Getting Started.

Looking for a new Android phone but not sure whether to go for the latest handset or an older model? Here, we’ll show you the key differences so you can make the right choice. Android phones are getting more powerful than ever before. Gone are the days of waiting till you’re within reach of a laptop to get the bulk of your work done. Now, many people own phones that are even better at handling multiple tasks than their PC. So, is it worth getting a brand-new cutting-edge smartphone, or choosing a solid handset that was released only a couple of years ago? Read on to find out more. Samsung Galaxy Note 9 vs Samsung S20 Samsung Galaxy Note 9 The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 was made for effortless productivity on the go when it was released in late 2018. Boasting a large 6.4-inch Quad HD+ Super AMOLED screen, it still delivers crystal clear detail and vibrant colours that rival any phone today. It also has an octa-core processor and 6 GB RAM. So, it’ll run at full speed no matter how many apps are open. Plus, you can keep all your files, movies and photos without ever running out of space with 1 TB storage. The Samsung S-Pen makes it easy to work on the move. You can take notes on your screen just like a notepad and pen, and it’ll even transcribe your handwriting into text. And when you’re done, just pop the pen back into the slot. A full day of browsing is a walk in the park for the Note 9’s 4000mAh battery, so you can leave your charger at home and still browse however long you like. Samsung Galaxy S20 Fast forward to 2020, and the Galaxy S20, S20+ and S20 Ultra 5G are Samsung’s flagship handsets. While the Note 9’s screen is impressively clear, the S20 models all feature a vibrant Quad HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display. It even supports HDR content, making movies come to life. Without a doubt though, the biggest leap forward is the camera. The S20 Ultra 5G has a quad rear camera featuring an incredible 108MP wide-angle lens. You can zoom in again and again and still retain crisp focus and beautiful sharpness. Though you might not get the same super-high megapixel lens in the S20 and S20+, you can still film in jaw-dropping 8K to capture every minute detail. In terms of sheer power, the S20 has between 8GB and 12GB RAM, while the S20 Ultra 5G has an unbelievable 16GB. Even for a laptop, this is huge. So, expect apps and files to load up instantly – you won’t be disappointed. Honor 8X vs Huawei P30 Lite Honor 8X Honorhave made a huge impact on mid-range smartphones by packing clever tech and high-end features into premium-feeling, affordable handsets. No phone embodies this more than the Honor 8X. Unlike many handsets at similar prices, the 8X has an almost all-screen front, metal frame and a glass back, so the phone is sturdy and comfortable in your hand. It’s also got a 6.5-inch better-than-Full HD display, so it’s bigger and even more detailed than the iPhone XR. On the back, there’s a dual 20MP and 2MP camera that uses AI to capture great photos without having to tweak settings. It also makes night-time photography easier by removing handshake issues from long exposure shots. So, you can get that perfect picture any time of day. Love mobile gaming? The Honor 8X focuses its processing power on your game whenever the mood takes you, reducing power consumption on your other apps. That means you get a near-perfect gaming experience every time, no matter how many other apps you’re running. Plus, if security is your focus, you can unlock the 8X through facial recognition. At less than £200, that’s pretty remarkable. Huawei P30 Lite While the 8X was a game changer, the Huawei P30 Lite refines the mid-range experience even further. At 6.15-inches, it has a smaller screen, but you still get a vibrant Full HD+ resolution. You also get a much smaller ‘dewdrop’ notch, maxing your screen space while offering convenient selfies. The P30 Lite has the same chipset and RAM as the Honor 8X, so you can still play online and have other apps running in the background. Plus, the curved glass back keeps the phone comfy in your hands no matter how long you play. For those National Geographic-worthy nature shots, the P30 Lite has everything you need. A triple rear camera with a 48MP wide angle lens lets in floods of light and detail for photos that leap right off the screen. And there’s a huge choice of shooting modes to experiment with like Portrait, Slow-mo, Night and 3D Panorama. If storage is your priority, the P30 Lite delivers in droves. 128GB of built-in space makes this phone roomy enough for all your apps, games and big files. Put simply, the P30 Lite is one of the best mid-range phones for premium features and impressive value. Nokia 6.1 vs Nokia 9 PureView Nokia 6.1 Want to browse straight away without the quirks of a new operating system? The Nokia 6.1 runs on Android One, offering a stripped back, easy to navigate smartphone experience. It might be cheap, but the hardware is anything but. Featuring the solid Snapdragon 630 processor and 4GB RAM, the Nokia 6.1 can flick between apps in moments. Many phones at a similar price opt for the slower-to-charge micro-USB port, but the 6.1 will charge up to 50% in 30 minutes thanks to its USB Type-C connection and fast-charging support. The camera can do some pretty amazing things, too. There’s a 16MP camera with ZEISS optics on the back, which’ll let you capture footage in 4K like many flagship phones. It may not have the AI chops to sort out your camera settings before you take the shot, but it still snaps reliably clear and perfectly sharable shots. At 5.5-inches, the screen is quite compact by the standards of 2020. However, thanks to Gorilla Glass 3, you can rest easy knowing it’s tough enough to handle bumps and drops without a screen protector. And with a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, your data is stays as protected as the display. Nokia 9 PureView You’ve never seen a camera setup like this before. The Nokia 9 PureView has five 12MP lenses in a striking formation, and they all work together to let maximum light. The result is exceptional dynamic range in every shot, with vivid highlights and bold shadows that really add to the scene. Just like the 6.1, the Nokia 9 PureView runs on Android One, so you can get to grips with your new phone like it’s second nature. You also get two years of software updates and monthly security updates for three years, keeping your phone secure and up to date. If box-set binging is your way to relax, this handset is made for you. With a Quad HD OLED display, even older shows look like they were made yesterday. Plus, Gorilla Glass 5 means your screen has even better protection than the Nokia 6.1. As well as a screen upgrade, the internal hardware has been taken up a notch, too. Packed with the much faster Snapdragon 845 and 6GB RAM, the Nokia 9 PureView is a multitasker’s dream. No matter what you do, this phone is more than powerful enough to handle it.

Apps that keep crashing, poor battery life, and no space for photos – just a few of the problems you might run into if you’ve had your phone for a while. Headaches like these are typically caused by accumulated junk – the apps, pictures, music and other temporary files that build up on your device everyday. If your phone feels like it’s working in slow motion, cleaning all that mess off it could be the answer. Spring is in the air, so what better time to get started? Here are a few tips on how to give your phone a thorough spring clean. 1. Delete old photos and videos If you’ve got more than 1 GB of photos or videos on your phone, it’s probably time to copy them all over to your laptop, hard drive or online storage service. Deleting content from your mobile will free up space for more pics and help boost its performance. 2. Remove old apps The more apps you install on your phone, the slower it becomes. This is because lots of apps keep working in the background, even when you’re not using them. Clearing out ones you haven’t touched for a while is an easy way to free up space and speed up your phone. Deleting apps can be a tedious job, but if you have an iPhone, you can remove them automatically using the Offload Unused Apps feature. This will uninstall any app you don’t use regularly, but won’t delete data that it has generated – so you’ll still have all your personal files and settings if you ever need to reinstall it. 3. Turn off location tracking Allowing apps to track your location can drain your phone’s battery. Not every app needs to know where you are all the time, so find the main culprits and turn off their location tracking. Even if you leave tracking enabled on some apps, like Google Maps or Uber, your battery should still get an immediate boost. 4. Clear your cache When you are using apps or browsing websites, information from them is stored on your phone. This temporary data – called a cache – is helpful, because next time you use the website or app, your phone won’t have to download the same data again. But the more cached data you have on your phone, the slower it will become. So, one of the best ways to improve performance is to clear cached data from your browsers and individual apps. On an iPhone, you can clear Safari browsing data by going to Settings > Safari, and then selecting Clear History and Data. With Android phones, it differs depending on the model, so search online and follow the instructions. 5. Reset If all else fails and your phone is still lumbering along in the slow lane, it might be time for a factory reset. This will wipe all personal data (messages, contacts, photos, etc.) from your device, which should speed it up and boost the battery life. To do this on an iPhone, go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. On an Android phone, go to Apps > Settings > Backup and reset, and then hit Factory data reset. Obviously, remember to back up all your personal data before you reset your phone. If you have an iPhone, you can do this easily using Apple’s backup service, iCloud. For Android phones, use a storage service like Google Drive, Dropbox or Microsoft OneDrive. Now you’ve spring cleaned your phone of clutter, why not pick some apps that can help you achieve your 2020 goals.

