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8 awesome paid iPhone apps that are free for a limited time

Updated Dec 19th, 2018 8:54PM EST
Best Free iPhone Apps

If you buy through a BGR link, we may earn an affiliate commission, helping support our expert product labs.

Christmas week is finally here, and that means two things. First, you have one or more family gatherings to look forward to. Second, you’re probably broke. Shopping for gifts for friends and family is a huge drain on our bank accounts every holiday season, but it’s worth it, of course. To help take a little bit of the sting out of the season, BGR is here this week to bring you plenty of paid iPhone and iPad apps that are on sale for free. After all, just because you’re broke doesn’t mean your iPhone should suffer.

Today’s list includes eight great apps for the iPhone and iPad, and they can all be downloaded for free if you hurry.

DON’T MISS: 9 more secrets we learned from the Sony hack

These are paid iPhone and iPad apps that have been made available for free for a limited time by their developers. There is no way to tell how long they will be free. These sales could end an hour from now or a week from now — obviously, the only thing we can guarantee is that they were free at the time this post was written. If you click on a link and see a price listed next to an app instead of the word “get,” it is no longer free. The sale has ended. If you download the app, you will be charged.

Primary for Instagram

Normally $1.99.

Primary is a powerful Instagram gallery app. Hide unwanted photos/videos within Primary, show/hide all videos, create lists of people and tags, fast-switch between accounts, pinch to zoom.

NOTE: You need to have an Instagram account to use Primary. You cannot post photos to Instagram from this app.

Features:
• VIDEO: view videos without annoying auto-play or hide all videos
• FILTERING: curate your feed – hide people, posts, or tags you don’t want to see within Primary
• SIMPLE LISTS: make lists of up to 10 users or hashtags
• MULTIPLE ACCOUNTS: fast-switch between all your (or your family’s) accounts
• POWERFUL GALLERY: double-tap to like, read and write comments, view on a map, and filter all without leaving the gallery
• ISOLATE AND ZOOM: tap a photo to isolate it, then pinch to zoom
• UNREAD COMMENTS INDICATOR: quickly find new comments
• LAST VIEWED PHOTO INDICATOR: know where you left off
• URL SUPPORT: URLs in comments are tappable
• THUMBNAILS: view any gallery’s thumbnails, even in your feed (iPhone-only)
• UNIVERSAL APP: view your gallery on iPhone and iPad
• ICLOUD: all of your filters, lists, unread comment and last viewed photo information are synced

This product uses the Instagram API but is not endorsed or certified by Instagram.

Download Primary for Instagram

SnapWriter

Normally $4.99.

SnapWriter is a quick app to adding and editing your notes in Evernote. Launch app and type your note instantly where you left off. It is an ideal for diary, journal, life log and checklists. Add checkboxes, inline photos, timestamp, reminders, bullets, tags and select notebooks.

Quick and reliable note synchronization between devices using Evernote. The app doesn’t sync all Evernote notes, but those you chose or create.
Import any your note from Evernote using UI or by just adding ‘SnapWriter’ tag to the note.

Features:
– Send your notes to Evernote quickly and sync back.
– Mutual Synchronization.
– Take and Attach multiple photos per note.
– Import existing Evernote notes.
– Evernote Reminders
– Capture Links
– Bullets
– Preserve indents on new line
– Auto checkbox and bullets on new line
– Syncing edit cursor position
– Command+S key
– Discard (Hold Save button).
– Insert checkboxes and timestamps.
– Passcode lock.
– Select and create Evernote notebooks/tags in place.
– Offline mode.
– Location support.
– TextExpander support.
– Auto-save.
– Theme choices.
– Gestures: “Undo” and “Redo” with a two-finger swipe; move cursor with one finger swipe; Close/Open keyboard with one finger swipe.
– Queue posts when offline.
– Queue indicator.
– Quick launch for typing on the go, keyboard is up by default.
– Font size options.
– Hardware keyboard support.
– Redo/Undo/Clear Buttons.
– Background sending.
– Support Chinese yinxiang.com Evernote server
– ‘Facebook’, ‘Twitter’, ‘Messages’, ‘AirPrint’ support.
– Delete or archive choices.
– Export tracking.

Download SnapWriter

Smovie

Normally $0.99.

