When I got my first smartphone the first thing I did was go through every category in the play store, but it was overwhelming and I didn't know which app I actually needed. In fact most of the free apps sounded quite disappointing. You have to delve deep into the rabbit hole and sift through the rubbish to find the hidden treasures. So this week Star Lifestyle has done the digging for you. All you have to do is click a button and enjoy. 

Zombies Run
Everyone knows about Noom, but where that fails is where Zombies Run excels. This app helps motivate you into getting out of bed and going for that run you keep postponing. It is an interactive story about a world where the zombies have taken over and you're one of the last humans. You have to go on missions to gather intelligence and supplies. The app calculates your pace and at times you are required to escape zombie hordes by running at a set speed. You just have to put on your headphone and follow the audio. 

McTube for Apple and Firetube, Viral Light for Android
The YouTube app requires you to keep your phone and the app on in order to play videos. It's a very annoying feature that prevents you from doing other things on your cell while chilling with some songs on. This is where McTube, Firetube and Viral Light come in. Now you can keep the videos running on the background while you play Clash of Clans. There are also plenty of other apps that can do this. Just search for them.

Twilight
This is a very simple app that changes your screen brightness and backlight according to the time of day. It causes less strain on the eyes while you go about your usual business. Especially good for nighttime reading.

Word Lens
Word Lens is a good travel app that unlike other translation apps saves your time. Gone are the days when you spent hours typing in long confusing words only to get a jumbled translation. All you have to do is turn it on and position your phone over the words you need translated. The app automatically detects the writing and translates it for you. 

Wakie
Do you have trouble waking up? Perhaps an angry Russian man can help you with that. Set an alarm for 8 in the morning and you'll get a call from another Wakie member from any part of the world who'll wake you up. The call lasts a minute and it's completely anonymous. Other than that you can chat for up to 5 minutes with another member about anything from love advice to just having a laugh.

Grades
Grades is a great app for students. It keeps track of all your assignments, classes, GPA scores or attendance. You can even store contact information to make sending your homework online easier. 

Pzizz
Pzizz isn't just another sleeping app. It manages everything for you, all you have to do is plug in your headphones and Pzizz plays its own generated playlist to put you to sleep. Set it for however long you want and just relax.

Duolingo
Duolingo is a language learning app, which you can live without but I suggest you give it a chance. It's very simple and contains several popular languages. At the lease you can learn a few interesting words and impress your friends.

WolfgramAlpha
WolfgramAlpha is a very cool math app which can be used for cooking measurements to solving complex mathematical problems. It analyses data and can be used as a dictionary.

By Daneesha Khan
Photo: Collected