The App Store is home to millions of apps, yet most recommendations circle back to the same familiar names. Facebook, TikTok, WhatsApp, and Spotify dominate nearly every list. While these apps have earned their popularity, they rarely offer anything new. The real value of the App Store lies deeper: where lesser-known apps quietly solve everyday problems, save time, and improve daily life without pushing paid subscriptions.
Below are underrated iPhone apps with genuinely useful free features that deserve a place on your home screen.

Be My Eyes: Technology That Changes Lives
Be My Eyes is a meaningful app you might not have seen before. This free app connects blind and low-vision users with sighted volunteers through live video calls, offering real-time visual assistance. From reading labels to navigating unfamiliar spaces or identifying everyday objects, help is often just seconds away.
What makes Be My Eyes special is its community. With millions of volunteers worldwide, response times are typically under a minute. For volunteers, helping takes only a short moment.
For users, it offers independence, confidence, and immediate access to visual support. Few apps deliver such a powerful combination of simplicity and real-world impact.
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Planta: A Smarter Way to Keep Plants Alive
Planta is ideal for plant lovers who struggle to keep their greenery thriving. Using photos, the app identifies your plants and creates a personalized care schedule based on species, light conditions, and seasonal changes.
It sends timely reminders for watering, fertilizing, and general maintenance, adjusting routines as the year progresses. The free version includes plant identification and essential reminders, which is more than enough for casual plant owners.
While premium features unlock advanced care guides and unlimited plants, the free tools already provide real value.
LocalSend: Seamless File Sharing Across All Devices
LocalSend solves a problem Apple and Google never fully streamlined: simple, cross-platform file sharing. This completely free app lets you transfer files between iPhone, Android, Windows, and Mac devices over a local network, without relying on the internet.
Transfers are fast, secure, and uncompressed, making them perfect for sending large videos or documents. Because everything stays on your local network with end-to-end encryption, it's also more private than cloud-based alternatives. Once you try it, traditional file-sharing methods feel unnecessarily slow.
Parcel: One App for Every Package
Tracking online orders across multiple carriers can quickly become frustrating. Parcel simplifies the process by organizing all your deliveries in one clean, easy-to-read dashboard. It supports hundreds of carriers worldwide and begins tracking as soon as you add a tracking number.
Amazon users can link their accounts to automatically import orders, saving even more time. The free version allows tracking of up to three packages at once, which is enough for most casual shoppers. Upgrading unlocks unlimited tracking, delivery maps, and push notifications.
JustWatch: Find What to Watch Instantly
JustWatch removes the guesswork from streaming. Instead of opening multiple apps, you search once and instantly see where a movie or TV show is available to stream, rent, or buy. It also helps you decide which subscriptions are actually worth keeping.
Beyond movies and shows, JustWatch tracks live sports, including major leagues and events. The free version includes ads, while the Pro plan removes them and adds extra features, but the core functionality remains accessible without paying.
These hidden iPhone apps are proof that the App Store still holds plenty of surprises. You just have to know where to look.
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