Ten unexpectedly useful iPhone apps

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Ten unexpectedly useful iPhone apps

While there are millions of iPhone apps, not all of them are useful. We spotlight ten apps that we found not only to be useful, but unexpectedly so.

Published: August 13, 2018 -- 12:51 GMT (05:51 PDT)
Photo by: Unsplash/ZDNet

Caption by: David Gewirtz
PhotoScan by Google

This free app does a great job of scanning in photos while removing the glare. It's much better than a straight image shot with the iPhone's camera.

Published: August 13, 2018 -- 12:51 GMT (05:51 PDT)
Photo by: Google

Caption by: David Gewirtz
PushBullet

This is a great tool for sending info from your desktop to your phone. Grab a URL and PushBullet it. Grab some text and PushBullet. It's also free.

Published: August 13, 2018 -- 12:51 GMT (05:51 PDT)
Photo by: PushBullet, Inc.

Caption by: David Gewirtz
Fing network scanner

Fing is a great tool if you want to quickly see what's on your network. If I'm trying to locate an IP address for a device on my local LAN, I Fing it and find it.

Published: August 13, 2018 -- 12:51 GMT (05:51 PDT)
Photo by: Fing Limited

Caption by: David Gewirtz
Smart Tools Pro

Smart Tools Pro is a great package of 16 measuring tools, including a level, an angle guide, and more.

Published: August 13, 2018 -- 12:51 GMT (05:51 PDT)
Photo by: NextEdge2017

Caption by: David Gewirtz
Overcast

Overcast is a great podcatcher (a podcast player). What makes it special is it works on your phone, on your watch, and even in CarPlay. Pay an optional $10 to nuke the ads.

Published: August 13, 2018 -- 12:51 GMT (05:51 PDT)
Photo by: Overcast Radio LLC

Caption by: David Gewirtz
JustWatch

Ever wanted to find a show or a movie, but didn't know what streaming service it was on? JustWatch has you covered. They call themselves a streaming search engine, and it's free.

Published: August 13, 2018 -- 12:51 GMT (05:51 PDT)
Photo by: JustWatch GMBH

Caption by: David Gewirtz
Files from Apple

Ok, I know Files is a native iPhone app, but it's been unexpectedly useful. In concert with Mac desktop sharing, I've found it insanely powerful. If I save a file on my desktop, it's available to me on my phone. You owe it to yourself to try it.

Published: August 13, 2018 -- 12:51 GMT (05:51 PDT)
Photo by: Apple

Caption by: David Gewirtz
AnyList

AnyList is quite possibly the best list manager on any platform. It not only manages lists smoothly, it captures and stores recipes. We looked long and hard for something that stands out in this category, and AnyList is it. Free, with premium option.

Published: August 13, 2018 -- 12:51 GMT (05:51 PDT)
Photo by: Purple Cover, Inc

Caption by: David Gewirtz
Wikipedia

While there are many clones, the Wikimedia Foundation produces its own, excellent Wikipedia app. Like all Wikimedia Foundation resources, it's free and incredibly useful.

Published: August 13, 2018 -- 12:51 GMT (05:51 PDT)
Photo by: Wikimedia Foundation

Caption by: David Gewirtz
Remote Mouse Pro

Go ahead an spend the $1.99 to remove ads on this unexpectedly useful app. You install a tiny bit of software on your Mac or PC, and then you can use your phone as a trackpad, a voice dictation device, and a remote keyboard.

Published: August 13, 2018 -- 12:51 GMT (05:51 PDT)
Photo by: Remote Mouse

Caption by: David Gewirtz

With millions of iPhone apps, how do you know which will be useful? In this gallery, we've identified 10 apps that you may not be able to live without.