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The best free digital tools to make life a little easier in 2026

Zen Jan 12 2026 6 minutes

Most of us use our phones, laptops and smart speakers every day without really thinking about them. They help us shop, talk to friends and family, stream TV and movies, manage work and even run busy homes.

They’re the little helpers we never knew we needed but can’t seem to live without. But they’re capable of even more. Because hidden in all that tech are simple, free tools that can quietly make life easier, calmer and a bit more organised. No new gadgets. No complicated setups. Just small changes that quickly become everyday habits.

Here are some of our favourites for you to try in 2026.

1. Stay organised without much effort

You don’t always need a brand-new app to get more organised. A few built-in tools can go a long way.

Shared shopping lists. Most notes or reminders apps now let you share lists with other people. Create on shared shopping list for your household so anyone can add what you need as you run out.

On Apple devices, the Notes and Reminders apps are great for this.
On Android, Google Keep is simple and free.
If you use a smart speaker, Alexa and Google Home both support shared lists.

Shared family calendars. Instead of trying to remember who’s where and when, create a shared calendar for your household. Add school events, appointments, nights out and work trips so everyone can see what’s coming up at a glance.

iCloud Calendar, Google Calendar and Outlook all make sharing very easy.

Pin or star important messages. Most messaging apps now let you pin or star key conversations and messages. Use this for things like addresses, appointment details, tickets or meeting links so you don’t have to scroll back through endless chats to find them.

Save links for later with reading lists. If you spot an article or recipe you want to come back to, add it to your browser reading list instead of leaving yet another tab open. Safari, Chrome and Edge all include this as a standard feature.

2. Save time with built-in shortcuts and small automations

Sometimes, the best tools are the ones that make everyday jobs a little bit easier.

Scan documents with your phone. You don’t need a separate scanner for paperwork anymore. If you need a decent quality digital copy of a receipt, an important document, even an old photo, most modern phones have a built-in document scanner that straightens pages and makes them easy to read.

On iPhone, you can scan straight into the Notes app. On Android, Google Drive includes a scanner option.

Send tabs and links between devices. If you’re used to emailing links to yourself, try using the built-in “send to your devices” and syncing features in browsers instead. Chrome, Edge and Safari all let you open a tab on one device and pick it up an another with just a couple of taps.

Quick sharing between nearby devices. If you need to send photos or files to someone nearby, features like AirDrop on Apple Devices and Quick Share on many Android phones are much faster and easier than attaching everything to an email.

Use smart speaker timers and routines. Smart speakers are brilliant for hands-free timers when you’re cooking, doing the laundry or helping with homework. You can also set up simple routines to group tasks together. For example, a single phrase like “good night” might turn off the lights, lower the thermostat and play a music playlist.

Try simple shortcuts. Some phones like iPhone with its Back Tap feature, let you assign quick actions to gestures. You might set a double tap on the back of your phone to open the camera or start a note for example. It takes seconds to set up and can save time for those repetitive tasks.

3. Tame life admin with smarter, safer tools

Life admin is rarely fun, but the right tools can make it far less painful.

Use a password manager. If you still reuse the same handful of passwords, 2026 is a good year to move on. Password managers create and store strong, unique passwords for each site.

Apple now has its own Passwords app on iPhone, iPad, Mac and even Windows, which securely syncs your logins and passkeys across devices.
Google Password Manager is built in if you sign in with a Google account on Chrome or Android.
Free options like Bitwarden give you a dedicated password manager app with unlimited passwords on multiple devices.

Let your devices check for weak or leaked passwords. Modern password tools will often warn you if a password has appeared in a known data leak or is used on more than one site. It’s worth taking a few minutes to fix the biggest risks first, like online banking, email and shopping accounts.

Keep important documents somewhere safe but handy. Cloud storage tools like iCloud, Google Drive and OneDrive all have free tiers that are more than enough for key documents. Storing copies of things like insurance details and warranty information in one secure place can save a lot of stress if you ever need them in a hurry.

Use secure notes for sensitive information. Many password managers and notes apps now let you lock individual notes. This can be a good home for things like WiFi details, membership numbers or household reference numbers that you don’t want lying around on paper.

4. Make your home feel a little smarter

You don’t need a full smart home setup to enjoy some of the benefits. A few simple features can make daily life feel smoother.

Create basic smart speaker routines. In apps for Alexa or Google Home, you can group actions together. For example, a “school run” routine might read out the weather and traffic, then play a favourite playlist. A “movie night” routine might dim smart lights and turn on the telly.

Use broadcast or announce features. Many smart speakers have a feature that lets you send a voice message to other speakers in your home. It’s an easy way to call everyone to dinner without shouting up the stairs.

Try your TV’s voice controls. If you have a relatively recent smart TV, there’s a good chance it understands voice commands. You can often search for shows, open apps or change inputs with a quick phrase rather than digging through menus.

Explore simple automation. Whether you use the native apps on your iPhone or Android phone or one of the many third-party options, it’s easy to get your smart home in sync with automated routines. Want the heating to turn on and the downstairs lights to switch on when you get home from work? That just one of countless automated routines you can set up.