Lifestyle
10 of the best apps to help you learn a new skill
Taking on a new skill challenge has never been easier thanks to our smartphones. If you’ve got something you want to learn, there’s an app for that!
By Carolyn Tate
Learning a new skill is not only incredibly rewarding, it can also do wonders for our quality of life, mental health, and wellbeing. Engaging in new activities has also been shown to boost your memory, improve cognitive functions, and enhance your problem-solving skills. Plus it’s a great way to relieve stress, foster creativity, and keep your mind active and sharp.
And, thanks to technology, it’s never been easier to do. Where once you may have had to sign up to a class and drive across town every Tuesday night to make it happen, now you have a whole world of education right there in your pocket.
Whether you're interested in arts and crafts, music, or even a new language, there's an app that can help. Here are six of the best apps to guide you in mastering a new skill, making the process enjoyable and fulfilling.
1. Fold your way to glory
Who knew that paper could transform into so many amazing creations? With Paper Crafts for Beginners, you can learn to fold paper into beautiful origami pieces, seasonal decorations, and more. Create your own paper wallet, a bouquet of tissue paper flowers, or a charming origami animal. This app is perfect for those who love crafting and want to make unique, seasonal decorations in a pinch, like paper reindeer for Christmas, spooky Halloween decorations or something special for a birthday.
Available on: iOS
2. Master every kind of craft
Creativebug offers an extensive range of classes, from painting and sewing to quilting, knitting, baking, jewellery making – and even circuitry! This app truly has something for everyone. With a paid subscription, you can stream easy-to-follow video tutorials on your computer or mobile device (at time of writing you can try it for 60 days for free). Happy users rave about the amazing selection of courses and the high-quality content available. It's a one-stop shop for all your creative learning needs.
3. Tickle the ivories
Simply Piano is an award-winning app, highly rated by over 80,000 users, with an average rating of 4.6 stars on iOS. It’s praised for making learning the piano fun and fast. The app’s engaging and interactive lessons help you grasp the basics and advance your skills in no time. Whether you're a complete beginner or looking to brush up on your skills, Simply Piano makes the process enjoyable and efficient.
4. Learn something out-of-the-box
Udemy offers a wide range of courses, from drawing and web development to AI and stress management to music and photography. Their mission is to make learning accessible, with course prices starting from $22. One of the standout features is that you receive a certification upon course completion, adding a sense of value and achievement to your new skills. Udemy's vast selection and accessible format make it a fantastic resource if you’re looking to expand your knowledge and abilities.
5. Speak another language
Duolingo is a language learning app beloved around the world for its user-friendly interface and engaging learning experience. With 43 languages to choose from, Duolingo keeps you motivated with daily streak scores that fuel your commitment to learning a new language. While you can purchase extra “gems” for more lessons, Duolingo’s popularity stems from its extensive free subscription inclusions. It’s a fun and interactive way to become multilingual.
6. Speed up your reading
If “so many books, so little time” is something you can relate to, Outread: Speed Reading is a fantastic brain exercise that will help you learn how to read faster. This app is perfect for those avid readers amongst us looking to maximise their efficiency and get through books more quickly. It’s also great if you want to enhance your learning speed and overall productivity. By improving your reading speed, you can absorb more information and make the most of your reading time.
Available on: iOS
7. Release your inner musician
Yousician is an excellent interactive app for learning to play guitar, ukulele, bass, or even to sing. It uses engaging visuals to teach you how to play, making it more interactive than traditional textbooks or music books. Yousician helps you learn not only to play an instrument but also to read music and understand the instrument you’re playing. With high ratings and easy-to-follow lessons, it’s a top choice for aspiring musicians.
8. Start a podcast
Let’s face it, we’ve all got something to say and podcasting is the best way to tell as many people as possible. Spotify for Podcasters makes it easy to record and upload your own podcast. Create community through engaging with fans in the comments and track the stats on how well your podcast is doing compared to others.
9. Demystify cryptic crosswords
You’ve probably heard how good cryptic crossword puzzles are for maintaining brain health as you get older. Which is all well and good, but if you’ve never tackled them before they can seem… bewildering. Learn Cryptic Crosswords does exactly what it says on the tin. It will guide you through building your knowledge using hundreds of interactive examples of clues. You start with the basics and learn at your own pace but you’ll quickly build up to having the confidence to tackle famous newspaper cryptic puzzles.
Try some of Citro’s puzzles and games for free.
10. Code the next hit app
If these apps aren’t inspiring enough, perhaps you’d like to learn to code your own? SoloLearn will teach you the coding skills you need to create the next App of the Week. From beginner level front-end coding to Python developer, you’ll be running the AI show in no time at all.