Top 6 iOS Apps You Probably Haven’t Heard About
There’s something about discovering new apps that really excites me, especially when it comes to productivity apps and apps that provide genuine value in my everyday life.
In this blog post, I’m sharing six iOS apps I use daily. While some are exclusive to iOS and macOS, others are multi-platform.
So without any further ado, here are 6 iOS apps you probably haven’t heard of…
Disclaimer: This blog post contains affiliate links.
1. Noteplan
I’m a big fan of apps like Notion, Apple Notes, and OneNote. But around six months ago, I discovered an app called NotePlan. I discovered NotePlan thanks to my Setapp subscription, and after trying it out for a while, it kind of stayed.
For those of you who haven’t heard about Setapp before, it’s like the Netflix of app stores. I pay a fixed monthly price of $12.49, and that provides me with access to over 250 apps, primarily for macOS. But there are many iOS apps available. Setapp is offering a 7-day free trial, which is how I got sold on this service. I’m leaving my affiliate link if you are interested in trying it out free for 7 days.
Back to NotePlan, I think that it is a fantastic combination between a to-do list, a notebook, and a calendar app. These features combined make it ideal for planning your week.
I also like the fact that by default it follows the PARA framework, which has entirely changed the way I take notes. For those of you who are unaware, PARA stands for Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives. It’s a framework created by Tiago Forte with the purpose of organising information, tasks, and digital files in a simple and efficient way.
I’ve heard about this framework before, but I didn’t start using it until I started using NotePlan. NotePlan explains PARA with the help of the example/information pages, which help me ensure I use the framework correctly.
NotePlan is available on Mac, iPhone, iPad, and on the web.
Based on my experience so far, I think that NotePlan is a fantastic app; it has a great interface, and it helps me stay on top of things.
2. Galarm
Second on the list is an app called Galarm, and it is an app that I primarily use for alerting myself about events I cannot miss.
As an IT engineer, there are times when I’m working away from my desk, but I have an important meeting I need to attend. I set a Galarm alarm to remind me about the meeting. With the help of Galarm, I can even set a pre-alarm to remind me to start getting ready for that meeting or call.
I find Galarm incredibly useful when working from home to ensure I don’t spend too much time on a given task and to stay on track.
But where Galarm really shines is the social side, as you can set group alarms for your team or family. Whether you and your family are planning to wake up at the same time to go to the airport or team events, Galarm works great!
Galarm also enables you to set instant alarms, so if you are an IT team and a server goes down, you can set an instant alarm to tell your team to ensure they are working on the issue.
Galarm is available on iOS and Android, and the web.
Overall, I think that Galarm is a fantastic app with a lot of potential.
3. BusyCal
I discovered BusyCal thanks to Setapp, and it has become my favourite calendar app for macOS and iOS. I’ll explain why below.
But, as someone who lives a busy lifestyle, I manage multiple calendars and to-do lists to ensure I stay on top of everything. BusyCal is packed with numerous features that aren’t found in many calendar apps, with the main feature being customisation.
BusyCal features some useful customisation features that allow you to customise views, font, size, calendar colours, and time format. You can even customise the information that appears on the info panel.
As someone who travels a lot, I find the “Travel Time” feature incredibly useful. The feature blocks out the time it takes you to travel to an event. You can add the travel time manually, or you can get it automatically by using location services. It will even give you alerts if the traffic conditions change.
BusyCal also has an integrated task list. In all fairness, this isn’t a feature I use, but it’s good to have. At present, my default To-Do list app is Things 3.
The app has a pretty cool menu bar app for macOS, which allows me to easily access my calendar and stay on top of my calendar events. I like that it has a real-time counter for ongoing and upcoming events.
BusyCal is available on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS.
Overall, I think that BusyCal is a fantastic app that has a great interface and many customisation options.
4. Bublup
Bublup is an outstanding app that I primarily use in the browser. However, it proves to be extremely useful when I’m away from my desk.
Bublup has a useful feature called “review later,” which allows me to quickly save things when I’m doing other tasks and review them later. This works great for saving ideas for content and links to blog posts and videos I might want to check out when I’m back at my desk.
The app is ideal for organising links to recipes as well as research. This is the kind of app that I wish I discovered sooner, as I believe that I would have found it extremely useful at university.
It works great for collaboration, too, as I am able to share folders with others and have others comment and react to the things I share within that folder. This is a great feature I use when working on large projects, as it allows me to save example content and have others inform me what they think about the idea or link and note or item I shared.
One of my favourite features is the Rolls feature, which allows me to create a web page from a folder in seconds. This is a feature that I use throughout my website for various things. As an example, I use it for my everyday tech carry and what’s in my backpack pages.
The app also features several other useful features, such as task lists, which work great for project work, as well as the ability to create forums, which, I think, is a fantastic idea for online courses and businesses.
The app is available online on iOS and Android. There is also a Google Chrome extension that enables you to save things to Bublup as you browse.
Bublup is an app I use as a paying subscriber, as I believe that it really makes a difference in my workflow. That is why I am leaving my affiliate link for the app.
5. Awesome Habits
Awesome Habits is my go-to app for tracking habits, and it’s available on macOS and iOS.
The app connects to Apple Health, which allows me to automatically track fitness habits. I think that this is a fantastic feature, as it ensures that I don’t forget to tick fitness habits off manually.
I also like the clean interface and the fact that there is a version of the app available for the Apple Watch.
I’ve tried many habit-tracking apps over the years, but I always gave up on them in the end. However, I feel that Awesome Habits is different and that I will be using the app for a long time. I think that the main reason for this is the clean interface and the fact that I can use it on my Apple Watch.
Awesome Habits is also available through Setapp, and there is a macOS app available.
I’m a big fan of the fact that the app allows me to keep track of how I’m performing with the help of charts. Somehow, it motivates me to ensure I’m on track with my habits.
The only thing I would like to see improved is the widgets for iOS; apart from that, I think that it is a fantastic app.
6. Trip.com
Last on the list is an app that I use every single week for buying train tickets for work. I believe that it’s a fantastic app, as it not only allows me to buy tickets, but I am also able to earn points that I can redeem for more tickets.
The app allows me to also book hotels, flights, coaches, and more. It is the perfect app to have on your phone when you travel on a weekly basis.
The app has saved me on many occasions when the trains were disrupted, as it either allowed me to easily find alternative transport or book a hotel within minutes.
The app also compares the best prices for transport. For example, if I am booking a flight, it will provide me with a list of flights available, and it will help me find the cheapest way back, even if it’s through a different airline.
The app is available on multiple platforms, including web, iOS, and Android, and best of all, it is free to use and collect points!
I’ve been using the app for a long time, and I honestly can’t stop singing its praises. That is why I decided to become an affiliate. So if you are looking to try the app or to book a trip, I am leaving my affiliate link.
Final Thoughts
There are many great apps available for iOS and Android, but out of all the apps I use, I think that these are some of the best. These aren’t just any apps; these are apps that I genuinely find helpful in my everyday life.
Whether it’s commuting to and from work or staying organised, they are all apps that make a difference.
Found anything interesting? Let me know in the comments! As someone who loves discovering new apps, I would love it if you shared your favourite apps that you use weekly too!
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