Give Your Brain a Boost With These Fun Apps

Who would have guessed that your cellphone could actually help sharpen your memory skills? I’m not talking about trying to remember whose phone number you have stored in your contacts, or how to change your ringtone. Actually, there are fun “brain game” apps you can download for free which offer cool activities designed to stimulate and improve your memory, language, creativity, and more.

Developed by scientists and designers, Lumosity is described as, “exploring new ways to challenge the brain and push cognitive research forward.” But don’t be put off by the clinical language. The logic games included here are fascinating, and the “Daily Workout” activities are a fun way to jump-start good training habits to make sure you’re using your memory and attention to their full potential.

Memorado calls itself a “brain gym,” and features 15 games with 450 different levels focused on improving 5 key brain functions: memory, logic, concentration, reaction, and speed. You can even compete with friends in “brain duel” challenges! It comes with sharp graphics both for game play and for graphing your strength and improvement levels, and is intuitive to navigate.

I’m a big fan of Peak, which Google’s editors have chosen as one of the Best Android Apps in each of the last two years. Colorful and easy to use, it has more than 35 games available, and also offers “Coach,” a personalized training mode to help chart your progress and suggest ways to improve your abilities. Peak can also be downloaded directly to your device, so you can use it without connecting to Wi-Fi or data.

The brain is a muscle like any other—if you don’t use it, you lose it. Since we already spend plenty of time each day poking around on our smartphones, why not use a few minutes to help keep your brain fit? The fun brain game apps I’ve discussed here won’t cost you a thing, but their benefits can be enormous! Look for any of them at either the Google Play Store for Android, or the App Store for iPhone.

26 Thoughts on "Give Your Brain a Boost With These Fun Apps"

  1. atlena Bennett. negash says

    How do I view winner of family photo contest? I don’t have nor want to join Facebook.

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      Thank you for asking, Atlena! The winner images are only available on Facebook at this time, so perhaps you could use a friend or family member’s phone or computer to see them. We appreciate you posting today!

  2. John Rinaldo says

    It is very difficult to cancel service. No matter what you say, they have a reason for not disconnecting. I am hearing impaired and agent would not talk to my wife of 52 years. I want to disconnect because I do not use the phone. Why do they insist on offering more service and talking to me? Not customer friendly to the 80+ users.

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      We appreciate your feedback, John, and we do apologize for any frustration. I’m happy to pass this on to our managers so that we can create a better customer experience moving forward. Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your experience, and we hope you have a wonderful day!

  3. John Mamarian says

    I am also, like John, over 80. Actually in 7 days I will be 86 years old. I love this country. I became a naturalized U. S. Citizen in 1969. I am also hearing impaired, but what it makes me sick is when I have to “talk” to a recorder or when the companies tell me to use the internet. I have always sided with businesses because I feel that they have to make a
    profit to hire more people, but when they “push the envelope”, it is when I say enough.
    By the way, I have a foreigner’s accent, and have a degree from a 4 year college in California.

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      We appreciate you posting today, John. We do our best to assist our customers in a variety of ways, whether they prefer speaking on the phone, using our website or picking up a new device at a local Target store. Our customer service team is always happy to help. If we can assist you with anything or discuss an account issue, our customer account advisors will be ready to help you at 888-345-5509. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us, and we hope you have a great day!

  4. Tom Ukele says

    You have outgrown your ability to take care of your customers. Waiting on hold to speak to customer service has become quite a problem. Ten minutes at times.

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      Thank you for sharing your experience with us, Tom. We do apologize for any inconvenience the wait caused, and we appreciate your patience. We are hiring and training additional account advisors to reduce the wait time for our customers, so that we can assist you quickly. I’ve made sure to pass your feedback on to our management team, so thank you for taking the time to post. We hope you have a wonderful day!

  5. Karen Vaught-Alexander says

    On 4 April 2017, my cellphone that was fully charged died, just black. I drove to Clackamas Promenade, with a protection plan, prepared to get a new cell, & losing all data. Your rep fixed every-thing by SD card.
    His professionism is exem-plary. I’m a vulnerable disabled elder. He did the right thing and fixed the cell.

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us, Karen. It’s wonderful to hear that the issue was resolved, and that your phone is working properly once more. If you experience the issue again, or if you have any questions, we’re happy to assist you over the phone at 888-345-5509. We appreciate you taking the time to post, and we hope you have a wonderful day!

