Best Apps for Teachers for iOS and Android in 2021
With a wide assortment of apps vying for attention, I would recommend you to go with your set goal for a better selection.
What Sort of Teacher Apps are You Looking for?
Giving priority to several pivotal aspects like grading, managing class schedule, assessing performance, and also entertaining young learners with game-based lessons, this roundup consists of a variety of apps. Thus, so long as you have got the target in your mind, you can find the preferred apps. Beyond the usual apps, I have picked out other essential applications that can enhance learning, keep you updated with real-time reminders, boost teamwork through collaboration, offer seamless communication with parents, and even let you store all of your projects securely in the cloud. With that said, let’s get started, shall we?
1. Seesaw Class
It’s essential for teachers to have a better understanding of a student’s ability as it enables them to carve out a viable strategy that can unlock creativity. With Seesaw Class, while students are able to put their learning on full display, teachers find a better way to get insight into students’ potential. As a result, it becomes a tad easier for educators to recognize the talent of learners.
To bolster the leadership quality in each student, Seesaw Class offers full freedom to learners to express themselves. As a teacher, you can keep an eye on the progress of your students and also engage parents in conversations on the learning. Besides, families can track their child’s work and also leave comments. What’s more, Seesaw Class offers you the option to translate notes into more than 50 languages such as French, Japanese, Spanish, and more. It’s worth noting that you will require to go for the premium version (Seesaw Plus for $12.99/month) to unlock features to get real-time insights into schoolwide learning and check students’ progress year over year. Everything considered; it’s one of the best teacher apps for Android and iOS. Key features:
Real-time insights into schoolwide learning Check students’ progress year over year Translate notes into more than 50 languages Control who can see what
Install: iOS and Android (free, $12.99/month for Seesaw Plus)
2. ClassDojo
Communication with parents is a must when you want students to have all-around improvements whether scoring high marks or becoming a disciplined kid. And this is where ClassDojo can have a role to play in establishing easy communication between teachers and parents. Using this handy app, teachers can motivate students to not only boost performance in terms of marks but also improve teamwork.
The app allows teachers to share photos, videos, and important announcements so that parents can remain informed about what’s going and therefore be able to offer the needed assistance. If required, they can also communicate with parents via message. Notably, ClassDojo allows you to control comments and even delete individual comments if required. Plus, there is also an option to customization push notifications for quite hours. Though the app is free to use, you will need to subscribe to the $7.99/monthly plan if you wish to take advantage of the ClassDojo Beyond School for extra features. Key features:
Excellent for building a positive classing culture Provides easy communication with parents Share photos, videos, and important announcements with parents Customization push notifications for quite hours
Install: iOS and Android (free, $7.99/month)
3. Google Classroom
If simplicity and ease of use are your top priority, Google Classroom is for you. With this app, teachers can create classes, distribute assignments, and keep everything perfectly organized. Moreover, Google Classroom also offers a straightforward way to grade assignments and makes the copy of a Google Document for both flexibility and security. The app allows teachers to add students directly or share a code with their class to let everyone join.
Plus, the Classroom app automatically creates Drive folders for each assignment so that it can remain safe and accessible across devices. While teachers can track who hasn’t completed the work, students can monitor what’s due on the assignment page. Additionally, students can share resources with each other and stay updated with real-time feedback. Being deeply integrated with G-Suite, it works in sync with other Google apps like Calendar and Gmail to let you manage everything as desired. Key features:
Create classes and distribute assignments with ease Automatically creates Google Drive folders Students can share resources with each other Real-time feedback
Install: iOS and Android (free)
4. Khan Academy
They say, “Learning is a lifelong process.” And as a beloved teacher, if you think your learning needs to get a bit more mobile, Khan Academy could be a worthy addition to your catalog of the best apps for teachers. What makes this app a must-have asset for both educators, learners, and anyone who is willing to enhance knowledge is a massive library of videos, interactive exercises, and a ton of articles about several topics including algebra, differential equations, economics, finance, humanities, and more.
