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Yubal Fernandez @Yubal_FM

We bring you a list of 31 mobile applications that Webedia editors have discovered in 2021 and are now essential for us. Every year, both we and any of you who read us install and try some or many applications on mobile. But there are few that really convince us enough to become part of our day to day, and these are the ones that have succeeded with us.

In this list you will find all kinds of applications, both new and quite veteran, but which have in common having been discovered by the Xataka teams and the technological branch of Webedia. Most are multi-system, but there are some that are exclusive to Android or iOS. The list is totally subjective, and we show our discoveries.

But as we always say at Xataka Basics, I also want to invite you to leave us your apps discovered in 2021 in the comments section. Thus, both the rest of the readers and ourselves will be able to read your recommendations and give those applications that have made your life a little easier a chance.

Amazon Pictures

Recommended by Antonio Saban, from Genbeta

"After "the fall of Google Photos", I had to look for alternatives to store my images in the cloud. I have replaced it with Amazon Photos, which is a similar application that, although I do not like it so much in terms of functions and interface , allows me to upload everything I want without losing quality, and that, when we take RAW photos with the mobile or the camera, is very relevant.

Compared to Google Photos, I lose the possibility of uploading unlimited videos (we only have 5 GB), but it compensates as a "free" substitute thanks to its inclusion in the Amazon Prime subscription."

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amplosion

Recommended by Eduardo Archanco, from Applesfera

"My recommended app is Amplosion, although more than an app it is a Safari extension for the iPhone. Its function is very simple: to give us the normal version of a website when the AMP version has been loaded. It comes in handy to view the web page original being able to load the Safari reader."

pose

Recommended by Javier Marquez, from Xataka

"One of the apps I've discovered this year is Asana. Yes, I know, many of you may already know it, but it had been completely out of my orbit. Until installing it on my iPhone, I lived using iOS reminders.

However, Asana has made it much easier for me to organize my personal and professional life. I can easily manage projects, adding collaborators, assigning tasks, evaluating progress and so on. In my case I have created two spaces. One for personal issues and one for work."

Clockify

Recommended by Miguel López, from Xataka and Applesfera

"Being a 'freelance' with several jobs behind me, taking care of the hours of my working day is very important. Thanks to the Clockify application (available on iOS and Android) I can know how many hours I have dedicated to each job, being able to detail even what task I have spent more or less time on. I have been using it for the last few months and it has helped me reduce procrastination time and better manage the hours I dedicate to my professional life."

Discogs

Recommended by Yúbal Fernández, from Xataka

"Discogs is possibly the most essential online community and application for any music lover, especially if you are someone who collects music in physical format. It is an all in one, and you have from a true bible with information on all the groups of the world and all the versions of all the records they have released, even the possibility of adding and cataloging all the music you have purchased.

Therefore, when you go to buy music you can scan the barcode of the record, cassette or vinyl that interests you and you will see all its information. In addition, you will also know what discs you have to avoid buying anything repeated. And if that wasn't enough, you also have a large second-hand market where you can get different versions of albums or singles from people who sell them in different parts of the world."

Easy Menu Planner

Recommended by Javier Jiménez, from Xataka

"It's probably not the best app for organizing the weekly menu, but sometimes the paths that lead us to start using one or another app are mysterious. In fact, I have no idea why I started using 'EasyMenuPlanner'; no However, with a simple interface and the ability to share with the whole family, this menu organizer has made my life easier.

We (who have had two children in the last 24 months and the house is an absolute mess running) use the most basic: the set menu and shopping list functionalities. But with that surfing the day and, above all, coordinating meals (and purchases) has become much easier. I already say that there will surely be better options (in Xataka we have a good list), so my advice is almost that you give an organizer a chance to make 2022 calmer."

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EpocCam

"One of those where you have to get an additional webcam out of your sleeve and you don't even know how to set it up. Buying another one is a tremendous laziness, but looking for solutions even more. You think that maybe with the mobile you can manage something, but then it comes to your head something even worse: "an application for iPhone with which I can connect to the PC and not die trying... that has to be impossible".

But from time to time technology surprises you. I tried the lite version of EpocCam for the recommendations and, after seeing how easy it is to transfer the image to any program like OBS, either by Wifi or by cable, and seeing the quality that it had, it didn't take me half a minute to get the application Pro. I think it's one of the few times that I get to an application and it surprises me in this way, so since then I use it whenever I can to give my live shows a little more spice without having to spend money for an additional camera in terms."

