Pick up new skills with these 5 apps
It’s never too late to learn new skills. Whether you’re looking to enrich your work or personal life, your computer is your ticket to online classes and inspiration. Here are five of our favorite apps for broadening your knowledge base.
Build personal & professional skills
Udemy - Online Courses
Udemy
In-app purchases
4.4star
489K reviews
10M+
Downloads
Rated for 3+
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- 1Choose from over 45,000 courses with a range of subjects and instructors, paying for only the classes you want
- 2Find exactly what you want — say, freestyle rap or 3D animation — along with that soap-making class you didn’t know you needed
- 3Many affordable options thanks to frequent sales, with a 30-day money back guarantee for all courses
Whether you’re looking to try a new recipe, brush up on your marketing skills, or just learn how to perform better at your next interview, Udemy is your destination. Browse a seemingly endless library of courses, each featuring its own quizzes, Q&As with the teacher, and learning reminders so you don’t miss a thing.
Tip
Sketchy Wi-Fi signal? Long flight? Download classes for offline learning.
Start playing the piano
Learn piano from the basics all the way to reading complex sheet music with fun, easy tutorials. Simply Piano tunes into your own instrument or the in-app keyboard to get you started on your musical journey: As you play a tune, you’ll see the notes highlighted each time you press the correct key.
Tip
There’s plenty to learn with the basic version, but updating to Premium gives you access to an expanded library of popular songs, advanced chord structures, and lead sheets.
Learn a new language
Duolingo: Language Lessons
Duolingo
Contains adsIn-app purchases
4.5star
35.4M reviews
500M+
Downloads
Rated for 3+
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- 1Bite-size lessons in a game-inspired package make language learning approachable for students of all ages
- 2Choose a daily goal – ranging from “Casual” to "Insane" – and stay motivated as the app tracks your streak
- 3Subscribe to Duolingo Plus for personalized lessons that help you practice what you got wrong
Feeling bad about skipping your high school language class? Duolingo forgives you and is here to help. Explore interactive courses in over 20 languages, from French to Korean to Greek. Each bite-size, animated lesson features quizzes and a quick-reference guidebook of phrases and grammar tips. Earn in-app rewards as you learn, like being able to skip a day without breaking your streak.
Tip
Tap the bell icon at the bottom of your screen to access language-related articles from Duolingo, plus helpful tips for sticking to your lessons.
Learning to code is easier than ever thanks to Codeacademy Go. Master engineering essentials at your own speed with web-based courses in languages like Java, Python and C++. Then, head to the app to hone your skills with quick reference cards, challenge your knowledge with tests, and catch up on pertinent tech articles.
Tip
Use Codeacademy Go’s streak tracker to challenge yourself to practice every day.
Edit like a pro
Lightroom AI Photo Editor
Adobe
In-app purchases
4.3star
3.27M reviews
100M+
Downloads
Rated for 3+
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- 1Best for serious photographers, Lightroom CC offers RAW photo-editing support and a slew of advanced features
- 2Adjust everything from haze and grain level (great for low-light photos) to the tones of shadows and highlights
- 3Get the same effect across multiple photos by copying and pasting edit settings
This powerful all-around photo editor makes it easy to get your ideal look. Edit photos using dozens of presets, or play around with tools for dehazing, sharpening, color noise reduction, and more. Store and manage up to one terabyte of projects in the cloud, where they’ll be automatically organized thanks to Adobe’s artificial intelligence.
Tip
Upgrade to Premium to access even more presets and tools like Masking, which micro-adjusts one specific area of the photo as opposed to the whole image.