It's pretty amazing to think that Apple's mobile operating system is already nearly 10 years old, with the recently released iPhone 7£257.99 at Amazon UK shipping with iOS 10. The first iPhone couldn't even run third-party apps, if you can imagine that, but since then those apps have been paramount to the phone's success. There are now roughly 2 million apps available, ranging from the excellent to the awful.
New users of Apple's smartphone looking for a list of the first dozen third-party apps they need to install have come to the right place. The iPhone comes with many very capable and useful apps pre-installed, including ever-improving Maps, Messages, Music, News, and Photos apps. Be sure to take advantage of these built-in apps, as well as of the ever-smartening Siri voice assistant, the Find iPhone, and the Find Friends utilities. But do note that we don't include those in this roundup.
The apps on this list cover the basic functions most of us perform with our phones: communication, entertainment, and finding information, whether local or general. In addition to being among the most widely used and most useful examples of mobile software, most share another welcome attribute: All of them are free to use, though a few have optional subscription pricing for added functionality.
Of course, for each app included here, there are plenty of competitors, but those we include are the basics that everyone should at least know about and check out. For example, Jill loves fitness apps, and Michael is a photo-app aficionado, but we recognize that those genres are not everyone's cup of tea. In contrast, this list aims to hit the most important apps that are applicable to just about everybody. For a more-in-depth list of wonderful apps that may not be quite as universal, see our Top 100 iPhone Apps feature.
We also recognize that most iPhone owners want to play the occasional game, whether that's an intense car-racing title like Need for Speed or a cerebral word game like Words With Friends. But again, this list covers the basics. If you're looking for games specifically, check out our iPhone games roundup.
Below are the 12 apps we deem essential for most iPhone users. Don't agree with our picks? Let us know in the comments.
Evernote
Free
Without the Evernote app for iPhone, we'd be a lot less productive while we're away from our desks. This free, straightforward note-taking app outdoes the competition thanks to its strong search capabilities and effortless organization. But the real key to its success and popularity is that Evernote synchronizes all your files by saving them to a cloud service, meaning anything you create or alter on your iPhone will be there waiting for you when you log into any other version of Evernote.
Facebook
Free
The social network of record has come out with quite a few apps, but this one remains the most essential. If you watch strangers using their iPhones, there's a good chance that Facebook is the app they're using. And there's a reason for that: No other communication app offers the richness of interaction possibilities. (Of course, one of those communication types was stripped from the main app, and that's the next on in our list.) With the Facebook app, you can not only respond to friend's posts, but also upload photos, and even broadcast live video.
Flipboard
Free
Flipboard, an app initially designed for the iPad that curates content from your social networks and Web partners (think periodicals, blogs, etc.) based on your interests and turns them into stunning magazine-like digital pages, is now available on the iPhone. The app is free to download and requires a free user account. Flipboard absolutely shines on the iPad, taking advantage of swiping gestures with both visual and interactive grace, and it's still elegant on the iPhone, despite the smaller screen.
Gmail
Free
Google's main email app (the company also makes Inbox by Gmail) is a wonderful communication tool, as long as you only use Google's email service. Unlike our other Editors' Choice, Outlook, it doesn't handle mail accounts from any provider. But it does make your entire email database much faster and easier to deal with than the preinstalled Mail app can. That capability alone makes it a must-have iPhone app. It could very easily become your primary app for Gmail. It's smooth and fast, as well, but note that Apple doesn't allow third-party mail apps to become the default, the one that opens when you hit a link.
Google Maps
Free
Another one from the dominant force on the internet, Google Maps may well have the most up-to-date and detailed geographic information of any organization around. Its turn-by-turn directions by car, foot, and public transportation are hard to beat. With Google Maps, you can see estimated travel times and integration with your Google account for quick access to your home and work addresses. Offline maps, street view, and indoor maps are nifty plusses. After a shaky start, the iPhone's built-in Apple Maps now matches most of its features, however, and competitor Here Maps offers another good alternative.
Instagram
Free
Despite—or maybe because of—its limitations, Instagram has gone on to surpass Flickr as the number-one photo sharing service on the Internet. Its social discovery aspects are addictive, it offers excellent image-manipulation tools, and it now supports video, as well as still photos. The company keeps adding more features, like direct messaging, Snapchat-like Stories, and, finally, pinch-to-zoom. In keeping with the times and trends, the app now supports Handoff to switch between your Apple Watch and your iPhone.
Netflix
Free; $7.99 per month subscription
SEE IT
Netflix, like many of the other apps included here, has become a cultural phenomenon. Original, exclusive series, such as House of Cards and Stranger Things, are viewed by many as superior to much of what's available on broadcast or cable. Add to those the host of favorite standbys in both television and cinema releases, and you've got a must-have service. Note that this is one of the few apps included here that costs money, with subscriptions starting at $7.99.
Slacker Radio
Free; Optional subscriptions for ad-free and on-demand listening
Of all the music streaming apps in the Apple App Store, Slacker Radio's beats seem to pound the hardest. The same outstanding service you'll find in Slacker Radio's online version is on the iPhone and has been for a long enough time for the company to have massaged the interface and performance to the point that you can appreciate it audibly.
SnapChat
Free
Sexting and security worries aside, the visual chat app Snapchat can be a lot of fun to use—and let us emphasize "fun." Snapchat should not be used as a private and secure messaging app. Rather, it's a simple app that you can use to swap funny, ephemeral visuals with your friends. Messages sent through Snapchat disappear from the receiver's phone after a short time. The sender chooses up to 10 seconds as the limit. Snap a picture, draw or write on top of it if you like, choose the amount of time the recipient can see it, and send away. Just bear in mind that all digital media is reproducible, and that you should never send anything illicit, private, or anything meant to be secure through this entertainment app. Snapchat Stories last a bit longer—a whole day!
Twitter
Free
For a long time, Twitter Inc., the company that owns the 140-character social network, didn't make its own app. Dozens of third parties did, however, but not all the resulting apps were worth using. So when Twitter released its official Twitter app—and it worked well and loaded quickly!—users folded the new tool into their iPhones happily. If you tweet, it's a no-brainer to have this app. If you don't tweet and have been on the fence about joining the masses, the iPhone app makes it easy and convenient to get on board.
Weather Underground
Free
Sure, iOS has a Weather app, but you should forsake it because Weather Underground, our Editors' Choice for iPhone weather apps, is far better. It succeeds because it sticks to what it does best: clearly presenting lots of hyper-local information in a simple and highly customizable interface. The rich data in this excellent app will keep the most info-hungry meteorology geek satisfied.
Yelp
Free
The most comprehensive business-reviewing app, Yelp turns out to be an invaluable tool for finding restaurants, stores, and services nearby, especially when you're in a town you don't know well. Yelp's mobile app has helped Jill find a hairdresser when she was in a pinch in Washington D.C. and a suitable lunch while driving through Ohio. Michael finds the restaurant ratings consistently reliable. And you can find good local spots worldwide with it, not just in the US.