Your iPhone can do a lot on its own, but the right apps turn it into a productivity powerhouse, a creative studio, and a personal assistant all in one. Of course, finding these apps is never easy. You have to wade through countless options, sift through ads, and figure out which ones are genuinely useful. But once you have them, your iPhone suddenly feels smarter and infinitely more capable.
From tracking packages and navigating public transport to transferring files between devices or customizing the iPhone home screen, there are a handful of essential apps I always install right away. These free apps save time and help me get the most out of my device from day one.
Personalize your iPhone like never before
No matter what device I’m using, I love widgets, as they let me check important information at a glance. While the iPhone already offers built-in widgets for things like weather, calendar, and reminders, Widgetsmith takes customization to a whole new level.
With Widgetsmith, you can create widgets of all shapes and sizes and style them exactly how you want. Fonts, colors, backgrounds, and even tinting options are fully customizable. You can display photos, count down to upcoming events, check the weather at a glance, or access your favorite music. You can even build widgets to open a set of apps, run a shortcut, or navigate to a specific place and add those to your home screen, lock screen, or Control Center.
Never lose track of your deliveries again
Most of us use online shopping to get things delivered right to our doorstep, but if you’re anything like me, you’ve probably forgotten what you even ordered by the time it finally shows up. The Packages app solves that problem.
It automatically pulls tracking info from your linked accounts, whether it’s Amazon, eBay, SHEIN, Temu, Wish, or others. For those that don’t import automatically, you can simply paste a tracking number or scan a QR code to add them manually. The app supports everything from major couriers to national postal services worldwide, so it can instantly detect the carrier and displays all the relevant details.
You can see exactly where your package is, when it’s arriving, and even get notifications the moment it’s out for delivery. This way, you don’t have to juggle dozens of apps or tracking pages just to find that one parcel.
Your ultimate public transit companion
While Google Maps and Apple Maps can show public transport routes, having a dedicated app like Transit makes life so much simpler for anyone who relies on buses, trains, or subways. The app gives you real-time arrival times for buses, trains, ferries, and even bike-share or ride-share options, all wrapped in a clean, colorful interface.
Open the app, and you’ll instantly see nearby routes, how long you’ll have to wait, and which option will get you there the fastest. The app even shows bus schedules, stop locations, subway maps, and the trip planner offline, which can be handy if your signal drops mid-journey or if you run out of data.
You can set your preferences to avoid long walks, include or exclude certain transport types, and even tell the app to suggest an Uber if public transport isn’t the best option. It also keeps you updated with alerts for service disruptions and delays, and you can save your favorite routes and destinations to plan a trip with just a tap.
Share files across any device instantly
Sharing files between Apple devices is a breeze with AirDrop. But as someone who also uses a Windows PC and an Android phone for work, you quickly realize that cross-platform file sharing isn’t so straightforward.
LocalSend makes transferring files between devices of any platform fast, simple, and entirely local over Wi-Fi. Whether it’s photos, documents, videos, or large project files, you can send them directly from your iPhone to a Windows PC, Android phone, another iPhone, or even Google TV and Linux PCs.
What I love most is how straightforward it is. There’s no confusing setup, no limits on file types, and no ads. It just works, every single time. For anyone juggling multiple devices, LocalSend is the perfect solution for hassle-free file transfers.
Create social media-ready videos in minutes
If you’ve ever searched for a video editor app for iPhone that’s fully featured, ad-free, and completely free, you’ve probably come up empty-handed. Edits by Instagram is designed with simplicity and creativity in mind. It lets you create videos for Instagram, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and other platforms without feeling overwhelmed.
The app comes packed with filters, effects, music, and automatic captions, so you can give your videos a polished, professional look in just a few taps. You can even export your videos in HD (720p), 2K, or 4K resolution without a watermark. Unlike CapCut and many other alternatives, there are no hidden features behind a paywall. Everything you need to make eye-catching content is available right from the start.
A new iPhone deserves the best apps right from the start, and the ones on this list are my go-to essentials. Of course, the list above is just the start—the App Store is packed with countless other free apps that can make your iPhone even more powerful, productive, and fun.
