These are a few of the apps I continue to use daily and why I recommend them (listed in alphabetical order). These are all worth the price.

DayOne: I started using this app in 2011 and wrote a blog post about it in 2012. I use this Journal to note special events, ideas, milestones, any medical issues I want to track, quotes from TV shows, etc. You can add multiple pictures to an entry, add audio, or just type your entry. If you add a picture, it will ask if you want to change the date/time to that of the picture you’re uploading. You can also add a code to open your Journal if you want an extra layer of security – a little more secure than our old key lock diaries. (Apple Watch app too.)

Deliveries – a package tracker: I initially purchased this app after a friend recommended it, and it has more functionality than I expected. If you allow access to your calendar, it’s a great way to keep track of when things are going to arrive and is a great reference if you need to check when you last ordered something. When I receive an email that an item has shipped, I copy the tracking number, open the app, and it will sense what’s on your clip board and ask if that’s what you want to add. When I paste the tracking number, it will guess if it’s FedEx, UPS, USPS, or an Amazon delivery, I confirm if correct, and then add a description of the delivery (like Vitamins). You’ll get alerts as your shipment departs each point on its journey until it arrives at your door.

eWallet: This app is made by Ilium Software. I started using eWallet in 2000 on a Compaq iPaq device. This secure file kept all of my network credentials for our field offices when I helped with installation and support. Ilium has been updating this app over the years, and it still a great way to keep your personal information in a secure, 256-bit AES encrypted file. It has templates setup for a variety of uses: passwords, prescriptions, insurance info, credit card numbers, website logins, free form cards, etc. I have eWallet on my Mac and it synchronizes to my iPad and iPhone. (Not to be confused with Apple’s Wallet app.)

Just Press Record: I liked JPR because the interface was better than Apple’s Voice Memo app, and for the last few years you’ve been able to add it as a complication on your watch to record audio. With the latest version of Apple Watch OS 6, you can now add a complication for the native Voice Memo app. I’m not ready to switch back to Voice Memo because I still prefer JPR’s interface and how it stores the files.

MoviePro: I prefer to record video with this app because you can pause and restart recording. I wish they would make the pause button bigger. It also gives you a lot of control and additional options for video settings and preferences.

NetVibes (free): I first read about NetVibes in Wired Magazine in 2008. You create pages and then add modules you want to scrape. Below is a screenshot of my Technology page. Some websites have created a module/app, and some have to be setup as RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds. You can change the settings of each module to show more entries, show the first line of each entry, etc. You can modify how it looks with a theme and color scheme. (Google had a similar product for a few years, but deleted it.)

Pillow: There are many sleep apps out there—AutoSleep, SleepCycle, Pillow, etc. I’ve tried four, but I keep coming back to Pillow for the auto watch functionality and the information reporting format. Your Apple Watch can track your movements while sleeping, your heart rate, and type of sleep. It will feed this data into the Health app. Apple Watch 4 and above are better at tracking sleep because of the accelerometer and gyroscope, and have longer battery life. I put my watch into movie mode so it won’t light up at night unless I tap it. Since it actively tracks your heart rate, it can alert you when you’re asleep if it detects unusual heart activity, including Afib.

PDF Expert: PDF Expert will run on your iPhone, iPad, and your Mac. You can blackline documents and then flatten them to email or text. You can also import your signature which is very accurate with the Apple Pencil. You can also easily annotate documents.

Scanner Pro: I have recommended this program for years. Using your iPhone’s camera to take a scan of a document is very easy–the secret is to turn off the overhead lights (glare). You can take a picture and send a scan right from iMessage if you add the app. You can easily store these multi page, high quality scans within the Scanner Pro app (synchronize to your iCloud). You can use the Scanner Pro app to share your scan via email, print, upload to a folder in the Cloud, etc. You can also send a fax–you pay by the page. The native iPhone has document scanning in two places that I can find. One is email (swipe for options on the keyboard, and it’s the fifth icon over) and in Notes (click on the camera icon within a note, and you can add a document scan or photo). It doesn’t save these scans anywhere that I can find. Scanner Pro’s functionality is worth the $4.99 I paid for it a few years ago.

Unfade Picture Scanner: This app uses your iPhone camera to “scan” your photo. For older photos, you can apply “Unfade” settings with a variety of filters. It also lets you set the date of the picture and location. You can export the photos to your Camera Roll or save in albums within the app. I tried a few of these apps, and this is my favorite due to ease of use and functionality. The featured image for this blog post is from Unfade and is an old picture of me on a Rhode Island beach. (Note: Scanner Pro will scan color photos, but you then have to export it as a JPEG. Scanner Pro doesn’t have the filters to bring your old photo back to life either.)

Video2Photo: I was shopping for an app that could take a frame of a video and save as a picture. This app does that, frame by frame. Below is a sample picture saved from a frame of a diving video. Nice job Rick!

What apps do you still use daily?