GamePass

Recommended by Javier Pastor, from Xataka

"When I bought the Xbox Series X I took the opportunity to rediscover the Xbox mobile applications and the Xbox Game Pass for Android, which Microsoft has promoted in recent months and has become good auxiliary companions of the main experience that one lives with the console.

The improvements are constant and allow, for example, to take advantage of the xCloud service to play a large catalog of games on mobile with a controller or even with touch controls, but I also like that option of the Xbox tool of being able to choose a game from my Game Pass subscription to install it on the console "linked" to the mobile when we configure the app for the first time. I would like both applications to be united in one, but otherwise this binomial is certainly a striking component of the ecosystem that Microsoft is setting up with the Xbox and especially with Game Pass."

goodreads

Recommended by Carlos Prego, from Xataka

"Nothing new under the sun, I know. Goodreads has been around for years, but I personally haven't really gotten around to it until a few months ago. Although I've always been very independent in choosing my reading, I came to it on the recommendation of great devourers of books and it has not disappointed me: a dynamic, intuitive app, with an active community, a good catalog and in which constructive criticism proliferates; it is easy to find good readers on Goodreads and help to find titles related to your tastes."

Google Family Link

Recommended by Jesús León, from Xataka

"An application that I hardly knew existed (because it is not new) is Google Family Link and this year it has been my discovery. I needed to apply easy and comfortable parental control on my children's mobile and it has been a good solution .

As an application it is not particularly brilliant, but it does what I need. Basically having control of the applications and contents that they can download and see (applying age filters). And it has also been very useful for me because it allows real-time tracking of their location (for example on excursions or when they are with friends). Being in the Google ecosystem it is easy to link it with Gmail (for notifications), with YouTube and Google Play."

Imaging Edge

Recommended by Fernando Sánchez, from Xataka Foto

It took a long time (5-6 years) without having to photograph in a hurry, with the need to facilitate the photographs at the moment. In one of my last jobs I had to deliver the photographs in which a minister participated just 10 minutes after finishing the act. For a moment I felt lost but work rules, so I reacted quickly and downloaded Sony's Imaging Edge to download the selected photos in my camera... I remembered that it was slow and tedious. But it was fast and efficient.

Just pair the camera with your phone and everything flows quickly... so I have the quality of a full frame camera and the versatility of a mobile phone... Then I seamlessly developed with Adobe Lightroom (works the same as the version desktop) to correct lights and shadows... 5 photographs in 10 minutes... And on top of that I received congratulations from the press office."

Last.fm

"This is a service with more than a decade of history behind it, but last year I decided to give it another chance, and this year it has finished convincing me. Especially since this year, in addition to Spotify, I have also listened to more and more music on CD, vinyl, and even on the computer by having all my CDs digitized. I also like to have statistics of what I listen to, and Last.fm is the service where I have them all centralized.

I have my Spotify account linked to Last.fm, and the music player I use on Windows also supports it and I have it linked. And then I use the Open Scrobbler website to add the songs I listen to in physical format. And there they are, all the statistics of the music I listen to centralized in this service, with a recommendation system that is much more powerful than Spotify's to help me discover new music."

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Lichess

Recommended by Enrique Pérez, from Xataka

"I recently got into chess and I find Lichess to be an excellent app. Open source, lightweight, ad-free, with thousands of players at any given time and the ability to play the machine and choose your level. It also works offline, so which works great for those trips where you don't have coverage. If you don't want to have to sign up or get into more complex platforms, Lichess is ideal for both newbies like me and more experienced players."

Microsoft Authenticator

Recommended by Yúbal Fernández, from Xataka

"Over the last few years, I've been trying almost one password manager a year. I've tried many paid ones, but ever since I tried Microsoft Authenticator I wouldn't want to use any other. It just gives me more than everything I need. And it's just that it's a two in one, which works as a password manager and as a verification application in two steps.

On the one hand, if you have it on your mobile, you can use it to verify the login to any service. And on the other, it serves to have your passwords synchronized on all your devices. In Edge, passwords are synchronized natively, but it has an extension for Chrome and applications for Android and iOS, and it is completely free. I know that there are many very good alternatives in this field, but this is the application that has made me fall in love."

Money Box

Recommended by Ricardo Aguilar, from Xataka Móvil and Xataka Android

"An app that I have discovered in 2021 is MoneyBox. It does not have the most beautiful interface in the world, but it is a spectacular app to save. We set an economic goal and it tells us how much monthly money we have to save to reach said goal. It is free and it has been quite a discovery."

