We live at a time when installing an app for absolutely everything has become a custom. We have specific applications to scan documents, to make lists, to read news, to record audios, do sports, translate, organize the agenda or even meditate.
But what if I told you that much of these functions are already installed on the iPhone from day one? Best of all, it is totally real. I am not cheating you. I have tried it and tell you my experience.
For a week I set out the radical experiment of Use only the native iPhone appswithout resorting to any third -party app.
Can you live alone with native iPhone apps?
I started uninstalling all applications that were not original Apple. Goodbye to WhatsApp (replaced by Imessage and Facetime), Goodbye to Spotify (I used Apple Music), and also said goodbye to Google Maps, Notion, Gmail and many others. There were only the apps that the iPhone includes by default, many of which had not opened a long time. It is true that at first glance it may seem limiting, but in my case, that I have never completely banished iOS native applications, it has not been so difficult. In fact, I have discovered that it is totally possible to live using only native apps, since Apple has everything designed to integrate with each other.
The APP Notesfor example, it was the first big surprise. Without entering comparisons with notion or other alternatives, it is fast, synchronizes in Icloud impeccably, so I have it updated in my macbook at the moment. In addition, it allows Create lists, scan documentsadd images and even draw. For daily use, it far exceeded what I had found in more complex apps. The same happened with reminders. Organizing tasks for days, adding alerts, and sharing lists with other contacts was much simpler than I imagined. And the best thing is that everything is synchronized with the Apple Watch and the MAC automatically.
The APP files It also turned out to be much more useful than he remembered. I use it often but this week I could explore it in depth and I could organize documents, access my Icloud Drive account and even prevail PDFs without the need of any other app. Safari was another key piece of the experiment with its eyelashes, integrated reader and extensions. I would say that it was the best, because I could forget Chrome, who consumes more battery and does not quite convince me. The navigation experience was clean, fast and Very well optimized For iPhone hardware.
To communicate, Imessage and Facetime complied with the basics, although I recognize that without WhatsApp or Instagram a lot of social contact is lost. However, if all my agenda used an iPhone, I could probably dispense with those platforms without problem. Apple Music, on the other hand, conquered me with a cleaner and more attractive interface than Spotify, in addition to a Musical reproduction in greater quality.
The health app is another of those hidden treasures. Not only collects steps and training data, but it allows you to carry the Sleep controlreview heart rate, hearing health, and even register your emotional state, something that few third -party apps do so well without bombing with subscriptions.
The worst of the native iPhone apps
The worst, if he doubts, was the lack of personalization. Although Apple has improved in this aspect, many native apps still do not offer advanced options that I find in other alternatives. For example, calendar works perfectly, but more widget options for the home screen are missing.
I will not definitely eliminate all my iPhone applications, but this test has made me see tangible that, sometimes, less, and in the Apple ecosystem, that makes all the meaning of the world.
