Now that you’ve got a brand new iPhone XR, the first thing you’ll want to do is find more reasons to use it. And the best way to go about doing that is apps! Use that awesome 6.1-inch edge-to-edge display to catch up on your favorite feeds, read articles, click and edit amazing photos and more!
These are the best apps you should try on your iPhone XR.
1. Shortcuts
The Shortcuts app is one of the best things about iOS 12. It brings automation features to your iPhone which are directly integrated with Siri. Now, you can create complex workflows which are triggered using a specific Siri phrase.
For example, you can say one phrase to Siri and have your iPhone change the lights, read out the news, turn off Do Not Disturb mode, send a message to someone, and a lot more.
You can even create Shortcuts using third party options. A wide variety of apps like Carrot Weather, Streaks, Overcast and more have been updated with support for Siri Shortcuts. Which means you can create complex shortcuts using individual actions from third-party apps.
Download: Shortcuts
2. 1Password
1Password is the best password manager for iPhone and with iOS 12 it’s even better. Now, you can use 1Password data to log into any web page or an app, without opening the 1Password app. Just enable 1Password in settings and choose the Passwords option in the login page. Your 1Password data will show up right there.
Download: 1Password
3. Overcast
Overcast is our preferred alternative to the Podcasts app. It’s easy to use and is filled with useful features like Smart Speed and Volume Boost. It even works with Siri shortcuts in iOS 12. So you can create custom phrases to start a particular podcast or a playlist.
Download: Overcast
4. Houseparty
FaceTime Group Video call isn’t here yet. But you can get the same functionality by using Houseparty. This is the app that Apple ripped off in the first place. You can create rooms where your friends can drop in and out as they please.
Download: Houseparty
5. VSCO
VSCO is still the best all in one app for clicking and editing photos, especially in the free category. Some of the filters are now a classic.
Download: VSCO
6. Halide
If you want to shoot in RAW, you should be using Halide. The beautifully designed app lets you shoot in RAW as well as JEPG. The new version of Halide lets you trigger the camera using Siri and it uses the new fast new processor for advanced RAW processing and depth mapping. This means you get even better portraits than the stock Camera app!
Download: Halide ($4.99)
7. PCalc Lite
PCalc Lite is the versatile, customizable calculator app you should be using instead of the default one. The app gives you a useful widget and a couple of really nice themes. And it works with Siri Shortcuts as well.
Download: Pcalc Lite
8. Apollo
Read Reddit on your iPhone, in style. Apollo is a detail oriented, thoughtfully designed app for reading and using Reddit. Doesn’t matter if you’re a lurker who never posts, or if you comment on subreddits regularly, Apollo will feel right at home.
Download: Apollo
9. Snapseed
You can do wonders for your iPhone photos in Snapseed, and no that’s not an exaggeration. Snapseed, the free app, gives you all the tools you need to fix and enhance your photos. You can do the basics like changing the brightness, contrast, exposure and all. But Snapseed really comes into play when using the highlights and vibrance feature. Plus, you can even apply effects to just a specific part of an image! That’s Photoshop level features, in a free app on your iPhone.
Download: Snapseed
10. Spotify
If Apple Music is not your thing, Spotify is the best alternative. And in some ways, it’s far better. The dark UI is awesome to look at and is actually easier to use than the Music app. Plus, Spotify’s recommendation engine is brilliant.
Download: Spotify
11. Pocket
You must come across a lot of interesting articles on your iPhone. But you don’t have the time to read all of them. Save them to Pocket and they’ll be available to read whenever you’re ready. Plus, Pocket strips away all advertising and formatting from the article, making it much easier to read.
Download: Pocket
12. Reeder 3
In the era of fake news and algorithm changes on social media platform, RSS is making yet another comeback. If you want to see all the posts from your favorite websites in one single view, Reeder 3 is the best way to do it. It’s beautiful to look at and a breeze to use (thanks to the gesture-based interface).
Download: Reeder 3
13. Google Maps
Apple Maps is great in areas that support it. But in most developing countries, that’s still not the case. Thankfully Google Maps works on the iPhone and it works really well.
Download: Google Maps
14. Bear Notes
If you’re not into Apple Notes, then Bear Notes is your best alternative. The app gives you a beautiful writing environment and you can use it to write anything you please. But it works best as a note-taking platform, with its three pane design, support for tags, linking, Markdown and more.
Download: Bear Notes
15. Scanbot
Apple Note’s document scanning feature is quite basic. If you scan a lot of things, you’ll want to use Scanbot. The app makes the process of scanning and organizing scans very easy. Plus, you can set up a workflow to automatically upload a scanned copy to a Dropbox folder.
Download: Scanbot
16. Just Press Record
Nothing can beat the simplicity of this app, not even the new Voice Memos app. The app gives you a multitude of ways to instantly start recording. You can do it from a widget, from the app icon or from inside the app (and if you want to record something really quickly, there’s the Apple Watch app as well).
Download: Just Press Record ($4.99)
17. Dropbox
The Files app on iPhone is nice to have but it still can’t replicate the full Dropbox experience. If you’re using your iPhone to be productive, Dropbox app for syncing and sharing documents or files is a must-have.
Download: Dropbox
18. TickTick
TickTick is the best free task manager on the iPhone. It gives you all the fundamental features like natural language processing, project folders, tags, reminders and more for free.
Download: TickTick
19. Dropbox Paper
If you’re using a couple of different apps for collaborating on notes, documents and to-dos, you should look into Dropbox Paper. You might just be able to bring all of it together in a single Dropbox Paper sheet. The app gives you features like tagging, comments, to-dos, media embeds, Markdown support and a lot more.
Download: Dropbox Paper
20. Focos
The iPhone XR comes with a new feature that lets you edit the depth effect after you’ve taken a Portrait mode picture. If you liked playing around with this depth effect, you’ll like the Focos app.
The app gives you precise control over the front and back bokeh, and the range of depth control is also higher. You can go all the way from f/1.4 to f/20 (Photos app only goes to f/16).
Download: Focus
Your Favorite iPhone Apps?
What are some of your favorite iPhone apps for the iPhone XR? Which is the app you downloaded first? Share with us in the comments below.
