The 20 best apps to improve your smartphone

Whether you want an alarm that syncs with your body clock or a to-do list you can speak to, these are the apps you'll need to make your smartphone smarter

The latest generation of smartphones comes with a panoply of apps to get you started, from email and photography to navigation, weather and video-calling services. But every one of those default apps has at least one alternative on the app stores, and there are often dozens more that can represent a big upgrade.

Here are 20 examples that will improve your smartphone's stock features, and in some cases provide the functionality that is puzzlingly missing from apps in 2017's starter packs. A number of them also have smartwatch extensions, providing an upgrade on your Apple Watch or Android Wear timepiece's features too.