March 29th kicks off British Summer Time, when the clocks go forward one hour. Spring is a time for feeling good about yourself, wearing bright colours and, of course, spring cleaning. If you’re looking for ways to put a spring in your step, here are a few of our tips. Longer evenings One of the best things about spring is the longer evenings. Why not take advantage of the extra daylight and spend your free time getting out and about? Websites like designmynight and The List are full of great ideas for evening adventures. Another way to make the most of the lighter evenings is to get in training for a fitness challenge. You could sign up for a fun run, half-marathon or even an endurance race. With the extra hours of daylight in spring, you can clock up plenty of training time between now and the summer. Creating a fitness routine is fun, but sticking to it isn’t always so easy. Check out our list of the 5 best motivational apps to help you stay on track. Exercise In the spring, everything’s bursting into life. And it’s the perfect time to start exercising even going for a short jog around your area. Just keep active and healthy especially when you have been hiding away all winter, now is it the time head outdoors and start exercising again. Studies have shown that spending just half an hour in a park each week can help lower high blood pressure, not least because fresh air and relaxation outdoors are good for your heart. There are loads of ways to get active – you could take up running, dust off your old bike or head for the hills with a hiking group. No matter what kind of mood you’re in, you’ll be able to find an activity that’s right for you. If you need some inspiration for how to get started, check out our list of health and fitness apps to help you hit your goals in 2020. Watch what you eat, and when In the depths of winter, we all tend to prefer heartier meals. But as the weather gets milder, it’s easier to eat more healthily, with salads, spring veg, and lighter sauces and sides. Spring is a great time to shake off bad eating habits. Your body will thank you, and you’ll feel better knowing that you’re improving your diet. But before you tuck into your spring greens, remember that with food, as with most things, timing is crucial. Even a healthy meal can give you a sore stomach if you eat it late at night. Having dinner earlier in the evening gives your body more time to digest before bed. And it’s best to avoid spicy or fatty foods late in the day – that vindaloo or pad thai might look tempting, but it could keep you up all night. If healthier eating is one of your goals for this spring, try using an app to help. Here are our favourite apps to help keep on top of your 2020 goals.

This March, National Nutrition Month focuses on the importance of healthy eating and keeping fit. It’s the perfect time for you to improve your lifestyle. Your health is the most precious thing you’ll ever have. Everyone knows that we should eat healthily but getting the right nutrition and a balanced diet can be tough. To help you follow National Nutrition Month, check out these three handy apps. With these you’ll get to know your nutrients, track your dietary and exercise habits and even tackle your intolerances and allergies. Kick off your new, healthier lifestyle! Nutrients – Nutrition Facts ( £4.99 on App Store, Free on Google Play) To achieve a healthy diet, first you need to know what you eat. How much sugar is in an apple? How much potassium is in a banana? With Nutrition Facts you’ll get info on everything from macronutrients like proteins or sugars to vitamins and minerals. This app features a vast database of nearly 200,000 foods. You’ll get to search for your favourite meals and learn everything you need to know about their nutritional values. And since your secret family recipes probably aren’t on the list, you can put together your own dishes. Just make a list of ingredients and the app will count calories, nutrients, vitamins and more for you. Nutrients works completely offline, so you get all the info you need without using any data. Check out Nutrients – Nutrition Facts on Android or iOS . Calorie Counter - MyNetDiary ( Free, with in-app purchases) Sophisticated yet simple and user friendly, MyNetDiary is a great way for you to keep track of your healthy lifestyle. With this personal weight loss, diet and nutrition assistant, being healthy comes easily and naturally. Count your calories, track your exercise and stay healthy for life. Fighting to get into shape before summer hits? Set a goal with a target date and let the app be your pocket personal trainer. You’ll get a calculated calorie and exercise plan to follow. Friendly reminders will help you keep up. As you log in your weight updates and daily exercise, the app tweaks your diet to streamline the whole process. Then there is the massive, daily expanding food database. Get detailed info on your foods and ingredients to learn about their macronutrients, calories, vitamins and minerals. You can even scan barcodes for instant information! Get your Calorie Counter for Android or iOS . Food Intolerances ( Free, with in-app purchases) Staying on top of your nutrition gets much more complicated if you are allergic or intolerant to some foods. It adds a whole extra layer of things to consider when grocery shopping or ordering food. The app Food Intolerances is a handy tool for anyone who has to stick to a restricted diet because of conditions like gluten intolerance or nickel allergy. With an expanding database of over 900 foods, ingredients and additives you’ll get to learn about their possible risks as well as nutrition facts. Once you’ve downloaded the app, you get to tailor it for your individual needs. After you’ve put in all your sensitivities, the database filters your foods accordingly. You can browse for new foods fitting your diet, check on anything you come across and tweak your nutrients intakes for better health. Optimising your diet perfectly is a long road, but Food Intolerances make it much less bumpy for you. Food Intolerances is available on Android and iOS . The National Nutrition Month is the perfect time to try out these awesome apps. Comment below and let us know what you think of these apps and whether you’ll be trying to change your ways for National Nutrition Month. Also, never forget that healthy nutrition is just a half of your healthy lifestyle. For fitness and exercise, check out our Our Top 7 health and fitness apps.

Planning on heading to a festival this year? We have got you. Find out the best festivals to attend, what to pack and other handy tips to make the most of your summer of fun! Plan ahead to get a good spot Now is the best time to plan for a music festival. The longer you wait, the harder it is to get hold of a ticket - and prices get expensive. Keep in mind that the more popular the music festival is, the quicker they’ll sell out of their cheapest tiers. Find your fest on social media and follow their accounts to stay updated with tickets release dates, times and more. Pick the fest right for you Deciding on what festival to attend can be difficult. Check out these favourites from around Europe: Wireless Festival 3rd – 5th July London’s Wireless Festival takes place at Finsbury Park. If you’re into the hip-hop, R&B or rap music, this could be the one for you. Expect headliners from around the world. Lovebox Festival 12th – 14th June The Lovebox festival at London’s Gunnersbury park offers three full days of top hip-hop, techno, house and R&B. Primavera Sound 4th – 6th June Whether you like underground, alternative or pop music, you can find it all at the Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona. It’s also a great place to meet other fans. Ultra Europe 10th – 12th July This dance music extravaganza takes place in various locations. In July, you can catch one of the most well-known of these events in Split, Croatia. See more festival ideas here Buying your tickets Tight on cash? Don’t worry because when it comes to paying for your ticket, you’ve got options: Spread the cost With the growing popularity of overseas festivals, a payment plan can make life easier. For instance, you may want to pay 25% of the value up-front and pay the rest in instalments leading up to the festival. Ticket exchanges Even if a festival is sold out, you may still have a chance to find a ticket. Search major ticket exchanges online like Stubhub and SeatGeek, and you may stumble upon a hidden gem, although you may pay more at this stage in the game. The best things in life are free Why not check out some free festivals? For example, the Leigh Folk Festival is a free, open event. That way, you can spend more money on your wardrobe! Not sure what to pack? It’s not always easy to know what to pack. But for both camping and non-camping festivals, bring your photo ID, phone and a few extra quid. But let’s break it down in more detail. Your ticket/wristband – Simply put, never leave home without it (it happens more often than you may think). Hydration Bags – Rather than splashing your cash on water bottles, take a hydration pack with you. Sunscreen – You’ll be spending lots of time outdoors and, even if it looks cloudy, it’s deceptively easy to burn. Sunglasses – Essential for protecting your eyes from glare. And looking cool. Cash and/or credit card – Although lots of festivals now do contactless payments, it’s a good idea to have backup cash or a credit card. Rain jacket or poncho – Pop one of these in your bag and the party won’t stop if the weather turns on you. What to bring to a camping music festival (besides good vibes) Take the stress out of preparing for camping by making a list. Microsoft To Do will get the job done. Do keep in mind you may not need all of these, but here are some suggestions: Tent and extra tent pegs – it can get windy! Air mattress Blanket Chair Battery-powered lights Cooler Solar shower Towels Battery-owered fan Phone charger Bug spray Health and safety tips We know you go to festovals to let your hair down, but we’ve got a few pointers for staying safe at shows. Stay hydrated. Check the festival rules and bring sealed bottles of water with you if it’s allowed. Eat something between the dancing and headbanging. You’ll want to keep your body energised. Take some earplugs. By saving your ears, you’ll have many more years of festivals in front of you! A decent pair of shoes is almost as important as your ticket. Your feet will get a workout as you walk to the various venues, so bring along some old trainers. What are your top festival tips? Let us know below…

If you’re looking for a new phone with next-level cameras, super-fast performance and a battery that lasts, you should pre-order the Samsung S20 , a fantastic new phone in the S20 series. So, what can you expect from a new S20? Professional pictures at the touch of a button The S20 and S20+ 5G come boasting a 64MP Telephoto Camera, 10MP Front Camera and 12MP Wide Camera. With an Ultra-Wide Camera and a huge 30x Space Zoom, you can get incredible close ups with crystal clear clarity. If you want to get even closer, the big Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G boasts an amazing 100x zoom. Its camera set up is pretty special too, thanks to its 108MP Wide Camera, 12MP Ultra-Wide and 40MP Front Camera. The video power of the S20 range belongs on a Hollywood set. You don’t have to be Steven Spielberg to get incredible footage thanks to its 8K resolution at 24FPS. And you don’t have to be a film expert to gather amazing motion. Pro Video Mode and Super Steady 2.0 give you incredible detail and smoother shots. A movie screen in your pocket The edge-to-edge Infinity-O Display of the S20 makes for an amazing screen. Everything is smooth, crisp and clear. It’s amazing for blockbuster movies or watching unmissable shows on the go. The Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G has a 6.9-inch display , the Galaxy S20+ 5G goes with a 6.7-inch display and the Galaxy S20 has a 6.2-inch display. Plenty of battery to spare Share power with your mates by placing your devices back to back for a lightning-quick boost. There’s no need to wait around by a plug socket. Super Fast Charging gets you juiced up in no time and ready to do what you love. Power for gaming and space to play Like gaming on the move? Then the S20s are like having a console in your pocket. With up to 16GB of RAM combined with its Exynos 990 processor, you’ve got a console in your pocket. And you can take a library of games with you as well as videos and pictures, with up to 1TB of expandable storage. You’ll never have to go through a deleting session again. How can you save on your S20 5G Ultra? You can get up to £375* back when you trade in your old phone. How much will the S20 and S20+ cost on iD? Great news! You can get your S20 and S20+ from just £27.99 per month. That’s just £249.99 to pay upfront and you can also get up to £375* back when you trade in your old phone. There’s never been a better time to upgrade to an amazing new S20. Does 5G work on iD? Right now, iD Mobile doesn’t have 5G connectivity, but you’ll still be able to use your brand new S20 on our 3G and 4G network. Pre order on iD from the 11th February. * That’s right. That’s £375 when you trade in selected working or non-working devices and purchase a phone from the Samsung Galaxy S20 series by 28/04/2020. The £375 is based on a full working Samsung Galaxy S10+

