10 iPhone Apps That Can Teach You New Skills

Duolingo - Language Lessons

If you want to learn a new language but don't know where to start, Duolingo is the app for you.

This simple and effective app features over 40 different languages you can learn on the go. You can even learn multiple languages at the same time.

The app will test your knowledge of the language you choose and then place you at the level it thinks is right for you. The classes cover many different topics, and the app uses many different learning styles. You can listen to other people talk, read new words, or get involved in short stories to prove that you understand everything you're learning.

The best part about Duolingo is that it doesn't just cover languages anymore; the app also features classes to help you learn math and how to read music, two useful skills you might want to try to learn as well.

Mealime Meal Plans & Recipes

Another useful skill that can literally save your life — and even some money along the way — is cooking. While we all love eating, not a lot of us know how to cook our food, but that can change with an app like Mealime.

Mealime is a simple recipe app that will teach you how to plan your meals, cook, and stop wasting so much food. 

The app comes with dozens of different recipes, and it also has a powerful search feature that can help you find the right meal based on what you want to eat or what you have in your kitchen.

If you don't like what you see, the app also offers personalized meal plans that will fit your preferences and needs. What's great about doing this is that the app will tell you what groceries you need to buy, making going to the supermarket faster and easier.

Simply Draw: Learn to Draw

Despite what some people might think, drawing is a skill, and you aren't born with it; you have to spend a lot of time practicing to become a good artist. If you want to learn how to draw, then Simply Draw is a no-brainer.

Simply Draw is a pretty straightforward app that will teach you how to draw starting from the basics.

The app includes many different drawings to help you get started. Each drawing includes a step-by-step guide, so you won't ever get lost trying to figure out where to start. 

It also comes with interactive lessons to make things more personalized. For instance, you can build your own character in the app and then draw it in real life.

Granted, the app might not be for you if you already have a few years of experience drawing, but for complete beginners, Simply Draw is the perfect place to get started.

Simply Piano: Learn Piano Fast

The developers behind Simply Drawing also have an app called Simply Piano that you might have heard of before. This app is popular for a good reason.

Simply Piano makes learning how to play the piano extremely easy. The app has over 5,000 songs available and will give you a guided tutorial on how to start playing each one. But don't think the music in the app is just old piano songs; you'll learn to play new songs from artists like Ed Sheeran and Billie Eilish.

Besides playing music, the app will also teach you the theory behind playing piano. There are multiple lessons you can take to really understand and learn what it takes to be a good piano player.

Gardenize Plant Care Gardening

This skill might not be as popular as other options on the list, but if you want to learn how to take care of your garden, the Gardenize app is a great place to start.

Gardenize features many tools to help you keep track of your plants and never forget about taking care of them. For starters, you can use the camera on your iPhone to identify your plants. Besides learning the name of the app, Gardenize will also teach you how to take care of them and everything your plants need to grow. You'll find general tips like how to water a plant or more general advice based on the plants you have.

What's great about this app is that it also has a community feature. With it, you can get inspiration from how other people are taking care of their gardens and even chat with them to learn from more experienced people.

Mimo: Learn Coding/Programming

Admittedly, learning how to code on your iPhone isn't the best idea. Not only does your iPhone not have the same capabilities as a computer, so you won't be able to test your code, but it might also be uncomfortable to type from your iPhone's keyboard compared to a physical keyboard.

Still, if you don't have much time to sit on your computer or would like to learn the basics before going to work, an app like Mimo is a great option.

What makes Mimo great is how easy it is to use. After you choose the programming language you want to learn, the app will give you access to dozens of different lessons that go from the basics to more advanced terms. Along the way, you'll also have to complete some challenges and quizzes to see if you understand everything the app teaches.

The app also comes with a leaderboard, which can help you stay motivated. You'll compete with other users, and the more you use the app, the higher you'll rank.

Mimo features lessons for five different programming languages: Python, Javascript, CSS, TypeScript, HTML, and SQL. While there are more learning languages out there, these ones will work as a solid foundation to kick off your journey as a programmer.

Khan Academy

If you want to learn a little bit of everything, then the Khan Academy is perfect for you. This app is filled with dozens of different classes that you can take at a moment's notice.

What makes Khan Academy stand out is that it's completely free. You can access all the classes, videos, and articles without spending a single dollar, which is perfect for students or people on a budget.

The app features different types of classes. From math to science and even politics, you'll surely find something you like. Besides classes, you can also find quizzes and exercises to test everything you just learned.

Coursera: Grow your career

If you're looking for classes created by experts and some of the best teachers in the world's leading universities, Coursera is the first app you need to download.

Coursera is an online platform that features thousands of different courses you can take. Unlike Khan Academy, not everything on Coursera is free, but you'll find some great resources at a reasonable price. Plus, a single subscription will give you access to pretty much any course available on the platform.

You can download all of these classes to your iPhone, so you can access them from anywhere without using your cellular data.

Once you've completed a class, you can even get a certificate to prove your capabilities to future employers.

Calm

Mediation and learning how to deal with stressful situations are must-have skills in today's world. Whether it's at work or in your personal life, you're bound to occasionally encounter stressful situations. 

Fortunately, you can learn how to handle stress with apps like Calm. What's great about this app is that it comes with a bunch of different lessons and articles created by experts to help you understand your feelings and how you can deal with them.

Additionally, Calm comes with other useful features, like different white noise sounds and short stories, to help you improve your sleep quality. You can also do breathing and meditation exercises that will only take a few minutes out of your day but will benefit your mental and physical health.

YouTube: Watch, Listen, Stream

Most of the apps on this list share a common theme: they're not entirely free. For the most part, you'll need to pay for a subscription to access all of the classes the apps have to offer.

But if you have a really tight budget or don't want to spend extra money when you're starting out, a platform like YouTube might be better for you.

As you probably know, YouTube is the biggest online video platform in the world, but it's also one of the most used search engines worldwide, and for a good reason.

It doesn't matter what type of skill you want to learn; chances are someone on YouTube is already teaching it. You can find developers, copywriters, data analysts, and many more professionals teaching their classes for free on YouTube. Sure, you'll have to sit through some ads, but it's worth it if you don't have the money to buy an actual course.

Of course, not every video on YouTube will be useful, but the platform does a really good job of putting the best and most watched videos at the top. From there, you can explore the channel or the comment section and see what other people think about the class.

Can you find better places to learn a new skill? Surely! But YouTube is a great place to start without spending a penny.