12 Best Apps for Learning New Skills from Experts

One app I’ve found surprisingly helpful in my personal learning journey is MYNDIFY. Lately, I’ve been teaching myself how to cook new recipes, and what I love is how the app’s recipe feature makes that process feel organized instead of scattered. Before using it, I’d come across something delicious on Instagram, save it, and then forget where I put it when I actually wanted to cook. Other times, I’d jot recipes down in random notebooks that I could never find again.

With MYNDIFY, I can store all the recipes I want to try in one place, and I even add little notes after cooking, such as what I’d tweak next time or what worked really well. It’s been a game-changer because I don’t waste energy searching; I can focus on actually cooking. Over time, this has helped me stay consistent, try more new dishes, and feel like I’m really growing in the kitchen. For me, it’s less about becoming a professional chef and more about having a simple system that supports the hobby, keeps me motivated, and makes the whole process enjoyable.

Skillshare has been especially helpful for me in exploring digital storytelling techniques that make language classes more engaging. I remember taking a course on multimedia integration, and from that I designed a module where students created short cultural videos in Spanish. Generally, you’re in good shape with Skillshare if you commit to applying what you learn immediately in your own context. During curriculum planning weeks, those creative tools kept my lesson plans from feeling repetitive and instead sparked more collaborative exchanges. For anyone in education, I’d suggest approaching the app as a toolbox—pick the few tools you know you’ll actually use rather than getting overwhelmed by choice.

As someone who’s designed thousands of websites and worked with 500+ entrepreneurs, I rely heavily on Loom for mastering new digital marketing techniques and client communication skills. The screen recording capability lets me study how successful funnels work by recording walkthroughs of high-converting sites, then reviewing them later to identify patterns.

The real breakthrough came when I started using Loom to practice my client presentations. I’d record myself explaining website concepts, then watch back to catch filler words and unclear explanations. This practice helped me reduce client revision requests by about 40% because my initial presentations became much clearer.

What’s brilliant about Loom is the analytics feature – it shows exactly where viewers drop off in recordings. When I noticed clients consistently stopped watching at the 3-minute mark in my design explanations, I restructured all my presentations to frontload the most important information. This simple change led to faster project approvals and that 50% increase in repeat business I mentioned.

I also use it to create quick tutorials for my team on new WordPress plugins or design techniques. Instead of spending hours in meetings, I can record a 5-minute walkthrough that everyone can reference whenever needed.

As someone who trains therapists monthly and developed my own trauma treatment protocols, I’ve found Notion to be unexpectedly powerful for skill development. Most people use it for note-taking, but I use it as a learning laboratory where I can build interconnected knowledge systems.

When I was developing Resilience Focused EMDR, I created a Notion workspace with linked databases tracking research papers, client case patterns, and technique modifications. The real magic happened when I could cross-reference which interventions worked for specific trauma presentations and see patterns emerge across my caseload. This wasn’t just learning – it was active knowledge synthesis.

The template feature transformed how I approach new neuroscience topics for my conference presentations. I built a “Research Sprint” template that breaks complex topics like nervous system regulation into digestible components with embedded questions that force deeper thinking. Instead of passive reading, I’m constantly connecting new information to existing clinical knowledge.

What sets Notion apart is how it mirrors how the brain actually learns – through connections and relationships rather than isolated facts. My trauma training materials now generate themselves because the interconnected structure reveals gaps and builds upon established concepts automatically.

With my background in Business and Computer Science at Coe College plus hands-on tech experience at IBM and EnCompass, I’ve tested dozens of learning apps. Khan Academy has been my go-to for mastering complex mathematical concepts that bridge my academic studies with real-world applications.

When I was struggling with advanced statistics for both my tutoring role and data analysis projects at EnCompass, Khan Academy’s bite-sized video lessons broke down complex probability distributions into manageable chunks. The practice problems with instant feedback helped me go from confused to confident enough to tutor other students within two months.

The app’s progress tracking showed me exactly which calculus concepts I was weak on before tackling machine learning algorithms in my computer science coursework. Instead of spending hours reading textbooks, I could pinpoint knowledge gaps and fill them during 15-minute study sessions between baseball and football practice.

What really sold me was using their programming courses to prep for my IBM internship. The JavaScript fundamentals I learned through their interactive coding exercises directly applied to the client portal development work I later contributed to at EnCompass. The structured progression from basic syntax to complex functions made the learning stick better than traditional classroom lectures.

As someone who had to master both Western medicine and Eastern approaches while building my practice, I’ve found Headspace to be invaluable for developing mindfulness skills that directly improved my patient care. The app’s structured meditation programs helped me stay centered during long surgical procedures and emotionally demanding fertility consultations.