Are you struggling to perform a simple security update on your phone, or upgrade to the latest version of Android? Here are a few common issues that could prevent you from downloading that all-important update. It’s always worth keeping your phone up to date with the latest security updates, bug fixes and operating system. From improvements to navigation, to making sure your phone is as secure as possible, there are plenty of reasons to make sure you’ve got the latest updates. Sometimes, though, a small issue can stop you from either starting or completing the download. Here are a few common Android update issues and how they can be solved: Network connection not strong enough No matter what kind of update it is, you’ll need a solid internet connection to be able to successfully complete it. Make sure that you’re either connected to a reliable Wi-Fi network or you’ve got your mobile data turned on. If the update file is large, we’d recommend saving the update until you’re at home and connected to a familiar Wi-Fi network. Don’t burn through your monthly data on a single download! Your device doesn’t have enough battery power to complete an update Big updates can take quite a while to complete and many phones are required to have a certain amount of battery power remaining before they can update. This is to make sure that the phone doesn’t shut down before the update has completed. Try charging your device until the battery is full, then tap the update. A full battery should be more than enough to see any update through from beginning to end. Not enough storage space to update As well as data, any software update requires a certain amount of available storage space. If you’re getting a notification along the lines of ‘not enough space to download update’, it’s worth deleting a few of your infrequently used apps. This’ll help free up some much-needed space and declutter your phone. If you’ve still not got enough space, check how much storage certain apps are using. If you download movies on streaming apps to watch offline, these take up a huge chunk of storage. Go through your downloads and delete any films or show episodes you’ve already watched. Lastly, check your saved files from messaging apps like Whatsapp. When friends send you pictures and videos, you have to download to view them. These don’t take up too much space individually but can amount to gigabytes of valuable storage after a while. Your device is too old This is a slightly trickier issue to deal with. Some older Android phones can no longer update because updates aren’t being created for them anymore. This is due to a number of reasons. If you can’t update the operating system on your old Android device, it’s likely due to the processor not being powerful enough to handle the new software. If you’re struggling to perform a security update, it’s probably because the manufacturer is focusing on newer models. If you’re experiencing either of these issues and your phone is several years old, you’ll need to buy a new one to continue receiving current updates.

Chinese New Year is upon us, and here at iD Mobile, we’re celebrating! Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, starts on January 25th and finishes on February 4th – that’s 11 whole days of New Year’s celebrations! Every year has an animal sign based on the Chinese zodiac, and 2020 is the Year of the Rat. The rat is the first of the twelve zodiac animals, restarting the new cycle. According to myth, the Jade Emperor decided the order of the animals according to the order they arrived at his party. The rat tricked the Ox into giving him a ride, but as they arrived at the finish line, the Rat jumped down and landed first. For people born in the year of the rat, 2, 3, 6, and 8 are all lucky numbers and gold, blue and green are lucky colours. From big meals with family to lantern and firework displays, there are plenty of ways to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Here, we’ll show you how you can get involved. What do people do on Chinese New Year? Chinese communities across the UK hold parades and public festivities to mark the first day of the new year. Celebrations often include: Lion dances in city centres Traditional and contemporary Chinese music and dance performances Decorating your home in the lucky colour red Gifting money in lucky red envelopes Communal meals and traditional Chinese food tasting sessions Arts and crafts exhibitions with work by Chinese artists and sculptors Lantern and firework displays Most events are open to the public and are welcoming to people of all backgrounds, and they’re a great way to learn more about Chinese culture. In London, the most famous New Year event happens in Soho’s Chinatown. However, there are loads more events in London to get involved in. And you’ll also find big celebrations in Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds Birmingham and Sheffield. Chinese New Year foods Families, community centres and student groups also hold private celebrations to mark New Year. They can be small parties at home or big events for hundreds of people. If you’re going to a communal meal to celebrate, you’ll find special foods that symbolise good fortune. Just like the colour red, traditional New Year foods also represent luck. Fish is a popular choice throughout the festival, as it sounds similar to the Chinese word for ‘surplus’. One of the biggest Spring Festival traditions is to have a family reunion dinner on New Year’s Eve, where you’ll find the luckiest Chinese New Year foods. Here are just a few of them: Fish – represents an increase in prosperity Rice cakes – represent greater income or a higher position Chinese dumplings – represent great wealth Get involved! Even if you’ve never celebrated Chinese New Year before, why not give it a go and make this year your luckiest yet? There are plenty of things you can do to mark the occasion! You could have a big family dinner, head to your nearest city and catch the festivities, or brighten up your home with red lanterns and decorations. Whatever you do to bring in the Year of the Rat, let us know below, and have a great New Year!

Now that we’re well into 2020, it’s time to plan and book your next holiday! So, whether it’s a weekend European city break or backpacking in South America, we’ve got you covered. Whip out your phone, follow our steps and get ready for your next big adventure.. Step 1: Decide where you want to go If you need inspiration, why not check out the free Lucky Trip app? Claiming to help you “find a trip in one tap” you just need to tell it your budget and it will suggest a place to go, a place to stay and an activity to make you happy. Then you can keep adjusting until you find your dream trip. Where will luck take you? Step 2: Start saving money Holidays cost cash, so why splurge on that flat white now when you could have a cocktail on the beach? There’s no need to take a pen and paper around to keep track of how much you’re spending – as there are loads of apps that can help you manage money. By tracking your expenditure, you can see where you could cut back. Step 3: Stay focused and get inspired Keep feeding your desire to travel. Travel planning can be daunting and a lot of work and, if your friends and family aren’t that keen to talk about your plans, you might even feel unsupported. Luckily, our amazing community of iDers are here to help. So whether you’re looking for info on roaming charges or the best travel apps, you’ll find loads of posts, conversations and tips about travel right here! Got a question, just ask the community… Step 4: Check for last-minute deals If you’re feeling inspired to drop everything and grabbing some winter sun, you can get some great deals for that last-minute getaway. Due to last minute cancellations and stiff competition, travel companies will often discount hotel rooms and aeroplane seats – which is great news for your travel budget! Check out travel bookers like Expedia, Secret Escapes or lastminute.com to bag that bargain. Step 5: Book your flight/ accommodation So, you’re saving for your holiday to your dream destination. So, what are you waiting for? Time to book! If you have a hotel in mind, it can be a great idea to book flights and accommodation together to save even more money. Sites that will do this include Cheapflights, Skyscanner and Expedia. Remember to always shop around to get the best deal. Step 6: Plan your activities Holidays are all about relaxation, but that doesn’t have to mean just lying on a beach. It’s a big, exciting world out there and there’s tons of stuff to see and do. That’s why it can be a great idea to book some activities. So whether you hike the Inca Trail in Peru or take on a white knuckle rollercoaster ride in Florida, check out Lonely Planet or Lumle to find amazing activities and experiences in your destination. Step 7: Tell your bank/ credit card companies that you’re traveling It’s important you inform your bank that you are travelling especially if you will be using your bank card abroad. Notify your bank before using a credit or debit card when travelling. Banks do whatever they can to protect you from identity theft. And if you’re looking for a card especially made foreign travel and currency exchange, check out Monzo or Revolut. Step 8: Pack! Packing is a nightmare for some people. What do you need to take? What if you forget something important? Fortunately, there’s an app for that. Enter dates, length of time, activities and destination and PackPoint will give you packing suggestions and a proposed packing list – it will even pull up the forecast to make sure you packed for the weather. You can then edit your packing list and share it with friends and family. Handy! Step 9: Buy Travel insurance It’s better to be safe than sorry. Travel insurance may seem like an extra expense, but you’ll be much worse off if you end up paying thousands in hospital bills. It’s really not worth taking the chance. Visit the Post Office to get a quote and find out how much your travel insurance will be. Did we miss out your fave travel app or website? Share your picks with your fellow iDers below.

