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6 Top Step Counter Apps for iPhone Users

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Tracking your steps is a simple yet effective way to monitor your daily activity and stay motivated on your fitness journey. For iPhone users, there are numerous apps available that offer various features to help you achieve your health goals. Here, we’ve compiled a list of the top step counter apps that integrate seamlessly with your iPhone, providing unique functionalities and user-friendly interfaces.

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Pacer Pedometer and Step Tracker

Pacer is a comprehensive fitness app that combines step tracking with personalized fitness plans and community support. It helps users stay motivated through challenges and offers detailed activity insights.

Key features:

  • Integrates with Apple Health
  • Offers personalized fitness plans and guided workouts
  • Includes a supportive community for motivation
  • Tracks various activities with detailed insights
Pacer Pedometer and Step Tracker

Fitbit

The Fitbit app allows you to track steps and workouts using your iPhone’s sensors, even if you don’t own a Fitbit device. It includes a free three-month trial of Fitbit Premium for enhanced health tracking.

Key features:

  • Syncs with Apple Health
  • Offers a three-month free trial of Fitbit Premium
  • Provides access to workout videos and health metrics
  • Includes community challenges for motivation
Fitbit

MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal combines step tracking with calorie counting and weight management, offering a holistic approach to fitness and nutrition. It integrates with multiple fitness apps and devices for comprehensive health tracking.

Key features:

  • Integrates with Apple Health
  • Tracks steps and calories simultaneously
  • Offers customized daily step goals
  • Includes a one-month free trial of Premium features
MyFitnessPal

StepsApp Pedometer

StepsApp provides a visually appealing and straightforward interface for tracking steps, calories burned, distance, and active minutes. It syncs seamlessly with Apple Health to offer a complete overview of your activity.

Key features:

  • Beautiful charts and animations
  • Integrates with Apple Health
  • Tracks various fitness metrics
  • GPS tracking for outdoor activities
StepsApp Pedometer

Walkmeter Walking & Hiking GPS

Walkmeter is an advanced app designed for walkers and hikers. It tracks a wide range of metrics, including route, height climbed, and step cadence, offering detailed activity analysis and local data storage for privacy.

Key features:

  • Tracks detailed metrics for walking and hiking
  • Connects with Siri for hands-free use
  • Stores data locally for enhanced privacy
  • Includes customizable training plans
Walkmeter Walking & Hiking GPS

Accupedo Pedometer

Accupedo is a simple and effective step counter app that tracks your daily activity regardless of where you carry your phone. It provides easy-to-read charts and history logs for monitoring your progress.

Key features:

  • Tracks steps accurately in various phone positions
  • Offers easy-to-read charts and history logs
  • Includes daily goal setting
  • Provides motivational messages through widgets
Accupedo Pedometer

Conclusion

Whether you’re looking for basic step tracking, detailed fitness plans, or motivational community challenges, there’s a step counter app to suit your needs. These apps not only help you monitor your daily activity but also encourage you to stay active and reach your fitness goals. Download one today and take the first step towards a healthier lifestyle.

Find My Phone

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Find my iPhone

Install the Find My from the App Store. Enable “Find My [device]”. If your device is lost, open the Find My app on another Apple device associated with you or go to iCloud.com/find on a web browser. Select the device you want to locate.

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Check Compatibility

Ensure your device is compatible with Find My. Generally, this includes iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple Watches, and AirPods running the latest iOS, iPadOS, or macOS versions. As of this writing, Find My is compatible with iPhone iOS 14.0 or laters, iPad iPadOS 14.0 or later, iPod iOS 14.0 or later and Apple Watch watchOS 7.0 or later.

Enable Find My

If not already installed, download the Find My app from the App Store.

Find My app
Find My app

Recommend that you install this on multiple Apple devices, ex – iPhone and iPad. This way, you can simply access the Find My app from a device that you have in your possession should you lose or misplace the other device. Regardless, you can still use iCloud to find your phone if you don’t install Find My app on multiple devices.

Go to Settings on your device.
Tap on your name at the top.
Tap on “Find My”.
Toggle on “Find My [device]” on. Toggle “Find My network” on.
If prompted, enable “Send Last Location” to help locate your device even if the battery is critically low.

