Intro
But what really powers my day is not just the gear that I use, but also the iPhone apps that help me stay focused, organized and well, sometimes entertained.Hope you’re having an amazing day.
Today we’re going to be doing a bit of a roundup of some of the apps that I’ve been using on my iPhone. Now some of these are productivity focused, while others are meant to just kill the time. But all of them have earned a spot on my home screen. First up is the not boring weather app.
Best 2 Productivity and Focus iPhone APPS
Joi (Calendar + Task List)
Next up is Joi. Now, if you’re like me, using a calendar can be quite tedious, and a To-Do app is just a long list of things that I’m GOING TO DO but never end up getting to. Joi combines the best of both worlds. Open up the app and you’re met with a pretty simple interface, with just the bare essentials that you need. Nothing more, nothing less. The today view is pretty straightforward, with a list of all of the events I have for the day, as well as some tasks that I might need to complete.
And then to add an event, it’s simply a top of a button and I can add it in right away. One of my favorite features is the daily summary that gives me a snapshot of the day, and puts it in a really easy to consume summary. And there’s also a widget available so you can get your summary right from your home screen. I’ve actually been using this for a few weeks now, and it found it really useful in my morning routine to see what I have scheduled for the day. Plus, the task tracker makes it really simple to mark things off as I complete them.
Flow (Pomodoro Timer)
Next up we have Flow that helps you timebox your tasks and helps to keep you focused. At its core, Flow is built around the idea of working in focus segments with breaks in between. Instead of grinding out a bunch of hours and hoping for the best, Flow breaks things down into manageable chunks. And that small shift of taking those breaks in between has had a really big impact in terms of how I get things done. I feel more energized, more focused, and I actually get more done.
The UI is pretty barebones and distraction free, so all you have to do is select your flow duration, maybe make some changes to your break duration, and then simply hit Start. Once one of your focus segments is finished, it’ll actually prompt you to take a break before starting the next one. There’s also a lock screen widget, so you can see how much time is left without ever having to open your iphone. And Flow is available across all devices.
So whether it’s an iPhone, an iPad, MacBook, or even an Apple Watch, you can just jump right in and keep going. Flow, even connects to Apple Health to log your focus minutes, which is a really nice bonus to track your productivity alongside things like fitness and screen time. Overall, it’s been a solid part of my routine, helping me stay focused with what I’m working on, while still reminding me that it’s okay to sometimes take a break.
Top 4 Utility and information
(Not Boring) Weather
It’s actually a recommendation that I got from the studio YouTube channel, and it’s a really cool iPhone app. As the name suggests, it’s a weather app with a really minimal design and a clever combination of 3D art, animation, and sound that brings the entire app to life. In the main view, you see today’s forecast where it’s currently raining right now. But if I tap here then I can see the air quality, the moon phases, precipitation and even the cloud coverage.
And then along the bottom I have the weekly weather forecast. So if I tap and hold here, I can see the weather for different days. If I swipe further, I can see the high and low temperatures for the day, as well as how much rain is going to accumulate over the next hour. In terms of customization, there’s plenty of themes to choose from.
But by far my favorite feature is the widgets. There’s three different sizes of widgets each showing a different amount of information. So there’s the perfect widget for every home screen. Honestly I think it’s a really fun way to get your weather forecast.
Transit App
This next one is for all my commuters out there, and I can’t tell you how many times this app has come clutching to the point where it’s more accurate than the transit system’s own app. Of course I’m talking about the transit app that centralizes your transit information for a much smoother commute. The UI is super clean. It’s color coded, easy to read, and you can quickly see all of the different transit lines and arrival times.
There’s even a trip planner view that helps you coordinate the best combination of buses, trains, and walking to get to your destination. And it also keeps track of diversions and detours. So you’re always in the loop. One of my favorite features is the real time updates that shows you a live location of a train or a bus, and tells you what upcoming stops it has and when it’s going to arrive. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve actually found this clutch, especially when I’m rushing to work in the morning. Another great feature is the go mode, which acts like a copilot for your commute.
