25 Top Tech Tools I Use in My Daily Life — 2022 Edition

The estimated reading time for this post is 15 minutes

Whether you’re a tech enthusiast or someone who views tech as a necessary evil, you make an investment when you use tech. You may splurge on the latest and greatest phone, or spend time learning to use a free app. Every so often you may wonder, is my investment in tech worthwhile?

Almost five years ago I wrote 25 New Tech Tools I Use in My Daily Life, listing the tech tools I was using in 2017. That article followed a similar one I wrote two years earlier, in response to a reader’s question: Top 25 Tech Tools I Use in My Daily Life!

Tech has a short lifespan so revisiting the topic after five years can show which tech may be worth investing time and money in. And which tech becomes obsolete too quickly.

So let’s see how the tech I use has changed over the past five years. An asterisk appears next to tech tools that were not included in the last Top Tech Tools article in 2017.

YouTube TV*

I switched over to YouTube TV about a year and a half ago and have never regretted the decision. I enjoy the unlimited DVR recording capabilities and the ease of watching live and recorded shows wherever I am.

See my review of YouTube TV at => YouTube TV — Is It the Best TV Streaming Service for You?

The customizable channel guide helps me find my favorite shows easily. And the home page suggests shows I want to watch without me having to hunt for them.

I’m enjoying all of these features, plus the money I’m saving having cut the cable.

Apple TV*

I use my Apple TV to watch YouTube TV, as well as other streaming services. With Apple TV, I can use AirPlay to cast video from my phone, iPad, or computer to my TV. I may start watching a video on my computer or phone, then switch to watching on my TV using AirPlay anytime.

I can customize my home screen so my favorite Apple TV apps appear at the top. And I can use Apple Music and my AirPods Pro with Apple TV.

Check out => How to Customize Your Apple TV Home Screen

Controling the Apple TV is made easier using the Remote Control in Control Center on my iPhone or the Remote app on my Apple Watch.

Audible

Audible is still my favorite way to read a book. I enjoy listening to audiobooks when I walk the dog, fold laundry, get ready for the day, drive, and do other daily tasks.

Learn how to make the most of Audible => Audible: 10 Top Tips to Maximize Your Listening Pleasure

My Audible Library has significantly expanded because of the Daily Deals with daily emails offering a deeply discounted audiobook. And the Audible Plus catalog is filled with books, podcasts, and audio productions that are free for Audible members.

Audible recently released an iPhone widget that I use to quickly play an audiobook.

Overcast

Overcast is still my go-to app for listening to podcasts. The many advanced features of Overcast make it my podcatcher of choice. I can create podcast playlists so I can easily listen to the latest episodes of my favorite shows. If I’m about to head out on a long car ride, I can create a playlist for the trip so I can listen continuously without having to turn my attention away from the road.

Learn more about why I love the Overcast app at => Overcast: My Favorite Podcast App Just Got Better!

Overcast is also efficient. Smart Speed shortens the silences when podcasters pause their speaking. According to the Overcast app, I’ve saved 213 hours of listening time by using Smart Speed. Pretty impressive!

I can also change the audio speed easily. I set the speed for 1.5x can apply that setting to every podcast or for an individual podcast.

The Apple Watch app for Overcast is also well done. I am able to pause, fast-forward, rewind, and start listening to podcasts all from my Apple Watch.

Overcast on Apple CarPlay was recently redesigned to make navigating the app easier and more intuitive.

Every so often I listen to podcasts on a different app and immediately notice the difference. If I can’t change the speed or the podcast has dead air, I feel as if the podcast is dragging.

AirPods Pro*

I enjoy using my AirPods Pro to listen to podcasts and audiobooks playing on my phone. But I also use them for video calls on my computer and to listen to shows using Apple TV.

Don’t miss => 10 Reasons Why You May (Or May Not) Want to Get Apple AirPods Pro

So far, they have stayed in my ears well. I haven’t lost one yet, though I did switch the tips out for COMPLY foam earbud tips and those continue to work well. Learn more about these tips at => An Easy Solution to AirPods Pro Falling Out of Your Ears

iPhone 12 Pro Max*

As you may have guessed from the many Apple products on this list, I take advantage of the product integration that Apple offers. And that begins with my iPhone.

While I don’t have the latest/greatest iPhone 13 version, I am completely satisfied with my iPhone’s performance, battery life, camera, sound, and other capabilities.

Do Not Disturb

Do Not Disturb is a setting on the iPhone that helps you sleep better and avoid distractions. With iOS 15, Do Not Disturb is part of Focus, but the effect is the same.

Go to Settings => Focus => Do Not Disturb and schedule Do Not Disturb to turn on every night when you go to sleep and turn on every morning when you wake up.

See => Do Not Disturb – The iPhone Feature You Should Be Using

Afraid of missing an important call? You can allow calls from Favorites and other people you specify in Do Not Disturb. You can also allow notifications from important apps to alert you even when Do Not Disturb is turned on.

