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I recently shared a top 10 list of Apple and non-Apple technologies. Here are some of our favorite third-party apps for iPhone and Mac.
In putting together this article, I realized that I don’t use apps much for entertainment. On both iPhone and Mac, most of my selections serve useful functions…
iPhone
city mapper
Both Apple Maps and Google Maps have been improved over the years to help you navigate cities using public transportation. There are also separate transportation apps available for many cities around the world. But when it comes to travel, nothing beats the convenience of one app with a familiar user interface that can be used in different cities.
Citymapper supports walking, cycling, and all the different types of public transportation options available in the city. It has also proven to be very reliable in my experience at recognizing delays and road closures that may affect your journey.
Beeline
My only exception is that I use Beeline for cycling. It uses crowdsourced cycling route ratings to find out which routes are preferred. This can make a big difference.
I also like the compass mode when I have a destination in mind but want a serendipity to take me there. This mode lets you meander through back streets without having to follow turn-by-turn directions, knowing you’re always heading in roughly the right direction with a single arrow pointing directly to your destination.
black magic camera
I own two Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K units, so it’s no wonder that the company’s iPhone app has become my favorite way to shoot video with this device.
This company is an absolute genius at keeping the user interface incredibly simple and logical while still giving you complete control over your shooting. The iPhone app’s UI closely mirrors the company’s hardware.
If you don’t have time for full manual control and just need to do some run-and-gun shooting, Final Cut Camera is an alternative. It’s as easy to use as the standard camera app, but allows you to record to an external SSD.
Libby
You can include one pure entertainment app. Libby is an app that allows you to borrow both ebooks and audiobooks from your local library. You often have to join a waiting list for popular new releases, but you can save a lot of money versus buying them.
For me, one of the great benefits of this app is that it’s willing to take a chance on books whose purchase price seems too much of a gamble.
great habits
If you’re trying to form a new habit, like exercising more, following a calorie-controlled diet, reading more books, journaling, or just taking a daily walk, it’s much easier to think of a goal than to stick to it every day.
The Awesome Habits app is a simple but highly effective way to track how well you adhere to your daily goals. Once you enter them, the app will display a badge counter representing the number of habits you have yet to complete each day, acting as a constant reminder to open the app and see what’s left.
Mac
aqua voice
I’ve only been using it for a few months, but in that time it’s definitely become my favorite Mac utility. It’s an incredibly accurate voice dictation service that has completely revolutionized the way I use my Mac.
Check out my full article for more information. For now, I’ll just say that I’m dictating this piece, as that’s pretty much all I do these days.
phrase express
When TextExpander became a subscription app, I looked for an alternative and have been using PhraseExpress ever since. This gives you a large collection of standard macro texts and allows you to activate them with just a few keypresses.
I have to say that this is a port of a Windows app and the user interface looks a lot like a Windows app. But what it lacks in beauty it makes up for in functionality.
NordVPN
VPN apps obviously provide protection when using public hotspots, but for me they also offer some other features. As a UK-based author who primarily writes for US sites, I often need to make sure I’m looking at the US version of a website. So, a VPN connection to the US is an easy way to do this. Some TV shows and movies are available on streaming services in the US, but not in the UK. You can usually watch these using a VPN.
NordVPN is my service of choice for several reasons. First, privacy. We keep no logs and accept third-party audits to verify this. Second, it has proven to be the most reliable service to date when it comes to gaining the upper hand in the cat-and-mouse game between streaming services and VPNs. In rare cases, your IP address may be detected by your streaming service, but if you try again the next day, it will most likely work.
Administrative scrivener
In my opinion, Scrivener is without a doubt the best writing app ever created. It’s been over a decade since I reviewed it here, and everything I said then still applies today.
This is a great tool for structuring your writing, allowing you to easily switch between different sections or display multiple sections on screen at the same time. I also like that I can save my research, notes, saved web pages, and anything else I need in the same app as the writing itself.
I’ve used it to write three novels and am currently using it to write a non-fiction book. I never dreamed that I would write a book in any other field.
What are your favorite third-party iPhone and Mac apps? Share with us in the comments.
