to read, write, and speak a new language. Available in the App Store and Google Play store. 

Link your public library card with Libby — an app that provides access to thousands of eBooks and audiobooks — to start reading more books right on your phone. You'll be able to check out virtual copies of both new releases and classics, all of which can also be read on popular e-readers like Kindle and Kobo. Available in the App Store and Google Play store. 

This note-taking app is extremely handy, especially for folks who love their to-do lists and take tons of notes. It's easy to organize and collaborate with coworkers. Both free and premium plans are on offer depending on what your needs are. 

Posting photos to Instagram and Facebook is just common these days, and editing apps like Snapseed can really help level up your food pics and family photos. It's free to use and allows you to adjust various elements of the photo like saturation and sharpness, or apply pre-set "looks" that can make your photo look like someone who actually knows what they're doing took it. Available in the App Store and Google Play store. 

Whether you're traveling internationally or just trying to decipher the instructions on an IKEA couch, Google Translate can be invaluable. This app allows you to take photos of the words you need translated, or type your sentence in directly, so that it can be translated and spoken out loud. Available in the App Store and Google Play store. 

Ever been out and wondered, "Hey, what's that song?" That's exactly what Shazam is for. Shazam listens to music that you hear on TV, out at the mall, or on the radio and identifies the song title and artist so you're able to listen to it again later — or at least not be annoyed that you can't remember its name. 

It's not technically an app, but both Apple phones and Android phones offer the ability to implement time limits on the apps you use most. Set limits for time-waster apps like Facebook and TikTok so you can do things you actually enjoy instead of just scrolling. 

It's 2022, which means that most of us don't have printers and scanners at home anymore for handling documents that need to be signed and returned. Enter Adobe Fill & Sign, which allows users to import PDF documents and images that can be edited, signed, and saved with just a few clicks. Available in the App Store and Google Play store. 

This basic-yet-functional app, available for iPhone and Android, sends reminders to help make sure that you're drinking enough water throughout the day.