- Many people think that the introduction of the original iPhone in 2007 is what turned the smartphone industry on its head, but the introduction of the App Store a year later was just as important.
- Each new app you install expands the capabilities of your smartphone or tablet in any one of countless new directions.
- Here, we’ll cover 10 lesser-known iPhone apps that we love and use all the time.
Apple’s iPhone hardware is great and the company’s cameras are a big draw, but what makes Apple smartphones truly terrific is the iOS ecosystem. If you can think of something, there’s an app out there that does it. And since it’s an iOS app, you can be it’s silky-smooth and easy to use. Apple definitely changed the game in 2007 when it launched the original iPhone, but I would argue that the introduction of the App Store a year later alongside the launch of the iPhone 3G had just as much to do with Apple’s success in the smartphone market. Any modern smartphone is great out of the box, but its utility would be severely limited if not for all the great apps out there.
Everyone has a handful of go-to apps he or she uses all the time and you can’t imagine life without any of them. But what about all the other apps that are still great but not really for everyday use? We all have some awesome apps on our phones that other people might not even know about, and in this post, I’ll cover 10 iPhone apps you might not know about that are all incredibly useful.
Due
In my humble opinion, Apple’s iOS Reminders app stinks. I definitely prefer Due, which is wonderfully simple and yet still quite versatile. It’s easy to create one-time reminders and recurring reminders for things you need to do repeatedly. And just as important as all the functionality in the app is the fact that it is very actively supported, with new features and fixes that pop up all the time.
SonosControls
If you have a Sonos system in your home, you definitely need to check out SonosControls. This great app adds configurable widgets to your Today page that let you control one or all of your speakers. You don’t even need to unlock your phone to adjust things like volume, play/pause, and so on.
Hobi
Once upon a time, keeping track of all the TV shows you watch and ensuring you didn’t miss anything was simple. Just set up a show to be recorded by your DVR and viola, you were done. Today, that’s not how things work anymore. What about shows on Netflix? What about shows on
Nexx Home
Nexx Home is an app I use all the time, and it ties into a piece of hardware that I love. It’s called the Nexx NXG-200 smart garage door opener, and it does exactly what you think it does. This nifty little device lets you control any or all of your garage doors with your smartphone or your voice thanks to integration with platforms like Alexa. It’s easy to install, easy to use, and so much better than dealing with those annoying keypads that only register every third button press.
Wunderfind
Wunderfind is a very cool app and it’s a must-have for anyone prone to misplacing things. Open the app and you’ll immediately see a list of all the Bluetooth devices around you that are within range. Did you lose one? Tap on it and move around, and the app will show you as you get closer or farther away from it.
TuyaSmart
Like the Nexx app, TuyaSmart is an app that’s tied to a hardware device. The main difference is that this app can control a very wide range of smart gadgets. I use it to control an IR smart control hub in my living room, and I have a widget set up that lets me perform all sorts of functions with a single tap. This way when I want to switch TV inputs from my Dish Hopper DVR to my
Atom Finance
Apple’s Stocks app is terrible, but I can’t really blame Apple. Why no? Because almost all stock apps are terrible. Atom Finance is by far the best one I’ve found. It has a fantastic interface, which is extremely rare among finance apps, and it’s got tons of great features. It’s also totally free.
Meater
If you’ve never heard of a MEATER, prepare to be wowed. It’s a wireless meat thermometer that you stick into whatever you’re cooking and leave inserted while it cooks on the grill, in the oven, in a pan, or anywhere else. It connects wirelessly to an app on your smartphone, which tracks internal temperature in real-time. Cooking a steak? You can set it up in the app and then get an alert on your phone as soon as it reaches a perfect medium-rare. It’s fantastic and I’ll never cook without it.
Drizly
In the age of the coronavirus, I try never to leave my home unless I have to. Thanks to the Drizly app, running low on booze doesn’t necessarily mean I have to leave my house. It’s a terrific service that lets you have alcohol shipped right to your door. Also of note, the company works with local liquor stores and distributors, so you’re supporting local businesses by using it.
Phone Pattern Blocker
Last but certainly not least, Phone Pattern Blocker is a must-have app that makes it so easy to cut down on spam calls. You know how you always get robocalls from spam numbers that start with the same area code and first three digits as your own cell phone number? Well, now you can kiss them goodbye.
