My Sanity Saving Phone Hacks

My Sanity Saving Phone Hacks + My Life Saving Walgreens App

This post is sponsored by Walgreens and SheKnows Media. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Phone tricks and hacks are life and sanity savers as a busy mom on the go, especially when it comes to filling prescriptions for my family, getting the necessities, and capturing memories in the process.

What in the world did we do without our smart phones years ago?

I’ll never forget when I unwrapped my first cell phone on Christmas morning, about years ago when I was a teenager. You should have seen this thing – it was huge and you could literally only dial a phone number on it, but I truly thought it was the best thing ever.

Fast forward to today, and I feel like my whole life is on my smartphone.

Today, I’m sharing with you some of my favorite phone hacks and apps, that I literally consider lifesavers and sanity-saving features that I can’t live without.

My Sanity Saving Phone Hacks

1. Trello App

I truly don’t know what kind of state my life would be in if I didn’t use Trello (on desktop) and the Trello app on my phone.

It’s where I keep things organized for my work and home. I’m able to communicate with others through this software, keep checklists, set alarms, and so much more. It’s like a digital filing cabinet. (It’s free too!) Here’s more about how to use Trello!

2. Store Apps

Grocery shopping can be a daunting task, even though my grocery shopping list is a lifesaver, it’s still something I don’t care to do.

However, with grocery store apps now available, I love being able to add things that I need immediately, for the next time I either place a grocery pickup order or delivery order.

Grocery Store Apps that I use tend to be:

• Walmart
• Smiths (It’s our Kroger brand)
• Pharmacies (Like Walgreens, seen above)
• Amazon (I’ll get non-perishable items on here sometimes!)

3. Emergency/Favorites Contacts

Not only does this feature on my phone make it easy for me to whip my phone out and call those that I touch base with often, but I like to think that if something were to happen to me, someone would see who is in my emergency/favorites list and call someone on my list to notify them, instead of scrolling through the hundreds of contacts in my phone.

4. Change Unlock Code

Do you all have a feature to add a security code to your phone, in order to open it? I change this often. Why? Because my kids will secretly watch me unlock my phone, learn the code, and get in to my phone quicker than a professional thief can pick a lock!

So, what’s the big deal about them getting in to my phone?

• They’ve been known to remove apps, and all of their contents.
• The little stinkers can erase notes I’ve had stored in my phone that are important.
• And, of course, delete photos that I cherish.

Whether you’re changing your unlock code to protect your phone’s contents or changing it so that someone you don’t want to have access to it can’t get into it, doing so often is a good habit.

5. Track Your Loved Ones

I get it. It sounds creepy. It sounds controlling and obsessive. However, whether you’re a worried parent, son/daughter, or spouse, the tracking feature can really help with the anxiety you may be facing when someone is out and about.

There are a couple of loved ones that I track or have tracked (don’t worry, they know about it), which makes me sleep better at night. If they don’t answer their phone for a few hours, when they typically always have their phone on them, it’s so nice to track them and see that they’re probably not answering because they’re somewhere that normally doesn’t get great phone service.

I use the feature that my phone automatically comes with – I go into my text messages, click on the “i” in the upper righthand corner, and check my loved one’s current location. (You must turn this on and make sure they’ve allowed it from their phone as well in order to be able to see the location.)

6. Export Notes

Remember that tidbit about my kids being able to break into my phone? Well, when I make it a habit to occasionally export/upload the important notes or items in my phone, I feel better knowing that if I lose my phone or if my kids get ahold of it, most of the contents are stored safely somewhere else.

I’ll make sure to go through, organize, sort, and upload them to the cloud so they’re safe, no matter what happens!

7. Screen Recording

My sister is a genius. She sent me a text the other day and warned me that she was about ready to blow my mind. She sent me a video of a screen recording of her phone. YES! Where has this been all my life? If you’ve known about this for a while, I’m so ashamed that I haven’t known about it too!

This is a game changer. There have been many times when I have wanted to show someone who wasn’t with me how to do something on the phone or to explain in more detail what I’m looking at on my phone.

For instance, if I’m trying to explain how to find a specific page on my blog, I’ll turn on my phone’s screen recording and record a quick video showing exactly how to find it!

How to do a Screen Recording:

No fear. I’m going to create a blog post on this very soon, because it’s well overdue. I just don’t want to overwhelm you with TOO much good information in one day. Look for that blog post, coming soon!

What’s Your Favorite Phone App/Hack?

In our Fab Society Facebook group, I asked you all the other day what your favorite apps are. If you’re not part of that group, we’d love to have you there… and we’d love to hear what your favorite apps are for relieving stress, keeping organized, and making life easier!

Then don’t forget to download the Walgreens App to add more organization and sanity-saving tricks to your phone and life!