New iPhone? Here are some great apps to get you started into iOS

You got a new iPhone, huh? Good luck with the headphone situation. It's really not so bad once you get used to it but I would suggest using those new gift cards to get a pair of bluetooth headphones. Thankfully, no matter how Apple changes the hardware, the iPhone still has some of the best useful apps. I picked a few of my favorites. It's going to be great, trust me. Dongles are a small price to pay for this sweet ecosystem.


NETFLIX

I know, you were probably going to download this without my prompting. But were you aware Netflix now has offline playback? Because that changes the whole game. You just pull up whatever you want to watch, tap a bunch of episodes for download, and enjoy them at your leisure. Not everything is available for offline. But Terrace House is. I guess I'm saying you should watch Terrace House.


KHAN ACADEMY

Wanna be more smart about math and science and stuff? Khan Academy has been learning me good for years, but recently the iPhone app has gotten a lot better. You can watch lessons and even take quizzes offline. And there is so much to learn, all for free.


AUDIBLE

I love audiobooks. Audible gets me audiobooks. It's a little annoying on iOS (and completely Apple's fault) that you have to do all your book shopping in the web browser, then pop back to the Audible app to download the book. But it's fine, whatever. Books! I have lots of them.


GOOGLE PHOTOS

I am guessing one of the top 5 reasons you got an iPhone was because of the camera and you would be right. If you are going to take tons of selfies, pictures of friends and family, and videos of awesome randomness, wouldn't it be a shame to lose them if you break or lose your phone. With Google Photos you can backup all your pictures and videos when you are connected to Wi-Fi without you having to do anything, it does it for you with unlimited storage at HD resolution.


DARK SKY

Besides social media, the second most checked thing on a smartphone is weather and rightfully so. Who wants to get caught un-prepared later in the day when bad weather rolls in. I have been using Dark Sky since it came out and it is consistently the best weather app for your region, but better yet your direct local area. It can send you notifications when it will rain or snow in the next couple of minutes, tell you later in the day almost exactly when it will rain or snow as well. It does cost to purchase but with how much you are going to use it, it pays for itself in the first week.

1PASSWORD

Using only one password and login guarantees that one day you will be hacked and thieves will have all of your information so it's best to have more than one login and password for the many apps and sites you use. But who can remember all of them. 1Password can. A password vault that works with a master password and Touch ID to store all your information from thousands of sites. It can also keep notes you wish to keep away from prying eyes. Plus it has a backup system so if you lose or break your phone, when you re-download the app it can sync your kept information.


PHOTOSCAN

Have old actual photos you want to store digitally (using Google Photos as a back up!) but don't own a scanner. That's ok, you don't need to buy one either. PhotoScan takes a very detailed digital picture of your actual picture so incase you have a disaster hit your home, you have a digital version of the last remaining photo of your great grand parents on their wedding day.


OUTLOOK

Look, Apple’s built-in email app just isn’t that great. But Microsoft’s Outlook app is. So download that instead and experience fast, great email. Plus it has a great built in calendar.

MOTION STILLS

One of the best apps of 2016, Google’s Motion Photos app is perfect for any new iPhone 6s or 7 owners, turning Apple’s Live Photos into animated GIFs that are way more fun to share with friends.