6 Ideal Smartphone Apps for Families

Once upon a time, all families needed was a calendar with pictures of puppies or mountains to arrange their weekly doings. These days it can be tough to keep track of everything without the use of a smartphone. Here are 6 excellent apps that every Mormon family could benefit from:

1) Mormon Channel

The best inspirational and Latter-day-Saint-themed video shorts. Whether you’re looking for inspirational stories from other families who struggle as you do, perusing the best soundbites from popular conference talks or just looking for this week’s Mormon Message, this app is for you.

2) Gospel Library

Instant access to audio, video and text versions of conference talks. Scriptures, lesson manuals and church magazines on the go. Church Educational System broadcasts and interactive hymnbooks. Family home evening lessons have never been so user-friendly.

3) Cozi (Calendar)

An in-phone family calendar that color-codes each family member’s activities and prioritizes them, complete with itineraries and itemized shopping lists? The kids can even edit this one to let you know when chores and homework are all done. Yes, please.

4) Yelp

The familial appeal of an app that lets people read restaurant reviews from other users, gives suggestions based on past activity and then allows them to add their own rating is captured in the words of the great Douglas Adams:

“The History of every major Galactic Civilization tends to pass through three distinct and recognizable phases, those of Survival, Inquiry and Sophistication, otherwise known as the How, Why, and Where phases. For instance, the first phase is characterized by the question ‘How can we eat?’ the second by the question ‘Why do we eat?’ and the third by the question ‘Where shall we have lunch?'”

5) Glympse

Hustling from one thing to the next, while juggling school schedules, soccer practice and sleepovers is complicated business. Glympse lets you know the current location of every member of the family with their smartphone on (and not in airplane mode). No more missed calls from mom…because everyone already knows where you are, and how late you’ll be.

6) Brightkite

For when you need to involve everyone in the same conversation and decide the “what, where and when” quickly. Brightkite lets you share plans and locations in group chat, check reviews and post your own without having to bounce back and forth between apps.

What apps have helped you coordinate your family better in the modern age? Leave a comment below and let us know your smartphone secrets.