6 Life Changing Apps with Austin Roots

We officially live in the age of convenience. Thanks to six apps that were either founded by Austinites or are headquartered here, your life just got easier. Download these ASAP.

#1 Favor

The @Favor app is by far my favorite iPhone app. It’s the best combination of tech and lifestyle benefit. #lifestyle #BestOfSummer

— Josh Kerr (@joshkerr) July 18, 2015

Pretend your pre-party turned into your actual party, and no one is sober enough to pick up the food (I may or may not be speaking from experience). With the Favor app, you simply order what you need–whether that’s food, a cup of joe, groceries or even your medication from the pharmacy–and a Favor runner picks it up and delivers it to your door.

The delivery fee is $5, plus an additional 5% of the price of the item requested. The app calculates a suggested tip for your runner, which you can adjust. The only downside I’ve encountered with Favor is they don’t delivery alcohol. But don’t worry: There’s an(other) app for that (see #2).

#2 BrewDrop

@aclipscomb we don’t have flying DeLoreans but beer delivery, check. pic.twitter.com/8Z4GfVBNd9 — BrewDrop (@BrewDrop) July 21, 2015

Imagine: No more beer runs for the rest of your life (or at least until your liver shuts down). With BrewDrop, shop directly on their app for your boozy beverages of choice and in 30 minutes to an hour, it all shows up at your door. So simple, it seems too good to be true, right? It’s not, but there are some things you should know:

• Whoever is placing the order, as well as accepting it, must be at least 21 years old (valid ID required upon delivery).
• If you change your mind and cancel your BrewDrop order, you’ll get charged $20 for restocking.
• BrewDrop does not sell the alcohol. They partner with area liquor stores. Therefore, orders must be placed within the partner’s business hours.

#3 DemandFood

Putting a meal together is easy. But putting together a healthy meal has its challenges. The solution is DemandFood, a healthy meal delivery service run by Austin chefs and drivers who care about what goes into your body. The price is only $9.99 per meal, which includes tax and tip. There is no fee for delivery.

Here’s how it works:

1. DemandFood chefs prepare two delicious meal options.
2. The meals de jour get emailed to you and you choose one option.
3. You wait for your meal to appear magically at your home or office.
4. Currently, only beta users have access to the DemandFood mobile app, but you can sign-up online and learn more.

Check out DemandFood’s Instagram account to see what they’re cooking up!

#4 Spokefly

There’s no question that Austin is a bike-friendly town. With the Spokefly app, you simply use your smartphone to borrow a bicycle, or you can list your bike and make some quick spending cash. Bikes are protected with a Spokefly bike lock, and you’ll be covered under their insurance policy (in case the bike gets damaged or stolen).

The price to borrow a bike is just $0.15 per minute. When you’re done, lock it up and snap a picture of it to send to the owner. For bike lenders, the extra income potential is approximately $1,000 a year per bike.

#5 besomebody

#Besomebody now inspires and enables people all over the planet to go ALL IN on their passion! #besomebody. https://t.co/FqgiFxf1TW

— #besomebody. (@besomebodyblog) July 24, 2015

Contrary to what your parents have preached to you for years, college isn’t for everyone. Now if you want to learn a new skill, you can explore real life experiences with #besomebody. With this app, you have the option to be a learner or a teacher.

Here’s the process: Share your skillset, or what you wish to learn via the app, and connect with like-minded people. If you’re a learner, you’ll go on experiences with a “passionary” who teaches you how to paint, code, play the guitar, etc. If you’re the teacher, you set the price for your skills, and then mentor people who want to learn what you do. The whole concept is to unleash your passion, whatever that may be.

#6 TabbedOut

Download the FREE #TabbedOut app today to pay your bar/restaurant tab right from your phone! https://t.co/DQCgMfMKNd pic.twitter.com/IVkmSvIbvU

— TabbedOut (@TabbedOut) July 21, 2015

Saturday night at the 6th Street bars can get pretty wild. Sometimes it’s hard to get the bartender’s attention to close your tab. With TabbedOut, you can skip the line and use your phone to pay. Here’s how it works:

1. Put in your credit card details beforehand (like you do with Uber).
2. Open the app to see which bars or restaurants use TabbedOut.
3. Before you place an order at these places, tap the “open tab” button and make sure to tell your bartender or server you’ll be paying with TabbedOut.
4. When you’re ready to move on, review your tab and pay it directly from your smartphone.

The process is secure and easy, and the app even calculates the tip for you. Because the party on 6th Street waits for no one….

 

@ATX_Adrienne wants to know:

Do you know of any other cool apps there were “born” here in Austin? Tell us about them in a comment!