Some apps are like a Swiss Army knife, capable of doing all kinds of things. But others are a mite simpler – and that sense of focus can be a boon. The latter type is what we’re digging into in this collection of single-purpose apps.
We’ve selected 20 App Store greats, which have two things in common: they do one thing, and they do it really well.
Acrylic ($0.69/49p)
For Home Screens, pictures distract but flat color bores. Acrylic hits a sweet spot, with its sleek – and unique – gradient-based wallpapers that you generate with a couple of taps.
Barcodes ($1.99/£1.49 per month or $14.99/£10.99 lifetime)
Got a wallet packed with membership and loyalty cards? Store them in this app instead. Barcodes even ramps up the screen brightness to ensure successful scans when the moment comes.
Been (free or $2.29/£1.99)
Track where you’ve been, lived and want to go, by tapping a map. Then happily watch a globe rotate, while looking at all the brightly colored areas that you’ll get to someday.
BFT – Bear Focus Timer ($1.99/£1.99)
Focus on tasks by setting off a timer that starts when your iPhone is placed face down. Pick it back up before the alert sounds and a cartoon bear scowls at you. Do well and you get reward cards instead.
Bin Day Alert ($1.99/£1.99)
Always forgetting to take out the trash, even when there’s a recurring event in Calendar? Try Bin Day Alert instead, to track which bins go out on what days, and never miss a pick-up again.
BirdNET (free)
Be the envy of your friends (who care about birds) by sneakily using this app to (usually) correctly identify which of your feathered friends are nearby, just from their calls.
Brian Eno: Reflection ($30.99/£29.99)
Imagine you locked Brian Eno inside your iPhone. The result would be a lot like Reflection, which is a relaxing, endless, slowly evolving ambient album twinned with a piece of digital art.
Cloud Battery (free or $4.99/£4.99)
It’s annoying when you pick up a device and discover it’s out of juice. This app helps you keep track of battery levels across all your devices through the power of iCloud and widgets.
Croissant ($19.99/£19.99 per year)
Since Elon Musk set fire to Twitter, social networking has fragmented. Fortunately, the post-only Croissant lets you send missives to Threads, Bluesky and Mastodon – and then avoid reading any of them.
ez Unguided Meditation Timer (free or $1.99/£1.99)
Improve your mental health with this simple but effective meditation timer and tracker. And unlike many of its contemporaries, it won’t then bring back your stress by demanding money.
Get ez Unguided Meditation Timer
Hey Me, Remind Me (free)
You might feel deluged with alerts, but make room for a few more. Why? Because this app’s alerts are about keeping you on track (or reminding yourself you’re awesome) a handful of times per day.
Memories (free or $1.99/£1.99)
This app lets you fine-tune your Photos collection in a manageable way. Browse photos taken on any date across the years, and prune your collection when you find 37 photos of your thumb.
Snbd (free or $3.99/£3.99)
It would be very silly indeed to use a thousand-buck phone to play stupid noises. So, er, totally don’t download Snbd and have a blast making your phone emit goose honks for an entire afternoon. Ahem.
Solstice (free)
Whether you’re keen to soak in golden hour or get a lift when the days start to lengthen, Solstice is a superb daylight tracker. There’s even a SAD option to stop alerts when the days grow shorter.
Sticker Drop Maker Studio ($0.99/99p)
Some time ago, Apple made it simple to ‘lift’ subjects from images. This app then lets you turn those pictures into stickers you can use to delight/annoy your friends in Messenger.
Tameno ($3.99/£3.99)
This one’s very specific: a timer that repeats intervals until you have it stop. The creator uses it to time brushing his teeth and watering plants. We’re sure you can think of many additional uses.
Time Zone Pro ($4.99/£4.99)
The iPhone Clock app has long included a world clock. But this app twins locations with people, making it a cinch to spot what time it is where a distant friend or colleague lives.
Up Ahead ($9.99/£9.99 per year or $29.99/£29.99 lifetime)
There are dozens of countdown apps, and Calendar lets you create events. But Up Ahead is ideal for really important stuff, due to its vibrant tiles, handy widgets and excellent timeline.
WhatsPlaying (free)
When you’d like to find out more about that great track that’s playing in Apple Music, fire up this app. It’ll provide Wikipedia links to the song, artist and album. Simple. Effective.
Xe (free)
This app’s been a trusted option for years when you need to track currency exchange rates. You can save your favorite currencies with ease and view historical trends as easy-to-read charts.