Check out the best iOS apps of 2017

The year is coming to an end so why not find out which are the best apps that were released for Apple iOS devices in 2017? We've separated the apps by categories, so it's easier for you to search, evaluate and choose which one to try on your phone.

Creativity and Photography

• snow: This South Korean Snapchat clone is getting a lot of fans among Western teens, who use its huge range of animated filters to improve photos. Like its rival, the photographic results self-destruct after 24 hours. Download link.
• Brickshots: Ever wondered what your favorite portraits would look like as Andy Warhol-style works with LEGO art? Brickshots imports your photos and instructions brick by brick. You will have to supply your own LEGO, but you can adjust the color scheme and the number of pieces. Download link.
• Help: This pocket-sized mix-studio makes it easier than ever for aspiring producers to create their own beats. Its smart interface breaks tracks into small pieces that can be layered and effects applied. Auxy's simple and visual way of making music also won the Apple Design Award at WWDC 2016. Download link.
• Prism: Prisma harnesses the power of advanced neural networks to reinterpret your photos as works of art. Current graphic starting points include artists such as Roy Lichtenstein, Edvard Munch, and Katsushika Hokusai. The results can be good, bad or even great, but they are always surprising. Download link.
• Le Déserteur: This iPad-only art installation consists of two “rooms”, each containing 12 works by artists, photographers, writers and singers. The app makes regularly updated unique artwork available to each user. Download link.

Productivity and Tools

• Scrivener: This writing program that divides manuscripts into several blocks is finally available for iPhone and iPad. All the desktop features that writers appreciate – script, different trash cans for different documents, etc. - they're there. It's not cheap, but word lovers will love it. Download link.
• ZCast: Amateur podcasters are overjoyed as ZCast makes it possible to stream directly from your smartphone. The app leverages Zula's existing messaging software and links to Twitter to help the user reach new audiences. Usually, co-hosts can join the show live at the venue. Download link.
• Roll: This calendar app uses animations and a circular design so you can see your day, week and year in one swipe. It's probably easiest to set a date using your regular calendar, but Rolo is still a worthwhile accessory, especially if you're interested in seeing how life breaks down into work and play. Download link.
• Flowstate: This note taking tool ensures writers full concentration by deleting all the words they wrote if their fingers leave the keyboard for more than seven seconds. With this looming threat, Flowstate helps people get in the “flow” and resist distractions from elsewhere. Download link.
• slash: Slash replaces the QWERTY keyboard on your smartphone and turns it into a search engine, removing the need to jump between apps when searching for videos, maps, photos and music services. It works with apps like Twitter, Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram. Download link.

Social Media and Messaging

• bumble: O Bumble has been praised as the female version of Tinder, mainly due to the fact that once two people match each other on the app, a conversation can't begin unless the woman says something first. If you're looking for love, this might be the app for you. Download link.
• Spoonr: In an age where we like to show affection through emoji, sometimes a little contact is necessary. Spoonr helps your network find strangers nearby to share feelings with, without any kind of commitment, of course.
• Whim: This app removes dating complications. Swipe to find potential partners, then Whim will pick a night and suggest locations based on the lovebirds' calendars and preferences. Download link.
• lime: Tired of Tinder? Lime combines your stored health data and suggests similarly sedentary or active people for you to date. Download link.
• MoodChat: Thinking about how emojis just aren't enough in certain situations, the artist Tom Galle created an app to help you express yourself through background music. Its audio keyboard lets you select dozens of songs to add emphasis to your chats. Download link.

GAMES

• Beaker: Turn your smartphone into a lab item. Select chemicals to start chemical experiments and reactions! Download link.
• Eliza: Imagine IBM's Celebrity Watson AI turned into a therapist. Eliza is an app that analyzes voice notes for emotional feelings so you know how you're really feeling. Download link.
• Sea HeroQuest: Neuroscientists hope this game will help them understand dementia, creating a benchmark for the navigation ability of healthy people. The app collects player data, which is provided to UCL and UEA scientists to carry out their research. Download link.
• The Westport Independent: Worried about the decline of print media? Try to take control of your own newspaper. In addition to managing marketing budgets and deciding the title, this game examines your ability to fight for a free press pressured by a government that promotes propaganda. Download link.
• Architecture of Radio: This app reveals the data around us. By viewing open datasets from cell towers, Wi-Fi routers and satellites, the radio architecture can plot wired and wireless data on a 360º map that is captivating and informative. Download link.

entertainment

• Kimoji: Have you always wanted a Kim Kardashian emoji to express your emotions? If so, the Kimoji app gives you access to over 500 emoji, stickers and GIF's all belonging to Kim Kardashian West. A recent update includes a family pack to include other members of the Kardashian brood. Download link.
• The PickleIndex: The story of ten members of a circus troupe trying to break their prison warden, The Pickle Index uses mini-games and a web of recipes to tell a tale of life under a surrealist dictatorship based on fermented goods. Download link.
• Soon: This one-tap list making app will never leave you with nothing to do. Soon, you can watch movies, read books, or go to the places you've been wanting to go. () Their trends section is great for inspiration. Download link.
• Cosmic Watth: Explore the Earth, solar system and constellations in real time with the Cosmic Watch app. It includes an eclipse mapper and a tool for adjusting telescopes. Download link.

useful tools

• Exponent: This development tool is an app for making apps. Its open-source framework allows you to build native apps for iOS and Android while coding in JavaScript. Founder Charlie Cheever is one of the co-founders of the Quora knowledge marketplace. Download link.
• Rightspeed: this app is designed to help you listen to more episodes of your favorite podcast - training your brain to listen faster. Start at 2x speed and use the app's Auto Speed ​​Ramping feature. Download link.
• EquiTable: EquiTable bridges the pay gap by splitting restaurant bills based on each person's race and gender. The app uses job statistics to adjust for income inequality by calculating how much each person should contribute. Feeling unfairly overworked? Never fear, the app has a “protest” button. Download link.
• Cove: This music app keeps a digital record of how you feel every day. Start by choosing from six basic emotions – playful, calm, longing, sad, kind and angry – before applying melodies using a simple interface. Every single song can be kept as a personal record or shared with friends and family. Download link.
• hangover: Hangover takes away the horror of waking up to find embarrassing photos of your night spread all over social media. This makes selected albums and short videos “disappear” into inaccessible folders when friends leave the “circle of trust” – a space defined according to how close their smartphones are. Download link.

 So, have you tried any of these apps on your Apple smartphone or tablet? Enjoy our selection and check out the programs you were most curious about and let us know how your experience was in the comments!