Photo: The Image Bank (Getty Images)
Phones do so much for our lives. They act as a home for our media and communications. They give us windows into the world, whether that be through YouTube videos, online articles, or the lens of a camera. Sometimes, they can even entertain our cats. No matter what we need them to do, phones wouldn’t work without apps. They’re the programs that fuel the potential of our little iPhones. Some cost money, but most are free. Some of the most useful that cost money may even become free iPhone apps over time. Those are the types of apps we’ll be dealing with here.
Generally, if you’re paying for an iOS app, you expect a certain level of quality. That’s what makes deals like this so great. You don’t have to spend any of your hard-earned dollars, and these useful tools get more eyeballs and perhaps a few good reviews out of the deal. (Either that or a few more customers for their in-app payments.) It really depends on the type of app you’re downloading. From photo filters to augmented reality and rotating wallpapers, here are a sextet of previously premium apps that you can now get for no money down.
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6 Paid iPhone Apps Free
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Art Filters +
If there's one thing that phone photographers like, it's photo filters. A new color palette can turn a horrible shot into a decent outtake and a good shot into a masterpiece.
Art Filters + provides 15 preset filters for your filtering pleasure. It also works both in the Photos application and as a standalone app, however you prefer to use it.
Photo: Alexander Troitsky / Art Filters +
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Huji Filter
Perhaps you don't want preset filters. Sure, Huji Filter comes with some options of that nature, but that's not the main hook. Instead, it can randomize color filters on any image. It can also add light leakage and date watermarks for that old home video look.
Photo: Hsiu ying Shen / Huji Filter
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InsPanorama
InsPanorama does what it says on the tin. You input panorama shots taken with any camera application and you output Instagram friendly videos for your social media exploits. Or, if you're younger than us, you might want to know that it also supports TikTok.
Photo: wang wensi / InsPanorama
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Outread
Sometimes, getting through a long chunk of text can be a headache. If you find yourself with weary eyes after consuming an entire essay or thinkpiece, apps can help! Outread is a tool that highlights just a bit of a document at a time. It works with e-books and websites too, allowing you to get through anything at your own pace.
Photo: Arkadiusz Holko / Outread
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Ruler
The smartphone is the modern jackknife. Sure, you can't use it as a weapon, but it is at least as useful as a nail file or a corkscrew in 2019. This is because phones can replace household staples like the tape measure. Ruler uses augmented reality to measure any length of surface. Just follow the instructions carefully and your new bookshelf will fit against your wall perfectly.
Photo: Dmitriy Pushkarev / Ruler
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Skywall Pro
While the rest of the apps on this list are only useful some of the time, Skywall Pro is useful all of the time. It gives you a rotating collection of high-resolution wallpapers. Covering the basics of nature, animals and the fairer sex, Skywall Pro also has a wallpaper of the day and an option to upload your favorites to the cloud.
Photo: Dat Nguyen / Skywall Pro
