Best Apps to Install First on a New iPhone
Apr 24, 2026
A new iPhone comes with Apple’s own apps already installed, and most of them are fine. But the apps that genuinely improve how you use your phone day to day — the ones you end up reaching for constantly — are third-party ones you install yourself.
Here are the best apps to install first on a new iPhone, organised by what they actually do for you.
Writing and Communication
Omera — AI Keyboard
The highest-impact app you can install on a new iPhone is a better keyboard. The default Apple keyboard is functional, but it does nothing to improve the quality of what you write.
Omera is an AI keyboard replacement that works inside every app on your phone. Write an email, a WhatsApp message, or a text — tap once and Omera corrects grammar, sharpens the phrasing, adjusts your tone, and can translate into other languages if you need it.
For anyone who communicates professionally from their phone, this is the most useful tool on the list. Install it, set it as your default keyboard, and every message you send from that moment on is better.
Once you have installed it:
- Go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards
- Tap Add New Keyboard and select Omera
- Enable Allow Full Access
Download Omera on the App Store.
Productivity and Organisation
Todoist — Task Manager
Todoist is the best task manager for iPhone. Clean, fast, and synced across every device, it handles everything from simple to-do lists to complex projects with deadlines, priorities, and shared tasks. The natural language input — type “Call dentist Thursday at 2pm” and it sets the task, date, and time automatically — makes adding tasks fast enough that you actually do it.
Notion — Notes and Knowledge Base
For anything more substantial than a quick note — project planning, reference documents, long-form writing — Notion is the most flexible tool available. It takes a little setup to get the most out of, but once configured it handles more than most dedicated apps do separately.
1Password — Password Manager
A password manager is essential and worth installing on day one. 1Password generates strong unique passwords for every account, fills them automatically on iPhone, and syncs securely across devices. The alternative — reusing passwords or using weak ones — is a risk that compounds over time.
Travel and Maps
Google Maps — Navigation
Apple Maps has improved significantly in recent years, but Google Maps still has better coverage, more reliable traffic data, and better public transit directions in most cities outside major markets. Worth having as a second option even if you prefer Apple Maps by default.
Citymapper — Public Transit
For navigating public transit in major cities, Citymapper is significantly better than either Apple Maps or Google Maps. Real-time updates, step-by-step directions that account for delays, and clear walking instructions make it indispensable in cities it supports.
Reading and News
Pocket — Read-It-Later
Pocket saves articles from any app or browser with a single tap, strips away the clutter, and syncs to a clean reading list you can access offline. If you find yourself opening tabs you mean to read later and never do, Pocket solves that problem.
Reeder — RSS Reader
For following specific websites and writers without the noise of social media, a good RSS reader is worth the small learning curve. Reeder is the best one for iPhone — fast, clean, and syncs with most RSS services.
Health and Wellbeing
Oura — Sleep and Recovery
If you use an Oura ring, the companion app is excellent. If you do not, the Apple Health app built into your iPhone is a capable tracker on its own — just make sure any fitness or health apps you use are set to share data with it.
The Short List
If you only install a handful of apps immediately, make them these:
- Omera — better keyboard across every app
- Todoist — task management that actually works
- 1Password — essential security from day one
- Google Maps — better transit and navigation coverage
- Pocket — save articles to read properly later
The keyboard is the one that makes the biggest difference to daily use, because you use it in every other app on the list.