Congratulations, you’ve made it to January with your New Year’s resolutions intact! That must mean you’re pretty serious about staying on track to make those changes for 2020. Last month we gave you a guide to the best Apps to help keep you on top of your 2020 goals. Now that you’re organised and ready to start hitting your goals, here are a few apps to keep you motivated throughout the year. Fabulous: Daily Motivation Available on Android and iOS Price: Free basic membership or from £7.99 monthly premium Google Play Store: 4.5 Apple store: 4.5 No matter what your goals are, you need to stay focused and have the energy to work your way towards them. That’s where Fabulous comes in. Instead of working on a single target, the app takes a holistic approach to your wellbeing. It won’t outline exactly what you have to do to achieve your goals, but it lays the foundations to bring them within your reach. With features like quick, intense exercise sessions, mindfulness sessions that help you get rid of negative thoughts, and personalised health advice, Fabulous is a great tool to set you up for each day. And if you feel like you’re already making major progress, upgrade to a paid subscription to unlock all the features. At £9.99 monthly or £95.99 for an annual membership, it costs about the same as Netflix and will put you on the right track. Forest: Stay focused Available on Android and iOS Price: £1.99 with in-app purchases Google Play Store: 4.5 Apple store: 4.9 Is your phone distracting you from your work deadlines or exam revision? The Forest app may be just what you’re looking for. When you head into the app, you’re given a seed to plant. If you can stop yourself from procrastinating, it’ll gradually grow into a tree. But, if you leave the app and start getting distracted from your task, the tree will wither. The more trees you successfully grow, the bigger the forest. You’ll be amazed how much more you can accomplish in the time! And it’s not just about virtual forests. When you earn coins in the app, you can spend them on planting real trees. To date, the app has helped plant over 600,000 real trees. So, you can help conservation efforts while staying productive. Strides: Habit Tracker Available on iOS Price: Free with in-app purchases Apple store: 4.7 Here at iD, we love Strides. We’ve mentioned this app before, but in case you missed it, it’s extremely useful for putting all the goals you’re working towards in one place. Keeping organised is one of the best ways to stay on track, and Stride makes it easy. You can build charts to see your progress on each of your resolutions or targets, plus you can even set reminders for extra motivation when you could do with a boost. So, ‘it’s Friday’ is no longer an excuse! It might be on iOS only, but Strides is totally free and is able to track just about any goal you have, in a way that suits you. Give it a go and see how you can progress. iWish - Life Goals, Bucket List Available on Android and iOS Price: Free with in-app purchases Google Play store: 3.9 Apple store: 4.7 What about your bigger life goals? Well, there’s an app for that too. iWish has a huge list of bucket list goals that people frequently set out to accomplish but rarely manage. That’s because targets like ‘learn to work smarter’ or ‘run a marathon’ seem unrealistic without the initial stepping stones in place. iWish gives you step by step goals to put you on the path to achieving the big one, whether you’re learning a new language or starting out in stand-up comedy. Everything is more achievable when you plan ahead, and iWish makes your plan crystal clear for you. And when you’ve started ticking your goals off your list, you can easily look back through all your achievements in the ‘iDid’ tab. ENLIVEN Motivational Quotes Available on Android Price: Free with in-app purchases Google Play store: 4.7 If an inspirational quote is what gets you fired up and ready to achieve, look no further than ENLIVEN Motivational Quotes on the Google Play store. You’ll get a new quote every day that you can comment on, add to favourites or share with your friends on social media. You can set the ideal time to get your motivational quote, whether it’s on your way to work or heading to the library to complete coursework. Plus, with ENLIVEN’s included meditation technique, you can achieve mindfulness at the same time as feeling inspired. Those are my favourite five apps that help keep me motivated and on course with my resolutions. Is there any motivational app that have been missed that you think deserves an honourable mention? Let us know below!

Forget about those ‘get out of jail’ petrol station flowers and the generic heart shaped card. You can make this Valentine’s Day a special one with the help of a few handy apps on your phone. Get ready for heart-eye emoji levels of affection. Make them a personalised card with Funky Pigeon If your other half is one of those ‘I’ll just be happy with a card’ people, why not go creative and give them a personalised one from Funky Pigeon? It’s super easy to design on your phone and will be professionally printed and sent in just a couple of days – or delivered First Class (if you’ve left it to the last minute). So, dig out all your romantic and funny couple’s photos and make a card they’ll want to keep! Download Funky Pigeon free on Android and iOS . Order a bouquet for you beau Giving your loved one a bouquet of flowers is a great way to kick off Valentine’s Day. We’re not talking about the slim pickings in your local supermarket, though. Bloom & Wild offer an amazing selection of bouquets that arrive as buds and bloom into a beautiful array of colour. There’s a great app that’s free to download, and you can choose next day delivery for free. So, even if you’re late ordering a gift, you can still save the day with a last-minute romantic surprise. And if you’re really out to impress this year, you can even order so they’ll receive a new bouquet every month. Download the Bloom & Wild app free on Android and iOS . Create a playlist for them Shakespeare wrote “If music be the food of love, play on”, and we wholeheartedly agree. Why not make your partner a personalised playlist with all the songs you both love? Whether you use Spotify, Apple Music or any other streaming service, curating a playlist is completely free and loads of fun. Plus it really shows that you’ve made and effort and thought of them by creating something personal. Aww, aren’t you lovely! Book a romantic meal for two Looking for something fancier than your local pizza place? Then consider the Open Table app ‘the one’. It’s perfect for finding and booking a great restaurant for you and your partner. You can search for tables by location, cuisine, price and even special offers. Plus, booking couldn’t be easier. So, whether they love Indian food or prefer a quaint Italian bistro, finding a table for the 14th should be a doddle. If you’re single but fancy nabbing yourself a hot date in time for the 14th, check out our favourite dating apps. Whatever you’re doing to celebrate, we hope you have a good one. If you’ve got any tips for creating the perfect romantic day, leave a comment below. Or, head to our competition page and tell us what you’d love to do on Valentine’s Day for your chance to win a £50 restaurant voucher (perfect for a follow-up date)!

Win one of two Special Edition Fitbit Versa 2s with Amazon Alexa! If your resolution this year is to keep fit, you’ll love this incredible fitness tracker. Take it for a swim with up to 50m water resistance, get accurate health data with the built-in heart rate monitor and ask Alexa to play your favourite workout tracks. How to enter All you need to do is comment below this post and tell us “What’s your new year’s resolution?”. Just make sure you logged in first. It couldn’t be easier! Good luck! T&C’s apply

From keeping your data safe from hackers, to providing vital GPS navigation, or finding an app to help you do virtually anything, new smartphone technology has almost limitless potential to benefit our lives. So, it’s very exciting to hear about the release of the latest iPhone, rumoured to be launching in September. A new iPhone means exciting new tech. And, there’s nothing better than that new phone feeling. Some secret sources have revealed that there’ll be 3 new flagship phones to replace the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR. And rumour has it, they’ll be sporting new and improved cameras, getting rid of 3D Touch to make way for other new tech and, perhaps surprisingly, keeping the Lightning port. Although, word on the street is that these will be the last iPhones to use Lightning before the introduction of USB-C. We’ll let you know more news as soon as we get it, so keep checking in here. And, if this sounds like the news you’ve been waiting for, then now’s the time to take stock of how long you’ve had your old phone and whether it’s still up to the job. Don’t get left behind when it comes to new tech. Be the first to own it! We’ve put together a few of the warning signs that indicate it’s time to replace your old phone with a shiny new one, featuring all the latest tech. Have a read. Go on, you know you want to … 1. Failing battery and random shutdowns A sure fire sign your phone is on the way out is when the battery life starts to fail. Batteries can go through 300-500 full charge cycles before they start to degrade and will only hold between 70-80 % of their original capacity, eventually losing ability to recharge altogether. An indication your battery’s on the way out is when your phone randomly starts shutting down and then slowly stuttering back to life. Or refuses to turn back on. Sure to be at the most inconvenient moment. Grrrr! Time for a new phone and a sit down. 2. Poor quality photos and video An old phone means outdated camera technology. If your photos and videos are coming out grainy and low-res, or there’s a slow shutter lag, then you could be overdue an upgrade. It’s rumoured that the new iPhone will not only feature an upgrade to the front-facing selfie camera, but will include a new third camera complete with wide angle lens. No more accidently cutting Aunty Dot off the family photos at Christmas. 3. You can’t upgrade to the latest operating system If you’ve had your phone a long time, your manufacturer may eventually stop supporting your device. This means, you won’t be able to upgrade to the latest operating system or install security patches, which may expose your sensitive data to hackers. Plus, you may not be compatible with the faster 4G and new 5G networks. Time to get a new phone dude. 4. Touchscreen slow to respond Has your touchscreen slowed down or even stopped responding to your commands? If you’re jabbing and poking at your screen with no response, it’s time to upgrade to a phone that does what you want. Throwing it to the floor in frustration is a sure sign too. It’s rumoured that the new iPhone will be saying goodbye to 3D Touch and replacing it with new tech enabled by new software. Watch this space to find out more…. 5. Busted screen or damaged phone We all drop our phones and many of us are sporting a cracked screen. But there comes a point when it’s had one mishap too many. A cracked screen’s not a good look and all those drops and bumps may eventually affect the smooth running of your device. Imagine the delight of a pristine screen with no cracks or scratches? Go on treat yourself because, well … you’re worth it. 6. No more storage space You’ve had your phone for years. All those precious photos, videos and apps means eventually you run out of storage. If larger apps crash on your device whilst your mates have no probs on their flash new phones, you probably need more RAM. Look for a phone with upwards of 16GB of storage to store all your photos, videos and other data and plenty of RAM for smooth running of the latest apps. If any of that sounds familiar and you’re thinking of taking the plunge, don’t just chuck your old phone away. There are plenty of ways that you can still get use out of your old phone whilst doing your bit to reduce harmful landfill waste. For some inspiration, check out our article 14 uses for your old phone and once you’ve worked that out, it may just be time for a new one …

