Let me tell you a few facts about mobile phones that may surprise you:
- According to eMarketer nearly 90% of mobile internet time is spent in apps
- There are around 4.5 million apps available in the app store (statista)
- 30,000 new iOS apps are released in the apple app sore every month (42Matters)
- In 2019 consumers downloaded 204 billion apps (and it keeps going up — App Annie)
- More than 20% of all mobile apps in the Apple App Store are game apps, thats 2x the number of business apps (Statista)
- Roughly 37% of millenials list data usage as a key factor when deciding if they like a mobile app (MindSea)
- 21% of millennials say they open their apps more than 50 times per day (The Manifest)
- Gen Z spends 71% of their digital media time using smartphone apps (ComScore)
And no, I did not research and compile these stats myself, you should thank the awesome team at MindSea for that.
So, why am I showing you all these stats? Well, it’s because seeing as the amount of time people spend on apps nowadays has skyrocketed, the amount of apps has hooked on and rocketed up with it. So it’s getting harder and harder to find an actual good, working and free app in 2022.
The best free iOS apps to get (2022)
I’ve got a list of all the App Store’s category’s, and I’ll provide one app for each, the list is below. I’m going to try and steer clear of the common apps everyone knows about and already has, and will try to find apps you may have never tried before!
I originally published this post at my blog https://kilabyte.org on February 6, 2022.
📖 Books
💼 Business
🛠️ Developer Tools
🌎 Education
🍿 Entertainment
💰 Finance
🍽️ Food & Drink
🎮 Games
🖼️ Graphics & Design
🚲 Health & Fitness
💺 Lifestyle
🎈 Kids
📰 Magazines & Newspapers
🩺 Medical
🎵 Music
🧭 Navigation
📻 News
📷 Photo & Video
📆 Productivity
🔍 Reference
🧩 Safari Extensions (macOS only)
🛍️ Shopping
💬 Social Networking
⚽ Sports
🏝️ Travel
🔦 Utilities
⛅ Weather
📖 Books
Apple Books — https://apps.apple.com/us/app/apple-books/id364709193
Apple Books is the single destination for all the books you love, and the ones you’re about to. Browse the Book Store, keep track of what you’ve read and want to read, and listen to enthralling audiobooks. All in one place.
It has a hidden free section which you can access by doing the following:
- Tap the Book Store tab at the bottom of the app’s Home page, then tap Browse Sections.
- Tap Special Offers & Free.
Scroll down, and you’ll find all the free e-books Apple has on offer. There’s always a great selection, including fiction, nonfiction, science fiction, fantasy, juvenile fiction, and even cookbooks.
💼 Business
Trello — https://apps.apple.com/us/app/trello-organize-anything/id461504587
Manage any team project or task thanks to Trello’s boards, cards and checklists. Improve collaboration and productivity-join their community of 50 million registered users!
Organize anything with anyone for free!
Trello is a visual tool for organizing your work and life. Join more than 35 million registered users to organize all your projects at work, at home, or anywhere in between.
Whether you’re planning a website design project, vacation, or company off-site, Trello is infinitely customizable and flexible for your every need.
⚒️ Developer Tools
Mimo — https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mimo-learn-how-to-code-through/id1133960732
Mimo is an awesome app for anyone that wants to get into development. Mimo can be used to advance your career, build apps or websites, or even become a developer!
With over 60 projects and daily bite-sized lessons, it’s the perfect app for beginners-intermediates that just want to learn a few minutes of coding whenever they’ve got some spare time thought-out their day.
🌍 Education
Kahoot! — https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1131203560
Surprisingly, Kahoot is an app I only discovered quite recently. You can get started without even creating an account, and there are quizzes on everything from Marvel to NASA. You can play with two people on the same device, or share the game pin with your friends, so you can play remotely (you can even play from their website).
🍿 Entertainment
Mission to Mars AR — https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/mission-to-mars-ar/id1550116275
Although it’s officially placed in the Education category, I think it makes a great entertainment app. Using Mission to Mars, you can explore Mars with the power of AI, take an interactive look at Perseverance and other rovers, drive them around, and explore Mars in immersive 3D.
It’s a really fun app to explore, whilst also learning about the Mission to Mars!
