6 apps to keep you entertained

Put your extra time at home to good use by expanding your skills with these apps

- MATT BOLTON

For safety’s sake, it looks like it’ll be sensible to spend as much time away from other people as possible for several months yet. That means more time at home, but lots of people will already be running dry on things that keep them engaged. It’s good news, then, that your iPhone and iPad unlock a world of things you can do.

We’re skipping over games and streaming apps here, and going for apps that help you polish up skills, or even learn completely new ones. Want to try your hand at podcasting? It’s easy! How about learning to draw with the help of masters? Or making your own music? You can dabble with all of these a little at a time, or dive in for hours.

GarageBand

Free NEEDS iOS 13 or later

Happily this comes free with your iOS device, and it’s one of the best creative apps around. Beginners can use pre-made sound loops and auto-play options to build songs with no skills needed. You can start simple and learn how to build a catchy track, then you can start trying the virtual instruments, building your own loops. It’s comprehensive and great fun.

ShadowDraw