Smovie is the whole new way to pick a movie. Never again spend much time to find the best for evening: spin the wheel of great movies and rely on your feelings!

– Pull out the poster to view detailed info
– Rate movies to get better advice
– Save movies to watchlist and come back later

With new store-availability filter you can just specify a country and select the stores that you have access to:
– iTunes
– Netflix
– Amazon (available soon)
You will only be shown the movies available in your chosen stores.

Some special features:
● Intelligent movies search
● Invite your friends and watch movies together
● iCloud sync between your devices

Choosing a movie has never been so much fun before!

Download Smovie

Flick Champions Winter Sports

Normally $0.99.

Take to the slopes, ice-rinks, and snow in this winter sports-themed edition of Flick Champions. Choose a nation to represent in seven winter sports including Slalom, Ski Jumping, Ice Hockey and more.

This app offers in-app purchases. You may restrict in-app purchasing using your device settings.

GO FOR GOLD
Pick a country and lead them to victory. Master the art of flicking to win the gold trophy in 18 challenging cup events. Alternatively, create your own Olympic playlists in Champ mode.

GET YOUR SKATES ON
Try your fingers at eight chilly events including Slalom, Skating, Ski Jumping, Ice Hockey, Curling Snowball fight, Biathlon and Sledges.

ENHANCED PERFORMANCE
Earn experience as you play and unlock up to 30 items such as a speed boosts, perfect finishes and more.

GAME FEATURES
• Eight sports to play; Slalom, Skating, Ski Jumping, Ice Hockey, Curling, Snowball Fight, Biathlon, Sledges.
• Choose your nation and go for gold in 18 cups.
• Prove yourself each day with Daily Challenges.
• Give those fingers a work out with flick and swipe controls.
• Universal; plays great on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.

Download Flick Champions Winter Sports

Sense Cam

Noramlly $1.99.

The only rule in photography is that there are no rules. However, there are are number of established composition guidelines which can be applied in almost any situation, to enhance the impact of a scene.
Leonard Fibonacci discovered that if you have a sequence of numbers beginning with 1,1, where the next number in line is the sum of the previous two, then the sequence will progress towards a more and more exact representation of the golden ratio. The fibonacci sequence is 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, etc.
Oddly enough nature tends to organize growth and limbs according to this sequence. For example the ratio between the length of limbs of your fingers is the golden ratio. The ratio between the length of your nose and the distance from the bottom of the chin to the bottom of the nose is the golden ratio. The spiral growth of crustaceans follows the golden spiral. The divine proportions are an in-built (or in-grained) aesthetic parameter we judge beauty by.
This camera focuses on composition and not on playing around with settings like ISO, White balance, Exposure, Saturation, etc… settings like this should be done automatically so that all you need to do is to compose and take the shot.

COMPOSITION GUIDES (Good Composition = Great Photo)
-Camera Tilt indicator
-Virtual Horizon
-Grid Rule of thirds
-Grid Square
-Golden Triangles
-Golden Spiral (Rotateable)
-Geometric face for Symetric portrait

SHUTTER TRIGGERS
-Normal shutter
-Exposure Bracketing (3 exposure targets on screen)
-Self Timer
-Intervalometer

SENSOR TRIGGERS (Use this feature for more creative vantage point)
-Tilt angle trigger
-Horizon angle trigger
-Sound Level trigger

BASIC FEATURES:
-Tap with two finger for separate Focus and Exposure
-Drag Focus and Exposure anywhere
-Double tap to combine Focus and exposure at center
-Tap to Lock for Focus, Exposure, and White Balance
-Pinch to Zoom (Note: You should minimize the use of zoom, if you can go near the subject do so.)
-Video camera mode is wide screen and landscape designed UI to avoid Portrait shooting. (Shooting Video in portrait is a NO! NO!.)
-Drag shutter button up to access Guides and Triggers.
-Camera screen locking (Screen interaction is off so that you can hold camera in any way you need. Useful when using Sensor triggers). Drag the screen from right edge of portrait view to enable.
-On screen features, Settings of features are displayed on screen.
-Saves directly to Camera Roll.
-With Photo Stream enabled last 1000 photos are shared to all your devices instantly. (Photo stream is for iOS6 only)
-Manage photos using default Photo app.
-Geo Tag photos
Sample Usage of Sensor Triggers
* Use Tilt trigger to shoot overhead shot with your phone raised in one hand. Adjust the tilt until it matches the trigger setting. This feature ensures you have a good angle when doing overhead shots. Another example is shooting at feet level.
* The virtual Horizon can be used to make shots leveled to the ground. The Horizon angle trigger can be used to automatically shoot when the phones angle matches the setting angle.
* The Sound level trigger automatically shoots when ambient sound level reaches the setting level. You can use this as remote shutter when shooting on a tripod or use it to detect noise.
* Use the Camera screen locking so that you can hold the phone in any way without unwanted interaction on the screen. This is very useful when doing overhead shots with tilt trigger.

