My Top iPhone Apps: Mid-Year Edition
We’re halfway through the year and, once again, it’s time to take stock and review the apps that I use on a regular, if not daily basis.
To be honest, not much has changed since my last update, so this might not be the longest article, but it’s worth going through in case something resonates with you too.
So, here goes the list of apps that I am using on my iPhone 16, running iOS 26.5.
🌐 Browser
Right now, I’m using Safari. It works. It does what it says on the tin. It’s not perfect.
I tried Comet, when it was released for iOS, but after a while it started to bug me!
I use the Comet browser on my MacBook and it is terrific. I love the simplicity and the way it’s easy to interact with current pages, run tasks and generally make my life easier.
🔍 Search Engine
I’ve moved on from Perplexity and I’m now using Ecosia as my default search engine, running through Safari.
The obvious pull of Ecosia is the environmental angle — every search contributes to tree planting, and that feels like a good use of something I’m doing anyway. It’s also powered by Bing under the hood, so the results are decent for most everyday searches; although Google is also used for some results.
I’m happy with Apple Mail.
It’s quite basic, but it does what I need, and I have no compunction to pay for a service. Email isn’t THAT prevalent in my day-to-day that I need a paid service.
On the whole, I have turned off the Categories feature; I have no use for that, at this time.
Another ‘it does what it says’ and you can’t fault it for that.
💬 Messaging
I use both WhatsApp and iMessage, depending on who or what it’s for.
I have a number of WhatsApp groups to support the Scout group, but for personal messages it’s iMessage.
📅 Calendar
I use Apple Calendar.
It does what it says and with the inclusion of Apple Reminders (if you so desire) it’s a much rounder product.
📝 Note-taking
I’ve settled on Apple Notes. After a bit of yo-yoing — I dabbled with Bear for a while — I’m back and I’m staying.
It’s improved a lot over time, and the Smart Folders feature is genuinely useful. My one gripe is still that Smart Folders can’t be nested like standard folders can, but I’m learning to live with it.
There are some nice updates coming in iOS27, so I look forward to seeing how that will improve things.
Drafts is still installed, but I barely touch it these days.
✅ Reminders
It’s no exaggeration that I live in the Apple Reminders app.
If it’s not in there, the chances are it won’t get done. I have a workflow that works for me, including Smart Reminders and Templates, which I use a lot.
I’ve set the Action button on my phone to add a reminder without needing to unlock it, so capturing tasks in the moment is genuinely effortless. Occasionally I’ll use Siri too.
Still not sure about the font used for the section headings. Minor gripe. Moving on.
🤖 Claude AI
This one deserves its own section, because it’s become a proper part of my daily workflow — not just a novelty.
I use Claude primarily for work. As a Product Owner, I’m regularly writing user stories, drafting documentation, or thinking through problems. Having Claude as a sounding board — or a first-draft machine — is genuinely valuable. It saves time and, honestly, often improves the output.
I also use it for research. Not in a “write my essay” way, but more to get a quick, coherent summary of something I need to understand before diving deeper. It’s brilliant for that.
And yes, I use it to help with writing. I bring the ideas, the opinions, and the experience; Claude helps shape it. It’s a collaboration, not a shortcut.
🎙️ Podcasts
I love Pocket Casts. I’ve been a user for years and it’s perfect for my needs.
It’s packed with features like bookmarks, folders, variable speed, voice boost and more.
The latest release includes highlighted transcripts. You’ll see the current sentence highlighted as the episode plays.*
I’ve been a user for so long that I’ve been grandfathered in for free. Although, having looked at other podcast apps, I think I might pay for this one anyway.
*This is a Plus subscription feature. To be honest, the features included make the subscription worthwhile.
📔 Journaling
I’ve made the switch to Apple Journal.
I’ll be honest — I don’t write as often as I used to when I was using Day One. The app is perfectly fine, but it hasn’t quite captured the same habit for me. Maybe I need to be more intentional about it. We’ll see.
🔐 Password Manager
I looked at Apple Passwords, but it is so basic as to not be worth it. Even after the latest iOS update, there’s nothing to make me switch.
Maybe if they include secure notes with attachments or photos, it might be worth another look. Until then, I’m sticking with 1Password. Solid, reliable, no complaints.
📸 Photos
When iOS 18 first went into beta there was a small uproar about the changes Apple had made to Photos. You have to credit them — they listened and reverted.
The ‘styles’ feature is useful for quick edits, and the option to be more granular still exists. It works. That’s it.
🌤️ Weather
Guess which app does just what it says?
Apple’s own Weather app. It seems to do the trick. I mean, it’s the weather!
🎵 Music
I have an Apple One subscription for the family, so it makes sense to use their Music app. It’s good enough for me.
📱 TikTok
I’ll be upfront — I’m not really a social media person. I left X years ago, never post on Facebook, and rarely look at Instagram.
But TikTok has been a different story. I’ve been building an audience there, which has been a surprising and genuinely enjoyable experience. It’s creative, it moves fast, and the feedback loop is unlike anything else I’ve tried.
I’m not going to pretend I fully understand the algorithm — nobody does — but it’s become a proper part of what I do now, not just something I leave to the kids.
▶️ YouTube
If you class this as social media — and I think you should — then I visit it daily. Shorts mostly, but longer videos too. It’s an escape. Nothing more.
📚 Kindle
I own a Kindle and use it daily, but when I don’t have the device to hand, the app keeps everything in sync. It means I can read whenever I want, wherever I am.
There you go. Six months on and my apps have remained fairly constant, and the Apple ecosystem continues to do a lot of the heavy lifting.
What about you? Any apps I’ve missed, or something I should take a look at? Let me know in the comments.