Mobile apps are designed to cater to our every whim: from gaming to dating, shopping to saving, posting snarky comments (in under 140 characters) or perfecting a signature selfie pose.
There are even apps to help you reminisce about those nights you wish you could forget (hello, Flashgap). And then mindfulness and meditation apps to get you back on the path to righteousness.
At any rate, apps aren't going anywhere, especially now that we're wearing them on our wrists.
Lots are time-wasters, some are time-savers, and some are skill-builders, apps designed to give you a crash course in something you never expected to learn, be it a party trick (origami flower, anyone?) or a life-saving hack (like how to aid a choking victim).
Some apps even have proven skill-building credentials, like free language app Duolingo, which teaches you languages like French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Irish, Danish, Swedish and English, while you're queuing for your morning coffee, waiting for the bus or cooking a meal, thanks to bite-sized lessons and fun games.
According to an independent study by the City University of New York and the University of South Carolina, on average, 34 hours of Duolingo is equivalent to one university semester of language tuition. Mais oui!
Click through the slideshow below for more apps that will teach you a new skill - and keep the cogs in your mind turning. Playing with your phone will never be the same again...