Khan Academy lets you practice exercises, quizzes, and tests at your own pace. Besides, it also provides instant feedback and step-by-step hints so that you never get stuck. You can even download your favorite exercises, topics, and even videos in order that your learning doesn’t come to halt when there is no internet connection. Long story short, Khan Academy can serve as a one-stop platform for your lifelong learning. Key features:
Massive library of videos and interactive exercises Optin to download content Practice exercises at your own pace Step-by-step hints
Install: iOS and Android (free)
5. TED
Unique ideas have a pivotal role to play when it comes to shaping the mind. And as a teacher, you would like to have the luxury of plenty of intriguing ideas that can drive the curiosity of your learners. For this exact purpose, TED seems to be a vital asset. Featuring thousands of informative and inspiring videos, the app can help you bolster your knowledge and also discover the game-changing ways to get the most out of your learners.
Depending on your interests, TED offers personalized suggestions. So, you won’t have to spend much time to find the videos that you prefer to watch. What’s more, you can also explore curator’s picks which is a collection of highly-rated videos. As TED allows you to download videos, you can stream your favorites at your convenient time even offline. One of my top picks of this app is the “Surprise Me” feature that always brings something out-of-the-box to keep you guessing. While TED is a free-to-use app, you will need to spend $11.99 if you want to get TED Supporter. Key features:
Thousands of informative and inspiring videos Personalized suggestions Option to download your favorite videos
Install: iOS and Android (free, $11.99 for Ted Supporter)
6. Quizizz
Learning becomes more joyful when it has interesting elements. And what better way to bring plenty of fun into learning than creating brain-teasing quizzes and asking your learners to sort them out? With Quizizz, you can create fascinating quizzes and also host them.
If you are a student, you can take on quizzes to check where you stand. To bring more fun into the play, you can also challenge your friends to compete with you. As the app offers quizzes on several topics including mathematics, English, science, history, geography, languages, and general knowledge, you will always have plenty of quizzes to take on. Interestingly, the app also provides insight into what you know and what are the things you need to review, which is yet another plus if you prefer to be in complete control. On top of all, you don’t have to spend any bucks to get the most out of Quizizz, which makes it one of the best free apps for teachers for iOS and Android. Key features:
Offers quizzes on several topics Create brain-teasing quizzes and host them Provides insight into what you know Students can invite friends to compete with each other
Install: iOS and Android (free)
7. Evernote
Awesome ideas tend to strike when you expect them the least. So, the sooner you capture them the better it is. And for this very purpose, Evernote has to be your top bet. Widely considered as one of the best note-taking apps across platforms, Evernote lets you not only take quick notes but also create checklists and to-dos that you can share with your students.
Another feature that shows the versatility of Evernote is the ability to include audio, web clippings, sketches, and photos to your notes. Using your device camera, you can organize your documents, whiteboards, and handwritten notes. To ensure important tasks don’t slip out of your mind, you can also set reminders to keep a tab on the things that matter to you. With the neat web clipper, Evernote lets you clip articles and web pages to read later. As it syncs all of your notes across devices, you can access them from anywhere. That’s not all, the app also allows you to annotate docs and work with your colleagues on a shared project. While Evernote is available for free, you can upgrade to the premium variant of the app to get features like 10 GB of new uploads each month, annotate PDFs, and business card scanning. Key features:
Create checklists and to-dos Neat web clipper Annotate docs Syncs all of your notes across devices Set reminders
Install: iOS and Android (free, in-app purchases start at $2.99)
8. Edmodo
For more ways than one, Edmodo is a complete teacher app. With Edmodo, you can facilitate discussions or connect with each student individually through direct messages. Thanks to the automatically updated planner, it becomes pretty easy to keep students guided.