Find My settings
Find My settings

Set Up Family Sharing (Optional)

If you want to use Find My with family members’ devices, set up Family Sharing in your iCloud settings. This allows you to locate family members’ devices under your account.

Locate Your Device

Open the Find My app on another Apple device or go to iCloud.com/find on a web browser.

For example, here is the Find My app on my Mac computer. I searched for the “Find My” app on my Mac computer then opened the app.

As you can see, the Apple devices I have are all happily with me 🙂

Find My location
Find My location

Play Sound (If Nearby)

If your device is nearby and connected to the internet, you can make it play a sound to help locate it.

Find My play sound
Find My play sound

Directions

Click “Directions…” and a map will pop up showing the location of you device.

Mark As Lost

Use with caution. If you click “Mark As Lost…” then you will receive a notification when the location of the device becomes available, no one can use your iPhone, a passcode is required to unlock, your payment cards will be suspended as a safety precaution, a message and number can be displayed for the person who finds your device.

Erase Device (If Necessary)

If you’re unable to recover your device, you can remotely erase all data on it to protect your privacy. This action will also deactivate Apple Pay and other services on the device.

Disable Find My (If Selling Or Giving Away Device)

Before selling or giving away your device, make sure to disable Find My. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Find My > Find My [Device], then toggle off Find My [Device]. You may be required to enter your Apple ID password.

Add Contact To iPhone Home Screen

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Add Contact To iPhone Home Screen

Add a contact to the iPhone home screen by tapping and holding the iPhone screen. Click the plus button in the upper left corner. Scroll down to contacts. Choose the contact or contacts and click Add Widget.

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Tap The Home Screen

Tap and hold the home screen until all of the apps on your screen start wiggling.

iPhone wiggle
iPhone “wiggle”

Click The Plus Button

Click the plus button in the upper left corner of the iPhone screen.

Scroll down to “Contacts” and tap contacts.

iPhone add contacts

Choose Contact Or Contacts

You have the options to add either one, three (or four) or six contacts.

Note well that the more contacts you choose, the more space on your home screen is taken up.

I recommend no more than 3. If you choose just one contact to add you have the ability to add some buttons to make contacting that particular person even easier.

iPhone contacts to add
iPhone contacts to add

Add Widget

Click Add Widget.

While the widgets on your iPhone home screen are still wiggling, tap on the contact you just edit.

Now you have the option to change the contact that you want.

iPhone edit contact
iPhone edit contact

Bonus: One Contact Buttons

If you chose one contact, then you have another option.

Just below the option to choose a contact is the ability to add buttons. Those buttons allow you either call or message quickly.

iPhone show buttons
iPhone show buttons

6 Practical iPhone Features Worth Checking

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As iPhones continue to evolve with each new update, they come packed with a plethora of features designed to make our lives easier. However, many of these features remain hidden or underutilized, especially among elder users who might not be aware of their existence. Unlocking the full potential of your iPhone can significantly enhance your user experience, making everyday tasks simpler and more enjoyable.

In this article, we will explore 7 hidden iPhone features that you probably didn’t know about. These features are particularly useful for elder users, providing tools to improve accessibility, safety, and overall convenience. From customizing vibrations for different contacts to using your iPhone as a magnifier, these tips and tricks will help you get the most out of your device. Let’s dive in and discover how to make your iPhone work even better for you.

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Use the Magnifier

iPhone Magnifier app

You can either tell siri to open the Magnifier app or simply swipe down on your iPhone screen and start typing “Magnifier”. Tap on the app to open up.

From there, you can use the slider using your finger tips to adjust the zoom on the screen. Please note that the magnification on the app is quite strong.

There are other options in the app that you can use to adjust how it looks or performs. You can check more on this here.

Scan Text with Your Camera

This feature is really helpful, specially when you’re in a hurry and not that fast in typing.

Simply open your Notes app and tap on the Create New note.

Then tap on the screen to open the option then select AutoFill. This will open the camera and allow you to scan the texts you want to copy. Move the camera around until the text you want to convert is highlighted, then simply tap on “Insert” to insert it in your notes.

What else can you scan using the built-in scanner on the Notes app?

Notes insert

Use Emergency SOS

Pressing and holding the side button with the volume button until it vibrates will activate the Emergency SOS.

