Over 50,000 new apps are released every month, creating an onslaught of options for users looking to enhance their phone's capabilities. Good news: we're here to help.
Every month, we root through the app stores, searching for the best new apps for your phone. We're not just regurgitating the Android and iOS charts: we're recommending the tools we've added to our own phones—ones that we know, from our own experiences, have improved our day-to-day lives.
Since 2008, we've watched the evolution of smartphones and apps, and we've learned the differences between essential ones and their fly-by-night counterparts. This collection of the best new iPhone and Android apps for July will help you get more out of the phone in your pocket.
How we picked the best apps for July
Our testers search for Android and iPhone apps that are easy to use and affordable. We evaluate the best apps of the month through hands-on use and rate them on a five-star scale based on the following criteria:
- User experience
- Price and value
- Efficacy
- Practicality
- Privacy & security
Best Apps for
iPhone and Android
Roost Social
A messaging app where your words travel like real birds—slowly, intentionally, and across the whole country.
- Free on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
- No paid tier; No ads; No data sold.
Roost Social is the first app I've tested in years that is solving the immediacy trend, and it's one of the most refreshing things I've downloaded.
In a nutshell (pun intended), you have a rookery full of birds, each one a different species with its own real-world flying speed. When you send a message to a friend, the delivery time is determined by how long that bird would actually take to fly from your location to theirs. Send something from Utah to Rhode Island, and your message might take three or four days to arrive—because that's how long the bird would need to make that journey.
Image: Scott Houghton | WhistleOut
What that constraint does to the act of messaging is hard to describe until you experience it. Once you send a bird, it's gone—and you can't unsend it, edit it, or speed it up. So you actually think about what you want to say. You consider whether the message is worth the bird. You become more intentional, almost by accident.
“I really enjoyed that it forced me to slow down and be intentional about what I'm sending. It was truly a lot of fun.”
I found myself regularly enjoying the wait. Knowing a message was on its way, that a friend somewhere had sent a bird flying toward me and it would arrive in a few days, gave me something to look forward to that no instant message has ever really replicated. It made communication feel like something again, rather than just another notification to dismiss.
Image: Scott Houghton | WhistleOut
The design is minimal and beautiful. The focus is on the birds themselves (whoever illustrated them clearly knows their ornithology) and the interface stays out of the way. Roost Social kept permissions as lean as possible: camera, microphone, and location while using the app. It doesn't sell any user data, and the developer has been transparent about that.
My only real frustration is that getting more birds requires patience—I'd love a slightly clearer path to expanding the rookery. But honestly, that restraint feels intentional, and it fits the app's whole ethos perfectly.
"I really enjoyed that it forced me to slow down and be intentional about what messages I'm sending. It was truly a lot of fun—and whoever illustrated the birds really knows their ornithology."
Scott Houghton, Staff Writer
Slow messaging, fast data—here's how to balance both.
Roost Social won't burn through your data plan. But if your current plan is making you feel like you're waiting for a carrier pigeon on everything else, it might be time to switch.
Check out the top affordable unlimited data plans right now:
|
XFINITY Mobile
Mobile Select Plan
$0.00/mo
(for the first year of service) <br>Regular rate of $30/mo. thereafter
|
|
Astound Mobile
Unlimited Data Plan
$0.00/mo
+ $14.99 Upfront
|
|
Boost Mobile
Unlimited Plan
$10.00/mo
with AutoPay
|
GoPaddling
A crowdsourced map of paddling locations that makes finding your next launch spot effortless.
- Free on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
- No subscription or paid tier. No account required to browse.
I kayak regularly, and finding new places to launch has always been more work than it should be. You end up bouncing between state park websites, local Facebook groups, and word of mouth from people who may or may not have been to that spot recently. GoPaddling puts all of that information in one place, for free, in a format that makes sense.
“GoPaddling is the perfect app for kayakers to find new locations in their area. I've already recommended it to several people I paddle with.”
The app opens to a map of your current location with launch points marked across the area. Each location is submitted by other paddlers and can include details like parking, access type, nearby facilities, and trip notes. You don't need an account to browse—you only need to create one (free) if you want to submit or edit a location. I opened it for the first time and was exploring launch points near me within thirty seconds.
Image: Max McCaskill | WhistleOut
The trip-planning feature is one I didn't expect to use but ended up enjoying. You add the points you'll visit on the map, enter your companions' names and the dates, and the app auto-generates an itinerary and emails it to you. From there, you can forward it to everyone on the trip. I used it to plan a float through the Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina—we launched from a spot several miles inside the refuge that had no signage whatsoever, a place I never would have found without the app.
