Chances are, your iPhone is already loaded with favorites like Facebook, Spotify and TwoDots, but there’s a wealth of exciting software to be found when you dig a bit deeper. The App Store is loaded with gems that will upgrade your iPhone for free or just a few bucks, whether you want to turn your handset into an intuitive filing assistant or a powerful camera. Here are our picks for the 15 best iPhone apps you’re not using yet.
Sleepio
Insomnia is a vicious cycle — you become stressed when you can’t get to sleep, and that stress, in turn, prevents you from ever falling asleep. Sleepio is your own personal sleep coach, helping you break through those sleepless nights and wake refreshed. The advice is personalized to your needs, using the app’s own sleep questionnaire paired with any available sleeping data from trackers such as UP, Fitbit or Bodymedia. Your own program is then generated, helping you overcome your sleeping roadblocks and get a full night’s sleep.
Google Translate
Language barriers can make international travel intimidating, but Google’s Translate app will have you naturally conversing with the locals in seconds. The app can listen to two different languages and translate in real time, allowing you to set your phone on a table and simply chat with a foreign-language friend. Point your phone’s camera at a billboard or sign, and the new Word Lens feature will instantly translate the text to your language — no Internet connection required.
Overcast
Podcasts are radio reinvented, with the buzz causing water cooler talk about Adnan Syed’s innocence or guilt to overshadow the latest episode of The Walking Dead. To join the fray of loyal listeners, you’ll need a full-featured podcast app to access all your favorite shows. Overcast is the latest app by Tumblr co-creator Marco Arment, and it offers features such as Smart Speed, Voice Boost and cross-device episode syncing.
EasilyDo
EasilyDo is your own virtual personal assistant, helping you manage your entire digital life. Simply attach your calendar and email account, and EasilyDo will monitor for upcoming trips and events, new contacts, shipment notifications, and other useful information. This smart app will auto-dial you into conference calls and bring up LinkedIn profiles of attendees, or RSVP to invitations. It’ll show you directions and weather forecasts. You can even get daily recaps of the top Instagram and Facebook content from your feeds, making sure you never miss an important post.
Breeze
Breeze is a free app by RunKeeper that helps you stay active by tracking your activity using your iPhone’s A7 chip. But unlike competitors, Breeze customizes your daily goal based on your previous week’s activity, giving you encouragement to constantly break your own records rather than achieve some arbitrary pre-set step number. You can view your daily activity level against the current time, so it’s easy to tell if you’ve been slacking on a particular day. Breeze strips out all the unnecessary charts and graphs, leaving you with just the motivation to keep on moving.
VSCO Cam
Take better pictures than ever on your iPhone, thanks to VSCO Cam. With the updated app for iOS 8, you’ll be able to manually tweak settings such as focus, shutter speed, white balance and exposure compensation. Separate the focus and exposure rings for better photo composition. After the shot, edit your image with the app’s tools and adjust the strength of each fix with a slider, and share your masterpiece with VSCO’s community or Facebook and Instagram.
Dayre
It’s like Tumblr for your phone but prettier. Record snippets of your life by taking a photo, video, sound clip or jotting down some notes. Then, publish it to a site made for you by Dayre, which also gives you a personal URL so your friends can follow your exploits. The built-in stickers and beautiful designs make blogging a simple, happy affair.
While most carriers offer unlimited texting, sending messages over your smartphone’s stock app is usually a plain and limiting experience. The free WeChat app offers a sleek all-in-one portal for sending texts, making video and voice calls, leaving voice messages, and partaking in group chats. It doesn’t end there, as WeChat packs loads of animated emoticons and a walkie-talkie feature that lets you tap to talk with up to 40 friends. WeChat uses your phone’s data plan, but you can enjoy all of its features for free over Wi-Fi.
Wikitude
Thanks to Wikitude, you’ll never be bored in your city again. This augmented-reality (AR) app pulls up information on bars, restaurants and landmarks based on what your camera sees. With Wikitude’s filters, you can set the app to only find you the best pubs or most interesting events going on in your area. And in case you get bored strolling around town, the app packs a variety of AR games, like “Alien Attack” and “Bubble Tap,” that let you have some fun with your surroundings.
Doorsteps Swipe
Touted as Tinder for real estate, this app is a savior for those looking for a new apartment or house. Houses or rooms are presented in a deck of cards and you swipe left or right to save or pass respectively. Even if you’re not in the market for a new place, Doorsteps Swipe can give you a good idea of what is available. It also studies your swiping behavior to tell you what kind of houses you have tended to pick. Search houses in your immediate vicinity based on your location, or draw up a region on the app’s map.
