What's on Ally's iPad right now!

The wallpaper and apps on my iPad Air and why they're there, as of February 2014

My iPad Air serves a different purpose in my workflow than my iPhone 5s. The apps I have installed on each sometimes overlap but for the most part, they're set up completely different. My iPad is what I turn to at home for media and to wind down and relax while my iPhone is my on-the-go choice. I've already given you a look at what apps I have on my iPhone so here's a look at what's currently on my iPad!

What's on Ally's iPad right now!

  • Wallpaper: I change the wallpaper on both my iPhone and iPad quite often but lately I've been a huge fan of regular gradients. In this instance, I just did a Google search for iPad gradient wallpaper and found a nice pink and blue one I really liked. It's been there for about a month now and I've yet to grow tired of it. When I do, it'll get swapped for either a different gradient, or a photo of my dogs.
  • Stock apps: There are a few stock apps I always keep floating around my main Home screen and those are Calendar, Messages, Music, Safari, Reminders, FaceTime, Photos, Camera, Contacts, App Store, iTunes Store, Videos, and Settings. These are here because they're the apps I use the most out of all the stock apps. However, I can't wait to eventually replace the stock Calendar and Reminder apps with Fantastical if and when an iPad version is available.
  • Mailbox: I've recently found email harmony between Mailbox for iOS and Airmail for Mac. So I've ditched the stock email app and have turned my inboxes into productivity powerhouses. Mailbox is in the dock on all my devices and will stay there unless something better comes along.
  • Yahoo Weather: I have several weather apps on my iPhone since that's the device that's with me most often when I'm outside. However, when I'm on my iPad and want to check the projected forecast, Yahoo Weather more than gets the job done, in the most beautiful way of any iPad weather app I've ever seen.
  • Flint: - We use Campfire to communicate here at Mobile Nations and Flint by Big Comet is the best Campfire app I've found so far. I use it across my iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
  • Byword: I nail out some serious writing on my iPad when paired with my favorite keyboard case. Byword has been helping me do that on iPhone, iPad, and Mac for years now. I couldn't be happier with it and don't hesitate to recommend it to anyone who's looking for a great writing or Markdown app.
  • Reeder 2: I've tried many RSS apps on my iPad and I always end up coming back to Reeder. It's clean, easy to use, and keeps me up to date on all the news I care about most. I've been using Unread on my iPhone but when it comes to iPad, Reeder 2 is still king.
  • Facebook: As much as I hate to admit it, I still use Facebook pretty regularly. The official Facebook app is much better than Facebook in Safari and until there's a version of Paper for the iPad, the official Facebook app it is.
  • Twitterrific: I frequently switch between Tweetbot and Twitterrific on my iPad but since the Tweetbot app for iPad hasn't been updated yet, I've been sticking with Twitterrific until that happens since it fits iOS 7 much better. I'll re-evaluate when Tweetbot 3 is made available for the iPad.
  • Sonos: I recently set up a Sonos system throughout our condo and I'm absolutely in love with it. Whether I want to listen to music in the office, adjust the volume in the living room, switch songs, or group different speakers together, I can do it all from my iPhone or iPad. The app does need an iOS 7 overall badly but it still gives me complete control over my entertainment system and because of that, it earns a spot on the Home screen of every iOS device I own.
  • Songza: I love Songza because it does a great job serving up electronic and trance music I actually like. For that reason I gladly pay to be a premium member and it's on the Home screen of every device. I use it at home, in the car, and when I'm at the gym. If you haven't tried Songza, you're missing out.
  • 1Password: I use 1Password across every device I own, including my Mac. I depend on it heavily to remember all my passwords and autofill them. I couldn't live without it and that includes on my iPad.
  • Trello: We've recently adopted Trello as our content planning tool across Mobile Nations. Being able to launch it on my iPad and view what I have due for the next several days in invaluable. I can even add content, edit things, assign other members of our staff content, and more. It's a great planning and project management tool, all completely free.
  • Games folder: Part of winding down for me is playing my favorite games. My current vices seem to be Candy Crush, Farm Heroes Saga, Threes!, Clumsy Ninja, and Octagon. Which one I pick up ultimately depends on the kind of time I have to play. There are also classics in my games folder that I play from time to time including Dots, Bejeweled Blitz, Plants vs Zombies, and more.

That about covers what's on the first Home screen of my iPad. My second Home screen is chock full of folders that are separated by groups like Productivity, Entertainment, Reference, and more. They're apps I don't use nearly as much as everything on the first page. Now I want to hear from you guys! What apps deserve a spot on the first Home page of your iPhone or iPad? Do we have any in common? Let me know in the comments!

Allyson Kazmucha

iMore senior editor from 2011 to 2015.