With these tools you can be more creative with the way you compose images.

MORE FEATURES SOON.

Download Sense Cam

Captune

Normally $0.99.

Videos that we capture represent the biggest, most important events of our lives. Music helps us recall our memories. All of this was our major drive to create an app with extraordinary experience of making personal music videos.

Simplicity of design and usability is what we paid a lot of attention to. Cause you don’t want to miss that right moment while navigating through countless settings and effects of the app.

– Pick a song from your playlist
– Choose a filter
– Record a video
– Share it.

It’s that simple! No after-editing is needed.
In real-time Captune will create an unforgettable memory.

You can share your music videos with your friends and people you value via Facebook and Vimeo (Youtube upload coming very soon).

Download Captune

Emoji Keyboard for iOS 8

Normally $2.99.

One of the most fancy emoji keyboards for iOS 8! Beautiful Emoji Art, funny Emoji, cool fonts and colorful themes are in one single keyboard now!
Awesome Features:

• Up to 2000+ Emoji Art and 700+ Text Art — one tap to input nicely crafted Emoji compositions.
• Integrated Emoji and Emoticon Keyboard — auto suggest Emoji as you type.
• Integrated 70+ stylish fonts to make your message as cool as you are — you don’t have to go anywhere.
• Personalize keyboard with different themes — more free themes are on the way.
• Easy to set keyboard click sound and animation effect as you want.
• Supported for English, Deutsch, Spanish, Russia and French — we are working on more languages now.
• Expand Emoji Art Library day by day — find a creative emoji art and send your friends funny message everyday.
• Provide an easy way to design your unique emoticons to show your personality.

Emojier is available anywhere you can type, such as: Kik, WhatsApp, Line, Kakao Talk, WeChat, Facebook Messenger, Twitter, Instagram, Email, Notes, Secret, Whisper.

Emojier is free and allows you to change your keyboard, font & themes to suit. Don’t waste your time on bland and boring messages from now on!

Download Emoji Keyboard for iOS 8

Luff

Normally $1.99.

Luff brings the power and fun of manual photography to anyone!

Fast and intuitive sliders give you powerful control over the following camera settings:

• Zoom level
• Focus
• ISO (light sensitivity)
• Shutter speed (exposure duration)

…with others in the works. Features coming soon include white balance, exposure compensation, grids, and more!

Manual and automatic modes let you choose which camera settings should be controlled manually and which should be set automatically, giving you control when you want it and getting out of your way when you don’t.

In M (manual) mode, slide your finger anywhere in the preview area to control the slider and adjust the selected camera setting. Slide closer to the bottom of the screen for finer control. This lets you adjust any setting to any value within the possible range.

In A (automatic) mode, tap your subject in the preview area to automatically adjust the selected camera setting to the proper value.

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I built Luff because I missed the fun of taking photographs on a DSLR, adjusting each control until it’s just. I tried to make an interface that would gives you fine control without getting in your way. I hope you like it! Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any suggestions, complaints, etc. regarding Luff. Your feedback will help me make the app more fun and enjoy able to use. Thanks! Your support means everything! :D

Download Luff

Zach Epstein
Zach Epstein Executive Editor

Zach Epstein has been the Executive Editor at BGR for more than 10 years. He manages BGR’s editorial team and ensures that best practices are adhered to. He also oversees the Ecommerce team and directs the daily flow of all content. Zach first joined BGR in 2007 as a Staff Writer covering business, technology, and entertainment.

His work has been quoted by countless top news organizations, and he was recently named one of the world's top 10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Prior to BGR, Zach worked as an executive in marketing and business development with two private telcos.