How-To

The Best iPhone Apps You Should Be Using in 2021

By Bryan M. Wolfe

Updated November 27, 2023

There are thousands of interesting apps in Apple’s App Store. There’s are only a few best apps for iPhone in 2021, however.

• There are thousands of apps that call the App Store home. However, only a few rise to the top that we consider the best iPhone apps of 2021. These apps aren’t necessarily new, although some of them are. Some are also available for iPad, while others work with Apple Watch.

Here are the apps you should be using right now.

Photography and Film

• Hipstamatic X: The very best vintage-inspired filters, presets, and cameras from the 1980s, 1990s, and today are in one place. Get a lifetime membership, and always get the latest and greatest.
• MuseCam: Here’s a next-generation image editor with a manual camera built-in along with film-inspired presets. It’s built by and for photographers and creatives.
• RTRO: Vintage is also the theme with this app that’s getting rave reviews. Shoot up clips up to 60 seconds in length and use the tools to edit and make them unique.
• FiLMiC Pro: A popular choice with videographers who want to perfect their art via mobile devices, this app gets better with each passing year.

Browsers

No two web browsers for desktop are the same, and the same goes for mobile. In 2021, we’re only choosing two of the many browsers on the market for our list.

• Microsoft Edge: Remaining one of our best iPhone apps, this Internet Explorer successor is available on various platforms, including iOS and iPadOS. Easy to use with excellent privacy tools, it’s the browser to beat right now.
• Safari: Apple’s native browser is going through a significant update this year across all platforms by introducing a tab bar, tab groups, and more. It might not be enough to make it No. 1 in our hearts, but it’s finally on a positive track after years of little movement on the development front.

Entertainment

Streaming video services are getting better and growing large each year.

• Disney+: Hands-down, this is the streaming service that got many of us through the early parts of the pandemic. In 2021, more original content has arrived, and it’s really winning fans. So it will be interesting to see where the service goes from here.
• Apple TV: Two words: Ted Lasso. If you haven’t subscribed to Apple TV+, get it now.
• HBO Max: WarnerMedia made an interesting decision for 2021: Its new films are being released in theaters and here simultaneously. The result is an interesting experience that hopefully won’t end anytime soon.
• YouTube: It remains the most popular streaming app in the world. Is this good or bad? Probably a little bit of both.

Banking & Finance

• Robinhood: The sometimes controversial service is still the one new investors will want to check out first. With Robinhood, you purchase fractional shares in the companies you already love for as little as $1.
• Credit Karma: Checking your credit doesn’t have to be hard or cost you money. With Credit Karma, you’re always on top of your scores and just a few taps away from getting recommendations. In addition, you can use it to check your Equifax and TransUnion scores. There are also tax and savings components.
• Personal Capital: Our favorite free online finance tool features investment tools and analyzers and an online personal dashboard. There’s also a wealth management product for clients.
• Titan: Our newest entry, Titan, offers many the same perks as a hedge fund but is something different. On the one hand, Titan is every bit like other Robo advisers in that it creates and manages your portfolio. And yet, Titan doesn’t rely on traditional ETFs but instead will invest your portfolio in a selected group of individual stocks.

Weather and Sky Apps

The native Weather app gets the job done. Still, there are a few other weather apps worth considering.

• Carrot Weather: Years after it first launched, Carrot Weather remains a favorite on the App Store. Featuring the most annoying voice assistant on the planet, the app puts a new twist on weather forecasting every time it’s opened. You’ve been warned!
• Living Earth: Here, you’ll find a live 3D simulation of our planet with weather, forecasts, and world clock for cities around the world. Use the app to view global cloud patterns, hurricanes, tropical storms, and more.
• Sky Guide: Our world doesn’t end in the clouds. With Sky Guide, another one of groovyPost’s best iPhone apps, you can quickly identify passing stars, constellations, planets, satellites, and more. Just hold the back of your device up to the sky and see what’s above you beyond Earth.
• Weather Line: The freemium Weather Line app offers detailed forecasts using data from various sources, including Dark Sky, Accuweather, and Radarscope.

Health

The official Health app does a great job of tracking your routines. To go even further, check out some of these favorites.

• Cardiogram: Another one of our best iPhone apps, this impressive heart rate monitor is ideal for use alongside the Apple Watch or another activity tracker. Use it to learn about how your habits affect your health and have more informed conversations with your doctor.
• WW Weight Watchers: Lose weight with this popular program from your iPhone, one point at a time. Featuring one of the best food calorie trackers around, the WW app integrates with the Health, so you’re always on top of achieving your goals.
• CardioBot: One of our newest best iPhone apps, CardioBot is a heart rate and activity tracker built from the ground up. It lets you know how you’re doing on the path to a healthier life.

Security

Outside forces online are always looking for new ways to learn more about you. So to better protect yourself, consider every one of these apps.

• Private Internet Access VPN: The VPN service from VPN is the VPN service we often recommend here at groovyPost. A low-cost yet highly trusted service, PIA supports all device types. It’s a must to remain secure in the modern age.
• 1Password: Similar to a VPN, it’s just not practical any longer to try and remember all your passwords or write them on physical pager. So our favorite digital password manager is  1Password.
• Bitdefender Mobile Security: The freemium app has been designed to keep your sensitive data safe from prying eyes. It includes a VPN, mobile security, and account privacy. You decide which tools you want to use and those you do not and pay accordingly.
• Google Authenticator: The free app works with 2-Step Verification for your Google Account to provide an additional layer of security when signing in. With 2-Step Verification, signing into your account require both your password and verification code.

Productivity

Mobile devices are fun to use, but they are also useful in helping us complete our day-to-day tasks.

• Fantastical Calendar: Each new release adds even more useful features to this popular calendar and task app that’s much better than Apple’s native solutions. It’s also available for Mac.
• Gemini Photos: Not every image taking up space on your device needs to be kept. Removing the clutter is much easier with this app from MacPaw. Within seconds, you can find and remove duplicates, screenshots, and other images you don’t need while keeping the ones you’ll love for years to come.
• iA Writer: If you’re a writer who gets easily distracted, here’s an app for you. The iA Writer Markup app creates a clean, simple, and distraction-free environment so you can concentrate on the task at hand.
• PCalc: This feature-rich calculator app is for anyone who needs to go beyond what the native Calendar app provides. It’s ideally suited for scientists, engineers, students, and programmers.

Shopping

• Rakuten: With this app, you can get cash back on purchases from your favorite online stores. You can also enjoy unbeatable shopping deals and save with promo codes and coupons.
• Honey: Our list of the best iPhone apps for 2021 ends with this discount code provider. Honey brings your favorite stores and deals together in one easy-to-use app.

So Much to See

How many of these apps haven’t you used? So what are you waiting for? Enjoy!