Siri Suggestions Widget*

iOS 14 introduced the ability to add widgets to the iPhone. These are handy shortcuts that can deliver information or open apps easily.

I added the Siri Suggestions widget to my iPhone and have been impressed with how well it predicts what I want to do with my iPhone. The Siri Suggestions widget can suggest that I call or send a message to someone.

Sometimes the widget suggests I visit a website (such as Wordle or Spelling Bee). Tapping the widget opens that website. So handy!

Learn how to set up widgets on your iPhone at => 2 Great Reasons to Add Widgets to Your iPhone Now

Apple CarPlay*

Apple CarPlay has spoiled me. In fact, I can’t imagine getting a car without Apple CarPlay now. Having a screen in the car that mimics my iPhone screen has been incredibly handy. And Siri works well in it to help me navigate, listen to music, compose and listen to text messages, and make phone calls hands-free.

Learn more about why I like Apple CarPlay at => The Many Reasons Why You May Want Apple CarPlay in Your Next (or Current) Car

If I have an upcoming appointment in my Apple Calendar where I’ve added the location, Apple Maps in CarPlay will suggest routes to that location. This integration makes navigating using CarPlay seamless and simple.

One wish I do have to Apple CarPlay is the ability to see a satellite weather map on the screen. I had the ability to see a live satellite weather map with my Ford Flex and that often helped me avoid heading into stormy weather.

Gboard

I still use Gboard as the keyboard on my iPhone but the iPhone update to iOS 15.2 broke the ability to access GIFs on Gboard. As a GIF fan, I decided to add the GIPHY keyboard to be able to add GIFs to my text messages.

Gboard still is useful for predictive text, easy access to punctuation, and glide typing. But I do miss easy access to GIFs.

Learn more about Gboard at => Gboard: The Keyboard with (Almost) Everything You Could Want

Google has not updated the Gboard app for iPhone in over a year, but I hope that a fix to the GIF issue comes soon.

Apple Watch

I wear my Apple Watch every day and find it an essential tech tool. Currently, I’m using the California watch face, with Fitness, Activity, battery life, Now Playing, and weather as complications.

The Watch helps me monitor my fitness, I do try to “close my rings” every day, meeting my goals for being active. Apple also suggests monthly challenges to help me push my fitness goals.

I can use my Watch as a remote for my Apple TV, as a flashlight, as a phone, and as a control for audio playing on my iPhone. A quick glance at my Watch can show me the weather, the tides near me, notifications from my iPhone, and who is calling on my phone. A swipe up from the home screen reveals Control Center where I can ping my phone to find it.

Apple Watch also helps monitor my health. I can track my heart rate while resting and during workouts. I have Fall Detection turned on so if I fall and can’t notify anyone, the Watch will call for help.

Have an Apple Watch? Don’t miss => How the Apple Watch May Save Your Life After a Fall

MacBook Pro

I am typing this article on my MacBook Pro 2017 model, which is the same computer I was using when I wrote my last article about my tech tools. Unfortunately, my first MacBook Pro (a/k/a “The Beast”) died a couple of years ago, but served me well over many years.

My computer works well, but the keyboard drives me a bit mad. The unforgiving Butterfly keyboard feels like typing on granite. And the keyboard has an annoying habit of double- or triple-typing r, e, s, and l. Sometimes autocorrect fixes the errors, but often it doesn’t so I end up editing more than I should have to.

The Touch Bar at the top of my keyboard is surprisingly useful. If I had had a choice, I would have chosen a computer without the Touch Bar. But since I wanted a 15″ MacBook Pro, the Touch Bar was standard so I decided to live with it.

I quickly became a fan of the Touch Bar as it automatically adapts based on what I’m doing on the computer. If I’m composing a text message, the Touch Bar offers easy access to emojis. If I’m on a Zoom call, the Touch Bar shows controls for the call. If I’m watching a video, I can use controls on the Touch Bar.

If the MacBook Pro keyboard continues to bother me, or if something happens to my computer, I would upgrade to the latest MacBook Pro with an improved keyboard. But I would miss the Touch Bar.

Chrome

Chrome is my Internet browser of choice on my MacBook Pro. I like the ability to use Chrome extensions to make my life easier.

Auto-fill also works well on Chrome to help me enter my passwords and user names so I don’t have to struggle with trying to remember them for all of my accounts.

I’m a tab hog, keeping way too many tabs open at one time. Chrome doesn’t seem to mind or penalize me for my inability to close tabs.

Check out => The 17 Most Popular Chrome Extensions

AdBlock Premium*

I’m not a fan of Internet advertising, though I do understand that many websites use advertising as a way to finance their businesses.

But often websites use the annoying tactic of auto-play video advertising. These videos are intrusive and distracting, yet closing them just results in another video ad playing instead.

So when AdBlock offered me a premium option that includes Distraction Control, I decided to check it out. Sure enough, in addition to other features it offers, AdBlock Premium does a great job of blocking annoying auto-play video advertising.

While AdBlock Premium doesn’t block all ads, it does make using the Internet much more enjoyable. And for $10/year, that seems like a bargain to me.

