Video

　　YouTube – YouTube is the internet's video library, and every year, the quality of the videos on the Google-owned service gets better and better. Available for free for iOS and Android.

　　Social networks

　　Facebook – The 1-billion-member social network is a must-have app for anyone with an internet connection. Available for free for iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

　　Twitter – Not everyone needs Twitter, but this social network is great for following celebrities, brands as well as journalists and news organisations. Available for free for iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

　　Instagram – This Facebook-owned social network is eye candy for smartphone users, filled with beautiful photos and videos from users' friends, celebrities and popular brands. Available for free for iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

　　Vine – Twitter's Vine app is perhaps the funniest social network there is, filled with hilarious short videos posted by countless users trying to strike internet fame. Available for free for iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

　　Snapchat – Snapchat lets users send each other photos and videos that disappear after a few seconds. Before sending, users can get creative with their videos and photos by colouring on them or adding filters. Available for free for iOS and Android.

　　Productivity

　　Google Drive – Google Drive lets users create and save documents, slide presentations and spreadsheets from their smartphones. The app also lets users access any files they may have saved in the cloud on their Google Drive account. Available for free for iOS and Android.

　　Dropbox – Dropbox is easily the most popular cloud-storage service, especially since users get 2 gigabytes of free space just for signing up and can get more through simple tasks such as connecting their account with other apps. Dropbox is also great for users who like backing up the photos they take with their smartphones, as users can enable the app to automatically save their device's pictures on their account. Available for free for iOS and Android.

　　Dictionary.com – It's always helpful to have a dictionary handy, and users can easily take care of that on their devices by downloading the Dictionary.com app. Available for free for iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

　　Messaging

　　There's a million ways to message friends using a smartphone or tablet, but these apps are some of the most popular available for mobile.

　　Facebook Messenger – This is the app for users who like messaging their friends over Facebook. The app can also be used to make video calls over the internet, although that will count against users' data caps if done without a Wi-Fi network. Available for free for iOS and Android.

　　Google Hangouts – Users who like chatting over Google will want to have the Hangouts app, which can also be used to make video calls. Available for free for iOS and Android.

　　WhatsApp – WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps on the planet as it essentially lets users send unlimited text and multimedia messages to their friends anywhere on the globe. The app is available for free for iOS, Android and Windows Phone for the first year and costs 99 cents per year after that.

　　Money

　　Bank apps – One of the best perks of having a mobile device is the simplicity of banking apps. All major banks and many smaller and independent institutions have apps for smartphones and tablets, so be sure to download yours.

　　Reading

　　Pocket – Pocket is an app that let users save articles, videos and other content they find online on their devices. The app is handy for reading long articles in places without Wi-Fi or mobile connections, such as plane and train rides. Available for free for iOS and Android.

　　Amazon Kindle – Kindle isn't the only e-book app, but it is available on every platform. This app is perfect for bookworms. Available for free for iOS, Android and Windows Phone.