It tells you when to get on, when to get off, and buzzes you when you approach your stop. Super useful for when you’re zoned out listening to music or a podcast. And even though most of the data comes from the different transit systems, some of it, like service rating and real time updates, is actually crowdsourced from other users, which means that it can actually be even more reliable. And it’s not just buses and trains. It can show you bike shares, e-scooters and even walking times. So, whether you’re headed across town or on your way home, you’ve got all of your bases covered.
WeTransfer
Next up we have WeTransfer. And if you’ve ever tried to send a large attachment through your email, you’ll know the pain. There’s the dreaded 25MB limit. And even if you use something like Google Drive, you have to create a folder, upload the file, make sure the permissions are correct, and then send a link. The interface is super clean. You simply just upload a file. Give it a title and maybe add a message. Maybe add an expiry date or even a password if you wanted to, and then hit transfer.
There’s no account needed, no weird compression, and no forcing someone to log in just to access the files. It’s just a dead simple way to move files around. Plus everything is encrypted in transit and you can even keep track of when things were downloaded, which is a really nice bonus. At the end of the day, that’s kind of what you want from your file transfer app: a simple and clean way to send files from point A to point B.
Unimatic World Clock
Okay, so for this next one, I was actually trying to get in touch with a friend of mine that had moved overseas and constantly having to Google around what was the correct timezone, what time to call him was starting to be a bit of a nightmare until of course, I discovered the Unimatic world clock. If you aren’t familiar with Unimatic, they’re actually a boutique watch brand that crafts some really high quality timepieces with a minimal design. So the other day, I was really surprised to see that they had launched their own app.
The interface is really clean up top you have the current time and you can swipe through to see the other cities. And then below that you have a 24 hour clock with different spokes to indicate the different cities. Below that you actually have a world map that marks out the different cities, and you can see the day and night time cycles. But what’s really cool is you can rotate the dial to advance the time, and then see what the time would be in all of the other cities. I just think that this is a really cool iPhone app that shows you time zones in a really fun way.
Top 3 Fun and Entertainment
Dazz Cam
Okay, this next one is for anyone interested in photography, particularly those that like the vintage camera look. Dazz Cam is a camera that helps you replicate the vibe of old vintage cameras: think grain light leaks and color shift all the goodness of analog without having to buy any film. The design of the iPhone app is super simple and easy to navigate. You have this really clean interface, and if you tap here, you can see all the different types of cameras that you have access to.
In particular, my favorite are the 16mm, the GRD, and even this FQS that kind of reminds me of those disposable cameras I used to use. It’s always fun to try out the different cameras and see how the shot is going to turn out. And quite frankly, it’s a great way to add character to your photos.
Offsuit (Poker)
Okay so the last two are apps I turn to when I want to have a little bit of fun. Like some people, I enjoy a good game of Texas Hold’em and Offsuit is the perfect way to get that fix. No frills. No extras. Just a clean interface and pure gameplay. You can play against bots to sharpen your skills.
And there’s even different tournaments with various buy-ins And when you’re ready, you can actually take on other players across the world. What I really like about Offsuit is that it’s clean and straightforward. Plus it’s totally free and there’s no annoying pop up ads, which is an instant winner in my book. The other iPhone app is a puzzle game called Kerflux.
Kerflux (Puzzle Game)
And if you’re interested in puzzles and music, this one’s for you. The iPhone app is super simple, yet really clever. Up top you have a reference wave, and then you have these four waves underneath. Basically, the objective is to move these waves around to essentially match the top reference wave. As you get closer, the audio will grow louder. And if you get everything lined up, boom, you’re on to the next level.
Each round gets a bit more complex, which makes it a fun challenge without feeling overwhelming. Of course, if you need the additional challenge, you can turn off the volume and just match purely on the shape. It’s definitely a different type of puzzle game and keeps the brain flowing.
Conclusion
So there you have it! Some of the cool apps I’ve been using on my iPhone. Whether it’s staying productive with Joi and flow, keeping tabs on the weather with the not boring weather app, or just killing some time with dashcam and even f.lux, each one of these apps brings something a little bit extra to my day.
But I want to know from you what are some of your go to iPhone Apps? Leave them down in the comments, and I’ll be sure to include some of them in the next roundup. If you found this video useful, be sure to give it a like and subscribe for more content like this. As always, thanks for watching and we’ll catch you in the next one.