To use your iPhone well, you still need to have the right applications. Although this maxim is not mine, it perfectly defines how I see the Apple brand’s phones. They are a solid foundation for many uses, but they still need to be polished by applications, whether third-party or native.
Notes
I have always been a staunch defender of the Notes application, present in all iPhones natively. Simple, it gets to the point without offering superfluous features. This very basic interface makes it unique and at the same time universal. I wrote everything down in my “Notes”, going from a shopping list to my Christmas present list, to some article ideas for future topics on iPhon.fr.
Notes © Apple
Structured
For tracking my day-to-day agenda, there’s nothing better. This is without a doubt the most useful app for me today. With Structured I have control over my schedule, I can add reminders, lists or annotate an appointment. The interface is colorful, easy to use and the application is more than sufficient. Plus, syncing with other devices via iCloud is very fast, which is very convenient when you’re constantly switching from a MacBook Air to an iPhone like me.
Strava
In 2024, I embarked on a war with myself against social media. I have uninstalled several of them (only Instagram still resists me), but Strava is in a category of its own for me. It’s one of the apps that fills up my “screen time” the most. For athletes, it is a real obligatory passage after each outing. It would be good to move away from it, but all the training log and sports session tracking features push me to use it for long hours every week.
© Strava
Spaceflight Simulator
Like everyone, I have low moments in my days and I then have the (bad) reflex of opening my phone and looking for a mobile game to occupy my hands and my mind. 9 times out of 10, I will launch Spaceflight Simulator. A game as easy to learn as it is complex, which will put you in the shoes of Neil Armstrong and the NASA astronauts.
Reminders
In addition to “Notes” which I already talked about above, there is a second native iPhone application which is very useful to me on a daily basis. This is the “Reminders” application. If it doesn’t serve me directly, it’s mainly its widget, placed on the home screen of my iPhone and my MacBook, which serves as a reminder for me throughout the day.
Notion
To take notes quickly, I use Apple’s “notes”, to keep track of my schedule, “Structured” is the best solution in my eyes. But to organize my projects, link these applications together and work on my next articles, I use Notion. It’s a second brain and I won’t be able to do without it. I write down almost everything, and although the application can be scary at first, it’s easy to get the hang of it.
© Notion
Chess (Chess.com)
When we think about doing sports, we work various muscles, but we often forget the most important one: our brain. So to make it work, I use Chess, the Chess.com application. Easy to learn, it allows you to progress in this age-old game, with infinite variations.
Flashscore
Doing sport is good, watching it is almost even better. So to follow all my sports competitions, I use Flashscore. I am notified of the start of a match, I can have access to the table of a competition and even, recently, the latest news on a match.
To communicate with my loved ones, I turn to WhatsApp. If the application has many faults, it has the great advantage of being popular, simple to use, and allows calls to be made to several people. To communicate with your grandparents, this is more than enough.
© Shutterstock / Primakov
Shortcuts
Finally, the last app on this list is arguably the most important of all. It’s what saves me time every day, both on my iPhone and on my MacBook. With Shortcuts, I can open an application on my own (with automation) or even chain several tasks in succession, like launching a podcast in the morning or my music on a speaker as soon as I’m connected to it.
And you, what are your favorite applications for 2024?
