Does the daily grind leave you uninspired and disconnected from the world? What you need is a break from your familiar routine. There is so much more to explore beyond the neighborhood, town or city you live in. And all you need to start exploring is your smartphone.
Let’s explore the different smartphone apps that give you insight into the lives of people on the other side of the world, so you can feel connected to different people and places again.
1. Radio Garden live
Instead of listening to the voices of the same old DJs, the usual local gossip and another look at this week’s music charts, it’s time to freshen up your ears. With Radio Garden Live you can tune into thousands of live radio stations around the world.
From Argentina to Singapore, simply use Radio Garden Live’s search tool to find a country’s radio station or select stations from playlists curated by the Radio Garden team. Use Radio Garden Live to listen to songs recorded in other countries, discover radio shows broadcast in foreign languages, and listen to local jokes and slang.
What you listen to live is the same as what the people of this country listen to as they live their lives. So close your eyes and immerse yourself in foreign culture through the radio. What is familiar in everyday life for people elsewhere can become a whole new experience for you.
To download: Live Garden Radio for Android | iOS (free and premium version available)
2.Google Arts & Culture
With your workload looming, weekends are often a short window of time when you find yourself too tired to travel anywhere. But there is another way to arouse your curiosity and revisit the wonders of world-famous works of art and historical artifacts. Indeed, the Google Arts & Culture application allows you to explore history and art museums as if you were there.
Using the Street View feature, the app lets you enter places like the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, and the Acropolis Museum in Athens. Walk through the doors and walk through the halls of these museums virtually. It’s an incredibly immersive experience, without the added stress of crowds or impatient companions driving you to the next exhibit.
If you spot an artwork that piques your interest, simply head to the museum’s collections section for a brief article about it and a high-quality digital image. You can zoom in on oil paintings and sketches to admire the finer details for as long as you want, without anyone judging you.
To download: Google Arts & Culture for Android | iOS (Free)
3.Google Earth
The Google Earth app lets you go almost anywhere on the planet. From the romantic streets of Venice to the metropolitan city of Tokyo, you can explore almost the entire world with your smartphone.
Many people’s first stop is to visit their home and neighborhood from a bird’s eye view. To do this, drop the yellow man icon on land to dive into Street View. You can go abroad by teleporting to major cities virtually. Again, in Street View, you can discover remarkable monuments and architecture with just a few clicks.
You are also not limited to urban areas. Discover great hiking trails such as the Cleveland Way National Trail, the Monte Romanella Route, and more. Along the way, witness scenery you might never have seen otherwise.
Although what you see on Google Earth are not real-time live images, the app experience is breathtaking in itself. It’s almost like an infinite open world game. Only this time you get a full tour of the real world you live in.
To download: Google Earth for Android | iOS (Free)
4. Police radio and fire scanner
Stay up to date on events and emergencies in your area with this Police Scanner app. The audio here comes mostly from Broadcastify, a great online source of live audio streams on public safety and the like.
You can choose the type of audio stream you want to listen to. Categories include air, sea, rail and public safety traffic. Since it’s audio from law enforcement and fire departments, it’s an intriguing experience as you’ll feel like you’re listening to a walkie-talkie.
You can also browse scanners around the world. This means you can hear Indiana alerts even if you live in Bristol, or Texas alerts if you live in Queensland. Get insights into different incidents around the world, happening every day, that you probably wouldn’t have heard about in the mainstream news.
To download: Police Scanner Radio & Fire for Android | iOS (free, subscription available)
5. Clubhouse
There are many social media apps to find like-minded people to chat with around the world. What makes the Clubhouse different is its lively atmosphere.
In online chat rooms, the dialogue between the two parties is often silent because you are conversing by SMS. You can only express emotions by using emojis, punctuation marks, GIFs, or creating memes on your iPhone. But at the Clubhouse, everyone communicates by talking. When you’re exchanging ideas, you can hear the other person’s accent, tone of voice, and even laughter.
From holistic pet health to language learning to niche hobbies, there are a wide variety of clubs you can join to swap stories and connect with people who have the same interests as you. you. If you are not yet ready to actively participate, you can always find something that interests you and read discussions previously held by others.
Due to the wide variety of topics and the occasional use of swear words in friendly conversation, it should be noted that Clubhouse is best suited for people of college age and older.
To download: Clubhouse for Android | iOS (Free)
Reconnect with people and places through your iPhone
Whether it’s exploring famous sights, climbing mountains and gazing at the hills below, or listening to the real voices of people halfway around the world, we hope these iPhone apps can evoke the feeling of reconnecting with people and places for you. Get out of your boredom and isolation by discovering what life is like for different people, in different places.
Read more
About the Author