Most “best iPhone apps” lists are packed with the same usual suspects: Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp, Spotify, and a handful of other heavy-hitters that everyone already knows. They’re great, but they’re not exactly exciting discoveries anymore, and they definitely don’t show what the App Store is truly capable of. If you dig a little deeper, you’ll find lesser-known apps that quietly solve real problems, save time, or add something genuinely useful to your everyday life.
The free apps below do exactly that. They range from tools that help you navigate public transit and tame your online shopping chaos to apps that support accessibility, transform your workouts, and even keep your plants alive. Most of them are completely free to use, while others keep their best, core features unlocked without forcing you into a subscription.
Transit
Transit is built to make buses, trains, and subways far less confusing, especially if you’re tired of guessing whether you just missed your ride or if it’s running late. It pulls real‑time arrival and departure info for public transportation in hundreds of cities around the world and lays it out in a clean, simple interface. You open the app, see nearby lines in your area, and instantly know how long you have before the next bus or train arrives.
The standout GO feature turns your trip into a guided experience. Once you choose a route, the app sends step‑by‑step instructions, including when to leave for the stop, when to transfer, and when to get off. Vibration alerts make sure you don’t miss your stop while you’re doomscrolling or listening to music. The core experience is free and already extremely capable, while an optional paid “Royale” upgrade adds extra polish for power users without locking the essentials behind a paywall.
LocalSend
LocalSend is the file‑sharing solution you wish your phone shipped with by default, especially if you constantly bounce between different platforms. Instead of relying on cloud uploads, links, or compressed messages, LocalSend uses your local Wi‑Fi network to send files directly between nearby devices. It works across iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and other platforms, so it doesn’t matter what combination of devices you and your friends or coworkers are using.
Because everything happens on your local network, transfers are fast and do not eat into your data plan. Large photos, videos, or even multi‑hundred‑megabyte documents move across devices in seconds instead of minutes. The app also uses end‑to‑end encryption and avoids external servers entirely, which makes it far more private than many traditional cloud services. For iPhone users who regularly share files to non‑Apple devices, LocalSend feels like the missing universal AirDrop.
Be My Eyes
Be My Eyes stands out because it isn’t just convenient or clever; it’s genuinely meaningful. The app connects blind and low‑vision users with sighted volunteers via live video calls, so someone who needs help can point their camera at an object, label, or environment and get real‑time verbal guidance. Tasks that are simple for sighted people — reading expiration dates, finding a specific product, or checking whether lights are on — become faster and more independent with this kind of support.
The scale of the community behind Be My Eyes is a huge part of what makes it work so well. With millions of volunteers signed up, calls are usually answered quickly, and interactions often last only a few minutes while still solving important problems. For visually impaired users, the app offers an extra layer of freedom. For volunteers, it provides an easy, low‑pressure way to do something directly helpful for another person, right from their iPhone.
Awesome Habits
Awesome Habits focuses on habit building and breaking without drowning you in complexity or gamification overload. You can track habits you want to build — like reading more, walking daily, or sleeping earlier — as well as habits you want to reduce, such as smoking, doomscrolling, or late‑night snacking. Instead of cluttered dashboards and endless badges, the app walks you through creating clear rules and templates that define what success looks like for each habit.
A streak‑based system keeps you motivated in a way that feels familiar if you’ve ever guarded a language‑learning streak. Integration with Apple Health lets the app automatically pull in relevant data, like your step count or sleep duration, so some progress updates happen without you lifting a finger. The free tier covers core tracking, templates, and streaks, while an optional premium version unlocks more detailed analytics and advanced setups for people who want to go deep.
Trip.com
Trip.com brings flights, hotels, trains, car rentals, and package deals into one tightly integrated travel app, which is especially useful when you’re planning trips around busy periods like the holidays. Instead of juggling multiple airline, hotel, and booking apps, you can search and compare options side by side in a single place. The service covers a huge global network of hotels and flight routes, so it’s just as relevant for city breaks as it is for long‑haul travel.
The app supports bookings in dozens of local currencies and offers multilingual interfaces and customer support, which makes it particularly strong if you travel between regions frequently. Because Trip.com earns from bookings, the app itself is free to install and use — you only pay for the travel you actually book. Strong ratings from travelers highlight its reliability for both last‑minute deals and long‑planned vacations.
