I recently shared my top ten list of Apple and non-Apple tech. This time, I’m following up with some of my favorite third-party apps for iPhone and Mac.
In putting this piece together, I realized that I don’t often use apps purely for entertainment. On both iPhone and Mac, the vast majority of my choices perform a useful function.
### iPhone Apps
**CityMapper**
Both Apple Maps and Google Maps have improved over the years at helping navigate cities using public transit. Many cities also have their own transit authority apps. However, when it comes to traveling, you can’t beat the convenience of a single app with a familiar user interface that works across many different cities.
Citymapper supports walking and cycling as well as all the various types of public transit options within a city. It has also proved extremely reliable in my experience, especially when it comes to being aware of delays and closures that might affect your journey.
**Beeline**
My one exception for entertainment is Beeline, which I use for cycling. It leverages crowdsourced ratings for cycling routes to help find preferred paths, and this can make a big difference.
I also love the compass mode for those times when I have a destination but want to allow serendipity to take me there. In this mode, you get a single arrow pointing directly toward your destination, allowing you to wind your way through back streets, always heading roughly in the right direction but without strict turn-by-turn directions.
**Blackmagic Camera**
As the owner of two Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K units, it’s no surprise that the company’s iPhone app is my favorite way to shoot video on the device. Blackmagic Design is a genius at allowing full control over your shooting while keeping the user interface minimalist and logical.
The iPhone app UI closely mirrors the company’s hardware controls. For times when I don’t have time for full manual control and need run-and-gun shooting, I use **Final Cut Camera** as an alternative. It is just as easy to use as the stock camera app but allows you to record directly to an external SSD.
**Libby**
I do include one pure entertainment app: Libby. This app lets you borrow ebooks and audiobooks from your local library. Popular new releases often require joining a waiting list, but it can save you a significant amount of money compared to purchasing books.
For me, one huge advantage is being willing to try books where the purchase price might seem like too much of a gamble. Libby makes exploring new reads easier and more affordable.
**Awesome Habits**
Trying to form new habits—whether exercising more, sticking to a calorie-controlled diet, reading more books, journaling, or just taking a daily walk—can be much easier than sticking to them daily.
The Awesome Habits app is a simple but highly effective way to track how well you maintain your daily goals. Once you’ve entered your habits, the app displays a badge counter showing how many habits you haven’t completed yet each day. This acts as a constant reminder to open the app and check what is left to do.
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### Mac Apps
**Aqua Voice**
I’ve only been using Aqua Voice for a couple of months, but it has quickly become my absolute favorite Mac utility. It is an incredibly accurate voice dictation service that has revolutionized how I use my Mac.
(Check out my full piece on Aqua Voice for more information.) For now, suffice it to say that I am dictating this article, as I do most of my work these days.
**PhraseExpress**
When TextExpander moved to a subscription model, I looked for alternatives and found PhraseExpress. This is the app I’ve been using ever since. It lets me maintain a large collection of standard macro texts that I can insert with just a few key presses.
It is worth noting that PhraseExpress is a port of a Windows app, so the user interface looks somewhat dated. But it more than makes up for that in functionality.
**NordVPN**
VPN apps obviously offer protection when using public Wi-Fi hotspots, but they serve some other important purposes for me as well.
As a UK-based writer for a predominantly American site, I often need to ensure I’m viewing the US version of websites. Connecting to a US server via VPN is an easy way to do this.
Additionally, some TV shows and movies are available on US streaming services but not in the UK. Using a VPN generally allows me to watch these programs.
NordVPN is my preferred service for a couple of reasons:
– **Privacy:** NordVPN keeps no logs and undergoes third-party audits to verify this.
– **Reliability:** It has consistently been the most reliable service in staying ahead in the cat-and-mouse game between streaming services and VPNs. On the rare occasions an IP address gets detected by a streaming service, switching servers or trying again the next day usually works.
**Scrivener**
In my view, Scrivener is hands-down the best writing app ever created. It’s been over a decade since I first reviewed it here, but everything I said then still applies today.
Scrivener is fantastic for structuring your writing. It allows easy switching between different sections or viewing more than one section at the same time.
I also love how I can keep all my research, notes, saved webpages, and everything else I might need, all within the same app as my writing.
I’ve used Scrivener to write three novels and am currently using it for a non-fiction book. I wouldn’t dream of writing a book in anything else.
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What are some of your favorite third-party iPhone and Mac apps? Please share your recommendations in the comments below!
https://9to5mac.com/2025/10/24/here-are-some-of-my-favorite-third-party-apps-for-iphone-and-mac/