Both Google Play and Apple App Store released their best apps lists this week, and it’s not a shock that big props went to several apps that focus on self care.
Also not a shock… both companies chose Zoom.
Google’s Pick: Loóna: Bedtime Calm & Relax
Google Play named a sleep guidance app the Best App of 2020. Loóna (Google Play and App Store) is not just another sleep aid app… its focus is the pre-sleep period before you hit the sack.
Loóna captivated us like no other app this year, with its innovative, beautiful take on bedtime stories. Drift into relaxation through immersive “sleepscapes” – 3D scenes you’ll explore with narration and simple interactions, tapping to bring color and light to everything from a magical Brooklyn bookshop to a carousel in Paris. Rather close your eyes? Turn on a soothing soundscape, like “Lo-fi Beats” or “Art of Nature.”
Google Play Review
Apple’s Pick: Wakeout! Active Breaks
Apple divided its picks into different kinds of categories, so this mini-workout app is actually its iPhone App of the Year. The app is Apple only but does let you sign up for workouts via email. The tool gives you small exercises for your desk, your home and on the road.
Wakeout! helped us find the time–and the will–to keep moving, with easy exercises that made the most of life at home.
App Store Review
On Both Lists: ShareTheMeal: Donate to Charity and Solve Hunger
Apple picked ShareTheMeal in its “Trend of the Year” category, and Google gave it props under the category of Best Apps for Good. The United Nations’ World Food Programme won the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to combat hunger. This app lets you donate meals to kids around the world.
ShareTheMeal served as an incredibly easy way to be a part of a solution. With a few taps, you can buy meals for the hundreds of millions of people around the world facing food security.
App Store Review
More Top Apps
You’ll find lots of good apps and games in both lists. Here are a few of my favorites:
Google Play
- Meditation App Calmaria for, well, meditation.
- Recipe App Whisk (OMG — you can just add a URL and it gives you the ingredients list without scrolling! #lifechanger)
- Personal Growth App Intellect to guide you through cognitive behavioral therapy.
- Audio/Video Recorder Dolby On for upping your livestream and multimedia recordings.
App Store
- Interactive Whiteboard App Explain Everything to help remote teaching and presentations be less boring.
- Self-Care App Shine for helping you create a self-care routine to get you through these crazy days.
