Getting to and from work is an essential, if a little unexciting part of your daily routine, so why not make those journeys more enjoyable and pass the time with some awesome apps for your smartphone or tablet? Here are our top 5 picks.
1. Waze – iOS, Android, Windows
Navigate to work and beat the traffic with help from your fellow road users.
For those of you that drive to work, satellie navigation app Waze is a must. What sets it apart from other map apps is the fact it’s community driven, with over 30 million users all contributing to provide up-to-the-minute traffic and incident information. This can save you precious minutes avoiding nearby gridlocks, and you even get to earn points for using the app and being a helpful citizen to your fellow commuters.
2. Audible – iOS, Android, Windows
Choose from thousands of books to listen to on the go.
What better way to pass the time of a long commute than by taking in a book? Audible has over 150,000 audiobooks available for you to download to their app, and listen to on your journeys. If you’re a heavy user, there are some nice membership subscriptions available starting from £7.99 per month, or if you just fancy listening to the occasional book there are one-off purchase options available too. The app is very easy to use, and you can access your virtual library wherever you go.
3. National Rail – iOS, Android, Windows
Make your train journeys as smooth as possible with live departure times and updates.
If you rely on public transport to get you to and from work then it’s always a good idea to have quick access to live departure times and service updates. The National Rail app gives the most up to date information on train times, platforms and service disruptions which give you the best chance of preparing for delays. Should you fall victim to cancellations, train staff shortages or weather, then Citymapper is a handy backup, which can help you plan an alternative public transport route.
4. Pocket – iOS, Android
Save and sync articles to read offline on your phone, tablet or computer.
This one is strictly for passengers! Pocket is a very nifty app that lets you save articles and even videos from websites to read later even if you’re offline. This makes it a particularly useful app if you suffer from poor signal on the train line, use the London Underground, or simply want to save some precious MB on your data allowance. Pocket puts your saved content in a fresh, easy to read layout and you get the ability to organise your articles using tags and favourites.
5. Sonic The Hedgehog – iOS, Android
Because well, Sonic.
Our top 5 wouldn’t be complete without a game and after much deliberation, it’s an old classic that took the coveted final spot. Sonic The Hedgehog is a remastered mobile version of the SEGA classic found on the Megadrives of yesteryear and remains just as fun today. Run and spin your way through level after level while allowing yourself to get carried away with nostalgia (just make sure you don’t miss your stop taking on an Orbinaut).