What really sold me was tracking my stress levels during my transition from high-volume hospital work to opening Wellness OBGYN in 2022. Using Headspace’s daily 10-minute sessions, I noticed my patient satisfaction scores remained consistently high (near-perfect) even during the stressful practice launch period. The app’s progress tracking showed I completed 78% of sessions that first year, which correlated with better focus during da Vinci robotic surgeries.

The sleep stories feature became essential when I was on-call at Kapiolani Women’s Center – it helped me fall asleep faster between emergency calls. For anyone in healthcare or high-stress fields, the “Work & Productivity” course specifically teaches techniques I now use before difficult conversations with patients about fertility challenges.

I recommend starting with their free trial and committing to just 5 minutes daily. The app shows concrete data on your consistency, which as a physician, I appreciate for tracking actual behavioral change rather than just good intentions.

After handling over 1,000 employment cases, I rely heavily on Audible for continuous learning in law and business strategy. The audiobook format lets me absorb content during long drives between court appearances across Mississippi, turning dead time into productive education.

When I was preparing to chair the Labor and Employment Law Section of the Mississippi Bar, I used Audible to study emerging workplace trends and discrimination patterns. One particular series on negotiation tactics directly improved my settlement success rate by about 15% that year, helping clients secure better outcomes without lengthy trials.

The app’s bookmark feature became invaluable during complex cases. I could mark specific sections about religious discrimination law while reviewing materials, then quickly reference them during client consultations. This was especially useful when I started seeing more gig economy discrimination cases – the ability to revisit expert commentary helped me develop stronger arguments for clients facing new types of workplace challenges.

What makes Audible particularly effective for legal professionals is accessing real case studies and expert analysis from practicing attorneys nationwide. The diverse perspectives help me spot patterns in employment law that I might miss focusing only on Mississippi cases.

I highly recommend Duolingo for anyone looking to acquire new language skills, resurrect old ones from high school or college, or pursue language learning as a hobby. I started practicing my high school Spanish on a lark, and then maintained a 435-day streak on the app, practicing a little each day, which effectively prepared me for a trip to Mexico. The gamification elements and league rankings kept me motivated to continue learning consistently. This disciplined approach allowed me to understand tourist Spanish and follow conversations during my travels, proving the app’s effectiveness for practical application.

My shop Full Tilt Auto Body has been family-owned since 2008, and I’ve learned most of my advanced collision repair techniques through Udemy. The platform’s automotive courses helped me master precision paint blending and feathering techniques that our customers expect from a Best in the Valley winner.

When we started offering custom modifications alongside traditional collision work, Udemy’s fabrication courses taught me CAD software integration with our paint-matching systems. One specific course on advanced spray gun techniques helped us achieve the seamless repairs that make our work “indistinguishable from the original finish” – something that directly impacts our repeat customer rate.

The structured lesson format works perfectly for technical skills that require precision. I can practice new paint application methods during slower shop hours, then immediately apply them to customer vehicles. This hands-on reinforcement helped us maintain our reputation for having cars “look like they just rolled off the dealer lot, or better.”

What makes Udemy ideal for automotive professionals is the downloadable content – I can reference specific repair sequences on my phone while working in the paint booth, without worrying about poor internet connectivity in our shop environment.

One app I’ve really enjoyed using is MasterClass. As a business owner, I don’t always have time to sit through long courses, but MasterClass breaks down lessons from experts in their fields into short, engaging sessions. I’ve taken classes on leadership and communication that gave me new ways to connect with my team and customers, which directly help us run day-to-day operations.

What made it valuable for me was how practical the lessons felt. Instead of theory, I walked away with ideas I could apply right away, like better ways to give feedback or structure team meetings. For anyone balancing a busy schedule, I recommend finding an app that lets you learn in small, manageable pieces that you can actually use—those little changes add up over time.

For me, YouTube has been one of the most useful tools for picking up new skills. When I need to learn something outside of pest control—like home projects, leadership strategies, or even technical troubleshooting—it’s easy to find step-by-step videos from people who’ve already been through the process. I like that you can pause, replay, and really learn at your own pace.

One example is when I wanted to sharpen my management approach as our company grew. I found several channels focused on leadership and small business operations, and I took bits and pieces that I could apply directly with my team. It’s not a fancy app, but it’s practical, free, and has helped me continue to improve without needing to set aside a huge block of time for formal training.

For me, Coursera has been a solid choice when I want to sharpen my investment strategies. It’s wild how quickly tough decisions in property valuation calm down once you layer in insights from lessons taught by industry experts. I suggest picking a topic that aligns with your immediate business goals, so you get that balance of theory and practical application right away.