Apps that come with your iPhone
Explore your iPhone’s built-in apps and how useful they can be in day-to-day life.
Learn about the apps that come pre-installed on an Apple iPhone. These are free, and include apps that help you in everyday life, help you communicate, stay organised, and get you where you’re going.
Before you begin
This course is about apps that are included with the Apple iPhone. The iPad has different operating software to the iPhone, and as well as icons on the Home screen, there are icons in the Dock at the bottom of the screen. The iPad also has a different set of built-in apps, and some may appear on the Dock rather than the Home screen.
How to find apps that come with your iPhone
A new or used iPhone comes with a set of built-in apps to get you started:
- These are already installed, and don’t need to be downloaded from the App Store.
- The built-in apps have icons on the Home screen.
- On some iPhones you may need to swipe left on the Home screen to see more of the built-in apps.
Some of the built-in apps include:
- App Store
- Camera
- Clock
- Find My
- Health
- Messages
- Photos
- Safari
- Wallet
Keeping built-in apps up to date
It’s important to keep apps up to date so you get the latest features and security improvements. You can keep them updated automatically from the Settings app:
- Find and tap App Store in the main settings menu.
- Tap Automatic Download, and then make sure the switch next to App Updates is on and green.
- To check an app is up to date, open the App Store.
- Search for the app you want to update and open its App Store page.
- If you see an Update button, an update is available.
- Otherwise, if you only see an Open button, the app is up to date.
Apple apps for everyday life
Some of the built-in apps are designed to be used for everyday things. These apps include:
- Apple Wallet lets you pay for things in shops by linking to your bank account or credit card.
- Calendar helps you keep on top of your appointments and dates. It can send you notifications when an appointment is coming up.
- Weather can use your iPhone’s location to give you local weather reports and keep you informed about weather conditions throughout the day.
- Notes lets you quickly note something down, and if you have iCloud set up, you can review these notes later on your phone, tablet, or computer.
- Safari is the iPhone’s web browser and is an essential app for browsing the internet safely and securely
Apple apps that make communication easier
There are built-in apps dedicated to giving you more ways to communicate:
- Messages can be used to send texts, images, and video to others.
- Mail is the iPhone’s built-in email app, which can be used with an Apple ID address or another email address such as Gmail or Yahoo.
- FaceTime is an app for making video calls to other Apple device users in a way that’s very easy and straightforward.
- Apple Podcasts offers a huge range of programs to listen to. The app lets you subscribe to podcast series, which means you can be notified when new episodes are available.
Apple apps that help keep you organised
Some of the built-in apps help you keep the information on your iPhone organised and also sync it to the cloud:
- Files lets you access and organise the storage on your iPhone, including files, documents, and photos. You can also use the app to delete files you don’t want.
- Apple Photos organises the photos you take on your phone camera and, if you have iCloud set up, syncs and backs-up the photos to the cloud.
- Contacts saves information about people you call or email, under their name, so instead of having to type a number or email address, you can just tap their name in a list.
Apple apps that help you get around
The iPhone has location services which let you use apps that help with navigation but also give you information personalised to where you are:
- Apple Maps lets you see your location on a street map and will give you directions to a destination you choose. It can also show you things nearby that may be of interest.
- Find My is a service and an app that helps you find your iPhone if it is misplaced. You can sign in securely on a computer and see your iPhone’s last known location.
There are many other apps that can use location services, including apps to track bushfires, traffic, and local weather.
You can use the Settings app and the Privacy & Security category, to turn off Location Services if you aren’t comfortable with using this feature. This Settings page also shows which apps on your iPhone can access your location.