Best iPhone apps

Utilities

Diptic ($1)

Create all kinds of collages to share with family and friends using this accessible app. You can choose from 165 customizable layouts to add to your photos. You can also add text, create borders, apply filters to your photos, and then share your masterpieces via Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr or Tumblr, or just send them by email. The stylish interface is well-designed and it’s easy to create professional looking collages.

imo messenger (Free)

You can make voice calls and have instant messaging chats for free with the imo messenger app. It also works as a consolidator so you no longer have to dip in and out of Facebook Chat, Skype, Google Talk, and other services in order to catch up with everyone. You can simply add your accounts to imo. It has a clean interface that makes it easy to use and your entire chat history is fully searchable. You can also use it for group messaging and sharing photos or videos.

Private Photo Vault (Free)

If you have some sensitive photos on your iPhone roll that you’d prefer to keep hidden then you should snag this free app to keep them protected. You can add individual photos or videos, or even add entire albums, and organize them within the app. All the content you add is password protected and you can even create a decoy password. The app also generates break-in reports to alert you to attempts. You can view your photos and videos within the app and share them via email or text if you choose.

TurboScan ($2)

You don’t need a flatbed scanner if you have this app on your iPhone. You can use your iPhone’s camera to scan any document and save it as a PDF, PNG, or JPEG file. The scanning process is fast and efficient, and the app automatically detects the document’s edges and enhances the image. You can use it to create multi-page PDFs and then save it, share it, email directly from the app, or print via AirPrint. It’s quick, easy to use, and very effective.

Onavo Extend (Free)

If you struggle with your data plan and end up with overage charges every month, then you should check out Onavo’s apps. With Onavo Count you can keep tabs on how much data each of your apps is eating and with Onavo Extend you can compress your data and stretch your allowance out further. The developers claim you can get up to five times as much data by using this compression. The service is currently completely free.

iDisplay Mini ($1)

Have you ever wanted a second display for your Mac or PC? You can keep tabs on more with extra screen real estate, but you might not want to actually splash out on a second monitor. With iDisplay Mini you don’t have to. You can transform your iPhone into a second display for your Twitter feed or IM chat. Install free software on your computer and buy the app and, as long as both devices are on the same Wi-Fi network, you can use your phone as an extra display.

Solar ($0.99)

There are plenty of weather apps out there, but Solar is a little bit special. It features a stylish interface with colorscapes which reflect the state of the weather outside. It’s a minimalist design with intuitive touch controls that allow you to swipe for more information or double tap to check multiple locations. It pulls in GPS weather data from BestForecast by Wunderground.com, but the real attraction is the aesthetic.

WhatsApp Messenger ($0.99)

Breaking the barriers between platforms, WhatsApp is a simple messenger that allows you to send messages, audio, photo, or video files to contacts — as long as they also have the app. What’s the big deal? It’s completely free to send messages and the app simply uses your network or Wi-Fi connection. It works on iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone, and Symbian. This is a real money saver and it’s especially good if you want to send messages internationally. All you have to do is get your friends to play ball. 

AppZilla 3 ($0.99)

Appzilla gives you 150 apps in 1. You won’t find the individual apps within Appzilla as good as dedicated standalone apps, but the sheer number on offer does represent value for money. The fact that you can access everything from photo captions, to a currency converter, to a police scanner, in one place, makes the Appzilla collection worthwhile. It’s a cheap way to add a bunch of handy features to your iPhone.

Yelp (Free)

Your go-to source for all things brick-and-mortar, tailored for the iPhone. Whether you’re looking for a mechanic or a drugstore, the Yelp app makes it a breeze to find the best one based on the sites’ comprehensive library of reviews, without driving all over town. Either browse by category, or rely on the iPhone GPS to peg your location and find locations nearby. You can also write reviews from the phone, allowing you to ward off potential customers when you end up at a dive before you even head home.

Pulse, Free

 This app is a great one for anyone who likes to catch up on the day’s news and reading in one spot. Users can put together a personalized homepage (or five different swipeable pages) of various popular sources like Salon, Time, Gawker, Mashable, Politico, and even Digital Trends. You can then easily swipe through thumbnails of stories from all of their chosen sources and read articles that they find interesting. It’s the best reader app for the iPhone and offers plenty of sources and a great visual design.

Epicurious (Free)

Now recipes from this award-winning food site can be in your pocket, shopping list and all. More than 30,000 professional recipes are available via the Epicurious app, which features a clean user interface and big, beautiful photos. Users can search for recipes based on ingredients they already have, what’s seasonal, or upcoming holidays and events. Save recipes or add them to your Shopping List to create a personalized grocery list to cover all your meals. The app will provide you with an easy list that even lets you check off items as you go. Step-by-step instructions and photos make sure your cooking goes off without a hitch.

Kayak (Free)

Quit daydreaming of travel and see what it will actually take to get you halfway across the world with the Web’s best airline search engine, now in iPhone form. Although it takes a little longer to return results, the smart interface almost has us reaching for our phones to look for tickets instead of the desktop browser version. In a bind, Kayak can also snag you a hotel or rental car for a song, and has smart little utilities like packing lists and flight tracker built right in.

Wi-Fi Finder (Free)

It’s as simple as it sounds. This app will locate and display the free and pay required Wi-Fi hotspots nearest you and even filter by location, so you can determine if you’d rather use the Internet in a nearby library or Starbucks. You can also search paid, free, or all available Wi-Fi. It pulls from a database of 545,00 locations internationally, so odds are you’ll find something.

Mint.com (Free)

Keep track of your finances on the go with Mint.com and the corresponding iPhone app. The free service tracks and automatically updates all of your finance accounts, so you always know where your money is and what you’re spending it on. Users can set budgets to help track spending and set up email or text alerts for budgets, fees, due dates, and low balances. In combination with Mint.com, users can view graphs and visuals of spending for the month or over a longer time period. The app also supports tracking investments, including your 401K, brokerage accounts, and IRAs.

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