We all know that we can use the internet to help us do everyday things such as shopping, keeping in touch with others, learning something new, and exercising. But the limits to what we can do online are endless.
Whether you consider yourself to be quite tech-savvy or don’t spend much time in front of screens at all, chances are there are still plenty of useful things you might not know you could do on the internet.
With that said, we’ve selected 18 of these below – from finding a new window view to gaze at to tracking down new and used print books at the best price. We’d love to know which ones you found most interesting or helpful.
1. Find free furniture
Whether you’re moving house and need some furniture for your new place or you’re just looking to give your current home a new look – it’s worth considering whether you could pick up some pieces for free. Even items that need a bit of TLC or are the wrong colour or pattern could become fun upcycling projects.
Not only is this a great way to save money, but giving new homes to items that might otherwise be thrown away can also help us become more environmentally friendly.
On Freecycle, you can connect with people in your local area (and surrounding areas) who’re giving away furniture and other bits and bobs – just have a browse below!
2. Discover how to make literally… anything!
Instructables is a great website for for for anyone who’d looking for some creative inspiration, as you’re sure to come across something you hadn’t considered making before.
From learning how to make rope out of an old t-shirt to creating an edible fairy garden hummus platter, there are plenty of fun, innovative, and unusual project ideas to get stuck into.
3. Find available parking spaces across the UK
With JustPark you can enter the location you’re headed to, as well the date and times you need to park – and you’ll be presented with a list of bookable parking spaces in that area.
Most of the parking spaces are in people’s driveways and with over 45,000 UK locations covered, you’re sure to find a space nearby. Plus, all payments and reservations can be made via the app for a seamless experience.
And if you have a driveway that’s always or often empty, why not think about renting it out to others?
4. Swap the view from your window with someone else’s
Sometimes we all need a change of scenery from time to time, and with Window Swap you can find a video of a new window to gaze through from anywhere in the world.
When you’ve had enough of a particular window or you fancy a change, simply click the ‘Open a new window anywhere in the world’ button at the bottom of the screen to discover a new view.
You can also sign up and submit your own window view should you wish to.
5. Write letters to your future self
As humans, we’re constantly changing and evolving and the person we are today might not be the same person that we were five or 10 years ago.
While this is completely normal, it can sometimes be helpful to stop and take stock of some of the important decisions, promises, and other life-altering events that have helped to shape us.
With FutureMe, you can write a letter to your future self and have it delivered to your email inbox (for free) at a date of your choice in the future.
So, why not think about sending a letter off today?
6. Find free WiFi anywhere in the world
The Wi-Fi Free Spot Directory can help you stay connected by showing you where to find free WiFi anywhere in the world.
This could be handy if you’re travelling and want to connect with someone back home, or if you’re just looking for somewhere to do some work for a few hours for a change of scenery.
7. Discover what’s being built in your local area
If you’re looking to move to a new area or you’re just curious about what’s going on where you live now, then why not find out about any proposed planning and building regulations?
On the GOV.UK website, you can enter your postcode to find upcoming plans and comment or object to them.
8. Find books at the best price
With BookFinder, you can search for new or used print copies of books by typing in the author, title, and/or ISBN number. This includes books that are out of print and original editions.
This handy search tool sorts through 150 million books for sale to bring you a comprehensive list that’s ordered by price (low to high) and has information about where to buy (for example, Amazon, eBay, AbeBooks, and so on).
9. Speak to a GP via video link
These days, getting an appointment with a GP isn’t always easy. But, there are a number of online doctor and prescription services that allow patients to book appointments with GPs, physiotherapists, and pharmacists at a time and place that suits them.
Many of these services, such as Livi and Push Doctor, offer the chance to book a virtual appointment with NHS-trained clinicians and even to send them text messages and images too.
You may be able to access GP appointments for free, depending on whether your local NHS service or GP practice has partnered with Livi, Push Doctor (you can enter your postcode to find out), or another virtual service. Or, if not, you can still access the virtual services for a fee.