Planta
Planta is essentially a plant care coach that lives on your phone, perfect for anyone who loves greenery but keeps accidentally killing houseplants. You can snap a photo or browse the app’s database to identify your plant, and once it knows what you’re growing, it builds a customized care plan. That plan accounts for water needs, preferred light levels, and feeding schedules, then reminds you what to do and when to do it.
The app adjusts these care routines based on the season, acknowledging that many plants need different treatment in summer versus winter. You get gentle but precise reminders for watering, fertilizing, and other tasks across all your plants, which dramatically cuts down on guesswork. The free version handles identification, basic care reminders, and essential schedules, while a subscription opens up advanced guidance, more detailed diagnostics, and support for larger plant collections.
Parcel
Parcel is the app you install the minute your online shopping habit becomes confusing to track. Different stores use different couriers, and it’s easy to lose track of emails and tracking pages when you’ve ordered from multiple places. Parcel solves that by letting you paste in tracking numbers from hundreds of carriers worldwide and then showing every package in a single, clean list.
The app keeps you updated as shipments move through sorting centers, go out for delivery, and arrive at your door. If you connect your Amazon account, Parcel can automatically pull in orders without you needing to copy tracking numbers manually. The free tier limits how many active packages you can track at one time, which is fine for occasional shoppers. For frequent online buyers, a modestly priced paid plan unlocks unlimited tracking, push notifications, and map‑based progress views.
JustWatch
JustWatch eliminates one of streaming’s most annoying problems: finding where something is actually available to watch. Instead of opening a half‑dozen apps to locate a single movie or show, you search once in JustWatch. It then lists all services where that title is available to stream, rent, or buy, plus whether it’s included in a subscription or costs extra.
This makes it much easier to decide which streaming services are actually worth keeping, since you can see how often your favorite types of content appear on each platform. JustWatch also displays useful extras such as trailers, basic cast details, and ratings. Sports fans can use it to discover where live events and leagues are streaming, so you’re not stuck hunting around on game day. The base app is free to use, with an optional upgrade that strips out ads and adds some convenience features.
AnyList
AnyList is designed specifically for shopping and shared lists, which makes it far more efficient than generic notes apps for grocery runs. The app’s star feature is its grocery mode, which automatically sorts items into store‑style categories and aisles. That way, you move through the supermarket in a logical order instead of bouncing between sections and wasting time retracing your steps.
Beyond groceries, you can build customized categorized lists for different types of shopping or tasks, plus simple plain lists for quick notes. Sharing is built‑in, so partners, family members, or roommates can all view and edit the same list in real time. The free version covers the core shopping and sharing experience, while a paid upgrade adds extras like recipe management, advanced themes, and online ordering options in supported regions.
Nike Training Club
Nike Training Club used to charge a chunky monthly fee, but it’s now fully free and remains one of the most complete fitness apps on iOS. It offers guided workouts ranging from quick, no‑equipment sessions to full gym‑style routines focused on strength, mobility, cardio, or yoga. Sessions are led by Nike trainers, with clear instruction and built‑in timing so you can focus on moving instead of managing a stopwatch.
You can browse individual workouts or follow structured programs tailored to goals like building strength, improving mobility, or simply getting moving a few times a week. The app works well both at home and in the gym, and it integrates with Apple Watch and Apple Health so your activity and heart rate data can be tracked automatically. Since everything is unlocked without a subscription, it’s a rare fitness app that feels premium without constantly pressuring you to pay.
Methodology
Highlighting genuinely underrated iPhone apps means ignoring the usual App Store charts and focusing on how people actually use their devices. This curated list emphasizes apps that solve specific, real‑world problems better than mainstream alternatives, from accessibility and travel planning to habit tracking, fitness, and entertainment. Only apps with strong user satisfaction and polished, reliable experiences made the cut.
Another key filter was cost: all of these apps are either fully free or keep their most important features available in the free tier. Optional upgrades exist in many cases, but none of the apps here force you into paying before they become useful. The goal is simple: give you a set of tools that can immediately make your iPhone more powerful, more personal, and more genuinely helpful, without demanding anything other than a bit of storage space and your curiosity.