Emergency SOS have different settings.

iPhone emergency SOS

You can set it so that you will call your designated Emergency Contact when you Hold and Release.

Or call your emergency contact when you press the button 5 times.

Please do note that you will need to designate or setup an emergency contact person from your contact list in order to activate and setup Emergency SOS settings.

Check what else you need to setup to activate Emergency SOS here.

Add Contacts to Your Home Screen

Being able to call someone with just a single tap is really helpful specially when you’re in a hurry.

You can do so by adding a contact widget in your homescreen.

Tap and hold the home screen until all the apps start wiggling. This will open a new option for you to add by simply tapping the “+” button. Then select the Contacts and choose the contact you wish to add.

For more detailed setup in adding a contact widget, click here!

Add Contact Widget

Change Font Size

Why would anyone want to adjust the font size on their iPhone?

Regardless of the reason, it’s doable. And the difference is like night and day.

You can adjust your phone’s font size by going into iPhone settings and open the options for Display and Brightness. Tap on the Display option then on text display.

Use the slider at the bottom to adjust the font size to your liking.

You can check what else you can do in this article!

iPhone font size

Find Apps Quickly

Don’t have time to scroll through your apps?

Simply swipe down until you see the search bar and type the app name you wish to open.

I you’re not into typing, you can also tap on the microphone icon and say the app you wish to open.

Search App

Conclusion

These are just some of the features that we believe are really helpful and practical to use. From using the magnifier to quickly finding apps and adjusting font size, these tips are designed to make your life easier, especially for elder users.

Save iPhone Battery

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Save iPhone Battery

Save iPhone battery by turning off system services.

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What Are System Services

Backing up a little bit… system services are part of location services. So you want to ask, what are location services?

From Apple:

Location Services allows Apple and third-party apps and websites to gather and use information based on the current location of your iPhone or Apple Watch to provide a variety of location-based services. 

From an iPhone battery perspective, providing that capability takes some battery juice.

Some of the system services that are enabled as a result of location services include:

  • Routing and Traffic: While in transit (e.g., walking or driving), your iPhone sends GPS data, travel speed, direction, and barometric pressure anonymously and encrypted to Apple. Data is used to enhance crowd-sourced traffic, roadway, pedestrian walkway, and atmospheric databases. Opening an app near a point of interest sends location data anonymously to Apple, aiding in indicating if the point of interest is open and its busyness.
  • Significant Locations: iPhones and iCloud-connected devices track visited places, frequency, and timing. Data is end-to-end encrypted and used for personalized services like predictive traffic routing and Memories in Photos.
  • Suggestions & Search: iPhone location is sent to Apple for relevant recommendations. Disabling Location Services prevents precise location sharing. IP address may be used for approximate location matching for search suggestions and news.
  • Alerts & Shortcuts Automations: iPhones and Apple Watches use location for geographically relevant alerts and recommendations. Examples include reminders, departure alerts, and app recommendations based on current location.
  • Share My Location: Users can share current location temporarily or continuously through certain apps like Messages and Find My.
  • HomeKit: iPhone uses location to control accessories upon arrival or departure from specific locations (e.g., turning on lights upon returning home).
  • System Customization: iPhones customize appearance, behaviors, and settings based on current location (e.g., enabling Optimized Battery Charging at home).
  • Apple Pay Merchant Identification: iPhone uses current location for accurate merchant identification during Apple Card transactions.
  • Emergency Calls & SOS: iPhones and Apple Watches provide supplementary data to emergency services during emergency calls. Emergency SOS triggers location sharing with emergency contacts post-call.

How to Access System Services

On the iPhone, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services (at the top) > System Services (at the bottom).

Which System Services To Turn Off To Save Battery

… and protect your privacy.

Payette Forward has an excellent video that makes recommendations and gives the reason why to keep or disable the following system services.

Listed below are the recommendations and if the reason is for extended battery life, privacy or both.

For battery, yes means that the service uses a lot of battery. For privacy, yes means that it reveals your privacy. On / Off is the recommendation for the service.