Today is National Stress Awareness Day! It’s a great time to take a moment and think about our wellbeing, and the most effective ways to stay productive when it all gets a bit too much. No matter whether you’re studying for exams or chairing a big project at work, stress can easily take its toll and make a hard day seem even harder. Stress Awareness Day was created by the International Stress Management Association (ISMA) to help provide information and strategies on how to manage stress, both for individuals and organisations. Unchecked stress can ultimately lead to health problems such as high blood pressure, so it’s important to take a step back and identify the things in your life that make you feel tense or under pressure. Here at iD, we’ve got a list of four apps that are great for helping to combat stress, and we’re also running a competition to win a Special Edition Fitbit Versa 2 to celebrate. More on that later, though: 1.Breath2Relax (Free) Take a deep breath. This app is great for helping you to remain conscious of the way you breathe, and how it can affect the way you deal with stressful situations. The app provides useful info on the way stress affects the body and teaches you the skill of diaphragmatic breathing. It’s not a standalone tool to purge stress from your life, but it can help you make significant improvements. It can even help you keep your mood stable, control anger and manage anxiety. Try it out! Download Breath2Relax for Android or iOS. 2.Sanvello: Stress & Anxiety Help (Free, with in-app purchases) Sanvello isn’t just about meditation or dealing with stress as and when it occurs. Instead, it’s a comprehensive platform that offers you long term skills to help you deal with stress, anxiety and depression. With Daily Mood Tracking, you’ll answer a few short questions each day to give the app a clearer picture about how you’re feeling. You can also track things like exercise, caffeine intake and sleep to see how certain factors affect your mood. With this data, you can make changes to your lifestyle that you know are guaranteed to have a positive impact. That’s not all though. You’ll also find Guided Journeys recorded by experts that draw on techniques from mindfulness, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and other effective skills that can help each day seem more manageable. Check out Sanvello on Android or iOS. 3.Happify (Free, with in-app purchases) You’d be forgiven for thinking that graph-based data isn’t the best way to examine something as subjective as emotion. But with Happify, it works. Designed with quick use in mind, Happify is an app that fits easily into your routine. Combining activities and games designed by scientists and mental health experts, all you have to do is complete a few tasks a week to develop personal satisfaction and effective ways of tackling negativity. You can even track your progress over time and see how a few simple changes in the way you think can drastically improve your outlook! Check out Happify on Android or iOS. 4.Headspace (Free, with in-app purchases) Sometimes, an activity that would be effective in tackling stress at work wouldn’t be as useful late at night when you’re at home. Headspace is an all in one guided meditation, mindfulness and sleep app, that helps you deal with stress and anxiety whenever it occurs. Meditation is split into themes, so you can pick the most relevant topic and learn how to apply your newly learned stress-combatting technique to a real-life situation. You’ll find courses on everything from Dealing with Regret to Finding Focus. And if stressful thoughts cause you to have sleepless nights, the ‘In the Sleep’ by Headspace experience may give you the peace and quiet you need. There are guided meditations for sleep, relaxing music and ‘sleepcasts’ recorded to relax your mind. Download Headspace on Android or iOS. Those are just four apps that we’ve found to be a great help when dealing with stress and its symptoms. Why not download and try them out? And of course, we haven’t forgotten the competition - we’re giving you the chance to win a Fitbit Versa 2 Special Edition fitness watch with Amazon Alexa! All you have to do is tell us below how your phone helps you combat stress. It could be that one friend in your contact list that makes everything better, a distracting game or a great app we’ve never heard of. Let us know by Wednesday 13th November, and you could win a brand new smartwatch to help keep tabs on your wellbeing! T&C’s apply

Getting a new iPhone? Apple have recently unveiled the top apps on the App Store for 2019, and there are some absolute crackers on the list. From incredible camera software to addictive games, we’ll show you the apps that should take pride of place on your home screen. Game of the year – Sky: Children of the Light Review: 4.8 Free Apple have declared Sky: Children of the Light as their number one game of the year on the iOS platform, and for many great reasons. Designed by the team that created Journey (the 2013 game of the year), Sky contains a whole host of experiences made to be shared with a friend. Sky contains seven different realms that each represent the various stages of life. You arrive as a Child of the Light, and the aim is to return fallen stars to their constellations in each realm. The more fallen stars you collect, the more ‘winged light’ you receive, which gives you the ability to fly further across the kingdom. It’s also a great way of meeting new people, and the huge range of cosmetic items make your character really stand out. App of the year – Spectre camera Review: 3.7 Purchase: £2.99 If you’re looking to take beautiful, scenic long exposure photos but don’t want to fork out on a DSLR camera, look no further than the Spectre Camera app. For regular phone users trying to get that postcard-worthy shot, holding the phone perfectly still and guessing the right amount of light are both very tricky. Using clever AI, Spectre takes care of both and the results are amazing. You’ll be able to remove crowds from that gorgeous scenic shot, capture stunning horizons like paintings and make waterfalls beautifully misty. Top free games Mario Kart Tour Review: 4.8 If this one isn’t already on your home screen, download it right now! Mario Kart Tour takes the best elements of the classic Nintendo game and turns it into an accessible, portable portrait-configured adventure. As well as all the classic Mario Kart courses (Rainbow Road, *shudder*), you’ll also find brand new tracks inspired by real-world cities. As your racing improves and you get better at using perks and drifting, you’ll earn Grand Stars to spend on new drivers, karts and gliders. Keep practising with different characters and karts to find your perfect, formidable combo! Find out more about Mario Kart Tour. Aquapark.io Review: 4.6 If racing games are your go-to when you’re commuting or taking a break from work, you’ll love aquapark.io. The concept is simple – make it to the bottom of the water slide first and beat the competition. It’s not that easy though! You can knock other players off the course to improve your chances, but they can also do the same. You can even use your momentum going into corners to fly off the course and land further ahead, which is great when you’re falling behind. But make sure you know how close your opponents are, or you could be in for a shock at the finish line! Color Bump 3D Review: 4.6 Color Bump 3D is one of those games that’s perfect to lose yourself in at the end of a hard day. All you have to do is roll the ball to the finish line without touching any other colours. Sound easy? Think again. There are over 100 levels and they each get much harder as you progress. By the time you think you’re beginning to get the hang of it, you’ll need extremely steady hands and precise movement to make it through each round. Top free apps WhatsApp Messenger WhatsApp shouldn’t need any introduction, but in case you’re yet to give it a go, it’s a messaging platform that offers far more features than simple texting. Using your internet connection, WhatsApp lets you text and call friends without using up any of your texts or minutes allowance. And you won’t need to request your mates’ usernames either. The app works seamlessly with your contact list, so anyone in your contacts with a WhatsApp account will be added automatically. Send gifs to your friends, make a group to catch up with family, or even call your mate as they travel the world – all for free. Instagram Give your travel photos a new lease of life on Instagram. It’s a great platform for connecting with friends, editing those postcard-worthy snaps and showing off your adventures to the world. Instagram Stories are great for sharing the funny things that happen throughout your day, while the app picks up on the photos that interest you and show you similar content you’re bound to love. Snapchat Share that funny moment as soon as it happens with Snapchat. The app opens straight to the camera, so you can instantly send photos to your mates. There’s also a whole host of editing options, and new lenses and filters are frequently added to keep your snaps funny and interesting. If you like staying up to date with the news but don’t have time to follow in depth, You can even quickly browse the latest breaking news stories posted by BBC, Sky, Vice and more. Or, you can watch live stories from the Snapchat community either locally or across the globe. Those are the top iOS apps for 2019? What’s been your go-to app this year? What kind of app are you hoping to see on the App Store in 2020? Let us know below!

