Renée Borcas

Pocket Casts
If you enjoy podcasts and are still using the messy, clunky default podcast app that Apple provides, you are going to love Pocket Casts. Yes, it costs $3.99, but it is worth every penny. This app is incredibly organized and aesthetically pleasing to look at. Not only that, but it has so many features to cater your podcast-listening experience to you.

One feature lets you choose whether you want to stream or download the podcast you are listening to, which has saved leaps and bounds of storage on my phone. This app is also excellent at time management. Want to fall asleep while listening, but do not want to wake up wondering where you left off? There is a timer feature for that. Want to skip out on long intros? There is a start time feature. Want to get through an episode quickly? There is a speed feature.

This is only the tip of the iceberg of what Pocket Casts has to offer. I highly recommend it if you are looking for a better podcast experience.

Google Maps
It is safe to say that if I get into a car with another person and they are using Apple Maps, I hold in some silent judgement. I can make an exception for Waze if you are a speedster, but Google Maps is clearly the superior option here.
While there are some areas where Apple Maps have caught up to, and maybe even surpassed Google, it still has many flaws. Google Maps is much more detailed, especially when driving through small towns— which I find myself doing more and more nowadays. Thanks, Ashland.

Google Maps has more locations cited in the map itself and can more efficiently help you learn about those places since it has the might of Google Search behind it. The satellite power and manpower behind Street View is also unmatched because it can give a better representation of where you are going. I am sure it has improved over the years, but in my experience, especially in traffic and construction, Google Maps is simply better in getting me from Point A to Point B.

Noah Cloonan

Spotify
Music is a huge part of our lives. Whether you listen to music while working out or working on homework the question is still the same, where do you stream your music from and Spotify clearly stands out as on of the best. You can save your favorite songs to your own individual playlists or you can listen to playlists created by other people. Spotify also has a premium feature that students can use for $4.99 per month and it is more than worth it. With premium you can download songs and playlists and listen to your favorite music from anywhere regardless of whether you have wifi or not.

Tapingo
If you’re on a college campus, odds are you know exactly what Tapingo is. Tapingo is an app that allows you to order food from dining establishments on campus and use your swipes to buy food. At Ashland, Tuffy’s and the Nest is connected to Tapingo allowing you to order your smoothies, food or coffee with the touch of a button and you can just swing by and pick it up. Tapingo is a super convenient app to have if you’re on the run and need to grab a bite to eat and with the busy schedule of a college student, you can use all the time you save to work on other things rather than waiting in line to order.

Bex Hunter

Buzzfeed
Buzzfeed is one of the best apps because there are so many different things you can do on it. You can catch up on the news, you can watch any Buzzfeed video, or you can procrastinate all of your work by taking Buzzfeed quizzes. Everything is super well organized, so the app is easy to navigate your way around. Unlike most apps, when you have the notifications on for Buzzfeed, it does not completely overwhelm you with notifications. It sends just enough that you still remember the app exists, but not so many that you hate it. Overall, Buzzfeed can be really resourceful, but is also good for when you need to just kill some time.

Headspace
Headspace is a meditation app that does exactly what the title says by getting your mind in the right headspace to get through the day. There are daily packs and single sessions that you can use and each session is only a few minutes so it is great for the busy college student. There are sessions that can help you through a variety of things like stress, anxiety, motivation, happiness, and so much more. All of the voices are super soothing and it is such a quick and effective app for anyone who needs to take a few minutes to calm down in their life every once in a while.

Kaitlyn Moore

YouTube
YouTube is one of my favorite apps. I love that I can use it on a computer and on my phone. I am actually on a family plan with a friend so now I get Google Play music and YouTube Red for free! No ads and I can use other apps while this runs in the background. I use YouTube a lot to listen to movie and video game score, and to watch (or listen to, because honestly just listening to it is hilarious) Game Grumps while I am working. I use it for entertainment and also for educational purposes because watch a lot of tutorial videos.

Luminosity
Luminosity is the best brain training app I have come across. It is very smooth, the graphics are well designed, and it is actually relaxing to play. The games are smart, and the stat tracking feature and the growth charts are easy to understand. It also lets you “compete” with your friends and people around the world. I personally do not use that feature, I just like to play games that are more fun and challenging than a Sudoku puzzle.

Bree Gannon

Family Guy Freakin Mobile Game
If you are a lover of Family Guy and games related to Candy Crush, then this is for you! Think of it more like an “adult” version of Candy Crush.Throughout the entire game you are following Peter, Lois, Brian, Stewie, Cleveland, Chris, Meg and Quagmire on an adventure through Quahog. Each level has a different theme and characters to it. There is also a story that you play along with and it involves Peter buying a booze truck to drive around the city. You beat levels to help Peter along his journey of being the best drink truck around town. It may sound stupid or not fun, but I can assure you, I thought the same thing, and Family Guy is my favorite t.v. show. Just a fair warning though, it does become addictive but it is a lot of fun.

At Bat
This app is probably one of my top three favorites on my phone, especially during baseball season. This app, which was created and released by the MLB, is basically a one-stop-shop for all things baseball. As I have said a few times, I am pretty obsessed with baseball and the Cleveland Indians and this app is my lifesaver during and after season.

The one thing I liked right away was being able to customize the app icon with my favorite team. From there you can pick your favorite teams that you want to follow and get updates on. Once you have those picked, the app will send score updates and news, if you have notification on, right to your home screen.

There is an option to pay for a monthly subscription, which unlocks access to MLB tv and app perks. I chose not to pay for it since I have FoxSports Go on my phone as well and can watch games from that. During the off season, the app gives updates on trades, injuries, season picks, international baseball and so much more.

If you are a baseball fanatic, like myself, I highly recommend this app, you will definitely get use out of it.