These iOS-only apps require an Android version

Say what you will about the iOS vs. Android debate, but the iPhone boasts a formidable software platform. iPhone works seamlessly with other Apple products and offerings, offering features and tools that Android smartphone owners could only dream of. Among other things, it includes a host of iOS-only apps.

Sure, some iOS apps will eventually come to Android as well. The Arc Search browser is a great recent example. But many people don’t travel and leave Android users out in the cold.

In a fit of jealousy, I combed through the App Store catalog to find some of the best iOS-only apps that I hope to bring to Android someday. It may be just a picture, but it’s fun to dream. Check out the apps below.

I’m a bit obsessed with flight tracking. When you’re on the ground, use FlightRadar24 to watch birds overhead. However, Android lacks a good flight details organizer and updater. iPhone users do not have this issue.

Flighty is an iOS-only app that provides the information you need before flying, before boarding, and after landing. This includes departure details and changes, check-in alerts, and weather information. We also offer alternative flights, the ability to live share with loved ones, and fun gamification features to tally your virtual flight miles. One of the features I like the most is how it handles delays. This app provides predictions and explains why your flight won’t land on time. These small details help reduce my high-flying anxiety at the airport.

I don’t know why Flighty isn’t available on Android. Very few apps like this exist, so it will be a very popular addition to the Play Store. There are no plans to introduce an Android version.

leave descendants

Procreate is the reason so many artists choose iPads over Android tablets. At its core, it’s a bitmap graphics editor that allows artists to create sketches, digital paintings, and practice their illustration style. Procreate fully supports Apple Pencil with different pressure levels and precision adjustments for the stylus.

It’s available for iPad and iPhone (as Procreate Pocket), making it truly multi-platform. We also appreciate the demand for one-time fee purchases. A relatively small investment of $12.99 unlocks current and future features on the iPad, and a fee of $5.99 unlocks the iPhone version.

More importantly, the company doesn’t offer any AI smarts within the app for those who value human-made art. Everything made there is handmade. I like this approach to software, especially in 2024.

There’s no sign of Procreate making the leap to Android, perhaps due to the huge variety of stylus offerings from OEMs. The most likely partner would be Samsung and its S Pen-compatible Galaxy Tab series. Nevertheless, while there is no shortage of drawing apps for Android, none come close to Procreate’s toolbox.

As the name suggests, Drafts is an app designed for jotting down short snippets of text and notes. It’s not a pure notes app, but it does include markup, easy organization options with folders, and tagging features. It also supports deep linking, so you can use it as a knowledge base app. It’s also cross-device within the Apple ecosystem, making it very useful for sharing texts between Mac, iPad, and iPhone.

The draft’s focus on writing first and organizing later appealed to me. Its clean design also minimizes distractions. This is an aspect of my personality that prevents me from using Notion for productivity.

Drafts is free to use, but a Pro subscription unlocks even more features, including automation, email forwarding capabilities, custom syntax, and more.

fantastic

There are many calendar apps on Android, but there is one feature that none of them offer. It’s natural language support. It is much easier to create events and tasks by entering event details than manually creating events using forms. Fantastic offers all this and more.

This iOS-only app has one of the best calendar timeline layouts called DayTicker, which seamlessly meshes weather details, to-dos, and calendar events in one scroll. There are also a number of widgets for the things you think are most important. This is especially appreciated since calendar management on Android smartphones now consists entirely of widgets.

Fantastical’s business model has one dark side to this. The free version has removed features in favor of the premium model, and many users are understandably dissatisfied. Given that the Android market is much more saturated, we don’t expect Fantastical to jump on Google’s side. However, I’d love to see some of its features make it into current apps.

If you don’t like the simplicity of Drafts and want more emphasis on structure, Bear Notes is the app for you. This app really gives Notion value for money. It features markdown support, image insertion, and Apple Pencil support, so you can add cute little drawings to your personal diary. The latter two features make this product stand out.

Bear Notes can be used for a variety of tasks, but it’s perfect as a digital mundane book, a digital recipe book, or as a supplementary notepad for the novel or nonfiction book you’re currently reading.

