Chat, social media, workflow and news apps top UK apps list

Trends are clearly emerging for the app-loving users of the two largest platforms: iOS and Android.

IT Pro UK reports that app users in the United Kingdom, in particular, spend a lot of time chatting, interacting on social media, taking photos and images, doing work-related activities, and updating themselves with the news. PC Advisor UK, on the other hand, noted that “sharing” is another popular communal activity, making it a buzzword in the digital landscape.

The IT Pro report ranks the top iPhone apps based on their efficiency, popularity and frequency of use. Though chat apps may be getting popular, a lot of people still prefer to communicate online through email. Gmail’s Inbox and Microsoft Outlook are at the top of the heap, according to iPhone users, with Gmail considered faster and more user-friendly than any other web-based email. Google has also reconfigured its email service, making it more searchable and organised. Similar to Microsoft Outlook, users can now follow their Gmail conversations by just clicking through a thread.

App users also agree that Microsoft Outlook itself remains at the forefront of user experience because it puts order into their entire workflow. Aside from organising email, it allows them to set their schedule, mark their calendars, prioritise appointments and meetings, and remind them of all important events and tasks. Microsoft Outlook ranks high among the most downloadable app because it weaves email, schedules, calendars and activities into one smooth work process, empowering users to filter out the most urgent things on their agenda from those that are lower on their priority list.

IT Pro also notes that iPhone app users in the UK are community-centred when it comes to work, and Evernote and Slack certainly attest to that. Evernote started as a tool for the individual user, then expanded to include sharing features with colleagues. One can take down, revise and edit notes that can be saved online, and make them available for others to see as well. The more sophisticated Slack is a virtual conference room and workspace combined. Colleagues can chat with everyone in one main chat room while communicating with each other in private channels. Files can be dragged to and opened in the main group chat, or they can be viewed in private. This beats opening multiple work windows and then viewing them through a sharescreen.

Meanwhile, PC Advisor says that UK Android app users spend more time on messenger apps, like Skype and WhatsApp. Same with Slack, the users stay in touch with each other, chat as a group and individually, and share photos, images, videos and other files. Slack is used more for work, while WhatsApp members use it for both work, social media, and recreation.

Social media is a huge stomping ground online for Android users. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat are still the heavy, frequently downloadable apps for any smart device. Interestingly, PC Advisor further notes that UK Android users like apps that update them on news, business and the weather. Many of them begin their day by using apps like BBC News, The Guardian and Metro News to see the state of the nation. They are as eager to know about the latest economic and political developments as they are about the chances of a thunderstorm breaking out.

The Brits’ interest in their economic wellbeing has also placed banking apps among the UK’s top apps listing. They check their bank accounts on apps like Fairfax and HSBC while monitoring their credit card standing through apps from Capital One and American Express.

Given the current app preference of people living in the UK, it may just be a matter of time before business and finance news apps, like Born2Invest, come up on their top list. The Born2Invest app reports trends and the latest news in business and the economy, which has significant impact on the workplace, jobs, savings, credit card interests and their economic standing. What’s more is that Born2Invest informs users in a manner never-seen-before — placing easy-to-read but informative news snippets in one organised and uncluttered hub. A swift but focused reading can enable a user to see how a property market hike can lead to the increase of his rent, eating into his monthly household budget, and trickling down to his credit card spending and bank savings.

With apps for chatting, work-process sharing and social media impacting lives in the UK, business and finance apps are also making its way to top apps that the average person can’t live without. It can forearm the users about where the economy is going, provide research that they can share with colleagues, and finally empower them to make informed decisions.