Disappointed you didn’t get the gift you wanted? Get tips on what to do with unwanted pressies. Before you stick your unwanted electronics in the back of your wardrobe, here are a few other ideas that could help you get the most out of them. 1. Sell ‘em Chances are, whoever gifted you that games console, drone or e-reader probably spent a bit of money on it. And, if the item is still sealed in its original packaging, or at least in a fairly decent state, it could be worth a bit of money. So, why not stick it on a website like: - eBay - Amazon - Gumtree Just remember to be discreet – you probably don’t want the person who gave it to you to figure out you’re selling it on! Better still, if you’re trying to get rid of a laptop, tablet, smartphone or Smart Watch you may be able to trade it in. Check out the Currys PC World trade-in policy and get an estimate to see if you could put your unwanted gadget towards something you do fancy. 2. Regift ‘em The ultimate form of cheekiness. If you know of a friend or family member’s birthday coming up, and they’ve been in the market for the gift you just received, you can subtly re-gift your device to them. That means you won’t have to fork out any cash for their present and you get to shift your unwanted gift. Win-win! 3. Return ‘em If your gift is in a resalable state (best case scenario, it’s still shrink-wrapped), you should be able to return it to the store. No receipt? No problem. Most stores will allow you to return an item, even without one. Having said that… you may have to get into detective mode to figure out where your friend or relative bought your gift in the first place. Do bear in mind that if the person who bought the item paid by card, you may not be able to get a cash refund – but you’ll still have the option to choose in-store credit, meaning you can put the money towards something you do like. Of course, returning may prove difficult if the item was bought online. However, some stores, such as Currys PC World, will allow you to return or trade the item in store, even if it was bought from their website. If you’re returning an unwanted phone, make sure you’re clued up on the difference between returning a pay monthly phone and a SIM only phone. 4. Give ‘em to charity Feeling benevolent? Then why not do some good for the world and take your unwanted gifts to your nearest charity store. Here are a few charities that will happily accept donations of unwanted gifts: WaterAid Your Local Air Ambulance The Salvation Army 5. Use ‘em for something creative Nowadays, most electronics can be used for all sorts of functions. A smartphone, for instance, can easily double as an expert camera. So, if you don’t need your new phone to do phone stuff, why not: Strap it to a selfie stick and start a vlog of your daily travels Attach it to a drone and get some awesome footage from up high Mount your phone to a tripod and use it to capture footage of you in the gym, cooking at home or as a home security camera There are many other ways you can use other electronic devices too: An unwanted laptop can be used as a second screen – great for gaming or working across multiple applications at home. If you can’t use your new tablet at home, how about using it at work? If you run a shop or other small business, you could use a tablet behind the checkout or even on the shop floor to help customers find products they like. As well as a camera, an unwanted mobile phone could be used as a satnav device, a music library or even just an alarm clock.

Smartphones are part of our everyday lives. From booking tickets, paying for things and ordering food, to connecting with friends and family, they’ve revolutionised our lives. But perhaps one of the most incredible things they can do is make us smarter. Here we look at a few ways your phone could support your learning… Improve your artwork We all love doodling with pen and paper. But when we want to take our illustration skills to the next level, our mobile phones can help. Drawing Desk: Draw & Paint Art is a free app available on iOS and Android. It lets you sketch, paint and create realistic-looking artwork in the palm of your hand. Even novice artists will love experimenting with tools such as 3D brushes, NEON brushes, glitter brushes and many more. Adobe Illustrator Draw is another app available on iOS and Android. It’s a must-have for improving artists and professional illustrators. You can go from sketch to finished product with vector lines to ensure your illustrations have a perfect finish. It’s trusted by professionals everywhere – and it’s completely free with no ads! Become a master chef Whether you’re looking for recipes for a roast dinner or a myriad of veggie and vegan meals, your smartphone is your perfect kitchen partner. BigOven is a free app offering over half a million recipes – including many quick and simple ones that will help you feel like a cookery pro in no time. It’s available on Android and iOS. Our favourite feature is that it lets you share and receive recipes from your favourite chefs and food bloggers. For veggies and vegans, gonutss is a must-have. Dubbed the “vegan translator”, it takes meaty recipes and transforms them into heathy, veggie ones. It even contains a Veganpedia, helping you search for meat-free ingredients to complement your dish. Get gonutss now on Android and iOS. Develop expert coding skills Have you always wished you could code, but don’t know where to start? With just a couple of apps, you could get started on your way to be an expert coder. One of the top choices is undoubtedly SoloLearn. Whether you’re looking to learn simple HTML or become fluent in Java, SoloLearn helps you with simple and interactive tutorials. It’s aimed at everyone from absolute beginners to experts, and you can learn in your own time with nothing but your mobile. Download it free for iOS and Android. Meanwhile, if you’re helping your little ones get a grasp of code, we recommend the fun and interactive Codemurai. It breaks the coding down so that anyone can understand it, and tracks your progress with medals. Download Codemurai free for iOS and Android. Achieve zen With a number of apps on the market to help you cope with whatever life throws at you, your phone can help you stay calm. Headspace is a free app available for both iOS and Android. It offers guided meditation courses that can boost your happiness and lower anxiety through meditation, breathing exercises and mindfulness. It can even help you get a better night’s sleep – no wonder it’s loved the world over! Calm is another free app available on both iOS and Android. As well as offering guided meditation and mindfulness, it includes a plethora of sleep stories to help you drift off, ambient sounds and music to calm you down, plus masterclasses in all sorts of life lessons, taught by experts in psychology. Learn an instrument Once you’ve decided which instrument you’d like to learn, the right app can guide you through those difficult first steps. Yousician is a great free app available on both iOS and Android. It’s perfect for you if you’re a complete beginner, advanced or even a professional trying to brush up on your skills. Both kids and music teachers can benefit from it, and it contains lessons for singers, pianists, guitarists and even ukulele players. Simply Piano is fun and works at your own pace, showing you which keys to play. You’ll be impressing your friends in no time! Get it for Android and iOS today. Hablar otro idioma (Speak another language) Learning another language takes time, patience and dedication. But with your handy smartphone, you can learn on the go to become fluent fast. Duolingo for iOS and Android is one of the most popular apps for learning a new language or brushing up your skills. It’s completely free, but if you want to remove the ads and support free education you should sign up to Plus. It contains every language you could think of, from English, French and Spanish to Hungarian and Japanese – and new ones are added all the time – one of the most recent was Scottish Gaelic! Babbel is a free app available for both iOS and Android. Using its tried-and-tested method, Babbel helps you learn a language by speaking and listening to native speakers, as you develop skills using local dialects. It can help you improve your proficiency in up to 14 languages in just two months. Also, don’t forget to check out our European Language Day article to find out about all the great apps to help you learn a new language. The day itself comes around once a year in September, so this could be the perfect time to get started, or to practice the skills you already have. Find out more about learning a language.

Did you know 12% of all new gym memberships are taken out in January? The New Year is just around the corner, and loads of us will be itching to get back into shape and start working towards our health and fitness goals again. Apps are a great way to monitor your progress and keep track of your physical activity. Lots will let you set goals to work towards - perfect to give you a little boost when your will power is wavering. We’ve done the research, and here are our top recommended health and fitness apps to help you smash it in 2020. My Fitness Pal If you’re looking to keep a closer eye on your eating habits and calorie intake, My Fitness Pal will help you take back control. With iOS and Android apps, as well as a website, all which let you keep track of your diet and calorie intake, My Fitness Pal makes healthy eating easier than ever. With a barcode scanner and a database with over 11 million foods, just scan or search to instantly find the nutritional information of whatever you want to check. You can even save meals and recipes for quickly adding in future. Find out more at https://www.myfitnesspal.com/ Runkeeper If you’re trying to maximise how many calories you’re burning, you can’t beat cardio for an efficient workout. With Runkeeper you’ll get access to a community of over 50 million runners, so you can always reach out for tips, motivation and advice. Available on iOS and Android, you’ll easily be able to keep track of your pace, distance using GPS – so you can see your progress day by day. You can upgrade to Runkeeper Go for £9.99 a month at https://runkeeper.com/ to get even more features, including in-depth details on your progress, and tailored coaching programmes. Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock We all know how important a good night’s sleep is for our general wellbeing and outlook on life. Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock is an intelligent alarm clock app that analyses your sleeping patterns and wakes you up when you’re in the lightest sleep stage, so you always wake up feeling refreshed and well rested - you’ll get the best possible start to your day. The app is available for Android and iOS and you can download it here: https://www.sleepcycle.com/ Charity Miles Get fit and make an impact at the same time with the Charity Miles app. Not only does it track how many miles you’ve covered, you’ll also earn money for your chosen charity with every step. There are over 40 charities to choose from, and you’ll feel great knowing that while you’re helping your health, you’re also helping others too. Turn that run, walk or jog into something good for everyone! You can even get sponsored by friends and family, and best of all, it’s free. Are you working towards smashing your fitness goals in 2020? Why not head over to our competition, and a Fitbit could be yours to help you get there even sooner.

