Published Nov 14, 2025, 9:00 AM EST
Pankil is a Civil Engineer turned freelance writer from Ahmedabad, India. As a long-time Windows and Android user, he has extensive knowledge of both operating systems and specializes in creating how-tos and troubleshooting guides.
Pankil has been writing about Windows, Android, and iOS since 2021. He has written over 1200 articles across reputable publications like MakeUseOf, GuidingTech, and TechWiser.
Outside of his writing endeavors, Pankil is an avid football fan and loves to plan his international travels with his wife in his free time.
I’ve downloaded more apps than I care to admit, and it doesn’t always turn out to be pleasant. For every hidden gem, there are ten that overpromise and underdeliver. But every once in a while, I stumble upon an app that makes me go, “how is this not popular yet?”
These underrated apps I use solve some of my everyday problems, like managing my travel, editing PDFs on the go, sharing files between devices, or figuring out what’s really in my favorite snack. They may not top the App Store charts, but they deserve a spot on your home screen.
6 Open Food Facts
A nutrition app that’s honest
Food labels can be sneaky. Between confusing ingredients, buzzwords like “natural” or “light,” and font sizes that require a magnifying glass, it’s easy to miss what’s really in your snack.
Open Food Facts lets you scan any product's barcode and instantly see what's really inside. From additives to allergens, it gives you a clear, honest snapshot of what you're about to eat. And if you're like me and don't want to dig into every detail, the app gives each item a simple nutrition score from A (great) to E (not so great).
It gets better. You can set up your own dietary preferences and allergies, and Open Food Facts adjusts its recommendations accordingly. Unlike many nutrition apps or AI tools, Open Food Facts doesn’t track your searches, your allergies, or your eating habits.
5 Callsheet
IMDb without the chaos
For the longest time, I relied on IMDb for everything from checking who that familiar-looking actor was to diving into random trivia about my favorite shows. But lately, IMDb has felt a bit like a crowded mall with too many ads, clutter, and not enough of the good stuff.
Callsheet takes everything that's great about IMDb and leaves out the noise. You open it, type a title, and get exactly what you're looking for. There are no pop-ups, no autoplay trailers, and no confusing layout. One of my favorite features is the spoiler control. You can tell the app to hide plot summaries, episode counts, or even specific cast credits that could spoil a twist.
4 Flighty
Because travel is stressful enough
Even if you fly only a few times a year, Flighty is the app you should keep installed. It takes the stress out of travel by tracking your flights in real time, right down to the aircraft’s current location before it even reaches your airport. You’ll know if your plane is running late, where it’s coming from, and even if there’s been a gate change before the airline tells you.
Beyond the powerful tracking, the app itself is simply beautiful. The interface is clean, colorful, and easy to navigate. And if you connect your email, Flighty automatically pulls in your upcoming trips and syncs everything seamlessly. The Pro version takes it a step further and unlocks live activities, lock screen widgets, Apple Watch support, weather radar, and more.
3 PDFgear
Edit, sign, and summarize PDFs for free
PDFs are one of those things everyone deals with but nobody really enjoys. But with PDFgear, I no longer need to switch to my PC every time I have to make an edit or sign something important.
PDFgear lets you handle documents right on your iPhone. You can annotate pages, edit text, rearrange or delete pages, and even sign documents with ease. The interface is clean and straightforward, so you can jump in and start working without needing a tutorial.
There's also a built-in AI assistant. If you're staring at a long PDF, you can have the chatbot analyze and summarize it in seconds. And unlike most PDF editors, PDFgear is completely free with no subscriptions, no hidden limits, and no "pro" features locked behind a paywall. It's rare to find an app that's this capable and genuinely free to use.
2 Measure
The tape measure you didn’t know your iPhone had
Smartphones have replaced a lot of everyday tools, but one of the lesser known ones is the humble tape measure. Apple’s Measure app quietly turns your iPhone’s camera into a measuring device that can size up just about anything in front of you.
With Measure, you can point your camera at an object to find its dimensions, calculate areas, or even measure someone’s height. The app automatically detects edges and surfaces, so it's not that difficult to use. You can save your measurements right inside the app or snap a photo with the dimensions overlaid. Sure, it's not something I use every day, but it's perfect for moments when I want to hang a picture or check if that new desk will fit in a corner.
1 LocalSend
An AirDrop alternative that actually works
If you aren’t deep in Apple’s ecosystem like me and use a Windows PC or an Android tablet, you’ve probably envied how effortlessly AirDrop works across Apple devices. LocalSend solves this problem. It is a free, open-source app that lets you transfer files instantly between your phone, tablet, or computer.
It works over your local Wi-Fi network, which means your data never leaves your devices. What I love most about LocalSend is how clean and simple it is. There are no ads, no sign-ups, and no cloud syncing. You get private file sharing that works across iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and even Linux.
Not every app needs to reinvent the wheel—some just need to make it turn a little smoother. The beauty of these lesser-known iOS apps is that they do exactly that. So if you’ve been scrolling the App Store feeling like everything looks the same, give these under-the-radar apps a try.