Default Apps 2025
Having recently switched back to Notes and Reminders, I’ve realised my list is surprisingly full of Apple’s own default apps. That’s probably a testament to how good they’ve become, and how much better things can be when they are tightly integrated with the Apple ecosystem.
While I still use a Mac, my focus heading into 2026 is on using an iPad as my primary computer. As a result, this list leans heavily towards iOS apps and services.
If you’re unfamiliar, default apps has become a popular blogging topic over the past few years, offering a useful snapshot of what apps people are actually use their devices.
My default iOS apps at the end of 2025:
Apps without links are made by Apple, while anything linked comes from a third-party developer.
📨 Mail Client: Mail
📝 Notes: Notes
✅ To-do: Reminders
📷 Camera: Camera App / Leica LUX
🌁 Photo Management: Photos
📆 Calendar: Calendar
📁 Cloud File Storage: iCloud
📖 RSS: NetNewsWire
🌐 Browser: Safari
💬 Chat: Messages
📜 Word Processing: Pages
📈 Spreadsheets: Number
🎵 Music: Music
🎤 Podcasts: Podcasts
🔐 Password Management: 1Password
🐘 Mastodon: Ivory
🎞️ Media Tracking: Sequel
✍️ Journaling: Journal
⛅ Weather: Weather
🔐 VPN: Mulled
🚫 Ad Blocker: Wipr 2
🪟 AI: ChatGPT
🔎 Search: Kagi
📍 Travel: Tripsy