Annual Roundups: The Features I Wish Were Available in My Favorite Apps
Every year, a variety of apps take inspiration from Spotify Wrapped and offer users a recap of their activities over the past twelve months. While this trend is becoming increasingly popular, there are still some standout applications that don’t have these yearly summaries. If they were to introduce such features, I would be absolutely delighted.
1. YouTube
YouTube boasts over two billion active users each month, making it surprising that the platform doesn’t provide a yearly recap feature. Interestingly, YouTube Music already has seasonal summaries, which makes the absence of a similar feature for general YouTube all the more curious.
As someone who uses YouTube for both learning and enjoying sports highlights, having insight into my viewing habits over the year would be intriguing. Simply scrolling through my watch history doesn’t have quite the same impact or depth.
Additionally, a yearly recap on YouTube could be immensely helpful for users looking to manage their viewing time better. For instance, if someone aims to reduce their screen time, a summary of their most-watched content could serve as a useful guide.
2. Instagram
Though my usage of Instagram has diminished over the years, I would still appreciate an overview of my app activity for the year. While you can see your most and least interacted accounts when checking your following list, this data isn’t compiled on a yearly basis.
It would be fascinating to discover which accounts I engaged with the most and what content I liked versus skipped. Knowing my most liked posts and the types of accounts I engage with could provide valuable insights into my social media habits.
As a fan of Instagram, I’d prefer to see such recap features rather than new functions that add complexity to the app.
3. Streaming Services
Many music streaming platforms offer annual roundups, with Spotify Wrapped as the most notable example. It seems logical that TV streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ would follow suit and provide similar features.
A yearly recap from Netflix could highlight the genres I enjoy most, total watch hours, and even how I stack up against other users in my viewing habits.
Moreover, while Netflix may not currently support interactive features like Spotify, it would be interesting to compare viewing statistics with friends, much like the competitive edge found in music streaming.
4. Todoist
As one of my favorite task management apps, Todoist has a uniquely gamified interface—but it doesn’t currently offer a yearly overview. This feature existed in the past, and its absence is felt by many users.
With Todoist’s previous annual roundup, I could see how many tasks I completed in relation to other users and review the times of day when I was most productive. A return of this feature would be highly beneficial for those looking to enhance their productivity.
5. Instant Messaging Apps
I often wonder who I message most frequently each year and my activity patterns across platforms like WhatsApp, Messenger, or iMessage. Access to these statistics could provide fascinating insights into my communication habits.
Similar to Todoist, I’d love a recap that outlines message frequency and highlights the contacts I engaged with the most. Understanding when I’m most active on these platforms could help me pinpoint trends in my communication and effectiveness in managing screen time.
6. Banking Apps
Tracking my spending habits is crucial for improving financial literacy, and a yearly spending roundup through my banking app would greatly enhance this process. Knowing what I spend the most on—which companies I frequently purchase from—would be invaluable.
While some banking apps, such as Revolut, offer annual reviews, my primary banking app doesn’t have this functionality. I believe it would benefit many users if this feature were implemented.
7. Notion
Notion is one app I rely on more than almost any other. It excels at managing cluttered task lists and allows for effortless note-taking. Given its diverse range of features, a yearly summary of my activities would be really interesting.
Being able to see which pages I spent the most time on and the number of hours logged in Notion could provide insight into my workflow and productivity. I would also love to know quirky details, like which emojis I used the most.
Conclusion
Although annual roundups have gained traction across various applications, several key tools have yet to adopt this feature. Given the resources and data necessary to create such summaries, it’s understandable why some apps haven’t made the change. Nevertheless, I remain hopeful that more of my favorite tools will incorporate annual roundups in the future!