ServiceBatteryPrivacyOn/Off
Alerts & Shortcuts AutomationsYesNoOff
Apple Pay Merchant IdentificationYes–Off
Cell Network SearchYesYesOff
Compass Calibration––On
Device Management–YesOff
Emergency Calls & SOS–YesOn
Find My iPhone––On
HomeKitYes–Off
Motion Calibration & Distance––Off
Networking & Wireless–YesOff*
Satellite Connection iPhone 14+ ––On
Setting Time ZoneYes–Off
Share My LocationYesYesOn
Sharing.framework––Off
Suggestions & SearchYesYesOff
System Customization––On
Wi-Fi Calling–YesOff
Significant LocationsYesYesOff*
iPhone Analytics–YesOff
Routing & Traffic–YesOff
Improve Maps–YesOff

Video

Get Moving: Best iPhone Fitness Apps for Active Agers

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Staying active is crucial for maintaining health and vitality, especially as we age. With the convenience of smartphones, incorporating regular exercise into your daily routine has never been easier. In this article, we highlight the best iPhone fitness apps specifically designed for active agers. These apps offer tailored workouts, easy-to-follow instructions, and features that make staying fit both fun and accessible.

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SilverSneakers GO

Designed specifically for older adults, SilverSneakers GO offers a variety of workout programs including strength training, walking, flexibility, and mobility exercises. The app features easy-to-follow exercise demonstrations, activity tracking, and reminders to help seniors stay on track. It also helps users find nearby fitness locations and classes​.

Key Features

  • Customizable Workouts: Offers a variety of workout programs tailored to seniors, including strength training, walking, flexibility, and mobility exercises​.
  • Location Finder: Helps users find nearby fitness locations and classes that accept SilverSneakers membership​.
  • Activity Tracking and Reminders: Tracks progress and sets reminders for scheduled workouts to help seniors stay consistent with their fitness routines.
SilverSneaker GO

Map My Walk

This app is excellent for seniors who enjoy walking as a form of exercise. It allows users to track their walks, set personal goals, and find new routes. Additionally, it offers audio feedback to help improve performance. Beyond walking, it can track various other activities, making it a versatile choice.

Key Features

  • Route Tracking: Allows users to track their walking routes with detailed maps and statistics such as distance, duration, and calories burned​.
  • Goal Setting: Users can set personal goals and monitor their progress over time​.
  • Community Features: Connect with friends, share routes, and join challenges to stay motivated and engaged​.
Map My Walk

Daily Yoga

Daily Yoga provides over 100 yoga and meditation classes suitable for all skill levels. This app is great for seniors as it offers gentle exercises that can improve flexibility, balance, and relaxation. It’s designed to ease beginners into yoga and promises noticeable improvements within a couple of weeks​.

Key Features

  • Extensive Class Library: Offers over 100 yoga and meditation classes suitable for all skill levels​.
  • Guided Programs: Provides structured programs that guide users through daily routines, helping them gradually improve their flexibility and balance​​.
  • Health Tracking: Tracks users’ progress and improvements over time, making it easier to see the benefits of regular practice​.

FitOn

FitOn offers a wide range of senior-friendly workouts designed by celebrity trainers. These include cardio, HIIT, strength training, dance, yoga, and pilates classes. The workouts can be done at home with minimal equipment, making it convenient and accessible for seniors who prefer not to go to the gym​.

Key Features

  • Variety of Workouts: Offers a wide range of workout types including cardio, HIIT, strength training, dance, yoga, and pilates, all designed by celebrity trainers​​.
  • Home-Friendly: Most workouts can be done at home with minimal or no equipment, making it accessible for seniors who prefer not to go to the gym​​.
  • Unlimited Access: Provides unlimited access to all workouts, ensuring users have a diverse range of exercises to keep them engaged and motivated​​.
FitOn

Conclusion

Whether you’re looking to start a new fitness routine or enhance your current one, these iPhone fitness apps are perfect for keeping active agers engaged and motivated. With options ranging from yoga to walking, there’s something for everyone. Embrace the convenience and variety these apps offer, and enjoy a healthier, more active lifestyle right at your fingertips.

