As we mentioned in our last editor’s choice article about video conferencing apps (if you are interested in, you can find a link below), all the measures in order to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus have strongly intervened into our daily life and changed it to quite an extent.
Then, Information Technology stepped in. Video conferencing apps, which offer a solution for those who are practising social distancing or under self quarantine to stay in communication and collaboration with others, have gained incredibly increasing popularity - maybe the first time in history - since March.
However, video conferencing alone is not enough for this special period. Again, we carefully and thoughtfully selected some apps which are the most popular and most widely used in America to meet your true demands in all aspects in life and sort them into the following 4 categories for your convenience.
Developed by Google, Google Classroom is a free online learning platform which aims to boost the learning experience using the physical classroom through the software provided by Google. As part of the Google Apps, Google Classroom is regarded as the education suite which mainly develops a paperless setting in the classroom. The programme also allows teachers to teach from a distance, which in the current climate can provide much needed assistance.
Developed by Google, Google Classroom is a free online learning platform which aims to boost the learning experience using the physical classroom through the software provided by Google. As part of the Google Apps, Google Classroom is regarded as the education suite which mainly develops a paperless setting in the classroom. The programme also allows teachers to teach from a distance, which in the current climate can provide much needed assistance.
Classdojo is another popular platform which is used by teachers, children and families in 95% of pre-kindergarten through eighth grade schools in the United States, as well as in a further 180 countries.
ClassDojo offers a school communication platform that teachers, students, and families use every day to build close-knit communities by sharing what's being learned in the classroom home through photos, videos, and messages.
ABCmouse.com gives your kids full access to enjoy online preschool and kindergarten curriculum experiences. You can have classes like reading, writing, math, art, music, beginning science, social studies and much more.
On 17 Mar 2020 due to the school closing caused by the outbreak of coronavirus, ABC Mouse announced the opening of virtual doors to all new students for free. You'll just need to use promo code SCHOOL7771 to take advantage of this offer.
To have your groceries delivered to your home has proved itself to be an efficient way to practise social distancing. Under this category we recommend Walmart Grocery, Instacart and AmazonFresh, which are widely used throughout the nation.
Walmart Grocery store allows you to shop for groceries at the same low, in-store prices from your local Walmart with an online order. The products will be sent directly to your home, which couldn't be more convenient.
On March.6th, Walmart announced that they would gradually integrate Walmart Grocery into its flagship app Walmart Shopping, in order to provide customers an easier shopping experience. This integration would take place step by step, and hopefully Walmart Grocery would be deactivated by this summer.
With Instacart, you can shop online and get groceries delivered from stores in your neighborhood in as fast as 1 hour. Or you can choose to pick up your order at the store, where it’ll be waiting for you.
At the beginning of March 2020, Instacart rolled out a new feature called “Leave at My Door Delivery”, which gives customers the option to have an order left by their door during a designated time frame in order to avoid human contacts.
On March 23, Instacart announced the plan to hire 300,000 additional workers to meet the surging demand.
AmazonFresh has probably become the best online grocery delivery service in the past few months, after it no longer requires a separate costly subscription (it was $119 a year) since late 2019. Now anyone with an Amazon Prime membership can enjoy a free same-day delivery with a minimum spend of 35$.
Note: As far as we’re concerned, AmazonFresh doesn’t have any mobile version on Play Store or Apple Store. You do find an app on Amazon App Store, but its latest update was years ago. So, please visit its official website via your browser.
While living indoors, to stay both physically and mentally healthy is crucial to strengthen our immune system that protects us from getting sick. Although we can’t go out for jogging or burn some calories at the gym, digital programs help us remain exercise routines at home. Besides, as isolation does have a negative impact, such as stress and anxiety on human mentality, some popular health and wellness apps are now offering free services to help people cope in the midst of unprecedented times.
Featuring individual and multi-week programs designed by trainers, the Nike Training Club app is a great free resource to reach your fitness goals and keep in shape during this period of social distancing. Classes include strength, endurance, yoga and mobility, and the app also lets you track overall health metrics such as food and sleep habits.
Recently, Nike has made all of its Nike Training Club Premium workouts free until further notice.
Headspace is a popular mindfulness and guided meditation app which teaches you how to breathe, meditate, and live mindfully. There are exercises on everything from managing anxiety to stress relief to breathing, happiness, calm, and focus. Even if you’ve never meditated before, the free Basics course will teach you the essentials of meditation and mindfulness.
Headspace has also responded quickly to the crisis. It’s gone free for US healthcare professionals, who work in public health settings, through the end of this year. If you’re a healthcare professional, you can learn how to redeem your subscription on the Headspace website.
Match and dating apps have also seen significant spikes in use as the coronavirus has taken hold. Popular dating apps such as Tinder and Bumble are actively encouraging users to take their dates virtual by highlighting features such as in-platform video and phone calls and opening paid features to everyone.
Tinder is the inventor of “Swipe left or right”. Many used to perceive and utilize Tinder as a hookup app. Now, it's attempting to offer new ways to connect based on shared interests.
During the coronavirus lockdown, Tinder opened up a new free feature called Passport, which allows users to match with anyone on the planet.
Bumble is a female-first social app. It offers 3 different modes for users to foster more than just romantic connections: On Bumble Date, women make the first move; Bumble BFF is the easiest way for those who are new to a city or looking to expand your circle to make new friends; And Bumble Bizz is a platform to network, find mentors, and create new career opportunities.