10. See what furniture looks like in your home before you buy
Buying furniture, getting it home, and realising that it doesn’t fit or look right is much trickier to remedy than if you’re dealing with a pair of jeans or a new top that can easily be returned.
So, if you’re an IKEA fan and you want to try before you buy, then why not download the IKEA Place app?
The app allows you to ‘virtually’ place everything from lamps and rugs to tables and sofas in your space to see whether they’re the right size, functionality, and design for your room.
Alternatively, you can find joy with similar apps like Houzz and Wayfair.
11. Get notified of the best times to take a toilet break during a movie so you don’t miss the best scenes
We’ve all been there… We’re at the cinema enjoying a movie but don’t want to leave for a toilet break in case we miss any of the good stuff.
But with the RunPee app, you can search for the movie you’re about to watch and find out where the best places to run to the loo are.
You can do this for free, or for a small fee you can pay to use the timer feature which will alert you when a toilet break is coming up!
12. Create the ambient sounds of a cafe to boost productivity
Many people find coffee shops to be the perfect creative space and it looks like science could support this theory. Research suggests that a moderate level of background noise can help to get our creative juices flowing.
In one study, participants were divided into four teams and exposed to background noises at different volumes (with one control also being exposed to no noise). The results showed that those who worked in a moderate noise condition outperformed those in all other conditions.
If you can’t get to a coffee shop but you want to benefit from the clatter and chatter of one, then why not play one of the sounds from the Coffitvity website? You can choose from a few different ones including Morning Murmur, Brazil Bistro, and Texas Teahouse.
13. Find out whether a website is down for just you or for everybody
Sometimes when a website goes down, it can be difficult to know whether it’s your connection or if it’s a problem with the website itself.
But, with Down for Everyone or Just Me, you can enter the web address of the website you’re having issues with to find out whether it’s down for you or everybody.
14. Create beautiful designs in minutes
With Canva, you can create high-quality videos, logos, presentations, posters, infographics, social media posts, and more in minutes.
With a free basic account, you can access 250,000+ templates, 100+ design types (for things like presentations, social media posts, and letters), and hundreds of thousands of free photos and graphics. Or for even more features, you can upgrade to a premium version.
15. Easily track the progress of projects
Whether you’re studying or working on a project, it can help to have somewhere to plan and record your next steps and keep track of your progress.
Trello is a great tool for this because it allows you to create boards, cards, and lists to show you everything that needs doing at a glance, see who’s doing what (if you’re working as a team), and change the status of each task to help you stay organised.
With a free basic plan, you can access all of Trello’s core features, or you can sign up for a premium account for more.
16. Get language translations in seconds
Google Translate can break down language barriers by acting as an interpreter.
All you have to do is select the languages you want to translate between (there are 108 to choose from!) and speak into the microphone. It’ll then repeat the phrase back to you in the target language.
You can also translate written words and phrases by typing them into the tool – or use it to translate documents and websites.
17. Find out what word is on the tip of your tongue
We all know how frustrating it can be when we have a word in mind that we want to use, but we just can’t place our finger on what it is!
The Tip of My Tongue website can help with this because you can type in clues, such as what the word starts with or ends with, what the word means, and what it sounds like. It then suggests words that might fit the bill.
18. Meet new people through music
Music is something that touches all of us in one way or another and can also give us common ground with people. So, if you’re a music lover and you’re looking to meet some new people, why not consider connecting with others through your favourite tunes?
With TasteBuds, you can share the songs you like and find people near you who enjoy them too. Some people use it as a chance to meet potential dates, while others use it to make new friends – and meet up to go to concerts or gigs.
It’s important to note that while you can search for matches for free, to send messages to people you’ll need to sign up for a subscription.
Final thoughts...
We hope that some of the websites above will be useful to you in some way, and we’d love to know which ones you ended up trying.
Or for more ideas and inspiration, check out our article; 22 fun things to do online.
Do you have any other useful online tools that you’d like to share? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.