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Apple announced numerous features across its operating systems at WWDC 2024 that might replace many third-party apps you currently rely on. Let’s discuss some examples and see how Apple’s implementations compare to the apps they might replace.
11Password
Previously, while you couldstore passwords across all your Apple devices using iCloud Keychain, accessing your saved credentials required digging through the Settings app, which was quite inconvenient.
Thankfully, Apple introduced a dedicated password manager app alongside iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. It can store your passwords and usernames and even has separate tabs for your Passkeys, Wi-Fi passwords, and verification codes. You can access it on an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or even a Windows PC.
While the new Passwords app poses a direct threat to other password managers like1Password, you may not want to switch just yet. Unlike its competitors, Apple’s Passwords app isn’t available on Android or Linux, doesn’t work across all browsers, and can’t store other information like your credit cards.
2Rectangle
One of the most compelling features that Windows PCs have is native support for window tiling. You simply drag a window to the edge of your screen, and it automatically snaps into place. This functionality has been notably missing on macOS for years, requiring users to resort to third-party apps likeRectangleorMagnet.
Thankfully, macOS Sequoia now includes this functionality natively, and it works quite well. You just need to drag a window to a corner or an edge, and you can arrange your windows just like you would on a PC. Unfortunately, you cannot assign custom shortcuts to arrange your windows, and you have only a few presets to choose from.
3Grammarly
The biggest highlight of WWDC 2024 was undoubtedlyApple Intelligence, a suite of AI featuresdesigned to run on your Apple devices. One standout feature is Writing Tools, which helps you write better by proofreading, summarizing, or even rewriting your text in different tones. And it isn’t limited to just Apple apps; it works system-wide and is completely free.
A significant advantage of Writing Tools is that all its features run on-device, making them faster and accessible even without an internet connection. Additionally, you’re able to generate text and images using the Compose feature, which utilizesOpenAI’s GPT-4o modelfor optimal results.
This makes Writing Tools a great alternative toGrammarlyand similar services that require a subscription for many features and an internet connection. However, to use Writing Tools, you’ll need an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or an iPad or Mac with at least an M1 chip.
4Widgetsmith
Many apps on the App Store allow you to customize your iPhone’s Home Screen, including the ability to theme all your app icons. One of the most popular apps for this isWidgetsmith, which lets you customize both app icons and widgets.
However, some of this functionality is now being natively added with iOS 18 and iPadOS 18. You can theme all your app icons to match any color of your choice. While this generally looks great on most apps, it just applies a tint on the icons of many third-party apps, which doesn’t always look good.
Although this new feature may satisfy many users' desire for customization, you still can’t use your own icon packs and can only change the colors. Therefore, Widgetsmith still offers a lot of value.
Bezelis an excellent app for macOS and visionOS that allows you tomirror your iPhone on your Macor Vision Pro with significantly better quality than using AirPlay.
With macOS Sequoia, Apple has introduced a new feature called iPhone Mirroring, which not only mirrors your iPhone wirelessly to your Mac but also lets you control it using your trackpad and keyboard.
Additionally, while using iPhone Mirroring, all your iPhone notifications and audio are forwarded to your Mac. This new feature offers so much more than Bezel, making me question its future once macOS Sequoia rolls out.
6AllTrails
If you enjoy hiking, this one’s for you. The Apple Maps app in iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 will show detailed trail networks and hiking routes for all national parks in the United States. Plus, you don’t need an internet connection because you can download all the data on your iPhone for offline use.
It’s a bit ironic that Apple has implemented this feature, given that they awarded the 2023 iPhone App of the Year toAllTrails, which offers the same functionality. However, it’s not over for AllTrails yet. Unlike Apple’s new feature, AllTrails isn’t limited to the United States. It also has a large community and offers more features.
One of my favorite features in Apple Intelligence is definitely Genmoji, which lets you create unique emojis using generative AI with text prompts. This is particularly useful when you wish to use an emoji that doesn’t exist in iOS, iPadOS, or macOS yet.
Although this feature might seem new to most people, you could already do it with an app calledNewji. It also allows you to create brand-new emojis and even group or chat icons based on a prompt. Despite this, Genmoji sounds like a better idea since it integrates better with other messaging apps and generates all the emojis on-device.
However, note that Genmoji, like all the other Apple Intelligence features, will not be available until later this year.
8TapeACall
Unlike Android, iOS 17 doesn’t offer native call recording support. While you canrecord your iPhone calls using third-party apps like TapeACall, you have to dial TapeACall’s recording line and merge the two calls to record, which is neither secure nor easy to use.
Thankfully, iOS 18 has a built-in call recorder that can record audio and generate a transcription. This poses a threat to transcription apps like Otter. When you record a call on your iPhone, the recording automatically gets saved in the Notes app, where Apple Intelligence can transcribe and summarize the recorded call.
Many of thefeatures announced at WWDC 2024added to the extensivelist of apps Apple Sherlockedover the years. These changes are generally welcome since Apple’s offerings integrate well with the entire ecosystem.
