Top 10 Apps for Seniors

Nowadays, there is an app for everything, and you can pretty much do anything from your smartphone. With all these apps, it can be overwhelming trying to decide which ones you need. Here’s a list of our 10 best apps for seniors and why you should download them right away.

1. AARP — Did you know your AARP membership gives you full access to their app? This app gives you access to news, local events, member discounts, and you can even set it, so you receive their notifications. If you have an AARP membership, it’s almost a no-brainer to download this app.

2. Pandora — Pandora gives you access to all your favorite music and podcasts. You can create your own stations from music and artists you enjoy. Or you can browse and pick a station they recommend for you.
Pandora gives you a personalized listening experience that continually evolves with your tastes. The best part is that it is free! If you don’t want to listen to ads, you can try Pandora Premium, which is their paid version, but we recommend checking their free option first.

3. The Weather Channel — In Ohio, it can feel like winter one day and summer the next day. This app saves you from guessing about the weather. At your fingertips, you can access current weather conditions at any location, forecasts two weeks in advance and severe weather alerts from the National Weather Service.

4. Goodreads — With this app, you can track what you’ve read, what you want to read and what you’re currently reading. Goodreads will also recommend books based on what you’ve previously read. You can also set a yearly goal for how many books you’d like to read, and the app will help remind you of your goal. You can look up the description of any book and see other people in the Goodreads community’s reviews. Finally, you can connect it to your Facebook and see what your friends are reading.

5. Groupon — With Groupon you can save up to 70% on things like products, restaurants and travel. The app helps you find thousands of local deals and offer new deals daily. You get the deals instantly to your smartphone and can buy or redeem them without printing anything. The best part is that you can share deals with your friends and family so everyone can save a lot!

6. Lumosity — This app offers daily brain training games to keep your mind sharp. Lumosity is free and has more than 40 brain games and challenges. If that isn’t enough for you, the app also has workout modes which are games made specifically for you, detailed training insights and mindfulness training.

7. Pillboxie — This app reminds you to take your medication. With Pillboxie, you can visually manage your meds.  Developed by a registered nurse, it’s simple to use. The only minor downside is that it costs $1.99 to download.

8. CNN and other news apps — Most news sources have an app now. Many are free, and they are a great way to stay up to date on everything happening in the world. You can set notifications to go to your phone based on topics of interest.

9. Banking App — Just like news sources, most banks have an app. These apps are super easy to use and extremely convenient. You can see everything you’ve spent, and it updates in real-time. Our favorite feature is the mobile check deposit: You can deposit your checks without leaving the comfort of your home. It takes one less errand off your list!

10. Overdrive — This is one of our all-time favorite apps. If you have a library card, you can connect it to the app to log into your account. This app gives you access to tons of eBooks and audio books that you can download to your phone or tablet.

There are no late fees because the books return themselves automatically, and through the app, you can place holds and create wish lists. It’s the perfect app for any bookworm.