Smartphones are for so much more than just chatting on WhatsApp. Download an “app” (short form for application) on it and your phone will then be your nutritionist when you’re on a diet, your organiser when you’re sorting out bills…it will literally be your torch in the darkness. 

A mobile app is a software created for a particular purpose. It takes just seconds to download on a smartphone and can be used immediately. Some apps can be used only on phones that have a particular mobile operating system. For instance Samsung phones use Android, Apple phones will have iOS and Nokia phones use Windows Phone. 

Some apps need to be paid for but many are free. Here is a clutch of useful apps that may come in handy. These can all be downloaded for free. 

For daily use

Super Bright LED Torch

Available on: Android, iOS, Windows

How it works: The next time you’re walking down a dark lane, simply fish out your phone, switch on the app and point it to the road. The app makes use of the flash in your phone’s camera and keeps it glowing for as long as you need.

Userspeak: “The app is very handy when I return home at night and am fumbling to find the keyhole to insert the keys.

It’s useful searching for something I’ve dropped in a dark cinema hall and of course when walking down a dark lane. The light is much brighter than the backlight of the mobile. Thanks to this app I can’t even remember the last time I used a real torch,” says a member of The Telegraph Salt Lake (TTSL).

Similar apps: Torch - Flashlight, Flashlight
 

CamScanner - Phone PDF Creator

Available on: Android, iOS, Windows Phone

How it works: Get this app and you’ll quit running to the photocopy shop every now and then. The app asks you to aim at a document and click it like you would for a photograph. The image then gets scanned — it becomes brighter, clearer and ready to be shared by email, WhatsApp etc. You can set the image in pdf or jpg format too. 

Userspeak: “This app is a god-sent. Bank documents, application forms…I scan them in seconds now and email them from my phone instead of taking photocopies. It’s faster, cheaper convenient and saves paper” — Team TTSL.  

Similar apps: ScanTailor, Scanner Pro
 

Xender

Available on: Android, iOS, Windows

How it works: Taken a 10-minute long video on your phone and now wondering how long it’ll take to transfer to the computer? Download Xender on both the phone and the computer and watch videos, photos and files transfer at great speed. The transfer would be possible from phone to phone too, if both phones have the app. And the transfer takes place without cables or internet connection or bluetooth. 

Userspeak: “I use this app to share movies or games. For instance, one can transfer a 1GB game from one phone to another in two minutes flat,” says a student of Techno India.

Similar apps: Share It, AirDroid, WeTransfer
 

Truecaller

Available on: Android, Blackberry, iOS, Windows

How it works: Suppose your friend, whose number is stored on your phone, is being harassed by a salesman and has saved his number on his phone as “Pesky Salesman”. Now if the chap tries calling you, the name “Pesky Salesman” will flash on your screen to alert you about who is calling. The service reduces the mystery of unknown callers and helps block unwanted callers. 

Userspeak: “Previously I used to get hounded by tele-callers but now an unknown number flashing on the screen could be accompanied by a line saying that 40 people have reported this number as spam. I can immediately cut the call and block the number without having to receive it” — Team TTSL. 

Similar apps: Whoscall, Truedialer, CIA - Caller ID & Call Blocker
 

Google Handwriting Input

Available on: Android

How it works: Just cannot get the hang of typing on that tiny keypad of your phone? Download this app and write on the screen.

The app allows you to run your finger on the phone screen to form letters and words and the same would get translated to type font. What’s more, the app recognises more than 80 languages besides English. So if you change the language option to Bengali, you could “write” in Bengali and watch Bengali letters appear in type font. The option would appear whenever the keypad is opened, be it to send an SMS or to post a comment on Facebook. 

Userspeak: “Since my handwriting is not all that good I wasn’t sure if the app could read it. But it does. It doesn’t even make mistakes in differentiating between ‘v’ and ‘r’ that look similar in small case, although it would be even easier to use a stylus than a finger. It’s very convenient when sending WhatsApp messages to people are more comfortable reading Bengali than English” — member, Team TTSL

Similar app: MyScript Stylus
 

Automatic Call Recorder

Available on: Android 

How it works: Your calls would all get recorded via this app and you can later sort them to save the important ones and auto-delete the others. The service however may be incompatible with some handsets. 

Similar app: Call Recorder 
 

Mimicker Alarm

Available on: Android 

How it works: If you’re one to shut your morning alarm and go right back to sleep, this one will wake you up with a vengeance. The app will start ringing at the set time and not shut till you have mimicked an act shown on the screen. This could be taking a selfie to match an expression, repeating a tongue-twister or even running around the house to click a particularly colour — anything that can be done only when you are attentive and wide awake.