Nextory

Recommended by Iván Linares, from Xataka Móvil and Xataka Android

"It is the evolution of Nubico, the unlimited book reading platform that changed owners, also changing the app, to Nextory. With it, I have all kinds of readings within reach of my phone and tablet, from novels to magazines. It offers an interface clean, easy to read anywhere and can be used by the whole family thanks to the different profiles. It is highly recommended for those who are used to reading very frequently and want various themes and narratives."

Nike Training

Recommended by Javier Marquez, from Xataka

"The first app I've discovered this year that I'd like to mention is Nike Training. The truth is that I'm not very good with sports and I was looking for something to help me supplement the few times I go running in the week.

Nike Training has a wide range of workouts of different complexity. So you can start little by little if you are at a beginner level like me. My favorites are: "Start the Day Warmup," "Get Off the Desk in 7 Minutes," and "Active Warmup Sequence." As you will see, I have chosen easy routines to perform without equipment, but there are many more."

NordPass

Recommended by Antonio Vallejo, from Genbeta and Xataka Home

"NordPass is a good password manager, simple and easy to use. It is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, and iOS and Android devices. Since its launch, features have been added, and we have found features such as the ability to see if our password is repeated in other services, or detect if our data has been leaked through security breaches.

It also has a free version, and although it lacks certain functions, the application performs quite well and is tremendously versatile and useful. For me it has been the discovery of the year, since I wanted to change my password manager and it has come in handy."

Pikmin Bloom

Recommended by Iván Linares, from Xataka Móvil and Xataka Android

"It's hard to categorize Pikmin Bloom as a game as it's not really much of a game per se, more of a walk - it's a great activity motivator. Given the name and the Nintendo game it's based on, the app allows you to collect Pikmins while encouraging walks with its efficient reward system. At home we have all become hooked on this application, with the consequent fight to see who walks more and, with it, get more Pikmins or plant a greater number of flowers."

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Pocket

Recommended by Frankie MB of VidaExtra

"Until not too long ago, I was that kind of person who sometimes passed curious links and videos through WhatsApp to share them and, I will not deny it, to have them at hand or not to lose them. Among other things, because there came a point where I lost my hand when saving or bookmarking my mobile and PC browsers and I am perfectly aware that it will happen again. In this aspect, Pocket has been my solution: it allows me to save links, addresses, post of social networks and what you want from web or mobile and, later, manage, delete and share them in a very comfortable and simple way.

What's more, once installed on iOS I usually take any more or less interesting link to the app, not worry about its content and at the end of the day do a complete review of everything or reread what I liked the most without having to open windows or browsers . All within the App itself."

Red OS

Recommended by Antonio Saban, from Genbeta

"With everything that the electricity bill has risen this year, and given the roller coaster of prices that we see from one time period to another depending on the hour, the application that this year has become essential on my iPhone (and among its widgets) is redOS, which is also for Android.

If I enter it, I see the price of electricity for each hour of the day, and from the widgets I see the price for the current hour. That way, I know if it's a good time to put on a washing machine, or what time I can put it on tomorrow."

Recommended by Amparo Babiloni, from Xataka Móvil and Xataka Android

"I want to add a 'bonus track' and it is redOS, the app to know the price of electricity in real time. I have a PVPC rate and, if I want to save, it is vital to know the price before putting on a washing machine or programming the dishwasher. What I like the most is the widget to see the cost at a glance."

slack

Recommended by Carlos Prego, from Xataka

"Just landed in the world of Slack for work reasons, the first impression is ten. As a tool for the PC it is intuitive and practical, it helps to organize at work and makes team dynamics very easy despite the challenges of teleworking. As a mobile app, it allows you to be aware of notifications and news outside the office. That said, outstanding."

Sleep Timer

Recommended by Antonio Vallejo, from Genbeta and Xataka Home

"Normally, I can't fall asleep if I don't put on something in the background first, and it's usually a podcast, a video, or a Twitch stream. For the former, there's no problem, since the main music and podcast apps have timers to cut the content that we are listening to. However, in the case of watching a video or stream on an Android device, things change.

With Sleep Timer I can set a timer and leave something playing without worrying about leaving my phone or tablet screen on. Once the time has passed, the app will pause the video and automatically lock our device. A very useful application to watch content without missing anything and with the certainty that the mobile ends with the screen off while we sleep."