Apple Notes*

Apple Notes has become an essential tool for me. I use shared notes for a grocery list so other members of my household can add to it, or shop without having to ask everyone what they need from the store.

I used Apple Notes to keep track of expenses, family and pet medications, passwords and user names (in a locked note), recipes, and more. When someone wants me to write down a phone number, email address, web address, or other important information, I create a new Apple Note.

Learn more about Apple Notes at => Notes – The Most Useful Apple App You’re Not Using (Yet)

Having information in an Apple Note means that I can access the Note from my iPhone, iPad, and computer. And I don’t have to worry about losing a piece of paper!

Find My Friends*

Apple should really call Find My Friends by a new name: Peace of Mind. By using Find My Friends, I don’t have to worry about where my family members are or nag them about when they’re headed home.

And my family members can see where I am so they don’t have to ask me where I am or what I’m doing.

If I’m getting together with a group of friends, I can turn on Find My Friends for them temporarily. We can use the app to meet up, then let the access expire at the end of the day.

Easy peasy.

For more information about Find My Friends, check out => Find My Friends: A Cool, Creepy and Life-Saving App

Fi Smart Dog Collar*

The Fi Smart Dog Collar is a little like Find My Friends for your dog. The collar connects to the Internet to show you the location of your dog on a map.

You can set a circle around your home to be notified if your dog escapes your yard. The accompanying app notifies you if your dog leaves that circle. Using the app, you can turn on a light on the collar if your dog gets lost in the dark.

I’ve only been using the collar on my pup for about a month but so far it alerted me when my dog ran away from home chasing a deer, squirrel, fox, rabbit, or elephant (he never told me what he was chasing). The app also showed me where to find him, which was incredibly helpful.

In the past month, I’ve had to charge the collar only twice. The app notified me when it was time to charge the collar.

E-bike*

I am still using my e-bike and loving it. Having an extra boost of power up hills, on long rides, and when riding against the wind makes bicycling much more enjoyable.

For shorter trips or flat terrain, I don’t use the motor. But having a motor to help propel me inspires me to take more ambitious trips.

Learn more about e-bikes at => Why an E-Bike May (or May Not) Be the Best Bicycle for You

Echo Show

I continue to use my Echo Show and find it increasingly helpful. Alexa suggests delicious recipes that have become family favorites. I use it to play music, find out about the weather, ask for measurement conversions, Drop In on relatives, and much more.

I also use my Echo Show as a digital photo frame. The home screen cycles through serene photos of sunsets, the beach, my friends and family, and other fun photos.

Don’t miss => How to Turn Your Echo Show or Spot Into a Digital Photo Frame

Google News

I still use Google News. the free news curation service. Google News is an efficient way to see international, national, and local news from a variety of sources.

Find out more about Google News at => Google News – Your Personal News Service

You can select topics of interest to see more articles on those subjects, so the news seems more personalized. I generally check Google News each morning to catch up on the overnight news.

Twitter Blue*

I subscribed to Twitter Blue to test it for my Wonder of Tech article Twitter Blue — Is It Best for You? I wanted to check out the features and see how it works.

So far, I have kept my subscription active because I’m enjoying the service. My favorite feature is Top Articles which shows the most shared articles in your network over the past 24 hours. Top Article helps me find articles of interest I might not otherwise see. The fact that I can read these articles Ad-free is another bonus of Twitter Blue.

 

Apple One*

In 2020, Apple began offering Apple One, a bundled subscription service that includes:

• Apple Music
• Apple TV +
• Apple Arcade
• iCloud Storage
• Apple News +
• Apple Fitness +

Because our family already subscribed to Apple News + and Apple Music, subscribing to Apple One made a lot of sense. We now share 2 GB of family storage and are enjoying shows such as Ted Lasso on Apple TV +.

Learn more about Apple One at => Apple Launches Apple One Subscription Bundle — Here’s How It Could Save You Money

Google Photos

I still use Google Photos as my primary photo service. Although Google Photos no longer offers unlimited free photo storage, I haven’t even used half of my free Google storage, so I probably won’t run out of space soon.

See => 12 Reasons Why Google Photos Is My Favorite Photo Service

Google Photos creates stylized photos, albums, and slideshows that I enjoy and usually end up saving. It also suggests photo books that I sometimes end up buying to give as gifts.

Mr. Rebates

I still start my online shopping at Mr. Rebates to earn cash rebates for my purchases. Since I started using Mr. Rebates in 2005, I’ve earned over $2000 in rebates.

These cash rebates are paid via check or a direct deposit via PayPal or Venmo. You can find out more about Mr. Rebates at Mr. Rebates – It Pays to Shop!

Your Thoughts

What tech tools do you use in your daily life? Have your tools changed much over the past five years? Have you ever had a tech tool become obsolete?

Share your thoughts in the Comments section below!

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*Hand holding iPhone image (edited) courtesy of Shutterstock via PicMonkey Pro

**Tools image (edited) courtesy of Free Images via Flickr and Creative Commons