Data control and privacy are legitimate concerns in a world filled with untrustworthy apps. Fortunately, for iPhone users, open-source alternatives provide options that value data security, privacy, and freedom.
Built on the principles of transparency, these open-source apps deliver the same ease of use and functionality as their black-box counterparts, often free of cost. So, you don’t have to sacrifice usability for privacy. Here are our favorite open-source apps to take control of your iPhone experience.
1
Podverse
Podverse is a cross-platform app that you can use to subscribe and listen to your favorite podcasts. It offers all the essentials you want, including CarPlay support, automatic downloading of new episodes, and video playback. But more importantly, it supports Podcasting 2.0 features, such as access to chapters, transcripts, and cross-app comments. Remember, you’ll only get the Podcasting 2.0 features on supported podcasts.
Another highlight of Podverse is its ability to create “Clips.” As the name suggests, Clips are parts of a podcast episode you can share with others. You can make “Clips” of any length and then share them with a simple URL. Unfortunately, it’s a premium feature.
While the free plan includes access to the basics, a premium subscription is required to access features like Clips, sync support, and new episode notifications.
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2
Dime
Dime is an open-source personal finance app that can help you track expenses and manage your budget. It’s a well-regarded app with a clean and simple design. It’s quick and easy to log expenses into different categories and understand your spending patterns. You can also set overall and category-specific budgets to keep your spending in check. Plus, it’s seamless to set recurring payments or income with custom time frames.
If you don’t want others with access to your phone getting into your Dime business, biometric authentication support is built in. You can also use iCloud sync to access your finances on your iPad or another iPhone.
Among other highlights, Dime has beautiful widgets to put your budgeting and expenses front and center for easy access. Moreover, you can ask the app to remind you to enter expenses as you get into the habit of doing so with prompts.
3
VLC
Whether you want to play your local media files or something off the web, VLC is an easy recommendation for iPhone and iPad owners. It can play all major formats, including those not supported by iOS natively. It’s also completely free to use and ad-free.
Other features include support for subtitles, multi-track audio, playback speed control, and gestures for brightness and volume. Moreover, you can stream content from your phone to a compatible AirPlay or Chromecast device.
In other highlights, VLC can play audio files in the background and videos as audio. It also has a built-in audio equalizer and CarPlay support.
4
LocalSend
LocalSend is perfect for transferring files between devices. With little effort, you can share files from your iPhone to your Mac, PC, or another mobile device and vice versa. It’s easy to use, and everything works seamlessly as long as the sender and receiver are on the same Wi-Fi network.
As everything is done locally and on your wireless network, your data is completely secure and never leaves your network. You have to try it to understand just how no-nonsense LocalSend is.
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5
NetNewsWire
Need an RSS reader to keep up with your favorite feeds? NetNewsWire has got you covered. This open-source RSS reader has a minimal interface and delivers a snappy performance. You can build your feed library from scratch in the app or import an OPML file of your existing subscriptions. Notably, the app can typically pick the feed URL from the website or blog URL itself, and you won’t have to hunt for the RSS link yourself.
In other features, the app lets you sync your feed across devices using iCloud, FreshRSS, Feedly, NewsBlue, Feedbin, and other services. You also get a reader view for distraction-free reading and multiple themes for the article view.
Lastly, NetNewsWire is completely free.
6
Open Scanner
Open Scanner is a handy document scanner that can convert physical documents, business cards, handwritten notes, and more into digital copies. Simply point the scanner at any document, and the app creates a proper scanned version within seconds.
You can save individual scans as image files or a batch as a PDF. The app can also use OCR to generate transcripts from the scanned documents and add annotations or signatures. Most importantly, Open Scanner is free to use and lacks tracking codes and advertisements.
7
Joplin
Joplin is a feature-rich note-taking app that is excellent for creating, organizing, and accessing your notes on the go. Although Joplin uses Markdown as the primary note format, you can access a rich text editor. You can also create both text notes and to-do lists. Additionally, there is support for attaching everything from PDFs to audio files directly in your notes.
Joplin’s organization features let you create hierarchical notebooks and add tags. You can also sync your notes across devices using various services or your own servers. In addition to iOS, Joplin apps are available for Android, Linux, macOS, and Windows. All your data is end-to-end encrypted during sync for privacy and security.
The interface is clean and intuitive, and you can choose from a selection of light and dark themes. Joplin supports plugins to extend its functionality. However, compared to the desktop version, the selection of plugins for iOS is limited.
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8
Ente Auth
As two-factor authentication has become an essential tool for everyone’s online security arsenal, you need an excellent 2FA app. Fortunately, you don’t have to look around much. Ente Auth is a solid 2FA app that’s feature-rich and available across platforms. So, no matter which device you use, you can access your 2FA codes.
Ente Auth is not just feature-rich, it’s also secure and reliable. Its open-source credentials and externally audited cryptography-backed end-to-end encryption for account storage and backups ensure your online security is in good hands.
Moreover, Ente Auth’s feature list includes several goodies, such as the ability to view the next 2FA code, icons for 2FA accounts, secure code sharing, and account notes.
9
Drip
Designed with gender inclusivity in mind, Drip is a menstrual cycle tracking app. It can help you track your cycles and understand your fertility. It houses a comprehensive set of tracking features to log details like bleeding duration, flow, mood state, pain or discomfort, and other physical or emotional symptoms. There are also dedicated tools for tracking basal body temperature and cervical mucus or cervix values for better fertility awareness.
Beyond tracking, you get various analytical tools, customizable notifications, and data import and export options.
One of Drip’s USPs is its commitment to privacy. The app’s code is open source, allowing for public scrutiny, and it saves all your data locally. It’s also free to use and lacks ads.
10
RetroArch
If you’re into classic games, RetroArch is a no-brainer. It’s essentially a frontend that allows you to load different emulators for several well-known and obscure consoles, including NEC PC Engine, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, Virtual Boy, and Neo Geo Pocket, and play your favorite retro games. You can either import your own legally obtained game ROMs or download free content linked within RetroArch. If you’re new to emulation, downloadable content in the app can be a good starting point.
Many modern features are supported, such as save states, fast forwarding and rewinding, and access to cheats. You also get netplay, translator tools for foreign games, RetroAchievements, soft patching, MFi controller support, gyro, shaders, overlays, and more.
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