Going all-in on Apple apps

I've spent a decade using Apple products, and that time has seen many changes in how I use my devices and which ones take the primary seat. However, there is a repeating pattern that has existed since the beginning – switching to Apple's first-party apps.

For whatever reason, every time I find an amazing new third-party app, I eventually find myself back on Apple's first-party version. Whether it's my annual beta testing period where I want to try all the features revealed during WWDC, or it's a subscription ending spurring me to try Apple again, it always happens. And when I return to the Apple app, I tend to stay there for a while.

That isn't to say I have a problem with third-party apps. The App Store is filled with amazing apps that I love and still use and pay for even though Apple's meet the "good enough" standard. It has become quite the problem for me over the years debating what apps to use where.

For example, Things is a beautiful task manager that has a proprietary list separate from Apple's Reminders API. Every time I used Things for any length of time, I noticed I missed things that are only available on Apple's end like shared lists. The same goes for different mail apps, browsers, note apps, music players, and more.

I do have to ask myself if this is due to Apple's insistence on private APIs for many of its core app offerings. It does seem to me that my ability to choose different apps outside of Apple's apps relies entirely on their feature set having something Apple can't or won't offer. We can yell "anticompetitive" and that word does likely apply in some cases, but I believe it is more complicated than that.

First party problems

In a perfect world I'd be able to choose whatever app I wanted to be my Notes app and have the same system privileges as Apple's app. With each iOS update, it seems Apple is breaking down some of the barriers for that too. Soon, if I chose to use PCalc instead of Calculator, I could place PCalc in Control Center. Third-party notes apps could offer Control Center toggles for opening a quick note.

However, even as Apple opens up apps to new functionality, there are still barriers that make me feel like I need to consider Apple apps first. For example, sharing a grocery list with my girlfriend in Reminders is simple because we both have the app installed. If I move to a new app where I want to collaborate with someone, I'm now having to ask the other person to download a whole new app too. This is technically solved by having API calls in Reminders, but not everyone takes advantage, like Things.

So even as I comb through apps looking for functions that I'd like to try and API calls that keep systems in sync, I always run into the same conundrum – why not just use the Apple app?

My thinking has evolved over time and I flip flop back and forth on what I choose to do as I come up with new ideas and projects. As I write this, my methodology is simple: use Apple apps for everything they can offer and third-party apps otherwise.

App minimalism

Apple doesn't offer a water or food tracking app, nor does it have an emulator like Delta or RSS client. I can't save HomeKit codes in the Home app, and I can't reference the Pokedex unless it's in Safari. So, yes, there will always be something you can do with third-party apps that Apple won't offer. Some use cases would be silly for Apple to address with a first-party app.

So, for whatever reason, I've been driven to go as minimal as possible with my app library. I'm only downloading apps that I need. Ones that serve specific use cases not offered by Apple apps. So yes, that does mean right now I'm not using Carrot Weather or PCalc (though my subscriptions are active). It's a big experiment that's about one year in. I've slowly let several subscriptions end as I shift to Apple apps or nothing at all, realizing I had a lot of bloat in my library that I was paying for with no use case.

I'm not suggesting this is the way everyone should use their smartphone. In fact, I expect it is inevitable that I'll soon return to app maximalism. That's where I download dozens of single-purpose apps and tie them together with shortcuts and other routines. I like to experiment with how I use technology, and I doubt I'll ever land on the "right" answer.

It makes me sad that there are amazing apps out there that I'm choosing not to use simply because Apple has apps that cover those use cases. Carrot is one of the best apps made by a third-party developer and I adore its silly quips, but Apple Weather has gotten so polished I find Carrot to be a little overwhelming by comparison.

There was a time I had over 300 apps installed on my iPhone at any given moment. I used most of them regularly, but it was a bit overkill. Today I have 147 apps on my iPhone and 47 on my iPad Pro. I believe these counts exclude Apple's default apps. The higher number on the iPhone represents the sheer number of utility apps needed to manage different HomeKit and smart devices, not to mention a couple dozen games.

There are two schools of thought I seem to switch between:

1. Use a few apps that do many things
2. Use many single-function apps

There are some really cool single-purpose apps out there, like one that helps you digitize greeting cards you receive. However, that's where my brain kicks in and says "why not scan them and store them in Files." At this point the argument would be, are you choosing utility or design?

I'm not sure how to reconcile this. I'm certainly not going to use multiple apps in the same category at once, so something has to give. I simultaneously want to take advantage of Apple's deep integration and the awesome ideas offered by third-party apps. Maybe I'm asking for the impossible, but I'll continue to pursue this ideal.

iOS 18 introduces new complexity

Apple has opened up a lot of possibilities with iOS 18 and the new Lock Screen and Control Center customization options. It is now possible for me to use Halide instead of Camera or PCalc instead of Calculator without missing out on some proprietary functionality.

I'll be revisiting these thoughts after iOS 18 has launched and developers are releasing apps that support the new operating system. I expect some things will remain the same as it is very difficult to beat a first-party app.

I would love to hear from anyone that read this far about their personal philosophies on which apps they use and why. Reply to this post on Mastodon to comment on the article or anything else.

Content warning: pet loss

A small farewell

If you've been paying attention you may have noticed that I haven't posted anything in a couple of weeks. That wasn't due to lack of interest in the blog or the usual fading away that happens for many new websites like this. No, it's been a bit of a life issue that's made things rather difficult in my personal life.

We lost my little yellow dog named Suzanna on June 18. She was about to be 3 years old but a sickness struck her that she couldn't shake. After several vet visits and overnights with an IV, she just couldn't eat.

It is my first pet loss as an adult, which may sound strange coming from a 33 year old. But my first pet was Harvie, the two-toned cat you may have seen in some photos I share. She's still doing great at 8 years old. However, Suzanna is a dog my girlfriend and I got a couple of years into our relationship.

Her sudden departure after such a short time has been hard. But I do relish the fact that she held such a bright spot in our lives while she could.

RIP Suzanna. You will be missed.