Technology is constantly evolving, and everyone is desperately trying to catch up with the age of technology, whether it’s buying the latest version of the iPhone, the newest Galaxy phone by Samsung, or updating their operating system. In the midst all of this, newer phone applications are being continually developed, and these same phone apps are also being updated to keep up with the newer operating systems. While most apps are completely asinine in that there is absolutely no purpose to their existence (remember that dumb Kardashian game that was also incredibly addicting?), there are also apps that make day to day living a whole lot easier, and oftentimes entertaining. The following are five that I, myself, have downloaded, and am completely in love with.

1. hello sms

The conversational-format of text messages has grown exceedingly popular since the inception of the iPhone and iMessages (or whatever it’s iCalled), and since then, other smart phone devices have tried to emulate the same format. As much as I love the customization of most Android messaging systems, it can very easily borderline on hectic and chaotic, depending on what you set your font or background image to be. I like things to be organized and clean, and that’s exactly what hello sms is. While still adapting to the conversational format of other SMS systems, hello (the “h” isn’t stylized as a capital letter in the name, in case that was bugging you) provides a sleek layout, with your past conversations in a simple and narrow menu bar on the left hand side, with your most recent conversation displayed on the right. This messaging app also has the option of sending animated images to people. And for those of you non-iPhone supporters, hello has the same set of emojis that Apple provides on their phones.

2. Verse A Day

Verse A Day is a great app to use to keep up with Biblical scripture on a daily basis (in case you don’t carry a Bible everywhere you go). A great feature that this app has is that in addition to a quick passage, it also includes a brief summary and commentary that further explains what the passage of that day is about, and also a call to reflect on that verse. It’s a great way to start off your day, giving you something to think about and live by throughout that day.

3. Afterlight

Out of all of the photo editing apps I have ever used, Afterlight is by far the best one. Afterlight provides an extensive selection of filters split into three categories, and also allows for various artistic effects to add onto your photos. These include a dusty effect to give your photo a vintage appearance, a light leak effect that provides a lens flare, as well as a film effect. This app also allows for easy brightness, contrast, and saturation adjustment, as well as the ability to crop images into different shapes and letters. After downloading Afterlight, you will never want to use another Instagram filter again. This app does cost 99 cents in the app store, so if you don’t want to spend money on an app, a good substitute would be VSCO Cam, which provides similar features.

4. Timehop

If you are anything like me, and love to be reminded about the embarrassing person you once were, and probably always will be, Timehop is a great way to fuel that obsession. Timehop can be linked to any of your social media accounts, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and provides a recount of everything you posted on that day in past years. Recently, Timehop has added a feature that tells you what happened on that day in history, as well as any holiday that occurs or starts on that day. If you love feeling nostalgic and ashamed all at the same time, you should go download Timehop now.

5. Casetify

Finally, if you love customizable things, including phone cases, Casetify is another great app to download. I’m an extremely picky person when it comes to these things, and so when I discovered that I would be able to customize my own phone case with my own photos, I was all for it. Casetify provides a number of templates for most smart phones, and allows you to use your own personal photos to decorate your case with. Once you complete your case, you submit your design, enter your payment information, and your customized phone case is sent to your door within 2 to 4 weeks. Although each case costs about $40, the customizability and the durability and quality of the cases are well worth it. These also make for excellent birthday and holiday presents to give your loved ones.

I’m not exactly a technology wizard, but I hope I have provided some good suggestions in your search for good phone apps. If you tried any of these, or have any suggestions of your own, let me know! Have a great rest of the year, everyone!