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It’s likely you have a list of apps you’re able to’t live without, like Facebook, WhatsApp, or Instagram. But what about apps you rarely even use? You may want to free up space by deleting them, but there are some you should always keep on your phone.
1Hold On to Your Travel Apps
If you’re a regular business traveler, you’re likely to use travel apps a lot, but it’s once in a blue moon for the rest of us. That makes apps likeTripIt,HotelTonight, and Airbnb prime candidates for nuking off your phone after a trip and just reinstalling before you travel.
However, this requires you to remember to redownload them before you head out, which can be tricky when you’re also struggling to pack everything you need and make sure the kids or pets are taken care of.
Even if you’re the type who does remember, you also never know what will happen on the trip, necessitating the download of an app you didn’t expect to use. Maybe the weather is particularly bad, and you need to call a car—installing and logging back into Uber or Lyft takes time you could’ve used to escape the rain.
Likewise, if your flight home gets canceled, and you need to book another night in a hotel—HotelTonight is perfect for this, as I can attest from my experience getting stuck in Winnipeg due to a storm.
2Always Have One Payment App
Apps like PayPal, Venmo, and CashApp make it easy to send friends and family that $20 you owe them. They’re great when you need to split a bill at a restaurant and don’t want to throw down eight credit cards at once. So, why make it more complicated by forcing yourself to download and log into an app every time?
If you keep the app on your phone, it becomes as easy as literally handing a wad of cash to a friend. Therefore, it’s good to keep at least one payment app on your phone, but also be aware that not everyone uses the same services, so it might be better to make sure you have two ways to pay on your phone. For example, if your bank app supports Zelle, you’re good, but if it doesn’t, having theZelle appis a good idea.
3A Food Delivery App Is a Must
Many of you probably have a preferred delivery app you use all the time—likeGrubHub, for example. However, if you’re traveling to an area you’re unfamiliar with, having a food delivery app likeSeamlessor Uber Eats on hand is good. That way, you can get food delivered to your hotel, Airbnb, or whatever strange place you happen to be.
I’d say it’s worth having at least two food delivery apps in case one platform is temporarily unavailable in your area due to weather or other circumstances. This also lets you compare prices and offers across platforms, helping you make sure you’re not paying more than necessary.
4Have at Least One Game on Your Device
Some people love playing games on mobile, but there are still many who don’t. If you count yourself among the latter, you might choose not to have any games on your device. But you probably should,especially games that don’t need an internet connection.
You never know when you might find yourself stranded somewhere without a good cell signal or Wi-Fi, like a train tunnel or a doctor’s waiting room. It’ll be nice to have something to fiddle with and keep your mind off your situation.
5If You’re Looking for a Job, Don’t Delete LinkedIn
LinkedIn is infamous for bombarding its users with notifications, so we wouldn’t blame you if you decided to keep it off your phone. But, if you’re actively looking for a job, it’s a good idea to keep LinkedIn easily accessible so you can quickly look up contacts, apply for jobs, and respond to messages.
That last one is key—though I regularly check LinkedIn on the web, the site hid a recruiter’s message until I downloaded the app. It could have been my dream job, but instead, I was two months too late. Don’t let this happen to you in your job search. You cansilence LinkedIn notificationsif you find them bothersome, though.
While there are some pretty broad categories of apps we think you should keep, we expect each person to have their own must-haves on their phone. Just think twice before you start deleting apps, as there areplenty of other ways to make space on your phone.
