They say distance makes the heart grow fonder. However, in our times, out of sight is often out of mind. With deadlines to meet, work-related travel and endless commute hours, physical meetings between couples are becoming fewer and far apart, causing couples to lose the connection. The current pandemic does not help the situation either. The lockdown has made it impossible for couples to meet, irrespective of distance. This is bringing relationships to a standstill.
The only constant in our lives today is our smartphone. Fortunately, some relationship genies have introduced applications that can help couples keep their romantic spark alive, irrespective of the distance between them. All of these applications have their own unique features that help in enhancing compatibility and strengthening the relationship between a couple. These applications are also recommended for people who have been with their partners for a long duration and are looking for means to bring back the lost spark and excitement into the relationship.
1. Love Nudge
It is not uncommon for women to complain about their partners’ lack of expression or romantic efforts. Even when the men do make an attempt, seldom are they able to meet the expectations of their lady love. How cool would it be if your partner knew exactly how you wanted them to express their love for you?
Love Nudge makes the expression of love a habit. Based on the 5 love languages popularised by renowned counsellor Gary Chapman, Love Nudge requires you and your partner to take their quiz to determine your preferred love language. If you are always confused between buying her flowers or writing her a poem, this app is just what you need.
Features:
- The app has five unique love languages for couples to identify with – acts of service, physical touch, receiving gifts, words of affirmation and quality time.
- Once the partners recognize the love language best suited to them through the quiz, the app sends them specific goals, trackers and statistics.
- Partners have to try to fill each other’s “love tanks” by fulfilling as many goals as they can. They can also send goal suggestions to one another by way of “nudges”.
How To Use:
- Download the app and register
- Identify your best-suited love language from the 5 options with the help of the quiz
- Invite your partner to take the quiz
- Determine your couple goals
- Start nudging each other and filling your love tanks
Benefits:
- Helps the partners understand each other’s love language
- Assists the couple with the expression of love
- Strengthens the bond between the couple in a fun manner
Purchase Price: Free
2. Kast
Want to catch the latest movie or series on Netflix with your significant other? Kast saves you from the hassle of switching tabs between Netflix and video calling or even using two different screens. The app makes it possible to watch content together, and share your views on it right then and there.
Features:
- Kast makes movie date nights technically simpler.
- It allows the partners to share their thoughts while they are watching the show, without having to switch tabs.
How To Use:
- Download the Kast app on both of your phones or laptops
- Log in to the app
- Create a room (either just for the two of you or make it public)
- Begin the streaming on the webcam or the Kast app
Benefits:
- Kast allows couples to watch their favourite shows/movies in privacy.
- The partners can have a conversation while the streaming is on, saving them the effort of turning to another screen or tab.
Purchase Price: Free
3. LokLok
You lock your phone and your chosen lock screen appears. This app allows you to turn your lock screen picture into a canvas that you can share with your partner. One can choose to draw, doodle, use photos or write sweet notes. LokLok gives you ample opportunity to express your love, every time you lock your phone.
Features:
- LokLok replaces the lock screen with a whiteboard that is shared between the couple.
- The whiteboards on both the screens are always synced, enabling the partners to express themselves multiple times a day.
How to Use:
- Download the app and choose LokLok as your lock screen
- When you lock your screen with LokLok, tap it twice to create notes
- Use one finger to draw doodles and pinch two fingers in an outward direction to erase
- Swipe up to unlock your phone when done using the app
Benefits:
- The app is a welcome change from the usual noninteractive lock screens.
- With LokLok, the partners can express their love easily without having to open a chatting app.
Purchase Price: Free
4. Between – Private Couples App
This application is like a private chatroom for a couple. Couples can send each other messages, video recordings, photos and even share a countdown for upcoming important dates using this one simple app.
Features:
- The app allows couples to share their precious memories in a private space.
- The partners can use this app to call each other without incurring call charges.
- The photos, notes and recordings are saved on the app. Hence, the data is accessible even when the partners change their phones.
