7 apps that don't let you get bored

7 apps that don’t let you get bored

If you were a 90’s kid, you probably know the true definition of boredom. The best form of entertainment we had back then was an hour-long episode of our favorite serial that streamed at a fixed time. Despite the lack of tech tools, we didn’t turn into dull adults. In fact, our generation produced the most creative yet progressive individuals!

Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg are some solid examples.

The human brain is a miracle. It is always on – thinking, functioning, making decisions, and engaged in subconscious activities. Boredom can work wonders on its capabilities.

Alicia Walf, a neuroscientist and a senior lecturer in the Department of Cognitive Science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, believes that for better brain growth, you should get yourself bored from time to time.

Fortunately, today, we have some incredible tools to reap fruitful rewards out of our boredom. Instead of roaming around for no reason or wandering over useless stuff, you can enhance your brainpower during these boring phases of the day.

How? By installing a bunch of mobile applications on your smartphones. Living without a smart device has become impossible for most of us. On your commute to work or waiting room at the dentist, look around. You wil spot about 70% of the people fidgeting through their phones.

What if we tell you that you can amp up your creativity, job productivity, and task engagement during these hours. While killing time on these apps, strategies, and solutions present all along in some embryonic form, get space and come to life.

So, it’s about time we ditch the ancient adage, “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.”

Dive into the digital marketplace and look for apps to use while you are bored. Besides keeping boredom at bay, these apps will allow you to work on your skills.

1. Flow Free

Developed by: Big Duck Games LLC
Available on: Android, iOS

This app will give you a perfect mental workout when you need one. It is an immersive, color-based puzzle game that is simple enough for young kids to initiate. At the same time, it is challenging to keep teens and adults occupied for hundreds of levels.

All you have to do is connect matching colored dots by swiping a finger between two dots to create a pipe without crossing over the colors.

Since its release on 25th July 2012, this app has nurtured players’ thinking skills. There are hundreds of levels and ten different board sizes, but some ask for in-app purchases. The banner ads are another distraction. However, purchasing a puzzle pack enables you to enjoy an ad-free experience. Or you can check out the best free ad blockers available in stores.

Overall, it is a fun game and helps to develop geometric skills plus spatial awareness.

2. Lumosity

Developed by: Lumos Labs
Available on: Android, iOS

Lumosity’s cognitive training program is a brilliant and interactive way to exercise your brain and learn how it works. So far, it has scored 100 million users worldwide due to its incredible science-based framework. Download figures provided by Apptopia, an analytics firm, suggest 3.8 million users joined in the year 2019.

The simple games tap into cognitive abilities like memory, attention, speed, problem-solving, and flexibility. The developers claim that playing games on this platform for a few minutes each day could enhance these skills and enrich them.

You can start with a free 10-minute Fit Test to set a basic score. Then, compare your skills with others in the same age group.

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It offers personalized tracking of training preferences to find different ways to challenge your brain. The free version allows you to play three games per day, which isn’t quite bad in retrospect.

3. StumbleUpon

Developed by: StumbleUpon Inc.
Available on: Android, iOS

If you love exploring things online, you might fall in love with this app. It doesn’t create its own content. Instead, it links you to third-party sites like Vimeo, YouTube, Buzzfeed, and countless blogs or news sources.

There is no specific set of guidelines on what content it should filter. This means there is no oversight on what shows up in your Stumble list. To deal with it, it gives you an option to fill out your profile with your interests to give the algorithm an idea of the data required.

As you stumble, you will see thumbnail pages or previews with full-size counterparts load. This makes it easy to stumble across several pages in a row.

4. QuizUp

Developed by: Plain Vanilla Games Corp
Available on: Android, iOS

QuizUp is a trivia game to test your knowledge of world geography, TV shows, cooking, and hundreds of other topics (433, according to developers). You can challenge users from across the world or play with your friends on Facebook and Google.

With hundreds of topics, everyone can find a topic of their interest. You can play on your favorite subjects and earn a badge to flaunt your expertise on social media. Who knows, you might discover your new interests along the way and even design a customized quiz!

Small design touch-ups throughout the game, such as an animal avatar or funky animations, make it all the more thrilling to play this game.

5. DuoLingo

Developer:  Luis Von Ahn
Available on: Android, iOS

DuoLingo is the best app to learn a new language. Could there be a better way to kill time?

The unique features and a clear interface of this app make it an instant favorite of every user. It offers multiple self-paced exercises to build a primary understanding of dozens of languages. Even when measured against some paid programs, the app wins due to its remarkable structure.

There are dozens of languages offered by DuoLingo, but you will find some with a stronger curriculum than the others. For example, you will find interactive stories, podcasts, and even meet-ups if you learn Spanish. On the contrary, more boutique languages don’t have much content.

When you first get started, there is a placement test to check your current knowledge of a language. By taking this test, you can skip some elementary lessons like verb conjugations and simple words.

6. Sudoku

Developed by: Finger Arts
Available on: Android, iOS

Everybody’s favorite number challenge is now available on the screen. It brings you the best way to polish your numeric skills and remove mental fuzz. The instructions are easy-to-understand and distinct for every puzzle, with helpful and colorful animations.

The objective of this smooth game is to place 1 to 9 digit numbers in each grid cell. Every number must appear only one time in each row. It offers different hints, brain teaser number puzzles, and several other features.

The interface is user-friendly and allows you to upgrade your creative knack by juggling around the numbers. An integrated system will enable you to rank and compare your scores with friends or players you met online.

7. Tender

Developed by: Jordan Homan, Necco Ceresani, Dave Blumenfield
Available on: Android, iOS

Jordan Homan, the co-founder of Tender, told Boston.com, “As a twenty-something, we are all constantly combating the impulse just to eat out or pick something up, But Tender gets you psyched about the prospect of making food.”

Tender is an app where you can interact with foodies from all over the world. Take a look at the scrumptious food they made and swipe to save the recipes.

All you need is the willingness to cook your food and surf the app to find a recipe that will fire up your taste buds. You can also sync the app with your social media profiles to share the recipes with your friends and family.

It is perfect when you want to feel like the domestic queen (pleasing your family’s tummies) or when you need some inspiration to eat healthily. 

Take Precautionary Measures before Installation

You must stay vigilant while strolling around the digital marketplace. There is always a threat from malicious entities who would slip into your system and compromise your personal information. This is why we suggest you conduct a background check on every app that you plan to install.

Read reviews, ask your friends who’re already using this app, and see how long the developers are operating in the field. Ideally, an app must contain an algorithm like airG scam-free apps to keep all bugs out of the system.

A thorough background check will help you decide whether to have an app on your phone or not. Next, you should also check its success figures and how it has helped people ignite their happiness when they get bored or feeling low.

Parting Comments

Even though our crazy lifestyle barely gives us time to get bored, there are some chunks in our day when we have nothing to do. If you are someone who starts overthinking about useless stuff when bored, better pick your phones. Search the app store to find an application that would rejuvenate your creative knack.

Who knows, you might be working on a whole new skill after using a certain app for a long time?

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