One bummer is that it’s not available as a web app. This is definitely a boon for owners of Android and Windows devices. However, it is cross-device within the Apple ecosystem.

thing 3

As the name suggests, Things is a powerful app for managing all your notes, to-dos, long-term goals, plans, and more. It includes a number of organizational features, allowing users to arrange tasks within different projects, specific plans, and life spheres. Users can use tags to further categorize items, integrate calendars, and set recurring to-dos.

While we appreciate the simple, minimalist design of Things, understanding the app and its limitations provides deeper functionality. It also offers a single price for feature-to-feature integration between iPhone and Apple Watch. Android has a lot of to-do apps, but they’re either too granular or too simple for balance.

There are many dedicated camera apps for iPhone and iPad, and Halide is one of them. This is aimed at more serious pocket photographers who want more control over their device’s hardware. Key features include the ability to choose the level of image processing, a macro mode powered by AI upscaling technology, a RAW shortcut for snapping images directly from the sensor, and a new lock screen shortcut for those who don’t want these. There is. To miss a moment. Halide doesn’t focus on video, but its companion app, Kino, steps in there.

Halide is made specifically with Apple products in mind, so it may not be available on Android camera phones. The latter has too many variables, including camera hardware and software.

Reeder advertises itself as a content aggregator of articles, videos, and podcasts that may be of interest to you. The idea is so great. Reeder lists all the content in your consumables timeline instead of navigating from app to app. What’s even more interesting is that your last position on the timeline is also synced across devices, making it easy to pick up where you left off. In particular, if you want a pure RSS reader, you can rely on Reeder Classic, but there are plenty of RSS readers available on Android.

Feedly and Inoreader also support video and podcast feeds, but be aware that they’re not as seamless. There may also be some conflicts between these two platforms.

The iPhone Shortcuts app takes iOS utility up a notch. It provides exactly what it sounds like: a list of shortcuts and automations that are triggered in context or in response to a prompt. For example, you can create a shortcut that triggers a message to a loved one when you clock in or leave work. No user interaction is required, making shortcuts like this even more useful for people who are always a little busy. These shortcuts can also be run by commanding Siri, giving users another way to control their devices. The app also works perfectly with the iPhone action button.

While there is no equivalent to native Android shortcuts, there are several third-party alternatives, some of which have too steep a learning curve for my liking. Shortcuts never see the light of day on the Play Store as they are designed by Apple for Apple products. However, I wouldn’t be upset if Google integrated a similar feature into Android.

garage band

If Procreate is an iOS-only platform for graphic artists, Garageband is for musicians. Developed by Cupertino exclusively for the Apple platform, Garageband is essentially a pocket recording studio. It allows budding musicians to create music and podcasts effortlessly, offering support for multiple tracks, audio loop creation, and tons of effects. The biggest trump card is that it features a real instrument synthesizer and a large number of drum types. and. If you have a physical keyboard or guitar, you can connect it to a supported amplifier.

Considering Garageband was created by Apple for Apple products, it’s unlikely that it will ever be ported to Android. That’s a shame. Few digital audio workstation apps are as widely used on Android.

Step advertises itself as a travel curator app. Basically, it strips the mapping app of its core features like trending spots, tourist attractions, and points of interest. Users can create their own guides and share them with other users on the platform.

This social element also facilitates a nifty city guide feature that provides a curated list of places to visit within a particular city. It can be said to be a travel app for influencers. Even if it’s a pros or a con, it’s up to you to decide. Still, I appreciate Steppe’s unique take on the journey. The app is free, but a phone number is required when creating an account.

Paste is a very nifty app. It’s an endless clipboard app that records everything you copy to your iPhone and makes it available to other Apple products without your intervention. It’s much more secure than you might think, especially since your data is stored locally and in your iCloud account. It also integrates with Siri and the iOS keyboard, making it a powerful tool.

Paste is great if you regularly exchange texts between multiple devices, use a standard set of text strings or messages, or want a nifty way to manage read-later links. It’s a solution.