- The chat feature has a series of cute emoticons. The partners can also send each other GIF selfies.
- The shared calendar allows couples to mark important dates, tasks and date nights.
- The countdown calculates the number of days left for a particular event. so no important occasions are missed.
How To Use:
- Download the app
- Use the app for private chats, using cute emoticons, sending voice notes, marking important dates and starting a countdown to an important event.
Benefits:
- The app makes chatting between partners private.
- The calls through this app are clear and free.
- The data does not disappear when the partners change phones.
- The countdown feature ensures that no important occasions are missed.
Purchase Price: Free
5. Idealationship For Couples
One cannot deny that distance does take a toll on a romantic relationship. Less conversation, more often than not, implies less connection. Idealationship For Couples aims to tackle this very problem. The app is designed with an intention to help the couple strengthen their bond by addressing problems that are difficult to discuss, give more time to the relationship and prioritize their partner over other things.
Features:
- Idealationship exercises help with tasks like broaching uncomfortable topics, improve communication and identify problem areas.
- The app sends daily notifications nudging you to give priority to your relationship and your partner.
- Relationship satisfaction chart and scores track the amount of effort put in by partners.
How To Use:
- Download the app and get your partner to do the same
- Register on the app
- Use the app on a regular basis to improve the relationship, track your progress as a couple and give the relationship the priority it deserves
Benefits:
- This app helps the partners discover what kind of relationship they want and assists in achieving just that.
- It also enables a discussion on topics that are uncomfortable but essential for a healthy relationship.
- Idealationship For Couples improves communication between the partners.
- The app nudges the partners to make their relationship a priority.
Purchase Price: Free (with an option of In-App purchases)
6. Touchnote
Almost everything in modern life is virtual. From books to meetings, everything is on a screen. In times like these, Touchnote allows you to send a customised and tangible postcard to your love. Sending the postcard is a quick and hasslefree exercise.
Features:
- Touchnote sends printed postcards, greeting cards, framed photos, canvases and print boxes to the recipient.
- The partners can upload pictures directly from their phone
- There is an option to buy bulk credits in one go instead of using the credit card each time
- Touchnote ships worldwide
How To Use:
- Download the app
- Register yourself to see a wide range of postcard options
- Choose the one you like and place your order
Benefits:
- The physical TouchNote postcard can be used as a keepsake
- The partners can choose their own custom messages for the prints
- Ordering and tracking the postcards is easy and fast.
Purchase Price: Free (the prints are paid)
7. Nujj
Remember the watch Juhi Chawla and Sunny Deol wore in Darr where you could press a button to let your partner know when you are thinking of them? Nujj does just that without you having to buy a watch. When both partners download the app, they can give each other a nudge by simply shaking their own phone.
Features:
- Nujj gives your partner a gentle nudge on their phone when you shake yours.
How To Use:
- Download the app on your and your partner’s phone
- Register and begin the “nujjing”
- Tell your partner how many times you think of them by simply shaking your phone.
Benefits:
- Expressing love is made simple and quick
- All it takes to connect with your partner is a simple shake of the phone.
- Makes the relationship stronger by making the partners feel connected all day.
Purchase Price: Free
8. Avocado
While it may seem like a health-related app, it actually isn’t. Although it does do a lot of good to the health of your relationship. Avocado makes it possible for you to chat and share things with your partner in private. Everything on the app is encrypted, so there is no need for you to worry about people snooping on your phone anymore.
Features:
- Avocado allows the partners to share photos, messages to-do lists and also sketches exclusively with one another.
- The app intimates you when your partner’s phone battery is dead, saving you from the wrath of their temper when you stop responding and go MIA.
How To Use:
- Download the app on both the phones
- Register yourselves and start sharing voice notes, messages and photos
Benefits:
- The encrypted data on Avocado ensures complete privacy for the couple.
- The app works as a social network that only the couple have access to.
