8 Ways App-Controlled Sex Toys Can Jailbreak Your Sex Life

As phones have gotten smarter and more necessary for our everyday life, our awe over these devices has turned into a bit of a begrudging reliance. Just the other day, I headed to a new restaurant to find that the place's only parking lot required me to download a new app just to pay for the ability to park. The restaurant itself had no ability to do it manually or with cash.

All of those everyday frustrations go out the window when I get to experience the magic of my cell phone again for the first time, though. It's the same device that allowed me to permanently capture some of my favorite moments with friends and partners. It's the same device that got me out of a bind when I needed a last-minute hotel at 11 p.m. and had no idea where to go.

And it's the same device that now allows me -- and you! -- to experience your sex life in brand-new ways. Sex toys are amazing on their own, but without a visual interface, their functionality can be a bit...limited. By simply connecting a toy to your phone, you get a whole new way to experience your favorite toys.

READ: Kinky Together: How to Use Sex Tech for BDSM Pleasure.

Because your phone offers advanced functionality, most phone- or app-enabled sex toys have functions you can't access without the app. (Luckily for us, every app-enabled toy still has buttons to control the toy's basic vibrations without an app. Nobody wants to be masturbation-blocked just because their phone is dead!)

Here are eight ways your phone can improve your sex life:

1. Discreet Play in Public

If your app-enabled vibrator allows for hands-free use (like the Pivot Vibrating Cock Ring from We-Vibe), using the app lets you explore discreet public play. You don't need to hold an unfamiliar, conspicuous remote. You're simply holding your cell phone -- like every other person is!

This easy, control-on-the-go design makes your cell phone the center of your play universe -- and the key to unlocking new ways to play with your partner.

We-Vibe Pivot Vibrating Cock Ring. Available at Spencer's.

Be adventurous and take your favorite vibrator for a spin at the nearby, noisy bar and grill. Maybe you'll even send the vibe wearer to fetch your drinks. ;)

Or explore how much fun playing in nature can be from the safety of your own backyard. Get some grilling going, enjoy the nice outdoor weather and add a bit of vibrating fun that gets you both eager to go back inside for once.

READ: Summer Lovin': 3 Reasons Why We Love Outdoor Sex.

2. Stop Fiddling with Sex Toy Buttons

You're mid-pleasure, and you press a button.

And...fuck. That was the power button. It's off now, and you've interrupted your flow.

Avoid that entirely with the visual interface of a paired cell phone. You can easily increase and decrease vibration intensities -- or even swap to patterned modes -- without disturbing the toy's physical body a centimeter. You can also see, at a glance, how much intensity you have left to use.

Some app-enabled vibes even let you see how much battery life you have left!

This can be especially useful for larger sex toys like the We-Vibe Nova 2. I love a good rabbit vibe as much as the next person (simultaneous clitoral and g-spot stimulation? Yes please!) but the dual arms can sometimes make it tough to see -- and push -- the right buttons. Say goodbye to that thanks to the app!

We-Vibe Nova 2 Multi-Function Rechargeable Waterproof Rabbit Vibrator. Available at Spencer's.

3. Customizable Patterns

Not into the standard "buzz, buzz, buzz" patterns of most vibrators?

Then, one of the first functions you'll play with on your app-enabled sex toy will likely be the "customized pattern" function. Your phone's wide, colorful screen really makes this viable in a way your vibrator's two-button design never could!

Simply use the app's vibrator control functionality to make new patterns -- and save them on the app. When you're ready to experiment, your sex toy can "play" those patterns and let you experience your own musical masterpiece in real time!

If you want to share your masterpiece, some apps even allow you to upload it to an online library to let anyone around the world take it for a run, too.

Some of these new-fangled app-enabled vibrators even come with their own on-board memory! You can pre-load some of your new, custom vibration patterns onto the toy's memory and it will remember your customized patterns even when the app isn't connected.

Pro tip: Let someone you care about craft a customized pattern for you. Even if you can't play at the same time, being able to use their customized pattern can be an erotic thrill -- and a way to bring you closer!

READ: 9 Sexy Date Ideas - and How to Plan It!

