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UK App Developers List Their 12 Must-Have Apps.
As Bournemouth based UK app developers who love working with charities, we’re constantly on the lookout for game-changing innovations and technologies. Here’s a list of the team’s favourite mobile apps and platforms we’ve completely fallen in love with! (As BIG believers in Tech For Good, expect to see a few charity apps on our list!).
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Having recently been awarded UK App Agency of the Year, we decided to roundup our team’s favourite apps of all time, from organisation and admin to donations and causes, here are a few that have our team’s attention.
We exist to help organisations change the world with Tech For Good, working with changemaker brands on mobile app development projects that make a difference in the world.
So expect to see a few good causes on our list, starting with an app to help feed the world’s most vulnerable communities…
1. Share the meal app, WFP:
The world’s first app against world hunger.
It only takes $0.50 to Share The Meal with a child in need. The app is one of many on this list which is transforming the way charities raise money, by connecting supporters to communities in a unique and personal way.
"What the app does really well is making you feel connected to the people your helping, a brilliant piece of innovation that reinforces the emotional benefits of giving with a practical means of doing so."
2. Johnson & Johnson, Donate a Photo:
For every photo you share through the app, Johnson & Johnson gives $1 to a cause you care about. Taking something that people love doing on a daily basis and turning it into a platform you can use to give back.
"I take photos all the time. And this app lets me give to good causes without doing anything I wouldn’t usually do! Plus getting to do more with all my pictures gives me a great reason to take them!"
3. Virgin Money Giving, fundraising app:
There are a number of reasons the Virgin Money Giving app made our list. But one thing that impressed us in-particular was that the app doesn’t simply let you view your fundraising page.
There are tips and ideas to help you raise, reminders in the run-up to your event, and you can even follow the progress of your friends and family.
As fitting charity into your daily routine goes, this one’s a MUST-HAVE.
"The best part is that if you’re stuck on fundraising ideas, you can look at the news feed for inspiration, and motivate your friends to do the same thing."
4. SnapDonate, recognising charities:
A JustGiving Award winner… No wonder this app had the team buzzing!
SnapDonate transforms your phone into a ‘magical lens’ which can recognise charity logos. Now you can finally give to that charity that grabbed your attention on your commute this morning.
"This is so clever, using tech and innovation to make the experience of giving even more simple and easy. I love using this app to check out charities I’ve never heard of, but come across at one point or another."
5. O2 Touch, social fitness at its best:
From veteran professionals to fresh-faced newbies, the O2 Touch app is social fitness at it’s best, building communities around touch rugby, and getting everyone involved in the much-loved sport.
Letting players learn all the ins-and-outs of the game, while O2 Touch centres host sessions for anyone and everyone regardless of age, gender or ability.
"My favourite thing about the O2 Touch app is that it lets new players get involved and old players reconnect with the game, in an environment which is super friendly, inclusive and encouraging."
6. Ike, the task management app:
Ike app is THE to-do list on mobile.
Letting you organise tasks on importance and urgency, set reminders and due-dates and so so much more.
Ike has been a breath of fresh air for a lot of the CUBE team looking for a more interesting way of organising their days.
Android / iOS
"This is the answer to a problem we’ve had for a while now. It lets me manage my time and weigh-up both the importance and urgency of tasks, in a way which makes organisation almost satisfying!"
7. Yousician, musical learning:
Learning to play an instrument is no small task.
The Yousician app, however, is an engaging and entertaining way to learn the basics of guitar, piano and a bunch of other instruments.
With challenges, missions and exercises, this is no ordinary music app. One really cool feature is that the app can actually listen to you play and even give you feedback!
"The weekly challenge has to be one of the best bits. Competing with your friends and family to see who can play the best makes everything way more interesting."
8. Pocket, the 'read it later' app:
The Pocket app gives you the chance to discover, save and share your favourite reads from across the web, whatever device you may be using.
The design of the app makes digesting this content so much easier, as well as letting you scroll through pages with the touch of a button so you don’t end up constantly covering the screen.
"Why do I love this app? Because I can save content from any device I might find it on, so it’s all in one place that I can visit and read when I have the time. A beautiful save it for later service."
9. Slack, team communication:
We use Slack. A lot. So it’s no wonder it’s become one of my favourite apps.
Slack is how we communicate at CUBE and having access to this platform has proved useful on more than one occasion.
We use a lot of different channels; whether it’s a team, a specific project, piece of innovation or simply someone’s birthday, organising ourselves this way has made team communications quicker and easier than ever!
"Slack is fantastic, but the app is more so. It solves so many problems. It lets our team talk to each other ALL the time, whether you’re out at an event, leaving work for the day or on your commute, you can always be reached if necessary."
10. Filerun, an app for filesharing:
The app lets you use your smartphone or tablet to access remote files on a FileRun server, and streaming support is included.
You are able to access your files, send requests, develop plug-ins, prevent overwriting files… And better yet it’s free!
"As a PHP Developer, being able to develop my own plug-ins is a huge benefit for me, not only to make the app easier to use or more personalised, but it means I can tailor the service to suit my developer needs."
11. Barclays online banking:
Managing your personal and business accounts is the main purpose of the Barclays app, but you can also use it to make transactions, transfer funds and upload, sort and store important documents.
And a few new additions mean I can also personalise the app banner image, a small but significant feature which makes my experience with the app that little bit more special.
"Barclays mobile banking isn’t my favourite for being fun and entertaining, but because it’s ingrained into my daily life and crucial for my routine, I use it every single day and don’t know what I’d do without it."
12. Twitter, a platform for watermelons:
Pip is a valued member of our team and it wouldn’t seem right to talk about apps without her.
Being as social as she is, Twitter was an obvious choice.
(Pip loves the attention, but don’t tell her we said that!)
"I should be on Twitter more…"
So as you can tell:
We’re app-obsessed. So it’s no surprise that there was such a range of different opinions and ideas from the team.
Check out some of our own apps for more inspiration or follow us @3SIDEDCUBE to stay up to date with everything innovation, apps and charity (expect to see Pip too!).
Published on March 19, 2018, last updated on November 30, 2020
