Five kinds of apps worth keeping on every phone

A small, well-chosen set of tools covers most everyday needs. Fewer apps means fewer updates, fewer notifications, and less to worry about.

A password manager and an authenticator

A password manager creates and remembers a unique password for every account, and fills it in for you. Pair it with an authenticator app for two-step verification on your most important accounts.

Together they solve the most common security problem: reused, guessable passwords.

Notes, files, and backups

Choose one notes app and one cloud storage service and use them everywhere. Turn on automatic photo backup so a lost phone does not mean lost memories.

Having a single place for documents makes it easier to find things and to move to a new device later.

Maps, messaging, and a good scanner

An offline-capable maps app, a secure messaging app your contacts already use, and a document scanner round out the essentials.

Review the rest of your apps every few months. If you have not opened one since the last review, it can probably go.