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If 2021 was about Clubhouse and the need to spend more time online—thanks to the pandemic keeping us indoors—2022 saw people step away from their devices, wanting to dive into some sort of normalcy. 

This reflected in the apps that went viral as well. For example, BeReal that wanted users to be more mindful of social media usage, as well as the filters we use online.

At YourStory, we reviewed several apps across categories, including social media, sleep, and even astrology. Some made us more productive while a few were pure fun to explore. Here are our top picks. 

1. BeReal

The BeReal app comes at a time when the awareness around how social media functions is on the rise. An antithesis of conventional social apps, BeReal’s mission is to inject social media feeds with a dose of reality. 

Made by a France-based company, the app sends a notification at a random time every day, prompting users to post a picture while going about their daily lives. It allows users only a couple of minutes to post the pictures using the front as well as the back camera and no, you cannot upload photos from your internal storage.

Read more here.

2. MindPeers

Launched by Delhi-based SaaS startup of the same name, Mindpeers focuses on individual therapy, offering appointment bookings, self-help tools, and fun games, among other services. 

The app also offers guided breathing exercises with visual elements, an in-app journal, and more.

Read more here.

3. IQ Dungeon

Who doesn’t like puzzles? Enter a game where you save the princess using your brain. That’s what IQ Dungeon is all about. Launched in February 2021 on the Google Play Store, the app asks you to solve puzzles to save your princess.

Levels in the beginning are much easier, of course, where you can get away with only moving certain things on the screen. But as you go further, applying a few permutations and combinations, could help you cross the level. 

It is the perfect pick-me-up you need in the middle of a slow work day. 

Read more here.

4. CARROT Weather

If you are tired of just refreshing your weather app to check the temperature outside, AI-driven CARROT can be a good alternative—designed to vibe with your personality.

Released in 2018, the app is available on both Google and Apple app stores but the two operating systems get very different kinds of experience. CARROT Weather also uses gamification to give you an extra oomph while checking the weather. While it is true that the Premium and Premium Ultra subscriptions are necessary to experience its full potential, it may be too expensive for the masses.

Read more here.

5. AstroTalk

In the last two years, astrology apps have been much in demand, especially among millennials and Gen Z. 

In fact, AstroTalk’s users are majorly between the ages of 18 and 45 and from across the country.  

At one point, the startup was clocking in Rs 14 lakh every day, thanks to the uncertainty brought on by the pandemic. 

The app offers direct consultation with an astrologer, free birth chart (kundli) viewing, shopping and daily horoscope, among other things. But there is not much to corroborate the claims of the service providers, much like the real-life astrologers. It works for some folks and doesn’t work for others.

Read more here.

6. Habitica 

It’s time for your new year resolutions but hey, have you been trying to develop a habit but are constantly failing at it? They say it only takes 21 days. But does it really? Reports suggest it might not be as easy as it sounds.  

This year, I tried Habitica and was somewhat successful in building a few habits. Similar to the book, The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg, the app follows a three-part process. The trigger or cue helps you settle into the task, followed by setting up a routine. Finally, the reward makes doing the task much more fun. The latter has been used by many consumer-tech and legacy companies to create habit formation among customers. 

Read more here.

7. Pzizz

A good sleep is extremely underestimated when one is trying to reach for their goals or even in day-to-day life. I, for one, cannot do without my seven hours of night sleep. If I don’t get those hours, the day just seems like an endless parade of assignments after assignments instead of being fun. 

But Pzizz really helped me out this year. The app uses dreamscape that combines “psychoacoustics” with narration to put the mind at rest. Users include eminent personalities, including author J.K. Rowling and NBA (National Basketball Association) player Roy Hibbert. The app plays an audio clip with quotes and serene sounds, which puts you in a deep slumber. 

Read more here.