We’ve all done it – overspent during the festive period and suddenly found ourselves a little lighter than we’d like to be come January. No need to fear, it’s easy to get back in control of your finances when you’ve got the right tool for the job, and we’ve got you covered. Did you know, Brits spend 4.9 billion on Christmas nights out, tell more than 154 million cracker jokes every year and eat two Christmas dinners over the festive period on average? (Though we won’t tell if your total is higher!) So after all that indulgence, when you’re ready to get your spending back under control, we’ve got 4 apps to help you get started. Mint Get ahead with your finances and enjoy that feeling of knowing your money is fully managed with the Mint app. By bringing together your bank account, credit cards, bills and investments all in one place, it can help you fully track your finances – so you can see the whole picture. Set yourself a spending budget, see where you can save money and check your credit score for free as many times as you’d like. Mint is available on both Apple and Android – and you can sign up for free! Review: Apple users have rated 4.7 Android users have rated 4.6 Yolt Understand your spending, view your bank and credit cards side by side, and view your upcoming debits, bills and subscriptions. With the Yolt app, you can completely alter your attitude towards your money, and form healthier spending habits – you can even create charts from your spending history and see your averages. Get it for free on both Android and iOS. Review: Apple users have rated 4.5 Android users have rated 3.1 Monzo You’ve probably already heard of Monzo, but if you haven’t, you’re welcome! 40,000 people have already opened a Monzo account to start managing their money better, and it couldn’t be simpler. Put your salary into Monzo and you can sort your money between savings, bills and spending with just a couple of taps, which means you can’t overspend. The Monzo app is available on Android and iOS, and it’s totally free, so it’s worth checking out. Review: Apple users have rated 4.6 Android users have rated 4.3 Starling Bank If you want an app that alerts you to every little spending or payment so you can get a real insight into where your money is going, the Starling Bank app will help you understand your spending habits better. Best of all, there’s no fees for using your card abroad, and with the handy Settle Up feature, you can split a bill super easily – no bank details or codes necessary, just a single link and you’re all squared up. Get it on both iOS and Android. Apple users have rated 4.9 Android users have rated 4.7

Whether your New Year’s resolution for 2020 is to get fitter, eat healthier, save money or travel more, everyone wants to try and be a better version of themselves in the year to come. While people come up with great ways to smash their goals early on, statistics show only 9.2% of people actually stick to their New Year’s resolution and kick their bad habit long term. If you’re looking to make a change next year and stay on top of your goals for good, take a look at our list of top 5 apps for really embracing the new you. Strides If you’ve got a few goals you want to work towards and bad habits you want to change, the Strides app is the perfect place to keep track of everything you’re working towards in one place. Get organised and build charts to see your progress on everything in one place – you can even set reminders for extra motivation when you need a boost. Available on iOS only, it’s completely free. Track anything you want, any way you want and stay on top of all your different goals. HabitBull If that all sounds great to you but you’ve got an Android device, the HabitBull app is available on both Android and iOS, and works on all the same principles. Keep track of your day to day habits and build healthy routines to help you stay on top of your goals. You can quickly input data from your homescreen using Android widgets, so you’ll never end up forgetting exactly what your run time was. There’s also multi-device syncing, so if you want to switch from your phone to your laptop – no problem. Way of Life Changing the bad habits of a lifetime isn’t easy, but with Way of Life you can keep track of your routine and spot what helps and what doesn’t. With a colour coded system, you can easily spot positive and negative trends, and there’s a diary function too, so you can jot down what triggered a bad habit, and avoid it in future. The app is available on both Android and iOS for free, or you can get the premium version to access even more features, like cloud backup. Toodledo If you’re looking to improve your productivity in 2020, the Toodledo app could be the perfect companion. Flexible and multi-functional, it provides you with the tools to efficiently organise your life and get the most out of everyday. With folders, tags, contexts and more to help you get organised and make lists, you can then easily filter and sort your tasks to see what’s due when. Toodledo can also tell you what needs to be completed when, and send you alerts when things are due. It’s free, and you can download it on Android or iOS. Coach me Learn a language, get into shape, stop snacking – it’s up to you. With Coach Me you can track your habits, and even get support, advice and tips from a huge community whenever you need a helping hand – and the basic version is free. From £20 a week, you can also get access to over 700 coaches ready to help you whenever you need a boost through the app or through a phone consultation – it’s like having a life coach on hand whenever you need it.

Chinese or Indian? Whatever you choose for your takeaway night, there’s no need to call up to get your favourite cuisine delivered to your door. Calling up and ordering a takeaway is a thing of the past. If you’re not up to date with what takeaway apps are available, or your current takeaway app just isn’t delivering (no pun intended), we’ve put together a list of the best food delivery apps in the UK right now. (Android, iOS) If you’ve used Uber before, you’ll have no problem using Uber Eats. They’re different apps but share similar features, including estimated delivery times, driver tracking and cashless transactions. There’s a huge range of restaurants to choose from, and the standard delivery charge is only £2.50. You can even get McDonald’s delivered to your door via Uber Eats, perfect when you’re craving a Big Mac. Plus, you’ll often see voucher codes for free delivery or money off your order, so you can save money while getting proper restaurant cuisine delivered. (Android, iOS) With thousands of restaurants signed up to Deliveroo including plenty of exclusives, there’s loads to love about Deliveroo. And with a huge fleet of delivery riders, it only takes an average of 32 minutes from ordering your feast to the food arriving at your door. If you’re a bit of a foodie and love trying out new restaurants, give Deliveroo Plus a go. It’s a membership plan that costs only £11.49 a month, and for that, you get free delivery on all your orders. You’ll also find exclusive deals in partnership with the restaurants you love, so it’s the best way to get the most out of your chilled takeaway night. (Android, iOS) Just Eat is the best place to discover local gems that you’ve passed many times but never tried. There’s over 30,000 Just Eat restaurants a across the UK, and you can view all their menus in the app. If you’re not sure whether to try a new place, there are plenty of reviews from fellow customers on things like food quality and delivery time, so you always know what to expect. The search feature is pretty handy too. If you’re really hungry and want dinner fast, you can find restaurants based on distance. Or, if you’re in the mood for a certain cuisine, you can narrow the search down to ‘Pizza’, ‘Indian’, ‘Kebab’ or whatever you fancy. (Android, iOS) Okay, this one’s not exactly a food delivery app, but it’s too good to not share (see what we did there?). Have you ever thought about how much perfectly edible food restaurants throw out at the end of the day? About a third of all food produced is wasted. The answer is Too Good to Go. Instead of throwing food in the bin, restaurants offer ‘Magic Bags’ of food at a huge discount, too be collected at a certain time. Plenty of restaurants and bakeries are signed up, and you could save loads of money while saving great food from going to waste. Some restaurants even offer 70% off meals! You can search for your closest restaurant either by map or on a list. You won’t know exactly what food you’re getting until you go to collect it, but it’s bound to be delicious! Those are our top food delivery and takeaway apps of 2019? Which one do you use? Is there one we’ve missed that you think deserves a mention? Let us know below

We’re running a great competition to help make your Christmas 🎄 the best one yet. And the best bit? We’ve got three prizes to give away – that means three chances to win! Win a Nintendo Switch Lite with Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe All board-gamed out? The Nintendo Switch Lite is the ultimate on-the-go console. Super lightweight and able to connect with other Switch consoles, it’s perfect for the long journey home and keeping the kids happy. And with another addictive Mario adventure included, the kids may need to fight you for a turn. Win 1 of 2 all-new Amazon Fire 7 Tablets Get stuck into family Christmas flicks and keeping everyone entertained with this gorgeous tablet. Tuning into your festive playlist is as easy as saying “Alexa, play Last Christmas by Wham”. How to enter All you need to do is comment below this post and tell us “What’s your favourite thing about Christmas?”. Just make sure your logged in first. It couldn’t be easier! Good luck! T&C’s apply

Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, the festive period can be a stressful time as we make travel plans to visit friends and family in the UK, overseas or even ditch the cold and have a warm Christmas on the beach. But there’s no need to stress. If you’re taking a trip this festive season, let your phone do the work for you with our handy guide. Book and plan your trip TripIt If you hate leaving things to chance, this is the app for you. It’ll do everything from remind you when to check in to letting you know how long security lines are. Plus, you can even get interactive maps of the airport. As soon as you book a flight, hotel or car forward it to plans@tripit.com and TripIt will instantly add it to your itinerary. PackPoint If you never know what to pack, PackPoint is like having a personal assistant on hand. It shows you what to bring based on the length of your trip, the weather and any activities you’re planning along the way. Just enter the city you are visiting and put in all your travel details. Plus, it’s totally free. Your days spent counting pairs of socks are over! Roadtrippers If you’re jumping in a car, Roadtrippers not only plans out your driving route but lets you book activities and hotels along the way. Letting you know about cool restaurants and landmarks on the way, it’s like having a tour guide with you. Plus, you have the option of offline maps, live traffic info and more. And speaking of road trips… The best apps for travelling by car While a train or plane has a scheduled arrival time, travelling by road means you need to be up-to-date so you’re in the know about traffic jams and disruptions. Here’s our pick of some great apps: RAC mobile traffic app – Get traffic news and a route planner at your fingertips. Because it doesn’t use GPS, this app means you won’t use phone data. Plus, its completely free! Waze is a GPS navigation app that works on smartphones. Waze will find alternate routes around accidents and alert you when there are traffic jams ahead. Need to fill up? Waze will also include petrol stations in your route. Like some road tunes? You can also use Waze to listen to music and podcasts. Google Maps is famous for its satellite imagery, aerial photography, street maps, real-time traffic conditions and route planning. You can send your friends live locations so they know when to put the kettle on! Maps is Apple’s answer to journey planning, with detailed maps, 3D experiences and real time travel information. Like Waze and Google Maps, Maps has GPS and will use your data -so best to keep an eye on how much you’re using it. How to stay in touch Whether you need to get in contact with people on route or you just want to chat to family and friends over Christmas, there are plenty of great options. But before you do go grabbing for your phone to give your friend in Australia a buzz, it’s worth checking out what time it is where they are with the timeanddate app . It’s available on iOS, Android and Microsoft – so there’s no excuse to wake them up at 4 in the morning! FaceTime: If you’re both Apple users, FaceTime is a great way to stay in touch. You can even create a Memoji to match your personality and mood, then use the Memoji during a FaceTime video call. Skype: One of the biggest video apps there is. The good news is that it’s free, is widely used and you’ll only need to pay when using premium features like voicemail, SMS texts or making calls to a landline, cell or outside of Skype. Plus, you can have a conversation with several family and friends at the same time. Virtual Christmas! Google Duo: It great for family and friends that want to video call with up to 8 people and is available on Android, iOS and web. Can’t pick up or want to share something more personal than an SMS? Google Duo has videos messages too. In a remote location or don’t want to use a video app? If you’re with iD already and have Wi-Fi access, you can use Wi-Fi calling. This service will kick in when you’re connected to a WiFi network, but your signal is weak. Find out more with What is Wi-Fi Calling and why should you use it?