Image: Max McCaskill | WhistleOut
The one catch is that since locations are user-submitted, some entries are missing details that make it hard to tell whether a spot is an official launch or just an informal pull-off on the side of the road. Locations in more popular paddling areas are usually well-documented; smaller or less-trafficked spots are more of a mixed bag.
Image: Max McCaskill | WhistleOut
The app includes ads, but they're not intrusive—no pop-ups that temporarily disable anything, just standard banner placements you'll stop noticing after about five minutes. On privacy, the app requests your location when it opens, but it's not mandatory. You can zoom out and explore launch points anywhere in the country without sharing your location at all. Account creation only requires a name, email, and password, and there's no payment information involved.
On the Google Play Store, some older reviews mention issues with the Android version—but the most recent reviews suggest those have been resolved with updates. I used the iOS version and had no issues.
"GoPaddling is the perfect app for kayakers to find new locations in their area. I've already recommended it to several people I paddle with—and every one of them has added it to their phone."
Max McCaskill, Senior Staff Writer
Heading on a trip? Make sure you have enough data.
GPS and maps only work as well as your signal. Before your next paddle, make sure you're on a plan with solid coverage.
Here are the top unlimited data plans right now:
|
Mint Mobile
Unlimited Data Plan
$15.00/mo
$45 for 3 months of service
|
|
T-Mobile
Essentials Saver
$50.00/mo
with Auto-Pay - Taxes & Fees NOT included
|
|
XFINITY Mobile
Unlimited Plan
$40.00/mo
|
Stompers: Step Counter & Friends
A step-tracking app that turns your daily movement into a game—complete with a little avatar to show for it.
- Free on the Apple App Store. iPhone only.
To be fully transparent, I don't need an app to motivate me to move. I already track my steps, I already exercise regularly, and I'm not particularly swayed by push notifications telling me to get off the couch. So I came into Stompers with a very specific kind of skepticism. By the end of my testing period, I hadn't changed my habits—but I had a surprising amount of fun anyway.
“Not my cup of tea—but if you need a little extra push to get active, the little avatars are certainly worth a try.”
Your daily steps power a little avatar that you customize and level up as you walk more. Connect with friends to spice things up and make it a daily competition, add companions to your roster, and see how your movement stacks up against the people in your life. The gamification is entertaining, and you can customize your avatars.
Image: Jessica Santero | WhistleOut
Only a few permissions are required to function. Stompers asks for access to your health stats and location while using the app (both of which you'd expect from a step-counting app) and nothing beyond that. The setup only takes a few steps, and the interface is intuitive from the first time you open it.
Image: Jessica Santero | WhistleOut
But, if you already stay on top of your steps without being reminded, Stompers probably won't change your routine. That said, if you're someone who needs a little external nudge to get moving (or someone who really enjoys the competition side of fitness apps), Stompers is great. It's addictive in a low-stakes, fun way, and it's completely free to try.
It's currently iPhone only, which is a real limitation for Android users. That may change in the future, but for now, it's only in the Apple ecosystem.
"Fun and addictive—but probably not something I'd use long term. If you need a little extra push to get active, the little avatars are certainly worth a try."
Jessica Santero, Staff Writer
Walking more? Make sure your phone plan is keeping up.
Fitness apps, GPS tracking, and social features all work better on a reliable unlimited plan. Upgrade to a plan on T-Mobile's network for the most 5G coverage across the nation. Opt for the Un-Carrier itself, or choose a smaller operator that also uses T-Mobile's network.
Here are the most popular plans on the T-Mobile network:
|
Mint Mobile
Unlimited Data Plan
$15.00/mo
$45 for 3 months of service
|
|
T-Mobile
Essentials Saver
$50.00/mo
with Auto-Pay - Taxes & Fees NOT included
|
|
US Mobile
Unlimited Starter Plan
$25.00/mo
|
How WhistleOut reviews apps
Our mobile experts scour the app stores every month, looking for the best new apps for Android and iPhone. Before recommending an app, we use the app for at least one full week, testing its basic functionality and evaluating whether or not it delivers on its promises. From there, we weigh the app's pros and cons, and then determine whether or not it's a worthwhile download for the wider population of cell phone users.
- Easy to use
Great apps simplify your phone. We selected the tools that don't require a complicated instructional manual. - Affordability
The internet is filled with expensive price tags, but we're not buying what they're selling. We lean into inexpensive, quality apps. Extra points if they're free! - Hands-on testing
We played around with these before recommending them, ensuring they're worth your download.
From there, we weigh the app's pros and cons and then determine whether or not it's a worthwhile download for the wider population of cell phone users.
All the latest cell phone news and deals, delivered every Thursday.
Jessica Santero
Staff Writer
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