The iPhone and iPad Blog by Simon

Smartphones have become a valuable addition to our day-to-day lives, assisting us with everything from work, to socialising and even exercise. However, these handy little devices can do far more than just keep us organised and entertained. They can keep us globally connected and help our actions make a massive difference to those who need support.

With just a click of a button, these five apps can help you to change someone’s life for the better.

I Can Go Without

I Can Go Without helps to bridge the gap between charitable causes and conscious consumers. Encouraging its users to make small and simple sacrifices, the app allows you to make pledges to reduce your daily consumption. You can then choose which charity that money should benefit instead, and your pledge will then be converted into a monetary donation via the secure donation centre on the app. You'll be amazed what an positive impact you can have purely by skipping your morning latte.

Check-in For Good

Using geo-targeted advertising, the Check-in For Good app can help you to find a great deal in a local business while simultaneously helping those in need. By building direct business-to-consumer relations, the app benefits everyone involved. Users simply have to choose the charity they want to support, then find a list of stores, cafes or restaurants located nearby that are also passionate about the same cause. All you have to do then is simply visit the participating venue, check in and enjoy a great promotional offer. The business will then make a donation and hopefully gain a loyal customer in return.

Play to Cure: Genes in Space

There are over than 200 different types of cancer and more than one in three people will suffer from some form of the disease during their lifetime. So, imagine if you could help Cancer Research UK develop a cure by playing a mobile game. That's exactly what the Play to Cure: Genes in Space app game lets you do. Developed by the charity, along with programmers from Google, Facebook, Amazon and the Rational Group, the game tracks your patterns and uses the information to analyse real genetic data, which can then be used in the development of lifesaving treatments.

Charity Miles

If you’re looking to get active and do some good at the same time, then the Charity Miles app is the ideal solution for you. You'll no longer need to source sponsorship and train for a marathon to fundraise for your favourite non-profit organisations. Instead, just install this free app to your device, pick a charity and get going. Charity Miles will tack your work out and donate 10 cents for every mile cycled or 25 cents for every mile ran.

Feedie

We’ve all seen people posting pictures of their meals to social media, but while it may seem like a strange fad, it could actually be doing some good. Whenever you’re about to tuck into something tasty, simply use Feedie to take a quick photo and upload it to your Facebook or Twitter channels. Participating restaurants will then make a donation to the Lunchbox fund, which provides lunches to South African schoolchildren. The non-profit organisation claims to have provided over 12 million meals via the app, so get snapping those sandwiches.

This article, 5 Charity Apps that Help You Give Back, was originally published at simonblog.com.