Rebecca Lee takes a look at some apps that will make for a tech-tastic transition into 2023
With around 92% of Americans celebrating New Year’s Eve and a report from RetailDive revealing over 50 billion dollars was spent on smartphones in 2019, we can expect a surge in people using apps to keep them entertained as we make our way into 2023.
Whether it’s making resolutions, counting down to the big day or even cooking tasty treats, Rebecca Lee takes a look at some apps that boast super-smart capabilities to carry us into the New Year.
Pledge New Year’s Resolution
Always making resolutions and never sticking to them? If ever there was an app that held people accountable for not sticking to their plan, it’s this. The Pledge New Year’s Resolutions Tracker is a clever application that allows you to establish a goal and track it daily, weekly and monthly. Not only can you visualize progress with graphs and calendars, but you can set notifications to help keep you on track. It even offers a diary option to help you establish routines. Although paid for on iOS, you can subscribe monthly, quarterly and annually with a free trial on offer.
Countdown Star
Not just for New Year, countdown star is a clever little app that allows you to create a colourful timer so you can keep a watchful eye on annual celebrations, birthdays, anniversaries and more. You can count seconds, days, hours, minutes and even months until your favourite event. Simply add your event, customize it with an image or wallpaper, set the timer, and it’s ready to share with friends and family should you wish. Another cool feature is its ability to countdown in heartbeats, though that might be best reserved for Valentine’s Day! The countdown star app is available on iOS and Android with both paid-for and free-to-use options.
PotluckHub Party Planner
Don’t let the potluck name put you off; this app is a great little tool for organizing all elements involved in putting together one amazing party. Free to download and available on Android and iOS, you create your party, name it and provide a description. You need to invite your friends to the party through your phone contacts list. The app also enables you to keep track of those who have and haven’t accepted the invite, and you can also provide updates on the party to attendees automatically.
With over five hundred thousand downloads, this app contains super colourful New Years’ stickers. Although quite a basic interface, it does what it says on the tin, and stickers can be used to liven up your WhatsApp conversations as you wish your family and friends a happy 2023. It also features stickers for Christmas, Halloween, Easter and more. What makes it even better is that it’s free and available on iOS and Android.
Happy New Year photo frames
One of the most accessible New Year editing apps, this nifty software enables you to pop frames and messages straight onto your mobile images. Originally launched in 2020, the updated version features new cards and stickers (you can attach number balloons and sparklers to pictures), backgrounds, drawings and more. It’s also great to use in the sense that you can put together greeting cards in different languages, from English to Portuguese to Spanish, German, French and more. It’s free to use and is available on iOS.
Times Square Live
We’ve all heard about the infamous ball drop in Times Square, New York and what better way to experience it from the comfort of your couch than through an app? Although paid for, The Times Square Live application allows you to explore the bright lights, crowds and the hustle and bustle of the city that never sleeps. You can experience multiple live-streaming webcam views and listen to audio of the Ball drop or even the day after if you wish. A clever little feature is the app’s interactive cam feature, meaning you can see each camera’s exact location. Designed by EarthCam, it’s the easiest (and warmest!) way to view the ball drop on its way into 2023. Unfortunately, it’s currently only available on iOS; however, there are similar, simpler versions out there for Android users.
Epicurious
One of the most popular free-to-use apps for foodies, Epicurious features over thirty-five thousand recipes for those who like to cook from home. With New Year’s being a prime opportunity to have friends over for dinner, snacks, and weekly updates, Epicurious will be guaranteed to have loads of different appetizer recipes available to cater to different tastes. It’s free to use on iOS (it has yet to make it to Android!), and it boasts an impressive shopping list feature, a recipe box to save your favourites and a rating system for users. Tasty stuff.
Happy New Year, 2023
Providing the opportunity to create video wishes, greeting cards and videos, this app has all you need to create content to send to family and friends as you ring in 2023. You can also send greetings for the Lunar New Year, Chinese New Year, Bonnee Annee and more. Available on iOS, this is a paid-for app, but it provides a host of unique features, from a video editor, GIFs, stickers, frames and more. Easy to use, it’s a great way of sharing technology-powered joy with those you love.
