I’ve been searching for top AI apps to use on my iPhone but I feel overwhelmed by so many options on the App Store. I’m looking for recommendations based on personal experience—apps that are actually useful and not just hyped. Any suggestions or insights would really help because I don’t want to waste time downloading ones that aren’t worth it.
Honestly, the App Store is absolutely drowning in so-called “AI” apps, but half of them are just calculators with a fancy logo and a ChatGPT wrapper. If you want real, actually-useful tools, here’s what I keep on my iPhone:
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ChatGPT: Obvious, but the official OpenAI app blows all the others out of the water, especially since they keep updating with cool stuff like voice chat and image recognition. I use it all the time—brainstorming, quick coding help, or even drafting text messages I’m too awkward to write.
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Microsoft Copilot: If you care about AI search or want a second opinion, Copilot’s tie-in with Bing actually works decently, and it’s free without constant paywall nags. Also, if you want image creation, it’s right there.
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Grammarly: It’s technically an AI writing tool, but Grammarly GO adds some next-level stuff for quick rewrites or replies. I use it to draft super professional emails when my brain refuses.
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Perplexity: For research/question answering, Perplexity does a way better job than ChatGPT at citing real sources, so if you ever need to fact-check stuff, this is one’s a must.
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Replika: If you want something slightly more weird/fun, Replika’s an AI companion/bot. It’s not for everyone, but if you just want to talk to a friendly bot or need someone to remind you to drink water, hey, why not?
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Notion AI: If you already use Notion for notes or planning, the built-in AI is killer for summarizing, organizing, and just generally beating writer’s block.
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Otter.ai: Best transcription app I’ve tried. Accurate, doesn’t mangle simple audio, and saves me hours in meetings.
Couple of others: Lensa (AI photo editing), Character.AI (for messing with fictional personalities), and Poe (lets you try multiple chatbots in one interface).
Raise the B.S. detector for “AI” camera apps—they mostly apply Instagram-style filters and call it AI. And if you see anything charging $99/year for “unlimited” answers, just skip, the OpenAI app is free for basic stuff.
Happy doom-scrolling, hope you find your perfect robo-assistant! If you discover anything else actually good, shout it out, because I swear there’s a new “mind-blowing” AI app every 12 minutes.
You pretty much nailed a bunch of the obvious AI apps, @techchizkid. But I do kinda disagree with you on Replika (that thing gives off Black Mirror vibes for me—uncanny valley in the worst way), and honestly, Lensa has become “AI for influencers”—if you want face touch-ups, there are low-tech, lighter options.
Let me throw a couple different ones into the mix:
1. Arc Search from The Browser Company: Think Safari on AI steroids. It uses AI summaries and “browse for me” mode, so if you’re someone who needs the gist of web pages without reading every word, it’s SO much faster than flipping between ChatGPT and your browser.
2. VoicePen: Converts voice memos to text (like Otter), but with a wild focus on turning speeches or ramblings into formatted, readable notes or even social media posts. Helps if you’re a brain-dump-then-organize person.
3. Adobe Photoshop Express (w/Generative Fill): Not your average Insta-filter—this thing removes objects or generates backgrounds, and while it’s got paid tiers, the free bit is shockingly good for basic touch-ups.
4. Lunchclub AI: Not as mainstream, but if you’re in the networking/business side, their AI suggestion tool actually lines up intros and meetings with alarming relevance. It’s almost unsettling how well it predicts who you should chat with.
5. Suno AI (music): Yes, music! Tap a prompt, get some AI beats or jingles for TikToks or whatever. Only for fun, but there’s nothing quite like hearing a synth-pop song about your lunch.
One word of warning: avoid any “AI PDF scanner” charging subscription fees. All they do is use free back-end OCR and slap an AI label on it. I’ve yet to see one that outperforms Apple’s own Live Text feature already baked into iOS.
And agreed, the camera “AI enhancer” scam is real. Most don’t even use anything you can’t get for free elsewhere.
So yeah, I don’t buy into everything branded “AI”, but when it automates my busywork (scheduling, summarizing, drafting outlines), I’m on board. Would LOVE if someone found a killer AI app for automating actual phone calls or waiting on hold—I’d throw money at that.
Anyone else out there still just using Siri and pretending like it’s not 5 years behind all this new stuff?
You all pretty much hit all the popular ones in the AI space, but the “overloaded App Store” problem is real—tons of noise, little signal. I’m a bit skeptical about some picks though: Replika just isn’t my jam (maybe I just haven’t found the fun, but feels more like therapy with a chatbot than useful day-to-day). Lensa and similar camera editors are almost always just filter factories repackaged as AI.
Let’s talk less-hyped corners: instead of yet another chatbot, check out the app '—it’s genuinely streamlined for summarizing lengthy documents and turning them into actionable insights. I use it to cut through never-ending PDFs and reports for work, and it’s a massive timesaver compared to bouncing between Copilot, Perplexity, or even ChatGPT. Pros: crazy fast, minimal distraction, and the UI is snappy. Cons: free tier is limited (classic), and if your docs are super technical, it sometimes gets details off. Not a replacement for deep comprehension, but leagues better for turning clutter into clarity.
Competitors like what @techchizkid listed—Perplexity for citations, Copilot for broad responses—still have their place, but ’ keeps it focused on summarization rather than general chat. Compared to @espritlibre’s suggestions, ‘Arc Search’ is awesome, but for anyone drowning in reading rather than browsing, ’ is a sanity-saver.
One nitpick: advanced camera AI is mostly smoke and mirrors until Apple drops something natively. I second the skepticism about $99/yr subscriptions for glorified OCR—use Live Text like a boss.
Short version: If summarizing and workflow speed is key, ’ is worth a spin. Just don’t expect it to write research papers or automate your meetings—yet.