Add A Person To iPhone Message Thread

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Add A Person To iPhone Message Threa

Open the Messages app on your iPhone and choose the group chat where you want to add someone. Tap the group name at the top. Tap the button near the bottom that shows the people in the message thread. Tap “Add Contact”. Add the new person. Boom đź’Ą

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Find The Message

Choose the message you want to add someone to. Tap the group name at the top.

iPhone message thread
iPhone message thread

Add Another Person

Go down to the section that shows who is already in the conversation (that has the right arrow >). Tap that.

Then tap the “Add Contact” option and add one or more people to the conversation.

iPhone add contact to message
iPhone add contact to message

Not A Group Thread

How do you add a person or people to a one-on-one iPhone message conversation?

You don’t.

You start a new thread with all of the people you want to include.

Stay Connected With These Top 7 News Apps

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In today’s fast-paced world, staying informed about current events is more important than ever. However, navigating the plethora of news sources available can be daunting, especially for older adults who might not be as tech-savvy. Thankfully, there are several user-friendly news apps designed to provide reliable, up-to-date information in an easy-to-use format. Whether you’re looking for breaking news, in-depth analysis, or tailored content relevant to seniors, these top news apps will help you stay connected and informed with minimal effort.

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Apple News

Apple News offers a curated selection of news from a variety of trusted sources, ensuring you stay informed with the latest headlines. It provides personalized recommendations based on your reading habits, making it easier to follow topics you care about. The clean, ad-free reading experience and easy navigation make it ideal for all users.

Key Features:

  • Easy-to-navigate interface
  • Customizable news topics
  • Clean, ad-free reading experience
  • Integrates seamlessly with other Apple devices
Apple News

Google News

Google News aggregates news from numerous sources, tailoring the feed to match user preferences. It’s designed to help users quickly catch up on the most important stories of the day. With its simple interface, you can follow specific topics and receive real-time updates on breaking news, ensuring you never miss out on crucial information.

Key Features:

  • Personalized news feed
  • Simple and intuitive interface
  • Ability to follow specific topics and sources
  • Real-time updates on breaking news
Google News

BBC News

BBC News delivers reliable, up-to-date coverage from around the world, renowned for its comprehensive and factual reporting. With a straightforward layout, users can easily navigate through top stories, breaking news, and in-depth analyses. The app also offers high-quality video content, making it a versatile source for all your news needs.

Key Features:

  • Straightforward and easy-to-use interface
  • Breaking news alerts
  • Extensive international coverage
  • High-quality video news content
BBC

The New York Times

The New York Times app provides in-depth reporting and a wide range of news topics, from politics to lifestyle. Renowned for its quality journalism and thorough analysis, it ensures that you are well-informed on critical issues. The app features multimedia content, including videos and podcasts, making it a comprehensive news source.

Key Features:

  • Easy navigation
  • High-quality journalism
  • Dedicated sections for top stories and opinions
  • Multimedia content including videos and podcasts
The New York Times

USA Today

USA Today offers a broad spectrum of news, covering both national and international events. Its user-friendly design ensures that readers can easily find and read the news. The app’s clear layout, large fonts, and images make it accessible and enjoyable for everyone, providing comprehensive coverage in a simple format.

Key Features:

  • Simple and clear layout
  • Large fonts and images for better readability
  • Comprehensive news coverage
  • Customizable news feed
USA Today

CNN

CNN delivers up-to-the-minute news coverage, with a strong focus on breaking news. The app includes video news and live TV coverage, offering a dynamic and engaging way to stay updated. With its user-friendly interface and extensive coverage, CNN ensures you are always in the loop on major events.

Key Features:

  • User-friendly interface
  • Video news and live TV coverage
  • Breaking news alerts
  • Extensive coverage of major events
CNN

NPR News

NPR News provides both audio and written news, catering to a wide range of topics with in-depth and thoughtful reporting. Known for its high-quality journalism, the app allows users to listen to live radio and podcasts, making it perfect for those who prefer consuming news through audio.

Key Features:

  • Simple and intuitive design
  • Focus on audio news for ease of access
  • Comprehensive coverage of diverse topics
  • Ability to listen to live radio and podcasts
NPR News

Conclusion

Choosing the right news app can make a significant difference in how easily and efficiently you stay updated with the world around you. The apps listed here are not only reputable and reliable but also designed with user-friendly features that cater to a wide audience, including older adults. Download one today and stay connected with the latest news, no matter where you are.

