I've already shown you folks what I'm currently using on my iPhone 6, so next up is my iPad Air 2. Since I use my iPad differently than I use my iPhone, I don't organize it the same way. For that matter, I don't even have the same apps on both devices. I know some folks are driven nuts by a lack of consistency, but this is one place where I deem it acceptable. Why? Read on for a look at the apps I'm currently rocking on my iPad Air 2.
- Wallpaper - I change my wallpaper quite often on my iPad. The one I'm currently rocking is an amazing image I found on Google of Westminster and Big Ben. Nine times out of ten, my wallpapers are either my own travel photos or images of places I enjoy visiting. Whether it's a landscape picture or great architecture, I love it all. I picked this image because London is one of my favorite cities and I can't wait to go back this winter.
- Dock - Only my most important apps get a position in the dock. Most of these positions go to stock apps, including Messages, FaceTime, Mail, Safari, and Music. The only spot in my dock that's occupied by a non-stock app is Fantastical 2 (opens in new tab) and that's simply because it's much more valuable to me than the default Calendar app. Once you've used it, you'll understand why it's such a wonderful replacement not only for the Calendar app, but the Reminders app as well.
- Photos, Camera, Clock, and Contacts - As with my iPhone, I haven't moved these icons around in as long as I can remember, and it just feels wrong to. That being said, I rarely, if ever, take photos with my iPad unless I'm in a complete and utter pinch. Anyone who listens to the iMore podcast is already aware of my stance on iPad photography. I'm not a fan. I'm just not sure why I can't bring myself to hide the app entirely.
- App Store, iTunes, Videos - My next row of icons contains the App Store and iTunes. Like the above icons, this is mainly because they've been in these spaces since I got my first iPad; no real reason other than muscle memory. As for Videos, I consume a lot more media on my iPad than I do on my iPhone, so this app gets a front spot. My Music app is also in the dock on my iPad since I use it more than I do on my iPhone. Though that does leave a spot in my second row open...
- 1Password (opens in new tab) - This is one of the apps I use most and can't live without. If I'm restoring a device as new, it's one of the first apps I re-download. I have tons of passwords to manage between my personal accounts and iMore; I also randomly generate many of them for extra security. I'll never remember them all so I rely completely on 1Password to do it for me.
- Chase Bank (opens in new tab) - Nothing really spectacular to say here. Whenever I'm paying bills or checking finances, I typically do it from my tablet. On my iPhone, this app is in a folder, but here on my iPad, Chase gets a spot on my first Home page.
- Reeder 2 (opens in new tab) - Reeder 2 has been one of my go-to RSS apps for ages. It's simple and does what I need it to without confusing tile or magazine views. However, I've had a love/hate relationship with it since its bigger updates are few and far between. Unread for iPad (opens in new tab) just came out, and I think I may be replacing Reeder 2 on my home screen with it. I've already done so on my iPhone and haven't looked back. I'm willing to hear what you guys think about that in the comments, of course!
- Pocket (opens in new tab) - When I don't have time to read an article or story, I send it to Pocket. This is also where I keep tweets and any other content tied to a URL that I want to keep track of. I think Instapaper (opens in new tab) is a great service, but Pocket better suits my taste in design and usability.
- Settings - I've never been okay with putting the Settings app in a folder. I'm fiddling with things far too often for that. While it may get shuffled around from time to time, it always remains a constant on my first Home screen.
- Social folder - My social folder consists of all the important social apps I use on a regular basis. This includes usual suspects such as Facebook (opens in new tab), Pinterest (opens in new tab), Skype (opens in new tab), Google Hangouts (opens in new tab), and others. For Twitter, I don't use the stock Twitter app; instead, I much prefer the beautiful experience Twitterrific 5 (opens in new tab) offers. If you haven't used it, it's a must-have app on the iPad.
- iMore folder - This folder contains all the apps I use on a regular basis for work. First and foremost is Slack (opens in new tab), which we use for work chat (and for me to spam Rene or Peter with doge memes when appropriate). We use Trello (opens in new tab) for planning and content management; I've also used it for my own organization and planning purposes, and it's awesome. One app I couldn't do without is Screens VNC (opens in new tab), which allows remote access to your connected computers. I can't tell you how many times I've accidentally saved something on one computer and needed to access it after I've left the house. Screens has saved the day more than once. Other work apps include Dropbox (opens in new tab), Evernote (opens in new tab), and a few others that I use for personal organization.
- Games - I play more games on my iPad than on my iPhone, so I have quite a few stored on my tablet. Duolingo (opens in new tab) is half-game, half-education app. If you want to learn a new language in a fun way, this is the app you want. Smash Hit (opens in new tab) is another one of my favorites and lets you endlessly smash glass with marbles. Get as far as you can before you run out of balls. What's not fun about smashing things?! Threes! (opens in new tab) and Monument Valley (opens in new tab) are constants — games I can play over and over — along with Dots (opens in new tab). I prefer the original over the sequel, though I play both.
- Media - This folder contains streaming services, home audio apps, and other things that fall under the general realm of consumable media. My go-to streaming apps are Rdio (opens in new tab) and Pandora (opens in new tab); I'm constantly using them in conjunction with my Sonos system, for which I use the Sonos Controller app (opens in new tab). I also use the Remote app (opens in new tab) to control the few Apple TVs we have scattered around our condo. I rely on TeeVee 3 (opens in new tab) to let me know when my shows are playing and what episodes are coming up. They even have a fancy Today Widget so you can access your shows in a single swipe via Notification Center.
- Travel - I love to travel and have about 10 pages of travel apps, with the most important ones on the first page. American Airlines (opens in new tab) is our airline of choice. We use Airbnb (opens in new tab) to book apartments, flats, and houses all over the world with very little effort — not to mention it's a heck of a lot more comfortable and less cramped than staying in boring hotels all the time. I also use Foursquare (opens in new tab) to find local spots to check out. I know some people hate the new design, but I still find lots of good information so I'll continue to use it for now. Google Maps (opens in new tab) is essential for transit directions, while I prefer Apple Maps for driving. Find My iPhone (opens in new tab) also gets a prime spot in case a device goes missing during our adventures. Dark Sky (opens in new tab) is my favorite weather app across the board and gives scary-accurate precipitation forecasts down to the minute.
- Photography - My photography folder is stuffed with cool filter and editing apps. In that folder, my must-have apps include Lightroom (opens in new tab), Pixelmator (opens in new tab), and Afterlight (opens in new tab). These get the most use; I have a bunch of others that are great, but only get used on occasion.
- Entertainment - My entertainment folder is mainly comprised of streaming apps, including Netflix (opens in new tab), Hulu Plus (opens in new tab), YouTube (opens in new tab), and a few others. I also added apps like Fandango (opens in new tab), which looks up movie tickets and trailers. Everything else is pretty much what you'd expect to find in an entertainment folder mainly meant to pass time.
- Second screen - My iPad's second Home screen is pretty uninteresting, and doesn't contain near as much as the second screen of my iPhone. I use these apps often enough to warrant them being on my device, but they aren't used enough to get a spot on the first page. I mainly use Spotlight search these days, so if something doesn't fit in the first page, it gets stuck in a folder on the second page and searched for later.
If you have any questions about what I'm using or have a suggestion for an app that's better, I'd love to hear from you! Be sure to let me know in the comments.
