So over the past few years I’ve enjoyed using both Android and iOS as well as Windows Phone, but I have kind of settled in using iOS as a daily driver. Paired with the Apple Watch I like the iOS experience overall though there are things that need improvement. We all have apps we use on a daily basis and on iOS I have a few that are in constant use so these are my most used iPhone apps in no particular order (subject to future changes).
Twitterrific 5
Very recently I’ve decided to give Twitter another chance, I’ve been a Google+ user since its birth and feel the Google+ experience is lacking for me. So I jumped back into Twitter and I’ve actually been enjoying it very much, so much so that I started hunting for different Twitter clients. Most of the feedback I found pointed to Tweetbot 4 as the must have client but I just couldn’t see dishing out $10 for the app. Tweetbot 4 might be great for experienced power Twitter users for whatever reason but I found Twitterrific worked great for what I needed and I upgraded to the ad free $5 version. The best part of this app is the dark mode, font change and Apple Watch integration, everything works perfectly and it’s really a beautiful app!
[button link=”https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/twitterrific-5-for-twitter/id580311103?mt=8″ icon=”fa-apple” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Get Twitterrific 5 from Apple App Store[/button]Plex
I’ve been a content streaming junkie for a long time now, I barely watch any television and in just a few short months DirectTV is going bye bye. Before we get to this particular streaming app a few honorable mentions. Netflix and Amazon Prime Video both live side by side with my Plex app, I use all three a lot on multiple devices. Plex is by far my favorite as I can pull content from several friends who have Plex servers and share their content with me (thank you friends!). Plex is free to use but you’ll get the most out of it if you purchase the lifetime Plex Pass for $150 which seems like a lot but really isn’t once you find friends who are willing to let you leech their content. It’s my go to streaming app on iPhone, Android, PC, Mac and Xbox One. Totally worth it so be sure to check out the Plex website for full details.
CARROT Weather 5
Everyone loves a particular weather app and for a few years I just stuck with the default Apple weather app which worked just fine for my needs. That was until I stumbled upon CARROT Weather 5 and her hilariously snarky weather comments. This is a great weather app for those who enjoy insults and dry or crude humor. Its interactive nature is brilliant and CARROT’s actions and responses are perfect for lightening up a stressful morning. It kind of takes your mind off the crappy wintry weather here in Chicago as well. For those really concerned about detailed weather information, CARROT has that too so no worries that this is just a funny comedy weather app, it is indeed a full fledged functional weather app with a twist. I highly recommend this one. Be sure to poke CARROT’s ocular sensor as much as you want, she loves it!
Mortal Kombat X
I don’t play a lot of games on my phone but I do have a few favorites here and there I go back and forth from. Mortal Kombat X though, it gets played each and every day and I actually enjoy the iOS version much more than the Xbox One version (don’t buy that one, I didn’t listen to the same advice and regret it). There’s very little to say about Mortal Kombat X
Apple Music
I’ve used many music apps in my day: Pandora, Spotify, Tidal, Google Play Music and all of them paid versions. I finally settled on Apple Music mostly due to the family plan of $14.99 with six devices. In my opinion, most all of the streaming apps are about the same in quality of sound (Tidal’s lossless sounds a bit better but not by much unless you’re using Hi-Fi equipment). If you already have a ton of music on iTunes then Apple Music is a great option. For me it was about keeping the seamless continuity of all of our iOS devices and Macs together. My daughter and wife both have iPhones and Macs and having Apple Music’s family plan just works for us best. Everyone’s needs will be different so what works for me may not work for you or you may prefer Spotify or Tidal’s music offerings better. I do think Apple has one of the better selections of music overall. Apple is still running the three months free trial membership, just don’t forget to cancel it if you don’t like it.
White Noise
Come summertime I cannot sleep without the sound of the fan going but during the winter, my wife isn’t a “fan” of the fan being on, so my go to sound machine app has been White Noise. There is a free version but it’s a bit limited so I plunked down the cash for the paid version and it was well worth it. There’s a large variety of sounds and control over how loud those sounds are. I like the ability to make sound profiles so you can mix sounds together and have each at different volumes. This app really does help me fall asleep and it’s used every night everywhere I go, just ask my CES roommates, who hopefully weren’t too disturbed by it. My only complaint is the interface could use an overhaul, it looks a bit dated and needs a good refresh. But really, I open it up once a day and hit play then go to sleep, so it’s not like I stare at it for very long.
Spark Email
It seems I can never just be comfortable with any email client, I’ve jumped around from client to client forever. The stock mail app just doesn’t do it for me and my previous go to, Cloudmagic, lacked some aesthetics that Spark seems to have filled for me. I like Spark a lot and the Apple Watch app is amazing as well. There are some quirky things I am getting used to like the way they stack mail threads but it’s nothing major. It works well for my site email and other personal emails as well. There is a new player in the game with Airmail and I may have to give them a shot before I totally settle in with Spark but for now, Spark is my go to email client. It’s smooth, offers a great Apple Watch app and works for my needs. I’m not a huge email power user but I know there is a lot more functionality in Spark that I am not using. It’s worth a look at anyway.
Snapseed
There are a ton of photo manipulation apps out there but Snapseed continues to be one of my TOP go to apps for that purpose. It’s dead simple to use and has some amazing filters and customizations built in. Google picked up this company awhile back and they’ve really just kind of let that team continue to do a fantastic job with it. They’ve also migrated a lot of the Snapseed tools over to Google Photos which makes that experience even better. Snapseed is a free app and it should be in your photography arsenal, once you use it you’ll understand why. Honorable mentions also go to VSCO cam and Hipstamatic both are also great photo apps with some amazing features. Be sure to check out all three but if you only have room for one, get Snapseed now. Totally worth the price of free.
Sunrise Calendar
My former go to calendar app had a major overhaul then required everyone to pay for both the iOS and Mac apps again. I didn’t. Instead I went on the hunt for another calendar app and I found one that was just as good if not better and free. Sunrise calendar does everything I need it to do and comes with an Apple Watch app to boot, there is also a Mac version and everything syncs seamlessly together. You can import all of your favorite calendars into the app from Google Calendar to Outlook, the interface might not be to everyone’s taste but you can always try it out and delete it if it doesn’t fit your needs. It’s really a lot of functionality for free and highly recommended.
There you have it, my most used iPhone apps in no particular order. I use many other apps of course but these are opened most everyday and used a lot. What are your favorite iOS apps? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter, Facebook or Google+.
Last Updated on January 23, 2017.
