During my past 2 months in London, using an Alcatel brick of a phone, I have come to miss and appreciate my 3G network and a constantly usable iPhone more than expected. Thankfully, whenever I can connect to a wireless Internet it feels like home. Since being here however, my iPhone habits have changed and, I have become dependent on apps that I never opened in America.
The 5 apps I could not intern abroad without are as follows:
- Viber – A free call, text, and photo message app! Viber allows you to call or message other users in any network and any country if you are connected to 3G or, in my case, Wi-Fi. The key to the app is setting it up before you go abroad because once you don’t have service you cannot register. However, if your family or friends have the app, they will show up in your contacts and you can make good quality phone calls. I love Viber because it makes me forget how far away I am from all of my loved ones.
- Bank App (for me it is Bank of America) – Having my bank account information at the tips of my fingers is vital for my time in London. For those that don’t know, it is a HIGHLY unfavorable conversion rate from pounds to dollars. If I couldn’t check my account daily, I would not realize how much money I am actually spending. This is a bittersweet app because I need to but I secretly hate having to check my account all the time, it is depressing.
- Embark London – This application is a sleek and highly functional Tube map and route planner. During my first week in London, I was mortified to be walking around with a Tube map, I wanted to look like a local and that was a sure sign I was not. When I discovered Embark it changed my life. The beauty of the app is that it not only tells you which route to take and what time the trains leave, but it works WITHOUT WIFI! Considering I rarely have Internet access outside of work or my home, this is absolutely essential for me.
- Passbook – After my iOS6 update, I noticed a new application added to my home screen that I had never downloaded this was Passbook. After turning to my trusted friend Google, I realized what I could do with this application and now constantly look for ways to use it. Passbook stores boarding passes, movie tickets, coupons, event tickets, and loyalty cards. Having all of these important “papers” stored on my phone is amazing, because I have a tendency to forget all the important things (i.e. boarding pass).
- Self Control – This application is one I have on my Mac not my iPhone, but the most essential for the “study” in study abroad. I think it is normal to come to a foreign country and forget that you are there to take classes instead of just travel and explore. So, when those fateful days come that I have to sit down and write a paper, I rely on self-control. This application allows you to “blacklist” websites for a certain amount of time, which means blocking the site. There is no way to end the block until the time you set is over, and trust me I have tried. Without this application, I have a tendency to sit down write a sentence then check Faceboook, write another sentence, check Twitter, and repeat. With Self-Control, I focus on the paper and when I do try and procrastinate the blocked screen comes up and I go right back to writing, it is brilliant for a social media junkie like myself.
My dependence on my iPhone has lessened since being in London, but I still cannot imagine the day that I do not have it on my person at all times. I rely on the above apps to keep me connected, save me money, and get me around the city and world while also managing to study.
Which apps could you not live without?
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