Need something for Valentine's Day in a hurry? These apps could save the day
Apps are in the air…
Before apps on your smartphone would be able to solve a dilemma without leaving your house, you would have had to see if the nearest store was open to try and save face.
But if you’ve left it too late in 2022 to find a perfect Valentine’s Day gift, we’re in a time where apps can come to the rescue.
This problem has soothed somewhat anyway, thanks in part to easier methods of sending gifts, such as greeting cards and flowers to appease your better half, without having to make a quick dash during your work break.
Of course, if you’re not with someone just yet, there are plenty of dating apps that can help you with that as well.
So, read on for our pick of the best apps on iOS that could make February 14 a Valentine’s Day to remember.
Temply
Available on the App Store for free, but with a bunch of in-app purchases that range between £9.99 / $9.99 / AU$11.99 and £52.99 / $49.99 / AU$59.99, this app enables you to add some Valentine’s Day filters and themes for your Instagram Reels and Stories. This way, you can mark the day in style while being able to save the videos for future reference.
t’s not just limited to Instagram, either. As you can export these videos, you can upload them to Twitter or TikTok as well, with your filters and themes intact.
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It’s the 2022 method of a mixtape - instead of a collection of songs on a tape, your partner could receive a thoughtful compilation video of both your best and most embarrassing moments together.
Bloom and Wild
Bloom and Wild is an app that you can download for free, letting you buy a bunch of flowers, alongside a box of chocolates if you wish, and have them delivered to your home at a time that suits you or your partner.
There may have been a time when you would have had to find the closest florist, and pick a bouquet of flowers that best suited the day.
Bloom and Wild also has an innovative feature, where you can add a special occasion, and its notifications will remind you to make sure to order something for it. If you add three occasions, you will receive £5 in credit, so everybody wins for Valentine's Day.
Cameo
If you want to surprise your partner with a short video featuring an actor, perhaps from the Harry Potter series, for example, this is the app for you.
Cameo has grown in popularity in recent years, mostly due to the pandemic, with actors and other celebrities turning to the service to communicate with their fans. With this app, you can pay for them to record a short personalized video for your partner.
The app has also branched out into offering one-to-one video calls with certain celebrities, so it could be a nice touch to have your partner spend a few minutes on Valentine's Day with their true love.
OpenTable
If a takeaway and a movie aren’t an option, OpenTable will be able to find available tables in nearby restaurants for you.
The app has an intuitive way of finding the nearest bookings by showcasing a home screen with the restaurants in your area, with the next available time, so you can book for Valentine’s Day in an instant.
When you select a restaurant, you can also view the menu, so if your partner is slightly picky in what they like to eat, you can do some research beforehand, to make sure that the restaurant will cater.
Givingli
Available to download on the App Store in the US only, Givingli allows you to create and send a digital greeting card with no fuss. So if you mistakenly forget to arrange a card or a gift, this app can hopefully save the day.
(For a UK equivalent, thortful achieves the same, free to download on the App Store).
You can choose from a wide variety of styles and themes that best suit your partner, either in interest or in humor, and you can arrange to have it sent as soon as possible.
Alongside adding a personalized note, you can also include a gift card that can be from Amazon or DoorDash. There are plenty of options for Valentine's Day, but we can’t guarantee same-day delivery if you order on February 14th..
- Our pick of the best iPhone deals in February 2022 so far
Daryl had been freelancing for 3 years before joining TechRadar, now reporting on everything software-related. In his spare time, he's written a book, 'The Making of Tomb Raider'. His second book, '50 Years of Boss Fights', came out in 2024, with a third book coming in 2025. He also has a newsletter called 'Springboard'. He's usually found playing games old and new on his Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch, and MacBook Pro. If you have a story about an updated app, one that's about to launch, or just anything Software-related, drop him a line.