10 Must Have Apps For Your iPhone

By this time next year, we could very well have over 1 million apps to pick from for our iPhone’s, as the App Store currently stands somewhere around 750k going strong. With all of these options, how can you know that you’re selecting the best apps to fill your home screen?

First of all, let’s define “must-have.” There are plenty of must-have apps you’ve probably already downloaded because you’re aware of their benefits. We’ll avoid the the obvious apps like these, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Gmail. While these are essential (for most), you’ve probably already decided on whether or not you’re going to download them.

Here are 10 must have apps for your iPhone that you’ll want to download.

1. Google Maps

Google Maps is consistently among the most used apps on my iPhone. In fact, it's still the best free map app you can get on an iPhone, period. You can look up addresses and get turn-by-turn directions in real time. If traffic seems like a problem, Google Maps can skirt you around it. Bicyclists in select areas will find green-highlighted routes to steer them to safer riding. Sure, there are a few improvements I'd like to see (better integration with saved map locations, for example), but Google Maps remains the best there is. It's an app every iPhone owner needs to have. 

2. Buffer

Want to be a social media whiz? Of course you (maybe) do. Buffer works a lot like Hootsuite. You can schedule Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Plus posts based on when they’ll be most effective. Want to tweet something at a time when most of your followers will be listening? Buffer measures this and assigns an appropriate time. You can even see the stats of your posts and see how they’ve performed.

3. Evernote

Everyone will tell you to download Evernote, but few are able to put into words why it is such an amazing service. Evernote is a uniquely personal tool. Everyone uses it differently. This free app syncs all kinds of notes - like text notes, voice memos, and photos - and then makes them all highly searchable. It doesn't sound exciting, but the moment you figure out your own use case for Evernote, you will never look for a replacement. The app excels as a pared-down word processing program, and it integrates with dozens of other iPhone apps. When it comes to staying organized, keeping track of ideas, and writing things down, Evernote for iPhone does the heavy lifting.

4. Dropbox 

 

These days, there are a lot of cloud services to pick from, but Dropbox still ranks among one of the best, if only because it works so well on every platform. Dropbox allows you to save and view your files across multiple devices, including your desktop, laptop, phone or tablet, as long as you have the internet to access them. Another great cloud service app is Google Drive, if that’s what you’re more familiar with.

5. SwiftKey 

 

One huge change to iPhone users as of iOS 8 is the ability to install custom keyboards, and SwiftKey is the one install. Custom keyboards are just that—custom—so you'll want one that works for you. We have yet to find a custom keyboard for iPhone that knocks our socks off, but SwiftKey has been the best one to date. Once you have it, you can drag your finger across the keyboard to type instead of tapping each key individually. The app is free, and you can pay for extra features.

6. Vine

If there’s one social media app I can’t help but recommend, it’s Vine. Sure, everyone loves Instagram and Pinterest, but Vine provides instant entertainment pretty much everyone can appreciate. Vine allows you to create and view 6 second videos via a Twitter-esque newsfeed. The fun of Vine is following great and hilarious users, but the handy “re-vine” feature allows you do find the best videos pretty quickly.

7. MyFitnessPal

 

Let’s be real, here. I wouldn’t recommend an exercise app I didn’t find success with myself. I started used MyFitnessPal about 4 months ago to keep track of calories gained and burned. The app works because it sets realistic goals for your fitness plan and gives you strict boundaries to adhere to. It allows you to keep track of all your meals, counting calories based on what you input (its database of food is huge) and calories burned through exercise. If you want your phone to help you stay in shape, don’t avoid this amazing app. 

8. Camera+

 

There are a lot of great camera options to pick from in the App Store, but Camera+ truly delivers one of the best platforms. For a couple of bucks, you’re getting an app that pretty much covers every feature you need for taking the best possible photo with your iPhone and editing it afterward. One of its best features is a stabilizer that waits until your phone is still before it takes the photo, preventing blurred shots. If you’re serious about taking some great pics, Camera+ doesn’t what its namesake begs.

9. Spotify

 

The best music app in the market is Spotify. I don’t care who knows it. Though other apps beat it in radio picks (Pandora) and custom stations (Slacker), Spotify delivers the best premium service overall. Offering millions of songs and a huge friend network, Spotify boasts the most seamless experience and bang for your buck. The app itself is free, but to access your playlists, you have to have the premium version, which is a standard $10 a month. Still, the ability to listen to playlists offline makes the fee much easier to accept. 

10. Mint 

 

Everyone should have apps for all their bank accounts on their on their iPhone for those emergency moments when you need to check your balance or do some other financial upkeep. But better is the Mint iPhone app. Mint provides insight into all your financial accounts, from checking and savings accounts to credit cards. By unlocking this one app, you can see pending transactions, account balances, your total net worth, and even the remaining balance in your personalized monthly budget. Mint is the best one-stop shop for keeping an eye on your finances.