9 Must-Have iOS Apps I Wish Would Cross Over to Android (But Likely Won’t)

In the past, many top-tier apps were primarily found on iPhones and iPads. However, this has changed significantly in recent years, as numerous popular games and applications are now available on Android as well. They may take longer to appear on Android than on iOS, but they do arrive eventually. Unfortunately, some apps have stalled in their migration to Android and will likely never be released on that platform.

Here’s a selection of outstanding iOS apps that I believe would be fantastic if they were available on Android. While it’s unlikely most of them will ever make this transition, let’s explore nine apps I wish could be found on Google Play.

Recently, my daughter mentioned wanting an iPad for Christmas, primarily for digital drawing. She had considered an Android tablet, but Procreate was a significant factor in her decision against it.

Procreate is a bitmap graphics editor providing a desktop-level experience. With excellent speed and fluidity, it fully supports the Apple Pencil. While there are alternative apps such as HiPaint and Infinite Painter, they don’t quite match Procreate’s capabilities.

This app features an extensive, customizable range of brushes that replicate various media and allows for time-lapse recordings, 3D painting, and more. Additionally, it maintains a traditional stance against AI art creation, opting for a pure creative approach.

Procreate is available on iPad and iPhone, requiring a one-time payment of approximately $12.99 for iPad or $5.99 for iPhone. Although I’d love to see this app on Android devices, the development team is small and seems uninterested in creating an Android version. Moreover, the complexity of supporting various Android stylus standards adds to the challenges and costs.

GarageBand is widely recognized as one of Apple’s standout applications. It’s designed for musicians and allows users to create music, podcasts, and more with relative ease. The app is versatile enough for both professionals and casual users.

With multi-track support and an array of instrument synthesizers, including various drum options, GarageBand is packed with features. It even supports real instruments like guitars and keyboards. What’s striking is that this powerful tool is provided free of charge to Apple users.

While Android users have alternatives like BandLab and Walk Band, they don’t quite reach the level of features offered by GarageBand, and its layout is unmatched. Despite my hopes for GarageBand on Android, its owners have no motivation to expand it to other platforms.

Overcast is a podcast player designed with privacy in mind, available exclusively for Apple devices. The developer ensures no involvement of third-party analytics or intrusive ads.

Aside from its commitment to user privacy, Overcast is user-friendly with a clean interface. It allows users to create detailed playlists and prioritize favorite shows. iCloud syncing keeps your library organized across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch.

The app also features an advanced audio engine aimed at improving sound quality. Tools like shrinking dead air and the Voice Boost feature ensure that hosts remain audible amidst background noise.

Overcast is free to download, but an ad-free version is available for $29.99 annually. The app’s sole developer is unlikely to bring it to Android, which is disappointing. If you need an alternative, Pocket Casts is your best option.

Flighty is an exceptional app for tracking flight details before, during, and after boarding. It provides weather updates, check-in reminders, and notifications about changes to departure schedules. Unlike many similar apps, Flighty offers highly detailed aviation data, including aircraft history, proximity radar, and thorough flight paths. It also features an impressive offline mode for monitoring long flights without internet access.

The app excels with its real-time prediction capabilities. It quickly informs users about schedule alterations or gate changes and explains potential delays, often faster than airlines provide this information. Additionally, it includes fun elements like tracking your flight miles and sharing updates with friends and family.

I’m surprised it hasn’t made the leap to Android. While Procreate faces hurdles, Flighty seems like it could transition more easily. Although there are flight tracking apps for Android, none are as compelling as Flighty.

Previously, I used VLC and Kodi to play local media, but Infuse has surpassed them all. It supports a wide range of file formats and organizes content seamlessly while fetching movie posters, artwork, and cast information.

Infuse connects with local drives and supports cloud storage and media servers like Plex. It can also sync playback progress and settings via iCloud across various Apple devices, providing smooth AirPlay integration.

While I’d love to see Infuse on Android, it’s unlikely, as the developer focuses on Apple’s ecosystem and optimizations. After thirteen years of exclusivity, it’s clear they aren’t rushing to make that shift.

Darkroom serves as a photo and video editor akin to Adobe Lightroom but is tailored for Apple devices, primarily optimized for iPads. Built on Apple Photos, it saves edits alongside original files in iCloud Photos.

While Lightroom is more robust with advanced features, Darkroom provides a streamlined experience that’s focused on natural editing and recovery. It excels in optimization for smaller screens.

Darkroom’s free option allows basic edits, with a more feature-rich Pro tier available for $9.99/month, $39.99/year, or a $99.99 lifetime purchase—an attractive deal compared to Lightroom’s subscription model.

Bear Notes provides a well-structured note-taking experience reminiscent of Notion, incorporating features like nested tags and icons to maintain organization.

The app supports Markdown, image attachments, PDF uploads, and even sketches, catering to those who want an organized way to manage information, recipes, and project notes.

Bear Notes has cross-device support within the Apple ecosystem and offers a web app in public beta. Although it requires an Apple ID, it’s usable on non-Apple devices via a Bear Pro subscription, functioning more as a companion app.

Halide is one of the premier photography apps for iOS, featuring comprehensive controls and numerous functions, including focus peaking and long exposures of up to 15 seconds, along with RAW support for certain devices.

Focusing solely on photography, Halide doesn’t provide video support or editing features, but excels in capturing high-quality images with intuitive gesture controls.

However, it’s a subscription-based app, costing $2.99 monthly, $19.99 a year, or $59.99 for a lifetime license. While it may potentially expand to Android in the future, there’s currently no indication of this occurring. For Android users, ProShot stands out as a solid alternative.

Sofa is a unique organization app meant to streamline the management of books, games, movies, and podcasts, helping users effectively navigate their recreational activities.

The app serves as an organizational hub rather than a streaming service and helps users track their entertainment interests. It’s structured around three components: The Pile for new items, The Shelf for prioritized interests, and Enjoying for tracking progress on consumed content.

While the core features of Sofa are free, premium features require a $3.99 monthly subscription, or you can opt for a yearly fee of $35.99. Although it’s unlikely this app will be available on Android, Listy comes closest in functionality.