Laughter truly is the best medicine (except for real medicine).
9GAG #
9GAG is like a sinkhole of the internet, where all the funny images eventually make their way to, slosh around together, and create a sort of compendium of internet hilarity.
It’s all user-submitted, and allows you to view images by ‘date’, ’trending’, and ‘hot’, so you can bet that you’ll always be on top of the latest meme, right as it’s erupting.
From the app, you can submit images, vote for and share your favourites, and leave comments. Best yet, 9GAG has official clients for iOS and Android, and unofficial clients on every other platform, although the quality differs.
Info// For: iOS + Android (officially), all others unofficially.
Price: Free
Some ecards #
Speaking of hilarious images, you know those ones floating around on Facebook with an olde worlde image captioned with a witty, snarky comment? Well, they started out a few years ago at someecards.com [Ed: Errrrr… I have no idea if this URL remains legit. Maybe avoid], and you may be pleased to know that there are official apps on both iOS and Android (don’t settle for the shonky clones).
The e-cards can be sent via email, MMS, Facebook, and Twitter – but I am very disappointed that the Android version doesn’t support the in-built share menu (so I can’t send via Gmail, Chomp SMS, or Facebook Messenger). For this reason, I recommend opting for the free version.
Info// For: iOS + Android
Price: Free / $0.99
Face Bomb! #
Face Bomb! allows you to take a photo of a group of your friends (or strangers, if you don’t have any friends of your own), and then automatically (and quite effectively) face bomb the shot. For the uninitiated, a face bomb is when you take one face from a photo and replace everyone else’s face with it. It’s surprisingly funny, and just the right amount of embarrassing for the face-bombee.
The app is so well automated that you just snap your shot (or import it from Facebook), and hit the bomb button. Each time you press the button, it cycles through the people in the photo. Android users can try the ‘Face Swap’ app. instead.
Info// For: iOS
Price: $0.99
Nudifier #
Did you know that you can turn an entirely innocent photo into something raunchy, just by adding in a bit of censoring pixellation? Nudifier makes the process easy and effective. You first select an area of their skin to clone the colour of, then select the area to be nudified and pixelated – this first step gives you that authentic “I’m naked in an entirely inappropriate situation” feeling.
You can then (for a $0.99 in-app purchase) turn the photo into either a magazine cover, or a Valentine’s Day card.
“Naw, remember that time we got naked during our anniversary trip to the zoo?”
“No…”
Hilarious.
Info// For: iOS
Price: Free + IAP
GATM Meme Generator #
There are countless meme generators across all platforms, but my one of choice on Android is GATM, aka Generate All The Memes. In part because the developer is called IDDQD, and in part because it works, additionally, as a list of all the memes that are hot right now.
So, take a scroll through the exhaustive list, pick a meme – get inspired by a default example – and then contribute to the meme pool by making your own. Equivalents on iOS are Meme Generator by MemeCrunch. It was hard to find a great one on WP, but there are many out there.
Info// For: Android + BBOS
Price: Free / $1.49 ad-free
GifBoom #
Oh, gifs. The more they loop, the funnier they get. Using GifBoom, you can create your own gifs from stills or video, even adding trendy filters, and share them out to the greater web via the GifBoom network or the usual email/Facebook/Twitter three-way punch. While Cinemagram grabbed a lot of attention last year, I think the format (that is, isolating a single element to move in a frame) takes itself a little too seriously, when all you really want is a looping image of a cat accidentally jumping into a bath.
For a Windows Phone equivalent, check out Turbo Camera. I couldn’t find a good one for BlackBerry.
Info// For: iOS + Android
Price: Free
The Onion #
The Onion has been delivering satirical news stories since 1988, yet people still manage to believe its articles (check out literallyunbelievable.org [Ed: dead link now] for a cataloguing of this phenomenon). It’s a lesson in both the public’s willingness to believe anything they read, and in how to do satire right.
And, of course, you can now take that satire with you, including articles and videos, no matter where you go (mobile connectivity pending). The app is known as just ‘The Onion’ on iOS and ‘Onion News Network’ on Android, so be sure to search under the correct name for your platform. There is also a third-party app on Windows Phone called The Onion.
Info// For: iOS + Android
Price: Free
Tumblr #
Tumblr isn’t, by default, a funny app. After all, it’s there for you to view Tumblrs or post to your own. But, there is a wealth of hilarious Tumblr sites that offer some of the best humour on the internet. Use the official apps on iOS + Android, or Blueprints for WP8 and Trapeez for BB10, to follow such Tumblrs as: animalstalkinginallcaps.tumblr.com; kimjongunlookingatthings.tumblr.com; captchart.tumblr.com; hungoverowls.tumblr.com; thekittencovers.tumblr.com; awkwardstockphotos.com; or any of the countless wonderful sites I know not of.
Info// For: iOS + Android (officially), all others unofficially
Price: Free
Cyanide and Happiness #
An internet classic, Cyanide and Happiness has been entertaining followers since 2004 with its biting and often controversial humour. With visits numbering in the millions, new comics published daily, and the publication of three books, it’s clear that they are doing something right.
And now you can work the comic into your morning routine – without having to take the time sit in front of your PC – with official apps available for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone (and a crappy unofficial one for BB).
Info// For: iOS, Android, WP
Price: $0.99
xkcd #
xkcd is “a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language,” but, I’m sure you already know that. It’s immensely popular in geeky circles, because of the large swathe of topics that it tackles. As such, no single person can possibly understand every reference, so there’s actually a dedicated ’explain xkcd’ wiki, which the Android app, below, links to.
While there isn’t an official app available, the third party apps I’d recommend on each platform are: for iOS, it’s xkcd by Josh Snyder; for Android, it’s xkcd Browser by Floern; for Windows Phone, it’s xkcd archives by nz bee; and for BlackBerry, it’s xkcdVIEW by Ooata.
Info// For: Every platform
Price: Free