Welcome to the world of smartphones, operating systems and applications. If you don’t live under a rock you must know that your device can’t operate without an app.
Tablets or phones running an operating system may be home to two million applications, if that was possible. From food and travel to childcare and iBanking – applications have revolutionised the way we perform daily tasks.
But how to know which app is the best for you? Many people abide by word of mouth regarding apps and go on to download the one every other person keeps recommending.
But then again – how does the word get out about an app and where should you always go to consult if you are looking to find a genuine app that turns your phone into a TV remote?
Simple – you follow the list curated specially to fulfill all your interrogative needs regarding applications and their reviews.
Good app reviews are a bit hard to find because most of the apps are free, and users prefer directly downloading an app, rather than taking time to read reviews.
Other apps aren’t free and ask for a few bucks in exchange for the tools they offer. That’s when you really worry about user reviews and get cautious before spending your money.
You can visit the places mentioned below to get trusted reviews on apps, since they’re all credible sources with a daily readership of thousands.
1. Google
Quite naturally, everyone goes to the popular search engine to enter the question they want answered in mere seconds. But whatever you see in the search results may not be very much true.
So just in case you are looking for app reviews, make sure you ask Google, and in the search results, look for websites like:
- PC Mag
- Tech Crunch
- Gizmodo
- The Verge
- The Guardian Tech
- CNET
- MacWorld
These platforms are a dream for app developers to be featured on. If you are reading a review here, chances are that you are hearing from the right people about the right thing.
2. YouTube
The famous video uploading medium has plenty of trusted sources that give reviews about apps all the time. Some are YouTubers who have a dedicated account to reviewing apps and can take requests.
Others mostly review apps based on their priority in the app store lists.
Some of the popular reviewers are listed below:
- Soldier Knows Best
- Locker Gnome
- Tys iPhone help
- The iPod Kid
- AppStore Reviewer
- iTouch iPodz
- Phone Arena
- Bbs iPod touch help
- Unique App’s
- AppVee
- Ultimate Phone Reviews
3. Paid sites
There are websites which take a fee from developers and then review the site for them. These websites have a daily visitor count in thousands and any app that goes up on their ‘featured’ section surely gets a bunch of downloads.
For you, a common user, it means that you have access to genuine reviews that a first-timer like you wrote about an app. Here is a small list of paid review sites:
- Alpha Digits
- Android app review
- Android Headlines
- App Craver
- Appdictions
- App Store Arcade
- Daily App Show
By paid app you should only assume that they take the review process very seriously and what you read there is a product of someone’s genuine efforts.
4. Free review sites
There are also free app review sites that do it for the love of tech. These websites aren’t scammy, and are in fact very helpful.
All you have to do is to visit their site and search for the app you want a reviews of. Take a look at the following sites:
- Mac World
- App Advice
- Appolicious
- App Store Apps
- TUAW
- I use this app
- The iPhone review
- Slap App
- App Chatter
- Whats on iPhone
5. Appstore reviews
App stores are the home of an app. Naturally, a user turns to the reviews and ratings mentioned below for a quick idea about the app.
App stores try to make the app info look more appealing by adding small video tutorials about what the app will look like. What you should do is to make sure you read the developer history.
Follow the developer’s website and make sure take a detailed survey. You can even reach them out individually.
There is a small percentage of people who post fake reviews on all the app stores, turning a positive and pleasant experience into a haunting worry.
All the developers have nightmares regarding them. This is why you, as a user, should always second check by reaching out to the developer.
Apple keeps an eye out for fake reviews and so do Google and Windows, but until this evil is totally caged, do your research. Learn more about why you shouldn’t trust app store reviews.
6. Appstore sites
Apple, Google and Windows have dedicated sites to help app developers with queries. They have scheduled hours and an efficient customer service.
Developers usually post an app they want the store to review. Later it will be put up on the app stores. You can check them out here:
- Apple: Apple has a great section for reviewing apps. They will do it to check if the apps are free of harmful and offensive material. Some developers linked to Apple may invite you to use Test Flight – a platform made for pilot projects and research on upcoming apps.
- Google: The great developer blog has all the info you need about app reviews, be it games or spreadsheets. There are professionals talking about stuff that can’t be wrong in any way. Go take a look at the blog.
- Windows: You can visit windows central which is a highly interactive platform and fulfils all your needs. There are dedicated sections for all windows places and you can go check out trusted app reviews. Windows also launched a new app store platform for its current breed of desktops, and they require apps too now, so you can check out the best and the worst apps made for every device.
7. Blogs
By blogs it doesn’t mean the developer blogs, but the blogs coming out from common people with a flair for technology and apps.
These are key influencers in the field and regularly review apps for the benefit of all.
- You can check Guardian blogs which get contributions from popular bloggers.
- The Apps World blog is also great, snf that will help you a lot in your selection process.
- Do visit Apptamin which is a great guide for users and developers too.
- Apps Blogger is also another blog of many that had great app reviews and stays relevant to the current app store trends.
Gamers have their different universe in apps and YouTubers know that well. Be it interactive games like Big Barn World, Harvest Frenzy or fighting games like Grand Theft Auto.
These reviewers cover all. Here is a list of some:
- Touch Arcade: It is the oldest game app reviewing site.
- iMore: It has been reviewing quality content since 2007.
- 148Apps: It has a how to section, a price drop section and also dedicated sections for games.
- Pocket Gamer: This UK-based site covers a wide spectrum of games on all platforms.
Hopefully these places will help you out when you are desperate to look for a trusted review related to apps. Whatever source you follow, make sure you read up well and research on multiple platforms before downloading apps.
About Erica Silva
Erica Silva is a blogger by choice. She loves to discover the world around her. She likes to share her discoveries, experiences and express herself through her blogs.
Find her on Twitter:@ericadsilva1