4. Control Over Multiple Vibrators

Are you one of those lucky ducks who owns multiple vibrators? If they're all from the same brand, like We-Vibe, many app-enabled vibrator manufacturers are now allowing you to swap control between those toys -- or control them all at the same time!

So if you're lounging on the couch and using the We-Vibe Pivot Vibrating Cock Ring on one partner, and the We-Vibe Rave Rechargeable Waterproof G-Spot Vibrator on another, all you need is a cell phone to control the functionality of both toys. Help speed up orgasm for one person -- or release a bit of your inner sadist and have fun teasing your partner by turning off the vibrations. ;)

5. Local Online Play

Do you remember the days when you and your partner(s) were attached to your cell phones to text one another? Depending on how old you are, this might have even included some webcam dates -- or webcam sessions that got a bit naughtier. ;)

App-enabled vibrators let you relive this functionality with the added bonus of innovative technology. One partner can sit in the living room while another sits in the bedroom. Using the app's chat and video functionality, you can tease one another as though one of you is on a long-distance business trip.

Heating things up even further, most of these cell phone apps also allow for concurrent toy control while using the chat function. So as you're typing how excited you are to see them again, they can push the vibrations on the We-Vibe Rave G-spot vibrator to a crescendo! This curved vibe is equipped with seriously powerful vibrations that work great externally or up against the G-spot.

We-Vibe Rave Rechargeable Waterproof G-Spot Vibrator. Available at Spencer's.

READ: The Ultimate Guide to the G-Spot.

6. Connect Over Long Distances

Are you long-distance partners? Or maybe you're just long-distance-for-now partners as someone heads off on a business trip? If that's the case, your phone is about to really surprise you!

Your phone can be the conduit between you and your partner no matter where they are in the world! Just like how it lets you both text and call one another from different locations, an app-enabled vibrator will allow separated partners to control one another's sex toys -- which, uh, how cool is THAT?! It's like sexting but with a whole new added thrill.

One partner can easily pack the tiny, travel-friendly We-Vibe Melt air suction vibrator in their luggage and have the ability to reconnect with their partner after a day's worth of long meetings.

You both just log onto to the cell phone app at the same time, grant the partner permission to control the toy, and you're good to go! You can audio chat, text chat and video chat within most sex toy apps while a partner -- miles and miles away -- is still intimately involved in their partner's sex life.

And when you're together again, the tiny form factor of the We-Vibe Melt was specifically crafted to be used between close bodies during most sex positions.

We-Vibe Melt Rechargeable Waterproof Clitoral Stimulator. Available at Spencer's.

Isn't technology amazing?

7. Track Your Progress

If you're using a sex toy with an "end goal" attached, many app-enabled options allow you to track your progress. A Kegel exerciser toy, for example, can keep track of how often you've worked out and give you prompts to keep up a regular schedule. A endurance-increasing stroker can help walk you through a program to increase stamina and keep track of where you are in the program!

Some app-enabled toys simply come with an in-app tracker to let you track your own sexual goals like orgasms, pleasure notes, your cycle, your anal stretching and more!

8. Get Your Privacy, Too!

Since we're all carrying our cell phones around 24/7 (and sharing them with friends just as often!), some app-enabled toys also come with security options.

Some apps may require you to input a PIN to access the app -- and most of them require both participants to consent to control during every unique online session too.

A Final Tip

A cell-phone enabled vibrator is a bit like getting a two-in-one toy. You get the regular, standard vibrator that can be used without all of its advanced functionality -- and you get a toy that connects to a world of new options.

Just remember to check your phone's compatibility before picking up an app-enabled toy! Most newer Android and Apple phones will work with most standard app-enabled toys, but it's always worth double-checking to avoid frustration when your brand-new adventure arrives at your door!

And if you don't own that app-enabled sex toy yet? You can use your beloved cell phone to get it. Simply navigate a sex toy seller -- like Spencer's -- to buy your favorite vibrator, wait a few days, and it'll be right at your door!

It's like the circle of life for sex toys!

Read: 5 High-Tech Ways to Enjoy Mutual Masturbation