Another feature that makes Edmodo a handy tool is the ability to discover new lessons as well as trending topics and share them with students. The app provides a number of useful educational resources that you can use to offer the best guide to your students. Plus, it also offers a better way to keep your entire classes and assignments organized right from one-stop, so you don’t have to spend much time to manage them. Overall, Edmodo is a top-notch teacher app for iOS and Android. Key features:
Facilitate discussions with ease Automatically updated planner Keep your entire classes and assignments organized Explore professional content and teacher trends
Install: iOS and Android (free)
9. Slack
To inculcate teamwork, seamless collaboration is a must. And if you are willing to put more emphasis on teamwork, Slack is the one you shouldn’t miss out on. Using Slack, you can enhance communication with your students, thanks to the ability to send secure messages and call any person or group.
The app allows you to share documents with multiple people and edit them in sync with the real-time updates. With the customized notifications, you can stay updated about things that matter to you. The dedicated channels ensure keeping a track of everything related to a topic or project remains easy going. Notably, it also allows you to set your status to let everyone know your availability. Furthermore, you can also integrate it with Google Drive and Dropbox to keep all of your projects secure and easily available across devices. If for some reason you don’t prefer Slack, you can check out our favorite Slack alternatives and use them instead. Key features:
Share documents with multiple people Seamless collaboration Offers integration with Google Drive and Dropbox Customized notifications
Install: iOS and Android (free)
10. Dropbox
A reliable cloud-storage is a must if you want to keep everything secure and easily accessible across platforms. While there is no dearth of cloud-storage platforms, Dropbox remains the most loved service due largely to the flexibility it offers. As a teacher, you have to deal with a ton of files that need to be managed and kept organized for hassle-free access.
With Dropbox at the disposal, you can put all of your files in the Apple-pie order and access them whenever and wherever you may need them. Thanks to the support for more than 175 file formats, it’s fully equipped to handle almost any file type. One of my favorite features of this app is the ability to automatically upload photos and videos to cloud storage. Besides, I also find the offline support highly appreciable as it ensures you can navigate through your files without any interruption. Dropbox offers 2GB of cloud storage for free. After that, you can subscribe to the premium version (starts at $9.99/month for 2TB) to store more data. Key features:
Automatically upload photos and videos 175 file formats Useful file organizing tools Offline support
Install: iOS and Android (free, starts at 9.99/month for 2TB)
11. Zoom Cloud Meetings
Whether you are a professional who has to work from home or a teacher who has to teach a number of students, Zoom can prove to be a well-timed addition to your collection. Touted to deliver the best unified communication experience, the app comes with a wide assortment of tools to let you communicate and collaborate on shared content.
Using the video-conferencing app, you can invite up to 100 people to join you on a video. Moreover, the app also offers you the flexibility to send messages, files, links, and fun-loving GIFs to keep the laughter going. Being available across platforms like macOS, Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS, it ensures incompatibility never comes your way when trying to stay connected with the people that matter to you. Bear in mind that the freemium version of Zoom will let you stream group meetings for up to 40 minutes only. If you want to remove this restriction and also unlock other goodies like group meetings for up to 30 hours, social media streaming, and 1GB cloud recording, you will need to opt for the premium plan that starts at $14.99/month. Key features:
Option to invite up to 100 people for a meeting Option to send messages Share screen Use virtual background Social media streaming
Install: iOS and Android (free, $14.99/month)
12. Prezi Viewer
Viewing and presenting pro-grade presentations doesn’t have to be a hassle when you have an intuitive presentation app like Prezi Viewer always ready to get your work done. With the help of this app, you can access your presentations and share them through multiple mediums like email, message, and social media.