We all love a good get together especially during the festive season, here is my guide to planning the perfect event. Plan your party to perfection Planning is the fun part and that means gathering ideas and inspiration. So, we’ve found two friendly apps to help you make sure you’ve got all your Christmas party bases covered. Simplenote and Evernote are great user-friendly apps that are available on iOS and Android Simplenote – easy to use and syncs with all your devices: A simple, fast and multi-platform app You can use it everywhere (your notes stay updated across all your devices) Allows you to drag and drop images from other sites Evernote – next-level note-taking Evernote Basic is free but you can upgrade to the premium option for £4.99 a month Allows you to not only type notes, but also make audio, photo, video and even handwritten notes Staying organised wherever you are, even when you’re offline It supports bullet points, numbers, and to-do lists – you can use them all in a single note too. My favourite would have to be Evernote, with the great bullet points feature and adding various media to the notes. Although, Simplenote is free and allows me to drag and drop images when I see ideas on social media. Get inspired through social media Getting ideas and inspiration isn’t always easy – especially with the added pressure of keeping all your guests entertained – but one of the best ways to get inspired is through social media. Apps like Instagram and Pinterest are ideal for finding party inspiration on anything from drinks to decorations. Set the party scene with some festive décor ideas… Pinterest is a great place to find ideas for your festive bash. You can scroll through thousands of images on practically any topic you like. Find recipe ideas for festive snacks or scroll through the top trending party decoration ideas. Get Pinterest on iOS or Android Instagram has loads of great inspiration pages to help get the latest décor ideas. Instagram hashtags can help your search, try things like #christmasdecor #christmasparty #christmasspirit #partyideas and #newyeardecoration. Get some food inspiration - from sweet treats to belt-busting feasts Who doesn’t love a fabulous festive feast? And if planning a big dinner for loads of people isn’t stressful enough, you’ve also got to think about those fussy eaters. So why not make a list of all your guests and any dietary requirements. That way, you’ll avoid any embarrassing faux pas because you forgot to do the gluten-free, zero carb, vegan option. We’ve found a handful of great sites with different types of recipes to help you out: Tasty Tasty is a fun and free app that offers all types of recipes from the Ultimate Christmas dinner to Hot chocolate on a stick, honestly, check it out, it looks amazing! The great thing about Tasty is that each recipe includes a video so you can cook along. Download the Tasty app on iOS and Android. Big Oven With over 500,000 recipes, you’re sure to find the perfect Christmas menu for your festive get-together. The app is completely free and is available on both iOS and Android. You can also follow Big Oven to get updates on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. Food Network Ok, this one’s a little different, Food Network started out as a Sky TV channel back in 1993 and you’ll still find it on channel 172. But these days, it’s way more than just a TV channel, their website, foodnetwork.co.uk offers recipes from top chefs from around the world and they’ve also got a free app that you can download on iOS and Android. Make sure everything’s ordered in time Got all your inspiration and ideas? Its time to get everything ordered, here are a few suggestions for where you order food and decorations from: Get your food order in before it’s too late Fancy getting your food ordered? It’s easier, quicker and you’re far less likely to miss something if you’re working through a list. Try Ocado, Lidl, Tesco or Sainsburys. Get some great décor deals online Most of us would prefer not to spend a fortune on decorations, especially when you’re only going to use them once a year. We’ve found that some of the best places to try for cheap and cheerful deals are eBay, Groupon and Amazon. Make sure everyone’s entertained One of the most difficult things over the festive period can be simply keeping everyone entertained. So here are a handful of ideas. Get your game on… A great option when you want to keep your family and friends entertained during the festive season. You’ll find loads of great apps that are available on iOS and Android at no costs. Monopoly, Kahoot and Heads Up – all multiplayer games but keep in mind of your data usage if Wi-Fi isn’t connected. Unsure on how to find your data usage visit the article and find out more. Crank up the tunes… Everyone will have different taste in music, but you can get all genres on one music streaming app. Visit the iD guide for music apps article with great suggestions for music apps available. You can also get a free trial for most of them. Chill out with a festive film A festive family movie is always a great option to keep everyone entertained. Check out our ‘iD guide to movie streaming apps’ article with great suggestions for movie streaming platforms. As well as the usually streaming options, there’s sure to be plenty of movies to catch on regular TV, check out the BBC Christmas TV guide but remember, any listings appearing here are predicted schedules only confirmed listings will not be known until early December. It sure can be difficult picking what movie to watch especially with all the movies being so good during the festive season from Home Alone to Elf. What’s your favourite festive movie?

From exclusive podcasts to limitless downloads, there’s an audio streaming app out there for everyone. With fewer phones featuring a built-in music player app, more people than ever are turning to streaming apps for convenient listening, hassle-free downloads and the huge range of choice they provide. But which one should you go for? To help you choose, here’s a run-down of the top 5 music streaming apps for Android and iOS this year, and what makes them so great. (Android, iOS) There are over 217 million Spotify users around the world right now, and over 100 million of them pay for Spotify Premium. So, what are the benefits? When you subscribe to Spotify Premium, you can download an unlimited number of albums and songs to listen to offline in higher quality. Once you start building your library, Spotify learns what kind of music you like and makes great recommendations with Daily Mixes just for you. Unwind to the albums you love without any annoying ad breaks, and there’s a mind-blowing choice of podcasts to tune into. Some podcasts are made exclusively for Spotify, so you won’t find them anywhere else. You’re also able to play any song seamlessly on any of your devices – so if you’re listening to a track on your phone when you arrive home, you can easily switch to listening on your laptop. If you want to give Spotify a go, you can try Premium free for 3 months. After that, it’s only £9.99 a month. And if you’re a student, you can subscribe to Premium for only £4.99 monthly! (Android, iOS) If you’re a fan of Apple and love the flawless iPhone, Apple Watch and Mac ecosystem, Apple Music might just be the perfect streaming app for you. There are over 60 million songs to listen to, and using the app is very similar to iTunes (RIP). Just like Spotify, there’s no limit to how many songs you download or how many devices you listen on. And if you’re moving over from an iPhone to Android smartphone, you can still download Apple Music and keep your whole library of tunes. But that’s not all. You can also listen live to radio stations broadcasting from all over the world, including Apple’s own station, Beats 1. Like Spotify, you can give Apple Music a 3-month trial run for free. After your trial, it’s £9.99 a month for individuals or £14.99 a month for a family subscription (up to 6 people). And again, if you’re a student, just verify your college or university and it’s £4.99 a month. (Android, iOS) Google’s music streaming app has loads to offer, no matter what device you use. There’s over 40 million songs available, along with radio stations based on artists, songs, albums or genre. So, if you find a new band and love how they sound, it’s easy to find similar music and expand your tastes. If you’ve already got a huge library of existing tracks, you can upload them to your Google Play Music account and listen to them alongside your new discoveries. Easy. You’ll also get to enjoy your music and podcasts completely ad-free, get smart recommendations based on what you listen to, and you’ll even get access to YouTube Music Premium too. Try Google Play Music free for 30 days. After the trial period, Google Play Music is competitively priced at £9.99 a month for single users, and £14.99 a month for families of up to 6 people. (Android, iOS) YouTube Music is a little different to other music streaming apps. Of course, you’ll be able to watch music videos while listening to your favourite artists, but that’s not the only difference. Unlike regular YouTube, you can listen to your music in the background while using other apps or casually browsing. That means you can lock your screen to save power and keep the tunes flowing. Remember the lyrics but forgotten the song title? Thanks to Google’s searching smarts, you can find the track you’re looking for simply by entering a lyric from the song. And it’s not just about official studio recordings. You’ll also get access to live versions of songs, covers, remixes, mashups and more. Try YouTube Music Premium for one month absolutely free. After that, just like Spotify and Apple Music, it’s £9.99 a month for a standard premium subscription and £4.99 for subscribers. Or you can subscribe to a family account for £14.99 a month for up to 5 people. (Android, iOS) Amazon Prime Music is by far the most affordable option for music lovers. You need to have an Amazon Prime membership to access the 2 million songs in the Prime library, but you also get unlimited one-day delivery and Amazon Prime Video. If you have an Amazon Alexa-enabled device, you can ask Alexa to play a song and you’ll hear it instantly. You’ll also get unlimited downloads, so it’s great for taking your music on the commute or to places with reduced signal. At just £7.99 a month for a regular Prime membership and £3.99 a month for students, Prime is considerably cheaper than the competition. And for a limited time for students, you can try Prime for a whole 6 months for free! Those are our five top music streaming apps! What streaming service do you use to find new tunes? Let us know below!