  6. Carol says

    One of the phones on my plan is getting very hot when receiving text messages (sometimes texts arrive to his phone numerous times for some reason ?!?) and then the phone gets very hot…scary!! Do we need to replace this phone, or would it be replaced thru the ‘square trade’ I pay on this phone?

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      Thank you for reaching out to us, Carol. If your phone is experiencing issues with overheating and errors regarding messages, we would like to troubleshoot it further to see if the issue can be resolved. If a new phone is needed, we’re happy to talk with you about the options your protection plan provides and walk you through that process. Please give us a call at 888-345-5509, and we will be happy to assist you. We appreciate you taking the time to post, and we look forward to speaking with you soon!

  7. RUTH S. BAILEY says

    I will be leaving the usa and will be out of the country for approx. 3 months. Is there any way my phone can be turned off for 90 days and when I returned it cut back on and I retain the same number that I have now. If you will check you will see that the phone is used very little, like 25 minutes month. My t.v and my internet has what they call a vacation mode. Please advise.

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      Great question, Ruth! You can switch to our smallest plan, which is just $10 a month. That way, you can keep your phone line active until you get back. We’re happy to help you with this over the phone at 888-345-5509, or you can make the switch by logging into My Account. Just choose the option that is most convenient for you. Thank you for posting, and we wish you safe and happy travels!

      • Ruth Nelson says

        I need a new sim card, how can I get one?

        • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

          We can help you get a new SIM card easily, Ruth. You can pick one up at your local Target store, or we can get one on the way to you if you call us at 888-345-5509. Just pick the option that works best for you, and you’ll be on your way to better service! Thank you for posting today!

  8. william says

    I have now owned my ZTE 828 for almost a week, and the printed material sent with the phone only gave basics, vague, I must say, and now have called and asked for a PRINTED detailed manual on how to use all the features of my phone. I still can’t do WI-FI, and the chick I talked to the first time had absolutely no idea what I was asking her.Asking again: COULD I PLEASE GET A PRINTED, DETAILED MANUAL THAT WIL, IN SIMPLE WORDS, EXPLAIN TO ME HOW TO USE ALL MY FEATURES? I’m starting to get aggravated here………..

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      Thank you for posting, William. We’re happy to email you the manual if you like, so that you can print any pages you need conveniently from home. If we can assist you with any specific functions, please feel free to give us a call at 888-345-5509, and we will be happy to help you. Thanks again for reaching out to us, and we hope you have a great day!

  9. Sandy Plaia says

    I am using the same phone I had with my last service. I was able to send and download pictures then. Since I started this service I cannot send or download pictures. Is it the phone? Do I not have the right plan? Have I inadvertently changed a setting on my phone?

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      Thank you for asking, Sandy. We may need to adjust some settings on your device if you are using our SIM card with your previous phone. It’s quick and easy, and we can help you do it over the phone at 888-345-5509. Just give us a call when you have a chance, and we’ll work to make sure you get back to sharing your photos with friends and family. We appreciate you posting!

  10. Alice Domingez says

    I am attempting to re-activate my smart phone . my apple phone is currenty dead.Please reactivate my phone ! I need my phone and would like to have consumers cellular service.

    • Hi Alice, I’m sorry to hear you’re having trouble with your iPhone. You should be able to install the SIM card from your iPhone into your other smartphone. If you need a new SIM card, we can ship you one for free or you can buy a Consumer Cellular SIM card at a local Target store. Either way, if you need help with this, please give us a call at 888-345-5509.

  11. amber massaro says

    How long is it before my account is due for an upgraded phone?

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      Thank you for asking, Amber. We do not currently have an upgrade program, but you are welcome to change your device at any time and take advantage of our convenient EasyPay plans. If we can help you choose a new smartphone or answer any questions about the devices in our lineup, please give us a call at 888-345-5509. We appreciate you taking the time to post!

  12. Gloria Paulson says

    Why a free phone only to people on facebook? It doesn’t seem fair to us seniors who don’t want to be on facebook. Otherwise I love your service and give good reviews to everyone I know.

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      Thank you for posting, Gloria. We occasionally offer special prizes and contests on social media, including Facebook, but they are open to all customers. We appreciate your feedback, and hope you have a great day!