Prezi Viewer features smooth touch gestures so that you can pinch to zoom and drag to pan around to present your ideas. The support for AirPlay allows you to view your presentations on the big screen. Additionally, it allows comments on the collaborative presentations so that everyone can express their thoughts. Thanks to the support for many languages including English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Korean, Japanese, and Hungarian, the app makes you have the flexibility to present your ideas in your favorite language. Key features:
Smooth touch gestures Intuitive interface Share your presentations via social media and email Support for many languages
Install: iOS and Android (free)
13. Duolingo
As a language teacher, you would like to have Duolingo at your beck and call to make the task of language learning a fun experience. Claiming to be the world’s most downloaded education app, Duolingo is designed to teach more than 35 languages. The bite-sized lessons focus on all four dimensions of language learning: speaking, reading, listening, and writing.
To prevent boredom from creeping into learning, Duolingo offers a handful of game-based lessons which you can play to learn the basics without having to stress. It uses science-based teaching methodology to foster long-term language retention. Notably, the app also allows you to keep a track of your progress and offers plenty of rewards and achievements to keep you motivated. If you wish to bring your learning into practice, there is an option to join the community of learners as well. To sum up, Duolingo is a feature-rich language learning asset for teachers. Key features:
Science-based teaching methodology Supports more than 35 languages Bite-sized lessons Game-based lessons
Install: iOS and Android (free, in-app purchase for unlocking premium features)
14. Oxford Dictionary
Oxford Dictionary is the sort of app that deserves a safe spot in the catalog irrespective of whether you are an educator or a student or a professional for more than one reason. Boasting an ever-growing database of more than 350,000 words and phrases, the app has got you fully covered as a language reference. Moreover, it also provides over 75, 000 audio pronunciations to help you pronounce correctly.
What I love the most about this app is the word-of-the-day that enables you to learn a unique word each day. Besides, the ability to create custom folders with special words has also appealed to me a lot. With a handful of colorful themes, the app allows you to deck up the interface as well especially for the times where you don’t want the monotonous feeling to dampen your spirit of learning. Keep in mind, you will need to opt for the premium version of the Oxford Dictionary to use features like audio pronunciations and offline mode. Key features:
Database of more than 350,000 words Audio pronunciations Colorful themes Offline mode
Install: iOS and Android (free, $2.99/month)
15. Todoist
When you are dealing with a number of students, ever-growing workloads, and the impeccable desire to help students deliver their best, there are bound to be situations where something may slip away from your mind. If you no longer want to let forgetfulness to hurt your productivity or become hindrances in your path, you should start using Todoist to keep you in the loop about everything that matters to you.
With Todoist, you can create to-do lists and keep an eye on each one of them. The timely reminders make sure you don’t forget to carry out your tasks on time. Using priority levels, you can prioritize your to-dos to complete the urgent tasks first. Interestingly, it also provides a productivity trend to let you find out how well you are performing. Key features:
Create to-do lists Set up timely reminders Productivity trend Integration with apps and services like Gmail, Slack
Install: iOS and Android (free, $3.99/month)
16. TeacherKit
A proficient classroom management assistant is a must for keeping the entire class organized and on the right track to achieve the set goal. With TeacherKit, you get a versatile classroom assistant that can let you carry out essential things like logging student’s attendance add behavior notes, and also keep the parents informed about your students’ performance.
TeacherKit also makes it easier to create and print a seating chart for students so that there is no mess up in the classroom. Oh, it also kind of sends out a clear warning that sitting on the backbench is never a wise move in order to remain away from the spotlight! Jokes aside, TeacherKit offers a premium version ($3.99/month) with additional features like in-depth reporting. Key features:
Versatile classroom assistant Create and print a seating chart In-depth reporting
Install: iOS and Android (free, $3.99/month)
17. Kahoot
When learning tends to become predictable or appears to lose interest, teachers need to find a way to make it fascinating. If that’s what you are after to make learning a pleasing affair, Kahoot could be worth checking out. The app has a solid collection of quiz-based games that students can play at school and at home. For a more personalized experience, learners can also create their own quizzes with custom challenges.
