9 Back-to-School Apps That’ll Make Your Life Easier

Heading back to school? There’s an app for that! Streamline the fall chaos with these nine lifesaver tools, all available on your smartphone.

MYHOMEWORKAPP.COM

This app is a digital homework checklist and a helpful study reminder. It allows instant access to assignments and due dates for upcoming papers, tests and homework. Once you’ve completed a task you can swipe right to clear it from your list.

For: iPhone and Android.

To buy: Free, myhomeworkapp.com.

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Cozi Family Organizer

Our partner Cozi has a built-in calendar and to-do list, plus shopping and journal functions, to help you easily organize your family’s daily assignments, practices and events. Color code each member of your family and insert their appointments, share the calendar and organize your day. Cozi also includes a chore function that allows each family member to check off tasks they’ve accomplished.

For: iPhone and Android.

To buy: Free; cozi.com.

ITUNES.APPLE.COM

This stylish, yet simple to-do list app makes adding and completing tasks easy and satisfying. Any.Do allows you to create as many lists as you need, prioritize your items, add notes, and set reminders. Separating items into four lists—today, tomorrow, upcoming and someday—ensures you’ll never forget something again. No more mental checklists.

For: iPhone and Android.

To buy: Free, any.do

PLAY.GOOGLE.COM

Unlike most alarm apps, Alarm Clock Plus allows you to customize every aspect of your wake-up call—from the song or noise you awaken to, to the length of the snooze. Alarm Clock Plus features five different types of alarms, including a fade-in that slowly gets louder, a Math Alarm that asks you to solve a simple problem as you get out of bed and a customizable music alarm. This one’s especially useful for Monday mornings.

For: Android.

To buy: Free, play.google.com.

ITUNES.APPLE.COM

Kids can sharpen their skills outside the classroom with this interactive app, which offers practice exercises, instructional videos, and in-depth articles on a variety of school subjects. Great for keeping skills sharp over the summer, prepping for standardized tests, or even for parents looking to brush up on the basics.

For: iPhone and iPad.

To buy: Free, itunes.com

ITUNES.APPLE.COM

This meal-planning app puts some fun into lunch prep—and gets the kids involved in making smart, nutritious choices. Kids select their favorites using monsters, colors, and sounds, and their picks then translate to a grocery list for parents. Options range from fruits and veggies to proteins and snacks. If a particular lunch is a hit, you can save the meal to your library.

For: iPhone.

To buy: Free, itunes.apple.com.

DUOLINGO.COM

Whether you want to learn Spanish, Danish, Turkish, or Dutch, this engaging app will help you do it. You'll earn points for right answers and race against the clock, and multiple-choice challenges will test how far you've come. A counter motivates you to log in every day.

For: iPhone and Android.

Buy: Free, duolingo.com.

HERECOMESTHEBUS.COM

This easy-to-use app tracks the location of the bus (your school needs to make it available to parents), so you can accurately plan for its time of arrival. Updates and alerts can give you a five-minute heads up—which is especially helpful on days with bad weather. The app will also send notifications regarding last-minute route changes, and can alert you when the bus arrives safely at school.

For: iPhone and Android.

To buy: Free; herecomesthebus.com.