iTunes gift cards are one of the most common gifts every year, especially if you’re a techie who is hard to shop for. Nowadays, iTunes and App Store gift cards are good not only for apps, but also for Apple Music, Apple TV+, and more. Here are some of the best iOS apps and games to buy with the iTunes gift cards you unwrapped this holiday season.
If you’ve put off buying something for the Apple fan in your life until the last minute, Amazon still has App Store and iTunes gift cards available with e-mail delivery. You can even get $15 off when spending $100 or more.
If you’ve already gotten an iTunes gift card from someone this year, but have no idea what to spend it on, have no fear. Here are the best iOS apps, including games, utilities, and more, to buy with your brand new iTunes gift card.
The best iOS apps: Things
Everyone has different opinions and preferences for task managers. My personal pick is Things from Cultured Code. With a sleek design, reliable sync across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch, and more, it’s the most powerful and customizable option for my needs.
Download Things on the App Store for $9.99.
Apollo for Reddit
If you’re a Redditor still using the official Reddit app for iOS, it’s time to try something new. Apollo for Reddit is an incredibly powerful Reddit client for iOS with gesture-based navigation, Dark Mode support, and an interface that fits right in throughout iOS.
Download Apollo for Reddit on the App Store for free and use your iTunes gift card to unlock in-app purchases with notifications, thumbing, and more.
Carrot Weather
If you’re looking for a high-quality weather app with a touch (or more) of personality, Carrot Weather is it. With features like Siri Shortcuts integration, rain predictions, animated weather maps, and an Apple Watch app, Carrot Weather is one of our favorite iOS apps here at 9to5Mac.
Download Carrot Weather on the App Store for $4.99.
AutoSleep
If getting a better night’s sleep is one of your New Year’s resolutions, AutoSleep is a great way to start tracking your sleep. With support for Apple Watch sleep tracking and much more, it offers detailed insights into your sleep quality every night.
Download AutoSleep on the App Store for $2.99.
Tempo
Building on apps that are great for New Year’s resolutions, Tempo for Runners is a great way to start tracking your runs. You can visualize your training progress, see detailed information on splits and pace, and much more.
Download Tempo on the App Store for free. The Tempo Pro subscription unlocks cadence, route maps, graphs, and much more.
Chirp for Twitter
If you were gifted an Apple Watch this Christmas season, one of our favorite dedicated apps is Chirp for Twitter. Chirp allows you to access your Twitter timeline, lists, trending topics, and more directly from your Apple Watch.
Download Chirp for Twitter on the App Store for free, with in-app purchases available for added customization and more.
HomeRun for HomeKit
If you’re a HomeKit user with an Apple Watch, HomeRun is something you need to add to your setup. HomeRun is the best way to run HomeKit scenes from Apple Watch with support for custom complications and much more.
Download HomeRun for HomeKit on the App Store for $2.99.
Donut County
Donut County is a simple, but addictive game for iOS. It’s a mindless, story-based physics puzzle game that imagines a world where raccoons have taken over. It’s somewhat hard to explain, so watch the video above for a closer look.
Donut County is a $4.99 download on the App Store.
Alto’s Odyssey
Speaking of games, Alto’s Odyssey is one of the best iOS games of all-time. It was released last year as a follow-up to Alto’s Adventure and it’s an engaging and beautifully designed endless runner that truly excels on the iPhone and iPad.
Download Alto’s Odyssey on the App Store for $4.99.
Desert Golfing
Desert Golfing has been one of my favorite indie games on iOS for a long time. Despite having played it for years, I never get tired of it and its incredibly simple, yet tricky concept. If you’re looking for a simple game to help pass the time, Desert Golfing is a great choice.
Download Desert Golfing on the App Store for $1.99.
Other games
One of the biggest App Store trends we’ve seen in 2019 has been big game studios and companies bringing their iconic franchises to iOS. Here are some of those games:
- Alien: Blackout
- Assassin’s Creed Rebellion
- Call of Duty®: Mobile
- Dota Underlords
- Dr. Mario World
- Gears POP!
- Hot Wheels Infinite Loop
- Langrisser
- Lineage 2: Revolution
- Mario Kart Tour
- Minecraft Earth
- Pokémon Masters
- The Elder Scrolls: Blades
- The King of Fighters ALLSTAR
- Warhammer: Chaos & Conquest
Subscriptions
Last but not least, App Store and iTunes gift cards are good for subscriptions, as well. For instance, an iTunes gift card can be used for Apple Music, iCloud Storage, Apple Arcade, Apple TV+, and much more.
Want to try out Apple Arcade or Apple TV+? Depending on much App Store credit you have, you could even pre-pay for a full year using your gift card, and net a nice savings in the process.
Wrap-up
These are only some of the best iOS apps and games to download with your new iTunes gift card. One of the best things about iOS is its abundance of third-party apps, utilities, games, and more. Have additional recommendations? Let us know down in the comments. Also, keep in mind iTunes gift cards are good for movies, TV shows, music, and more as well!
