My iPhone is full of default apps, and honestly, that's kind of the point

Summary

I prefer iOS native apps for aesthetic unity and simplicity.
Native apps work fine for non-critical tasks, like checking the weather.
Apple’s user-friendly interface has led to my loyalty to iOS apps.

This might be one of my most unpopular opinions across the board, but I really do enjoy iOS native apps. The Apple Weather app? Probably my most searched-for option. Apple Notes? My whole life is in there, actually. Apple Maps? Definitely the hottest take I’ve ever had would be siding with that navigation tool over Google Maps and Waze (well, for the most part).

It’s not iOS’s apps — it’s me. I’m notorious for being content in Apple’s beautiful walled garden, or a prisoner of its ecosystem, as some might call it, instead. Whatever it may be, I’ve been Stockholm-Syndromed into loving all my iOS native apps, and here’s why.

I escaped the iOS 18 Photos app nightmare by changing this one setting

Don’t throw your phone at the wall every time you open Photos.

Why I ‘settle’ for iOS native apps

It’s not because I think they’re better

Apple / Pocket-lint

A couple of reasons: aesthetic, ease, and a happy-go-lucky mentality that it all just really isn’t that deep.

iOS apps have an aesthetic designed to go together. It’s akin to owning a complete set of Le Creuset kitchenware in the same color. On the other hand, assembling a collection of kitchenware from various brands is like downloading a range of different apps that may not be as visually cohesive but might offer more specialized functions.

Since I’m not the best cook, I appreciate the simplicity and beauty of the Le Creuset set — it does everything I need without complicating things, and still at a high quality. I prefer the uniformity to the collection of highly specialized but mismatched items, especially since cooking isn’t my forte. I’ll leave the specialized tools to the professional chefs.

Calendar icon, send icon, and messages icon.

How I schedule my iMessages so I never forget to text back

No one can beat my perfectly timed ‘happy birthday’ texts.

Bringing it back to iOS, I’m not using any of the native apps (like Weather, Notes, Compass, etc.) for anything that will have a life-or-death impact upon my daily life. If I was constantly commuting to and from the office every day, I’d probably download a more specialized weather application to see if it would rain on a walk to the morning train — a report down to the minute would probably determine whether or not I should grab an umbrella or even change my outfit.

iOS ‘just works.’ It’s a simple interface that I’m completely comfortable using, and it’s not like the results are earth-shatteringly specific, in my world at least. If Apple tells me there’s a 70% chance of rain “around” 3PM, I’ll probably bring a raincoat to my 2:30 appointment just to be safe. If it doesn’t rain, no harm, no foul.

The Activity feature on Apple Notes on an iPhone.

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The pre-installed Apple Notes app goes way beyond just note-taking. Use it for a hidden chat, scanning Polaroids, or more with these tricks.

Where it all began

Before an iPhone was even in my hands

I bought into Apple’s ‘it just works’ mentality back when I had an iPod Nano, first-gen iPad mini, and iPod touch — all before I even snagged an iPhone 5s on my 13th birthday. There was something so futuristic and Star-Trek-like about Apple’s UI, and the user-experience was something that straight up revolutionized my reading, writing, and entertainment at a young age across the board.

I remember when Apple Notes was that god-awful yellow with the black ‘handwriting’ typeface. I adored the notepad-like charm, and whatever didn’t go into the original Notes app went straight into Pages on my iPad mini.

Yes, I used to be a Pages apologist — emphasis on the ‘used to be.’ Now that I’m not writing novels on my iPad mini and have a brand-new, gorgeous MacBook Pro, I much prefer browser-based Google Docs.

Apple was the first OS that felt approachable and accessible outside a full-blown PC. Unlike the clunky Windows desktops I learned how to use in the school computer lab, Apple and iOS felt sleek, luxurious, and, for lack of a better term in my pre-teen brain, magical. I love that my devices are cohesive and all the applications look like they belong together, from their app icons all the way to the experience using them in general.

Overall, native apps get the job done. I haven’t run into any painstakingly personal issues with Apple’s trusty apps, and I frankly don’t feel like sifting through the app store to replace all of them with third-party ones that are better unless I get a vibrant, glowing review from someone who thinks a particular app would change some specific aspect of my life. Apple doesn’t have an iOS native plant identification app yet, do they?