In this day and age, where would we all be without a smartphone? These small and handy gadgets are as powerful, useful, and efficient as computers. You can call, text, have a video conference, write emails, and a ton of other things with it, be it for work or personal matters.

With millions of phone apps at your fingertips, there’s no way you can sort through them one by one. But if you want to know which essential apps you should have on your phone, here are some of them.

Utilities Apps 

Most utility providers in the Philippines also have their own mobile apps, like Meralco, PLDT, Converge, Globe, Smart, and many others. Even SSS has its own mobile app where members can get information on benefits, contributions, and loans. These utilities apps make it possible for customers to check their accounts and settle their bills 24/7, which makes them an essential app to have on your phone.

Shopping Apps 

There’s no doubt that shopping apps have made our lives so convenient. You can practically buy anything on shopping apps with just a few taps. Whether it’s to stock up your kitchen pantry, buy new gadgets and accessories, or replenish your supply of ingredients for your small food business, you can buy them from different shopping apps. No matter the size and quantity, you can buy it on Shopee or Lazada or online grocery delivery apps like MetroMart and PushKart PH.

Apps for Productivity/Organization

Now that almost everyone is working from home, having a productivity or organization app on your phone is a must. Not only does it improve your productivity, it also helps you stay organized.

There are many apps designed for project planning, collaboration, and time tracking such as Trello, Asana, and Monday.com. You can also explore Canva, Dropbox, or Evernote. Whether you just need a calendar app or something to help you take notes, store your passwords, or back up your files on the cloud, it’s important to have it on your phone.

Apps for Fitness 

Because of community quarantine guidelines that change at such short notice, your plans to work out at the gym can be shelved for now. Luckily, there are apps for fitness which you can download on your phone. If you value your health, these are essential apps to have.

Whether it’s a heart monitor app, a running app, or a subscription app to home workouts, there’s one that’s right for your needs. In fact, there are even health apps that will complement these fitness apps, like period or ovulation trackers, calorie counters, and teleconsultation apps.

Apps for Relaxation 

These days when there are so many things that cause us worry and anxiety, it’s important to relax and let it all go. This is where apps for relaxation can prove to be very useful. There are many sleep, prayer, yoga, or meditation apps available on the app store. So pick what can best ease your body, mind, and soul.

Apps for Entertainment 

With just your phone, you can already stream the most talked about new series on streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO Go or Apple TV+. If you love Korean dramas, you can also download Viu or Iqiyi to catch fresh new episodes.

And if reading is your passion, you can install apps like iBooks, Kobo, and Kindle to purchase and read e-books. Of course, there are also a ton of gaming apps that you can play when you’re feeling bored or just when you’re feeling extra competitive.

Chat and Social Apps

It’s important to stay connected to loved ones, especially during this pandemic when everyone’s stuck at home. Communicating with friends and family is one way to keep yourself sane when you feel like the pressure or the stress is too much. Fortunately, staying connected has never been so easy with the many chatting apps available for download. You can also share random life updates and snaps on different social media apps if that’s more your thing.

Photo and Video Apps  

There are tons of apps that will help you capture the most amazing photos and videos that look like a professional was behind the lens. Life is too short, so take as many photos and videos as you can to capture special moments with your loved ones, especially the natural and unguarded ones. Take selfies to serve as visual timestamps. Your future self will thank you for it!

Banking and Payment Apps 

If you’re still doing the simplest banking transactions over the counter, well, you’re missing out on a lot. Banking and payment apps are now a must-have, especially in this pandemic where cashless transactions are preferred.

With banking, you only need one app – RCBC Online Banking. Because with RCBC Online Banking, you can do the basic financial transactions you need to do, like send money anytime, anywhere to anyone, even if they don’t have a bank account.   You can also pay bills to over 400 billers without enrolling them, deposit checks online, among many others. Plus you can do more advanced banking transactions like converting foreign exchange, investing in UITFs, cardless withdrawal, pay for shopping just by scanning a QR, and many more. If you don’t have an RCBC account yet, you can open an account all online, in minutes. They just need one valid account and they can open their account from the RCBC app.  to get started. Click HERE to get started.

In this new normal, all you need is a comprehensive online banking app that allows you to do your transactions, anytime, anywhere. Experience all that with RCBC.

There’s no hard and fast rule about what apps you should have  on your phone. However, these apps can make your life easier in many ways and can truly make a big difference, whether you’re paying the bills, working on a project, or catching up with friends. So go ahead and explore to find your favorites!