If you get a shiny new phone or tablet this Christmas, chances are you'll be looking to fill it up with all the essential apps which you'll need for the future.
Thankfully, there's plenty of free apps out there which will help you navigate everything from finding holidays to getting in shape for the year ahead.
Here's our pick of top apps to download.
Skyscanner (Travel)
100 million people can't be wrong...
According to Skyscanner, that's the number of people across the world who rely on their app and website each month to help them with their travel plans.
Dedicated to making travel as simple and inexpensive as possible, Skyscanner helps people find the best options across flights, hotels and car hire to book the perfect trip.
We know you'll be stretched thin after Christmas, but it never hurts to consult about your next getaway...
Gentle Alarm (Lifestyle)
If you're anything like us, waking up is the hardest part of the day.
There's plenty of ingenious alarm clock apps out there on the market, but we recommend keeping thing simple and effective with the Gentle Alarm.
While a lot of clock buzz you out of sleep with full volume ringing, Gentle Alarm aims to raise you out of your slumber by slowly increasing the volume of your alarm, waking you up over time and hopefully waking you up more smoothly.
It’s an old app - but sometimes the simple things are the best.
Belfast live (News)
Of course you need to equip your new smartphone with our brilliant Belfast Live app. We'll ensure your kept up to date on all the latest breaking news, sport and entertainment write in the palm of your hand.
Pokemon Go (Games)
The biggest ever gaming app, Pokemon Go is still one of the most popular applications out there.
Over three years on since it was first made, the app continues to evolve and attract new users.
Players can continue explore the real world around them all while catching Pokemon, taking down gyms, and finding Pokestops, but new additions mean there's more legendary characters and you can even trade Pokemon in the game now.
As an added bonus, Pokemon Go is the perfect way to get out of the house and get exploring your area - which is never a bad thing!
Bleacher Report (Sports)
The Bleacher Report mobile app lets you stay updated with the latest on your preferred teams’ or athletes’ scores.
Like other apps, it enables you to pick your preferred teams so that you get the updates of only those teams or athletes that matter to you.
Based on the choices that users make, the app gives appropriate, real-time notifications, gathered from several online sources.
These sources offer users the sports stories, match scores, photos, and related videos that include the latest breaking news in sports from print media, blogs, and web portals.
Spotify (Music and Podcasts)
Another case of the original being the best. With over 30 million songs in their database, Spotify is perhaps the most accessible way to listen to music on your phone or tablet.
As an added bonus, Spotify is becoming one of the best places to access all the best quality podcasts.
Map My Fitness (Health and activity)
With New Years resolutions likely to be made right after Christmas is out of th way, you'll need a good fitness app to keep you right.
Map My Fitness features support for literally hundreds of different activities and exercises ranging from running and cycling to swimming and yoga.
The app also has a social element: with activities such as running and cycling, you can learn about new routes from other users to keep your exercising a little more interesting. Goal settings options give you something to aim for, and help to create a sense of achievement when you hit them.
YouTube Kids (12 and under)
If your kids are getting their first phone or tablet this Christmas, you'll need to make sure they're safe when they go online.
YouTube Kids provides a version of the YouTube which is tailored specifically towards children, with curated selections of content, parental control features, and filtering of videos deemed inappropriate viewing by kids 12 and under.
Keep up-to-date with all the very latest news, what's on, sport and everything else in Belfast and beyond with the Belfast Live app.
Only select news that interests you by picking the topics you want to display on the app's homepage. Plus, our enhanced user experience includes live blogs, video, interactive maps and slick picture galleries. Download it now and get involved .
Click here to get it from the App Store or here for Google Play .
