There are millions of apps; we use about fifteen. This list doesn’t aim to be exhaustive, but honest: eight apps available on Android and iOS that solve real everyday problems, almost all with a free version.
Assistants and AI
1. Gemini / ChatGPT / Claude
AI assistants have become the phone’s Swiss army knife: they write, translate, summarize PDFs, plan trips. Practical tip: pick one and learn it well (voice shortcuts, integrations); having three installed just splits the usefulness.
2. Google Photos
The AI editor (erase objects, fix blurry shots) and search by description (“the invoice I photographed in March”) make it the gallery app that saves you the most invisible work. On iPhone it coexists perfectly with the native app.
Productivity
3. Notion
Notes, lists, databases and now AI agents that fill in and organize for you. It’s the most flexible “second brain”; the learning curve pays for itself.
4. Todoist
If Notion is too much, this is the perfect to-do list: you type “pay bill every 5th” and the app understands the recurrence. Flawless across platforms.
Finance and shopping
5. Splitwise
Shared expenses with no drama: trips, home, dinners. It keeps track of who owes what and settles up with one tap.
6. Keepa
Essential if you shop on Amazon: it shows the price history of any product and alerts you when it drops. Ideal for catching a phone from our comparison on sale.
Health and lifestyle
7. Sleep Cycle
It analyzes your sleep from the nightstand and wakes you in the light phase. One of the few health apps whose effect you notice in the first week.
8. Too Good To Go
Food from restaurants and bakeries at a third of the price at the end of the day. It saves money, reduces waste and, along the way, you discover local spots.
How did we choose? Three criteria: that it works equally well on Android and iOS, that the free version is genuinely useful, and that we use it ourselves after the article. Each month we’ll update the Apps category with new picks that pass that filter.
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