Userspeak: “The app is very effective. Previously I would keep tapping the snooze button to delay waking up but there’s no messing around now. This morning it wouldn’t stop ringing till I recited a tongue-twister five times. Even the switch off button won’t work till I’ve performed the task it wants” —member, Team TTSL  

Similar apps: Carrot Alarm - Talking Alarm Clock
 

Compare Munafa

Available on: Android

How it works: Looking for the best deal to buy a new phone? Instead of searching every e-shopping site individually, download Compare Munafa. Enter the brand and model name of the phone you want and the app would search all Indian e-commerce sites and present you the prices at each of them. Then take your pick. 

Userspeak: “My family is thinking of buying a new fridge and I’ve been using this app to check out the best deals. It saves time, money and makes shopping simpler” — member, Team TTSL 
 

Weather by Macro Pinch

Available on: Android, iOS

How it works: Can’t decide whether to wear cotton or synthetic today? Not sure if you’ll need the umbrella? The app would tell you the temperature of the day and two following days, along with the humidity and chances of rainy, cloudy or sunny day etc. 

Userspeak: “There have been times when the weather app predicted heavy rains on the day of an important test. So we students went and approached the teacher to postpone it and she agreed” — a college student from ED Block. 
Similar apps: GO Weather Forecast, Yahoo Weather


Safety and management 

Lookout Security & Antivirus

Available on: Android, iOS

How it works: Should your phone get stolen, log into the app from another phone or computer using a preset password and access all saved data. If the stolen phone’s internet is enabled it would send you its current location via global positioning system (GPS). It would also switch on its front camera and click pictures of its surroundings and hopefully the thief. There is also the option of making the phone sound an alarm to attract attention of passers-by.

Userspeak: “Most phones have anti-theft security settings but 90 per cent of users do not know about them, let alone activate them. So this app fills the void. It warns against possible virus attacks as well as helps retrieve the phone if it is stolen,” says Sandeep Sengupta, co-founder of the Sector V-based Indian School of Ethical Hacking. 

Similar app: Android Device Manager
 

Mint: Personal Finance & Money

Available on: Android 

How it works: This app organises all your bills and other expenses so you can track your spending patterns, get bill reminders and get customised tips on how to save more. 

Similar apps: Financial Calculator
 

Super Backup: SMS & Contacts

Available on: Android

How it works: Anyone who has had his phone stolen or crashed knows the frustration of losing all contacts on the phonebook. The app creates a back-up of all your contacts and text messages and e-mails it to your address. It can be restored too. The app will periodically seek your permission to back-up new contacts. 

Similar app: G Cloud Backup

Fitness 

HealthifyMe Weight Loss Coach

Available on: Android 

How it works: The app guides you to getting fit. Log in your diet and get a calorie count of how much you ate, log in your exercise and it’ll tell you how much your burnt. 

Userspeak: “I found the app very useful,” says a Sector V employee, who lost 2kg in a month by using the app. “I had entered the amount of weight I wanted to lose over a set period of time and the app calculated how many calories I could eat every day. So after every meal I would log in the dish I ate and the portion and would stop eating once my daily limit would near.”

Similar app: Weight Watchers
 

Google Fit

Available on: Android

How it works: Here’s an app to motivate you to work out. Just keep the phone with you while walking, jogging etc and it would record not just the calories burnt but also the number of steps taken, the distance covered, the time spent, your speed and the route taken.

Userspeak: “I’m using this app since June last year and on average burn 1,700 calories everyday. The app has recorded this figure and notifies me on days when I exceed this amount. It’s quite satisfying” — member, Team TTSL 

Similar apps: IOS Health, Runtastic
 

Lumosity

Available on: Android 

How it works: Is your memory no longer as sharp as it used to be? Can’t match faces with names? Here’s a mental gym that uses games to jog your memory, increase thinking speed, problem-solving abilities, helps hold your attention etc. 

Similar apps: Elevate, Brain Workshop, BrainHQ, Fit Brains


Books, music, food 

Kindle

Available on: Android, IOS, Blackberry, Windows

How it works: A bibliophile but bogged down by the thought of carrying around heavy books in your bag? Book-lovers can download this app and get access to thousands of books, magazines and newspapers on their phone now. Some books have to be paid for but many are available for free. Most books are in English. 

Userspeak: “This app is ideal for reading e-books and gives a great interface to read at various lighting conditions, fonts etc. I didn’t even have to buy an Amazon Kindle device to avail of this unique reading experience” — member, team TTSL
 

DC Comics

Available on: Android, IOS

How it works: The film Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice may have been a dud but you can always return to reading the original comics and that too on your phone. They have latest weekly releases as well as vintage editions. Some are paid but many are free.

Userspeak: “Their library is great. I just wish they have more free options” — member, team TTSL. 

