Top 5 Hacks For Our Favorite Media Apps

Published on July 15, 2015

Apps are like pizza. Yes, even when they're bad, they still sound good in theory.

But, that's not the most important similarity between the two. Pizzas aren't just about the main toppings. They also depend on the crust and sauce, both of which take time to create and master. There are certain ingredients, techniques, and temperatures at play. Your apps work a lot like pizza in that respect. For example, there are a lot of music apps on the market, but each has certain unique functions and appearances to distinguish itself from the competition. A hack, then, is a secret ingredient that makes the app that much tastier.

Be on the lookout for these time-saving and engaging hacks in these apps:

1. Horizon

We wrote our praises for Horizon last year, and we still love the steadiness, color, and ease it brings to video recording over iOS. 

And, while you probably already understand the differences in resolution, you might not have taken advantage of Horizon's three different leveling modes: "Just Rotate," "Scale & Rotate," and manual. According to Paul Sawers at The Next Web:

‘Just Rotate’ is the default setting, which keeps the frame-size fixed, ‘Scale & Rotate’ essentially adjusts the frame for maximum viewport as you swivel the device, or you can just disable the auto-leveling completely if you wish to use this like any other video-recording app.

By taking advantage of this hack, you'll be one step closer to being the Wes Anderson of smartphones!

2. Meerkat

Because of its fun, urgent, and easy-to-use interface, Meerkat was an "App of the Week" earlier this year. It has some pretty hefty competition from other live video streaming services, but Meerkat now offers a way to enter "God Mode," which allows users to access streams from users they are not following. Still, Meerkat has its work cut out for them, if they plan to stay ahead of Twitter's Periscope. 

3. Darkroom

Darkroom is one of our most loved photography apps, especially because "it really feels professional, almost to the ranks of a desktop Photoshop experience." In fact, this app offers an extra Curve function similar to that of desktop editing software. Available for $2.99 through the App Store, Curve enables users to edit the red, green, and blue hues separately or together. Curve also allows changes to the blacks, shadows, midtones, highlights, and whites with the swipe of a finger. 

4. Gallery Doctor

Using Gallery Doctor is like keeping a blunt friend in your smartphone. This app sorts through your photos and, by using an algorithm, "flags [the bad ones] down for you so you can remove them with a simple swipe." Available through Google Play, you can also program this app to recognize what you consider "art" and what you'd rather not keep. 

5. Choosic

Choosic made its way into our hearts and eardrums earlier this year. And, unlike Tinder (the swipe-left, swipe-right dating app that Choosic's format copycats), you're bound to walk away feeling good about yourself after using this app. The best part is that you can link your new finds back to SoundCloud, which enables you to share your new finds on social media platforms. This hack allows smaller, indie groups to get the listens they deserve, while you get to be hip as can be!

The Geek team loves their apps and wants to scream about it from the top of a mountain. Until then, we have a newsletter that you can subscribe to!