💰 Finance
Mint — https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mint-personal-finance-budget-bills-money/id3002385 50
Nowadays most browsers are preloaded with your credit card details, so when you go to checkout for something, you barely second thought as your browser auto-fills all your credit info. Whilst it does make life much easier, it also has many downsides, including losing track of your spending habits.
Mint is a fresh and safe way to manage your money. You can set goals, get personalized insights, track your spending and manage your subscriptions. It brings together all your finances to help you reach your financial goals!
For people outside of the United States & Canada — Unfortunately Mint is only available for people in the US & Canada, so for those of you that can’t get it, here’s an excellent Mint alternative for you:
Emma Money Management — https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/emma-money-management/id1270062373?ls=1
Emma is a personal finance and budgeting tool that helps you avoid overdrafts, cancel wasteful subscriptions, track expenses and save money, basically a UK version of mint. 😉
🍽️ Food & Drink
Mealime — https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mealime-healthy-meal-plans/id1079999103?ls=1
Mealime is a simple way for busy singles, couples, and families to plan their meals and eat healthier. Their meal plans & recipes are highly customizable so you can easily personalize a plan that works with your unique tastes and lifestyle.
They have over 5,000,000 people who have used their meal plans to eat healthier, reduce stress, lose weight, save money, and live happier, more productive lives.
🎮 Gaming
Everdale — https://apps.apple.com/fi/app/everdale/id1528285614?xs=1
Everdale is a strategic village building game. Grow your village and lead your villagers in a lush utopian community in Everdale! Play with your friends to build a society upon wits and cooperation. Farm and garden. Collect and craft. Trade and sell. Harvest and reap the rewards!
🖼️ Graphics & Design
Behance — https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/behance-creative-portfolios/id489667151
Behance is the perfect app for designers looking for inspiration. Search millions of projects across creative fields and industries, including Graphic Design, Photography, Illustration, Interaction Design, Motion Graphics, Architecture, Product Design, Fashion, Advertising, Fine Arts, Crafts, Game Design, Sound …and much more!
🚲 Health & Fitness
CARROT Fit — https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/carrot-fit/id769155678
CARROT is a sadistic AI construct with one simple goal: to transform your flabby carcass into a Grade A specimen of the human race. She will do whatever it takes — including threatening, inspiring, ridiculing, and bribing you — to make this happen.
If you work out and slough off those extra pounds, CARROT will reward you with fabulous prizes like app upgrades, cat facts, and permission to watch your friend eat a bag of potato chips.
💺 Lifestyle
Notion — https://apps.apple.com/app/notion-notes-tasks-wikis/id1232780281
Write, plan & get organized in one place. Customize Notion to work the way you do. Capture notes quickly and organize them however you want, no matter where you are. Notion remembers it all so you don’t have to. Managing any project — from work requests to a list of chores — is a juggling act. In Notion, you can get a full view of what needs to get done so no balls get dropped. Make simple checklists or detailed project boards to turn tasks into action.
🎈 Kids
Quick Maths Jr. — https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/quick-maths-jr/id926078360
Loved by teachers… and kids! Quick Math Jr. is an award-winning app that covers the essential foundations of mathematics, including counting, addition and subtraction, place value, writing numbers and much more for children aged 3–7.
📰 Magazines & Newspapers
Medium — https://apps.apple.com/us/app/medium/id828256236
Medium is an open-access social publishing platform that features a varied range of stories, ideas, and opinions. Anyone may contribute, and popular themes on Medium include everything from mental health to social media, as well as world events and breaking news, as well as productivity hacks.
🩺 Medical
MyChart — https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mychart/id382952264
See your medications, test results, upcoming appointments, medical bills, price estimates, and more all in one place, even if you’ve been seen at multiple healthcare organizations. Share your medical record with anyone who needs it. Send a message, get online diagnosis and treatment, talk face-to-face over video, or arrange to follow up with a doctor in person, depending on the level of care you need. Stay on top of everyone’s appointments and check in on family members who need extra help, all from your account.
🎵 Music
Shazam — https://apps.apple.com/us/app/shazam-music-discovery/id284993459
Shazam is an app that is perfectly integrated into iPhone. You can add the shortcut to the control centre by going to your iPhone settings, and now whenever you hear a TikTok song play, you can finally confirm that yes. It’s still drivers license.