Similar app: Marvel Comics
 

SoundHound Music Search

Available on: Android, Blackberry, iOS, Windows

How it works: Heard the most amazing song on the radio but don’t know what it’s called or who it’s by? This app will solve your problem. The app asks you to hold a big orange button on the screen when the song is being played. A few seconds later it will show everything from the song’s name to its album, artistes, lyrics etc. The service works not just for recorded music but also for live performances or humming of tunes.

Userspeak: “I watch a lot of videos of footballer Cristiano Ronaldo and they come with great instrumental background tracks. But since they don’t have any lyrics I can’t search for the song conventionally. That’s when SoundHound comes to the rescue”  — member, team TTSL. 

Similar apps: Shazam, Tunatic, BeatSense
 

CookWizMe

Available on: iOS

How it works: This app promises to make cooking fun by giving step-by-step photos for recipes. Also, it would give you ideas on what to cook everyday. You can share your recipes and try out others’ too. 

Similar app: Allrecipes Dinner Spinner


Photography 

Snapseed

Available on: Android, iOS

How it works: You have the frame to make the perfect picture but it’s dusk and light is falling fast. Click away anyway. The app will let you edit the snap making it brighter, increasing the contrast and even changing the focus from the background to a particular subject. 

Userspeak: “This app is like a pocket Photoshop, except much simpler to use. I use it regularly to enhance the quality of my pictures with it” — member, team TTSL 

Similar apps: Adobe Photoshop Express, PhotoToaster

Want to add to the list? Write to us at saltlake@abpmail.com

 

With everyone so much into apps these days, a great way to play an April Fool’s prank would be to take the high tech road. The Telegraph Salt Lake offers a few suggestions to pull a fast one. 


Color Blindness Test Prank

Platform available on: Android, iOS

How it works: Tell your friend to look into the screen to see if he can spot a number hidden in a maze of colours. And when he’s least suspecting, a horrifying image of a monster will burst into the screen accompanied by a loud shriek. To rub salt to your friend’s wounds, the whole episode was being filmed by the app for you to share with other friends. 


Crack Your Screen Prank

Platform available on: Android, iOS

How it works: Borrow your friend’s phone and download this app on it. Then pretend to drop the phone. When your friend hurries over to see if it’s ok he shall see a cracked screen. Then shout “April fool!” You can choose various crack designs on the app and make it appear through shaking, touching or through a timer. 

Similar apps: Broken Screen Prank


Fake Call Prank

Platform available on: Android, iOS

How it works: Want to drop names in the company of your friends? Save a random number on your phone in the name of say, Virat Kohli or Shah Rukh Khan. Then specify a time when you would be hanging out with your friends. At the opportune moment, the app will send you a call from the saved number and make your friends go green with envy.
Multiple fake calls can be set at various times. 

Similar apps: Fake Call & SMS


Finger Blood Pressure Prank

Platform available on: Android 

How it works: Tell grandpa you would be his doctor for the day and check his blood pressure with your phone. Ask him to press his finger on an on-screen fingerprint and wait for the analysis. The result would be any random pressure and he would get utterly confused as to how his BP fluctuated suddenly.


Voice Changer Prank

Platform available on: Android, iOS

How it works: Want to prank call your friends without getting caught? Change your voice through this app. You can make your voice shrill, give it a baritone, change the speed of speech etc. 

Similar apps: FunCall, IntCall


X-Ray Prank

Platform available on: Android

How it works: Fool your granny into believing that your phone can take her X-ray. Place the phone over her hand and scroll up and down. The app will show a stock X-ray of a hand. Do the same on her foot, chest and skull. And just when she’s bought it, shout “April fool!” 

Similar app: X-Ray Scanner Prank


Lie Detector Prank

Platform available on: Android

How it works: Tell your friend you have a lie detector app and that it’s confession time. Get him to place his finger on the screen and ask him questions to put him in a spot. The app will randomly display “truth” and “lie” results so laugh your heart out when it says that his most earnest answers are false. 

Similar app: Voice Lie Detector Prank

What is the best April fool prank you have ever played?
Write to saltlake@abpmail.com or The Telegraph Salt Lake, 
6, Prafulla Sarkar Street, 
Calcutta 700001 
 

Since it is World Cup time, take this quiz to check if you are a real cricket buff using the minimum number of clues.

Clue no. 1 - In a historic match between India and England, he served as the captain of the Indian team.

Clue no. 2 - He was the opening bowler in that match.

Clue no. 3 - He was also the opening batsman.

Clue no. 4 - He bowled the last ball of the innings.

Clue no. 5 - He faced the last ball of the innings.

Still you don’t get it?

Clue no. 6 - He took the last wicket of the innings.

Clue no. 7 - He was named the Man of the Match in that game.

You should get it at least after this one!

Clue no. 8 - He won the match for his team by hitting a sixer off the last ball.

Clue no. 9 - He was the captain in his debut match. 

Not yet? Go to Page Picture Perfect to see the answer.