8 Great Apps for Married Couples

culled from:simplemarriage.ne

  Technology
.
Love it, or hate it … or both.
It can enhance and improve life. It can also be a distraction.
More and more apps are available that can improve your relationship/marriage by helping you connect (or stay connected) better with your spouse. So why not harness the power of technology for your marriage?
This is not at all an endorsement or encouragement to diminish the importance of time spent together “off-line” – but these apps really can help.

1. Text messaging

A standard app in every smartphone is the ability to text. I’m late to the texting game, but love the simplicity and “quick touch” it allows between us. You can stay connected regarding schedules, plan lunch, or even spice it up with a few “sexts” discretely and quickly.

2. Couple (formerly Pair)

What began as Pair is now called Couple – a social network … for just the two of you. This cute & fun app is presented with a timeline interface, and allows you to update everything from your location, your status, photos; it lets you draw pictures for one-another, and instant massage in real time, as well as have live video chats. One of the funniest little features of the app is the “Thumb Kiss.” When both of you press your thumbs against the screen of your phone at the same time, the phones vibrate and the screen turns red.

3. Avocado

Very similar to Couple, with a few caveats. You set it up with one other person and can text, send pics, keep lists, send kisses … only to the one special someone you set up in the app.

4. Love Maps

The Love Maps app was developed by couple’s experts John and Julie Gottman. The Gottmans have done extensive research on what makes marriages work. They found that one of the keys to relationship success is the quality of your “love maps”. Love maps include what we know about our partner’s inner world and experiences, from day to day events to their bigger hopes and dreams. The more you know about what’s important to your partner, the more likely that your relationship will work. This app will help you and your spouse improve your love maps and strengthen your marriage.

5. Grocery Smart

Ever come home from the grocery store and find that your spouse already bought milk on their way home? Grocery Smart shopping list app will help eliminate this from happening. It allows you to make shopping lists and share them over multiple devices with any one you like. Create a list using the 1,000’s of items within the app, or upload your very own. Once you make a purchase, just cross those items right off the list and the changes will be synced across all of the connected devices. You can also do the opposite. Sent your husband to the store and forgot to tell him to get bread? Just add it to you list and he will receive the update in seconds. Special features within the app also allow you to store your grocery store club card for easy access at check out.

6. iLoveNote

Created by an Iraqi war vet who wanted to keep in constant touch with his wife and never lose the memories they have together. What if you could take that old scrapbook of memories and make it mobile? Now you can. Keep track of your entire relationship. Document your “Date Nights;” knock a few things off your “Bucket List” together; keep a “Hot Topic” of conversation going with updates & photos; incorporate some secret “Desires” into the relationship to keep that spark alive. All this and more can be shared secretly between you and your other half, all while helping to improve communication and organization of the relationship you have together.

7. Mint 

One of the most downloaded apps for budgeting and synching bank accounts. A primary stress in a marriage can be financial, so keep that stress to a minimum by being able to see all of your personal finances in one place – from bank accounts, credit cards, to investments. You can keep track of your spending and creating budgets for you and your spouse, and you will see just how easy saving for your future together can be. The app also allows will sync across multiple device platforms, even your desktop and tablet.

8. Kindu

Kindu is an app for exploring your sexuality with your spouse. It provides over 600 examples of turn ons, fantasy role plays, and sexy activities. Each person privately answers “yes”, “no”, or “maybe” to the options provided – Kindu then reveals the matches you share with your spouse. Your answers stay confidential; if you say “yes” and your spouse says “no”, your secret stays safe with Kindu. The app offers a safer way to begin discussing sexual fantasies and desires.