Kahoot allows students to join quiz-based games hosted live and also let them invite friends for friendly duels. With the detailed reports, the app lets you assess learning outcomes to find out where your students stand. Do note that the app offers optional upgrades to let you unlock cool features like a huge image library and advanced question types including puzzles. Key features:
Mammoth collection of quiz-based games Option to create your own puzzles Features a huge library of images Detailed reports
Install: iOS and Android (free, offers in-app purchases)
18. Epic – Kids’ Books & Reading
It’s no secret that kids’ enjoy reading interesting stories that can drive your curiosity to no end. Equipped with 40,000 audiobooks, learning videos, and ebooks, the app has got a variety of interesting content to fascinate young learners (up to 12 years old). The app allows up to 4 individual child profiles per account to let multiple kids use it in a fully personalized way.
To keep kids motivated, Epic provides coveted rewards and badges. As a teacher, you can assign books and keep an eye on the reading progress to ensure learners can remain on track to achieve the goal. Some of the books that have caught my attention are: Flat Stanley, Warriors, Biscuit, National Geographic Kids, and Batman. Knowing how interesting they are, I guess kids will never get tired of reading them. Key features:
Library of over 40,000 audiobooks, learning videos, and ebooks Track reading progress Coveted rewards and badges
Install: iOS and Android (one-month free-trial, $7.99/month)
19. Pocket
Pocket has long been an amazing tool for readers. So, if you are on the lookout for an app where you can store all of your favorite articles, news, stories, and videos to catch up with them later, this one has to be your top bet. As the app is integrated with popular news sources such as New York Times, BBC News, Google News, The Guardian, and more, exploring the articles that you enjoy reading will never be a big deal.
What’s more, Pocket is also connected with Twitter and YouTube to keep you at pace with the trending stuff. It features an intuitive layout and a fully customizable display so that you can read your favorite articles with complete peace of mind. Not just that, it also provides dark and sepia themes to make reading a pleasing experience at night. Times when you don’t want to stress your eyes, you can use the listen-feature to enjoy an eyes-free learning experience. With the $4.99/month subscription, you can unlock several additional goodies like a permanent library to keep a backup of your saved articles and suggested tags. Overall, Pocket is one of the best apps for teachers and those who love to read articles and news. Key features:
Dark and sepia themes Integrated with popular news sources Listen feature Connected with Twitter and YouTube
Install: iOS and Android (free, $4.99/month for the premium version)
20. Additio
If grading students seems to be a tedious task, Additio is the one you should try. The app provides assessments based on skills and learning standards for more accuracy. Plus, you also get customized reports for a better insight into the overall performance. Hence, it becomes a little straightforward for you to grade students. That aside, Additio features a lesson planner per session and provides circular units with a number of customized templates to let you take control of the class and run it with the desired flow.
The app is integrated with Google Classroom and Microsoft for Education to let you manage your class efficiently. Besides, you can sync your data with Google Drive Microsoft OneDrive to keep it secure. The offline functionality and the ability to export data to excel and PDF further enhance Additio’s reputation as a useful asset for teachers. Key features:
Makes grading students a straightforward experience Customized reports Integrated with Google Classroom and Microsoft for Education Option to sync your data with Google Drive Microsoft OneDrive Offline mode
Install: iOS and Android (free, offers in-app purchases )
Best Teacher Apps for iPhone and Android Lined Up for You
So, that ends our article on the top apps for teachers. With so many highly-rated apps, I hope your needs have found the right asset to let you manage your class or improve your learning. Keeping in mind other important needs like storing files, boosting productivity, and enhancing knowledge, I have chosen other apps that go well beyond the usual lines. We have also covered best apps for students in a separate article. So, if you are looking for good apps to suggest to your students, don’t forget to check out the article. So, have you found the right teacher apps for your Android or iOS device? If yes, feel free to offer up your feedback about them. Also, tell us about the other equally impressive teacher apps that may have failed to find a safe spot in this roundup.