What3Words — https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/what3words/id657878530
what3words is an easy way to identify precise locations. Every 3m square has been given a unique combination of three words: a what3words address. Now you can find, share and navigate to precise locations using three simple words.
📻 News
Feedly — https://apps.apple.com/us/app/feedly-smart-news-reader/id396069556
Feedly is a powerful feed reader that collects information from all over the internet in one location. You can use it to keep up with breaking news, blogs, social networking posts, RSS feeds, and other sources of information on any topic you’re interested in. It skips all the junk and spam and gives you exactly what you’re looking for!
📷 Photo & Video
Dream by WOMBO — https://apps.apple.com/us/app/dream-by-wombo/id1586366816
Create beautiful artwork using the power of AI! Enter a prompt, pick an art style and watch WOMBO Dream turn your Using the power of AI, create stunning artwork! Enter a prompt, choose an art style, and WOMBO Dream will transform your idea into an AI-powered painting in seconds.
If you are not really sure what AI is, as it’s being thrown about quite a lot nowadays, check out this article here.
🗓️ Productivity
Asana — https://apps.apple.com/us/app/asana-your-work-manager/id489969512
Asana is the easiest way to manage team projects and your individual tasks. From the small stuff to the big picture, Asana organizes work so you and your teams are clear on what to do, when to do it, and how to get it done.
🔍 Reference
Idioms and Slang Dictionary — https://apps.apple.com/us/app/idioms-and-slang-dictionary/id1024598358
Get detailed definitions of tens of thousands of idioms used in the United States and around the world. Every day, you speak them, but do you know where they came from? Learn about the origins of the phrases.
🧩 Safari Extensions (macOS only)
Ghostery — https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ghostery-privacy-ad-blocker/id1436953057
Ghostery for Safari allows you to browse quickly, easily, and safely. It protects your online privacy by preventing trackers from accessing your personal information and by blocking adverts from appearing on the websites you visit. It provides the tracking protection that consumers have come to expect while reducing the need for modification and upkeep.
🛍️ Shopping
Twig — https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/twig-your-bank-of-things/id1537416372
In less than 30 seconds, you can sign up and list your products. Just take photos of your stuff to sell and you’ll receive an instant appraisal. Twig banking services offer a quick and convenient way to earn money from the comfort of your own home with only a few taps.
💬 Social Networking
Flickr — https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flickr/id328407587
Flickr is a photo-centric platform that allows professional photographers to showcase their work while also admiring the work of others. It devotes more attention to the art of photography than any other major social media platform. Consider it a professional photographer’s Instagram.
⚽ Sports
One Football — https://apps.apple.com/us/app/onefootball-soccer-news/id382002079
OneFootball is the only soccer app you need to follow all the Soccer: news, videos, fixtures, scores, stats, calendar, videos, transfers market of all the competitions around the world: Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, MLS, Liga MLS, Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana and more.
🏝️ Travel
Journi Blog — https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ journi-blog-travel-tracker/id884030844
Journi is the simplest way to document your life using stylish timelines that include photographs, notes, maps, and more. Easily select which photographs are private and turn them into printed photo books in seconds! Use it offline, collaborate on timelines, and sync across all of your devices! With Journi, you can get more out of your images and recall all of your life’s moments.
🔦 Utilities
Pocket — https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pocket-save-read-grow/id309601447
Stop sending yourself links. When you come across a long read, interview, think piece, even a recipe, save it to your personal Pocket library with the
button in your browser or with the Pocket app.
🌤️ Weather
CARROT Weather — https://apps.apple.com/us/app/carrot-weather/id961390574
CARROT Weather is a crazy-powerful (and privacy-conscious) weather app that delivers hilariously twisted forecasts. Choose one of five personalities for CARROT, from the straitlaced “professional” to the profanity-laden “overkill.” You’ll actually be looking forward to a torrential downpour just to see what your weather robot has in store for you!
And there are 27 awesome and carefully selected apps you should definitely try out!
What one app do you use on a day to day basis and cannot be without? Let me know below and maybe I’ll make an updated list at one point!
If you enjoyed this, you might enjoy one of my other articles, especially the one where I talk about how the threat of Ai taking over the world isn’t exactly what you should be worried about!✌️
Originally published at https://kilabyte.org on February 6, 2022.
