The best free apps around...

3 min read

Not all the apps on your choice of store cost money. Some of them cost nothing at all. Here we round up some of the best applications you can download and use on your device(s) without having to pay anything at all.

BBC News

Developer: BBC Media Applications Technologies Limited Website: www.bbc.co.uk/news/

Get the latest news on your tablet, directly from the BBC. Stories are arranged in topics including top stories, UK news, world news, politics, business, technology and sport; and you can even play videos directly from the app. It’s regularly updated and benefits from the BBC’s huge army of journalists reporting from all over the globe. You can watch the BBC’s 24-hour news TV channel through the app too.

Catchup Apps

Developer: Various Website: Various

If you like to watch TV on the go, why not use your tablet? There are many apps available for watching live or catchup TV right there on your mobile device. There’s the BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, My5 for Channel 5, apps for satellite services such as Sky and more. They’re all free, though in-app purchases might be available for extra features for a few of them. If you watch live TV in the UK, make sure you have a licence.

Netflix

Developer: Netflix, Inc. Website: www.netflix.com

Netflix is the most popular subscription service for TV shows and movies on the Internet and there’s an tablet app that lets you watch on your tablet. Binge-watch your favourite TV, enjoy a film and because your account details are stored in the cloud, you can pick up where you left off if you leave a movie or series part-watched. The app is completely free, though you need the subscription.

Facebook and Messenger

Developer: Facebook, Inc. Website: www.facebook.com

If you have a Facebook social media account , you can keep up with your contacts, update your news feed, upload a story, add new people to your friends list, accept friend requests from others and more all from your tablet. You can also send Facebook messages to your friends using the Messenger app, which is a separate download but just as free as the Facebook app.

Twitter

Developer: Twitter, Inc. Website: http://twitter.com

Another social media application, Twitter is for micro blogging; that is, writing short (280 character) updates which your followers can read. You can also follow other people, reading their own updates. There are some great people to follow here, including pop stars and celebrities as well as your friends. Keep up with what’s trending in the world.