- The avocado represents a fruit as well as a vegetable. Similarly, the app aims to help couples build a strong relationship and maintain it.
- The app has photo shortcuts for phrases that are used often by the partners
Purchase Price: Free
9.TheIceBreak
This app is most suited for couples who are in the process of getting to know one another. Since there is only so much you can decipher by talking, texting or video calling someone, the app promotes meaningful conversations that unravel the real self of both partners. What makes this app is unique is that while the partners can choose to keep their thoughts private, there is also an option to post things in the community of other couples.
Features:
- The app has a bank of questions for the partners to ask each other in order to understand each other better. The partners can choose to share these with other users of the app.
- The feature of “capture today’s moment” allows the partners to post pictures of something interesting that happened in their day.
- The users of this app are awarded points on the completion of various tasks. Once they hit $500, they can earn a 20% discount to be redeemed on their next date.
How To Use:
- Download the app
- Connect with one another on the app
- Get started with getting to know one another better and winning points
Benefits:
- The icebreaker questions bring the couples closer and make them aware of each other’s thoughts, opinions and preferences.
- The app has a sharing option for couples who like to interact with other like-minded couples.
- TheIceBreak keeps the partners connected and helps in making everyday conversations interesting.
- It ensures that distance does not come in the way of the partners’ discovering little details about one another every passing day.
Purchase Price: Free
10. Desire
Sex is an important constituent of a healthy relationship. When long-distance makes tender love and care impossible, Desire app comes to your rescue. This app makes the relationship more fun, sensual and exciting. The USP of the app is that there are some games which do not require a WiFi connection. This means that you can get the fun started while your partner is on the flight to see you.
Features:
- The app has games which get the partner to unravel their fantasies and desires, spicing up the relationship and making the partners aware of each other’s sexual preferences.
- The app has a long list of dares that you can take up yourself or challenge your partner into. The more dares you and your partner complete, the more points you can accumulate.
- Desire has a daily quiz which the partners can choose to answer. The fun part is that you can see your partners answer only after you have submitted yours.
- The app provides a platform for couples to chat in private, send pictures and also create a shared journal.
How To Use:
- Download the app from the app store.
- Get your partner to do the same.
- Begin using the app and having fun with your significant other.
Benefits:
- Desire is a private space for couples to explore their sexual desires.
- It helps the partners unravel each other’s sensual preferences in a fun manner.
- The partners can fulfil tasks and goals to earn “date night points”. These can be redeemed for real gifts or experiences.
Purchase Price: Free (with an option of In-App purchases)
11. Happy Couple
The Happy Couple app intends to strengthen the bond between a couple by helping the partners discover more about each other every single day. All of us have those days when work is exceptionally taxing and we don’t find time to talk to our partners. This quiz based app sends couples 5 questions every day which take no time to answer but reveal something significant about the person answering them.
Features:
- The partners can choose any 5 questions from the 6 different topics that are covered in the app.
- After answering the questions, the partners can take note of the matches and mismatches in their answers and discuss them further.
- The couple can earn points when they correctly guess each other’s answers. Earning more points means that they can unlock bigger and better challenges.
- The app also gives couples tips and customized challenges.
How To Use:
- Download the app and register
- Choose your preferred topics
- Make it a point to answer the 5 questions each day to experience a better bond with your partner
Benefits:
- Happy Couple helps couples discover more about each other.
- Partners can guess each other’s answers to understand how well they know one another.
- Discussing the answers enables discussions between the couple which improves communication.
- Answering the 5 questions barely takes any time on a daily basis.
Purchase Price: Free
While maintaining a long-distance relationship in the current times comes with a lot of challenges, technology has made it possible to be in touch with one another every single moment. After a long day, there is nothing like cuddling in the arms of your significant other. But playing online games, sharing sweet notes, discussing sensual fantasies and watching your favourite shows is not far behind. In times when a pandemic, careers, time zones and geography come in the way of a successful relationship, smartphones, technology and the internet surely do come in handy.