Snapseed

Recommended by Pablo Rodríguez, from Xataka

"For me, the discovery of 2021 has been Snapseed, one of the best photo retouching apps I've tried. Yes, I know, I'm pretty late, but I've been into photography for a long time, and until very recently I preferred taking the photos with the camera and retouching them on the computer, and although I still prefer this technique for some snapshots, Snapseed has become a first-rate street battle companion.

What I like the most about this app is that it achieves very good results, as I never thought I would do from my mobile. A well-treated photo with Snapseed is very close to professional quality, and thanks to this I save a lot of time if what I want is to retouch an image taken by mobile and share it on social networks. In addition, the app allows you to process files in RAW, the best format for capturing photos, something that many other mobile editors don't allow. For the rest, it is intuitive, quite complete in its functions and does not compress the colors as much as other similar applications. Due to the quality of the results, simplicity and speed, it has become one of my essentials."

star walk 2

Recommended by Carlos Prego, from Xataka

"Another one older than the comic, I know; but with which I have premiered this year. The taste in my mouth is equally positive. Intuitive, agile, very visual, it helps to explore celestial objects in real time. Its news section lends a hand to the user to keep up to date with astronomical phenomena and manage data of interest, such as tips for observations, curiosities, historical information... All with a pleasant and careful presentation."

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steam link

Recommended by Frankie MB of VidaExtra

"This year I have become totally used to playing remotely, and although I continue my console games through the Xbox app on PC, I have also turned my mobile into a kind of portable system with the best of Steam and Xbox. One thing, thanks to Game Pass Ultimate and cloud gaming, but my secret weapon for my PC game collection has been Steam Link.

The Valve App starts from a simple idea that it executes very successfully and without ruling out almost any possibility or adjustment: you link the app to your Steam account and, from its interface, you can use the screen to access your library of games and enjoy them wherever you want. You have a digital controller on the screen, although you can also use it as a trackpad and, in general, it works quite well. Now, there are titles that ask to be played with a traditional controller. That's where the versatility of the App comes into play, how easy it is to pair a wireless controller to it. It may not be ideal, but we must recognize that -never better said- Steam Link gives a lot of play."

Health Card

Recommended by Juan Carlos López, from Xataka

"Due to my work in Xataka, I frequently travel and attend face-to-face events in which, given the circumstances in which we have lived for two years, I am forced to prove my vaccination schedule against COVID-19, or that I have passed a PCR or an antigen test with a negative result. For this reason, one of the apps that I have used the most this year, and which has undoubtedly made my job easier, is 'Health Card', which is available for both Android and Android. for iOS.

It is a very practical option that makes life a little easier for people who are forced to move frequently and attend events. I use the app that the community of Madrid has enabled because it is where I live, but other Spanish autonomous communities have developed similar apps that have very similar functionality. And, in my opinion, it's worth making room for them on our smartphone."

things

Recommended by Javier Lacort, from Xataka

"After years with Todoist I decided to take the step to Things, which is not as complete but it does have an interface that is well cared for to the extreme, with very good taste. Those who really appreciate the visual section will really enjoy Things. Available only for the Apple ecosystem: iOS, macOS, iPadOS and watchOS."

Todoist

Recommended by Amparo Babiloni, from Xataka Móvil and Xataka Android

"It wasn't really a discovery because I already knew the app, but it wasn't until now that I started using it on a daily basis. I'm talking about Todoist, the task app that has become my productivity center for a few months The service is fantastic and the app is up to the task. It is simple, with a clear design and the operation is perfect. It is also on all platforms. Until now I was using Notion, a service that I also like a lot but whose app leaves a lot to be desired. I think I'll be staying on Todoist for a long time and the app is one of the key reasons."

Ulysses

Recommended by Javier Lacort, from Xataka

"Every day I write about 2,000 words in podcast scripts alone, to which you have to add articles and reports. Especially the part of the scripts made me appreciate moving on to Ulysses, which includes a graphic way of seeing what the objective is (in words , paragraphs, etc) that we have defined for each text, and how far we are going. Available on iOS, iPadOS and macOS."

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WorkOutDoors

Recommended by Javier Lacort, from Xataka

"The visual section is average, but it is so functional and customizable as a sports training application that it makes up for everything. Extreme modularity to make this app the ideal racing companion. Only available for Apple Watch."

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