Tips To Make Reading Easy Using News Apps

  1. Adjust Text Size: Many news apps allow users to increase the font size for better readability.
  2. Enable Notifications: Set up notifications for breaking news to stay updated without actively searching.
  3. Bookmark Favorites: Save favorite news sources or articles for easy access later.
  4. Voice Assistants: Use Siri or Google Assistant to open and navigate news apps hands-free.

iPhone Shazam It

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iPhone Shazam It

You can have the Shazam app on your iPhone identify music playing by simply telling Siri to Shazama it while music is playing.

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Shazam it
Shazam it

Download Shazam

Go to the App Store on your iPhone and download the Shazam app.

You can use the search capability in the App Store app to find Shazam.

Shazam It

Tell Siri what you want. Hey Siri, Shazam it.

Just make sure that the music you want to identify is near your phone and in a few seconds Shazam will tell you about the song that is currently playing.

Sultans Of Swing
Sultans Of Swing

But wait, there is more…

What if you are not friendly with Siri, what do you do?

Do it the old fashion way.

Open the Shazam app on your iPhone.

The first time you open the app you will likely be prompted to allow Shazam to access your microphone. You have to say yes for this to work.

At this point, do what Shazam says Tap to Shazam.

Shazam app
Shazam app

Shazam will go to work and likely let you know what song you are listening to in a matter of a few seconds.

Shazam Success!
Shazam Success!

Top 5 Must-Have Cooking Apps: Elevate Your Culinary Skills Today!

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In the digital age of culinary exploration, cooking apps have become indispensable tools for both novice and seasoned chefs alike. With the plethora of options available, selecting the right app can significantly enhance your culinary journey. Let’s delve into the top five must-have cooking apps for 2024, each offering unique features designed to elevate your skills and ignite your passion for cooking.

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Yummly

Why It’s Great: Yummly transforms your cooking experience with personalized recipe recommendations tailored to your tastes and dietary preferences. It makes meal planning effortless and helps you discover new recipes with ease.

Features:

  • Personalized recipe recommendations based on preferences
  • Meal planner and shopping list
  • Voice control for hands-free cooking​
Yummly

Download Links:
Yummly on iOS
Yummly on Android

BigOven

Why It’s Great: BigOven brings the cooking community together, making meal planning and recipe sharing interactive and fun. Its Use Up Leftovers feature helps you turn leftover ingredients into delicious meals.

Features:

  • Use Up Leftovers feature
  • Meal planning and grocery lists
  • Community interaction for recipe sharing​
BigOven

Download Links:
BigOven on iOS
BigOven on Android

Paprika Recipe Manager 3

Why It’s Great: Paprika Recipe Manager 3 is a must-have for anyone who loves to cook and stay organized. It allows you to save recipes from any website, create customized grocery lists, and plan your meals with ease.

Features:

  • Save and organize recipes from the web
  • Create grocery lists and plan meals
  • Cross-device syncing​
Paprika

Download Links:
Paprika on iOS
Paprika on Android

Kitchen Stories

Why It’s Great: Kitchen Stories inspires creativity in the kitchen with stunning HD instructional videos and step-by-step recipes. It offers a vast library of recipes and a global community for sharing culinary creations.

Features:

  • HD instructional videos
  • Step-by-step recipes
  • Global community for recipe sharing
Kitchen Stories

Download Links:
Kitchen Stories on iOS
Kitchen Stories on Android

Forks Over Knives

Why It’s Great: Forks Over Knives promotes a healthy, plant-based lifestyle with its extensive collection of vegetarian and vegan recipes. It provides detailed meal planning tools and step-by-step instructions for nutritious meals.

Features:

  • Plant-based recipes
  • Meal planning tools
  • Step-by-step instructions​
Forks Over Knives

Download Links:
Forks Over Knives on iOS
Forks Over Knives on Android

Conclusion

Embrace the future of cooking with these five indispensable apps, designed to streamline your culinary adventures and inspire creativity in the kitchen. Whether you’re a novice seeking guidance or a seasoned chef looking for new inspiration, these apps cater to all tastes, preferences, and dietary needs. Transform your cooking experience today and embark on a flavorful journey filled with endless possibilities.