What’s on the smartphone agenda for August?

Yuka

Ever stood in a supermarket aisle, staring at a label, and wondered what half the ingredients even were? Yuka helps you with just that. This clever little app lets you scan the barcodes of your food and cosmetic products and instantly shows you how they stack up in terms of health.

Each item gets a clear score – good, okay or avoid – and comes with a detailed breakdown explaining why. Is it packed with additives? Hidden sugars? Questionable chemicals? It lets you know.

And when something’s deemed as not-so-great, it doesn’t just stop there – it provides healthier alternatives you can actually swap in.

With over five million products in its database, it’s surprisingly comprehensive. Plus, it’s completely independent, with no brand funding, so the advice stays honest. It even works offline and supports dietary filters like gluten-free or palm oil detection if you go premium.

DailyArt

If you’re someone who gets joy from quiet museum moments or can’t scroll past a Van Gogh without stopping, DailyArt was made for you. This delightful app delivers a new artwork to your phone each day, along with a short, engaging story that puts it into context.

It’s like having your own pocket-sized curator who skips the boring stuff and gets straight to what makes art beautiful, powerful or just interesting. From the great masters to forgotten women artists, DailyArt’s growing archive spans over 4,500 works and 900 artists.

You can explore themed collections, such as food in art or Impressionism, browse galleries around the world and follow art history, all at your own pace.

It’s free, carefully curated by actual art historians and refreshingly unpretentious. A lovely way to stay inspired, minus the museum crowds.