Apps are back, or maybe they never left in the first place. <\/p>\n
While some people debate whether people will shift away from apps<\/a> as AI agents<\/a> make accessing online services more efficient, we\u2019ve found the App Store to be alive and well, with a recent explosion of fun, creative and innovative tools, experiences, and other indie efforts.<\/p>\n Some of the more recent launches may be attributed to the rise of AI coding, which has enabled people to ship software more quickly, and allowed novices to participate<\/a> in the app ecosystem. According to one report, new app launches have soared in 2026, with worldwide new app releases up 60% year-over-year<\/a> as of the first quarter across both the Apple App Store and Google Play. On Apple\u2019s iOS store alone, that figure was an even higher 80%.<\/p>\n While there\u2019s valid concern that vibe-coded apps in particular could be cluttering the App Store with lower-quality content, there are plenty of interesting apps worth exploring, and those that resonate with consumers will rise to the top. Many also use AI under the hood to perform their magic \u2014 they\u2019re just not promoted as being \u201cAI-powered.\u201d<\/p>\n Below is our latest collection of App Store hidden gems<\/a>, which we\u2019ve added to our Home Screen. You can also visit TechCrunch\u2019s prior app round-ups, like our looks at next generation social apps<\/a>, Apple Watch<\/a> and iPad productivity tools<\/a>, and apps for digitally decluttering<\/a> your life.<\/p>\n Albo<\/a>\u00a0(previously Sortd<\/a>, but not that<\/a> Sortd) is an excellent tool for anyone who regularly bookmarks content from social media, then promptly forgets about it. With Albo, the idea is that you\u2019ll instead share the link to the TikTok, Instagram Reel, YouTube video, or other website to the app. Albo will then automatically pull the details from the post and categorize and save the idea for you. That post and its notes will remain available in Albo, even if the original content creator deletes their post or video at some point in the future.<\/p>\n The app works with a variety of social apps, including Pinterest, X, LinkedIn, Threads, Reddit, and Facebook, plus browsers like Chrome and Safari. You can also add screenshots to Albo.<\/p>\n This makes it easy to save any sort of online inspiration for easy access, whether that\u2019s travel ideas, local spots to try, movie or shows to watch, books to read, recipes to cook, or workouts to do. Your collections can also be shared with friends.<\/p>\n Albo hails from the London-based app studio, The Feel Good Project,<\/a> which focuses on tech that makes users feel inspired and satisfied instead of drained by doomscrolling.<\/p>\n The app is free to use with advanced features available via subscription. We didn\u2019t love how heavy-handed it was in pushing the trial subscription during onboarding, however.<\/p>\n Available on iOS<\/a> and Google Play<\/a><\/p>\n The recent parasite outbreak in the U.S. has people thinking more carefully about where their food comes from. Buying from local growers and bakers may be the safer option \u2014 and better for the community \u2014 but not everyone has time to make it to the farmer\u2019s market over the weekend. <\/p>\n Coop<\/a>\u2018s app offers an alternative through its neighborhood marketplace, where you can buy real handmade and homegrown items from the people near you, even from the farmhouse down the road that offers fresh eggs, or a neighbor willing to barter their items for yours. The idea is to allow commerce to stay local, while helping people turn their own garden, field, or craft into an additional income stream.<\/p>\n On Coop, you can browse and discover nearby sellers, follow your favorites, see how far they are from you, and purchase from them via the app\u2019s Stripe integration. The seller then receives the order and prepares it for pickup. <\/p>\n Available on iOS<\/a> and Google Play<\/a>.<\/p>\n A colorful and somewhat chaotic app, PI.FYI<\/a>, promises to bring back the \u201cold internet,\u201d where you found recommendations through a network of friends, not algorithms. Having emerged from a cult newsletter<\/a>, the app has been around for a couple of years, but still feels fresh and modern and very much like the alternative to social media it aims become.<\/p>\n In PI.FYI, you can track what you\u2019re into, share your taste, and browse by category or \u201cscenes,\u201d like music, whimsy, retro, and literature, to find your community, read interesting articles, make lists, gather local recommendations, and play games with friends. The app exudes a retro vibe itself, as if it were built when the internet was a little less polished, too.<\/p>\n Available on iOS<\/a> and Google Play<\/a><\/p>\n OK, it might not be as fun as sharing a letter via pigeon post<\/a>, but the app for pen pals, Lettre<\/a>, also embraces the fun of snail mail in a digital format. This letter-writing app lets you start new friendships with pen pals around the world, discovered through the app, or with anyone whose email address you already know. Unfortunately, letters are sent digitally through the app or email for now, but the company\u2019s FAQ suggests it is considering a postal mail option for the future, which would be so much fun.<\/p>\n Available on iOS<\/a> only.<\/p>\n While not a brand-new app, Sofa Time<\/a> is one of several that is picking up where the recently shuttered <\/a>TV Time app left off. The app has an easy-to-use, uncluttered interface for tracking the movies and TV shows you\u2019re watching, organizing your watchlist, discovering what to stream next, and getting reminders about new releases.<\/p>\n While Sofa Time\u2019s commenting section doesn\u2019t yet rival TV Time\u2019s forums, the app\u2019s social elements leave room for the community to grow, as it supports the ability to react with a GIF or image alongside your text, and includes built-in translation features to support a global audience. <\/p>\n Available on iOS<\/a> and Google Play<\/a>. <\/p>\n ThingsBook<\/a>, a new writing-focused app from South Korean internet giant Naver\u2019s U.S. subsidiary<\/a>, is hardly an indie effort, but it\u2019s an interesting premise for what the future of social media could look like. Instead of doomscrolling, ThingsBook offers a flexible space where you can capture what you care about, whether that\u2019s through journaling, logging ideas, or collecting things like books, travels, meals, hobbies, and goals into structured lists you can revisit and expand.<\/p>\n The company explains that the app\u2019s purpose is not to focus on \u201cfleeting trends\u201d but to become a \u201cliving record of who you are and what you love.\u201d <\/p>\n Available on iOS<\/a> and Google Play<\/a>.<\/p>\n App or artistic project? Pressed Petals<\/a> is both. An indie effort from designer Cynthia Chen<\/a>, the app turns the photos of flowers you find on your walks into a pressed specimen, like one you\u2019d find in a \u201cvintage botanical journal.\u201d The app automatically saves the location where you spotted the flower, and the date and time, turning your nature walks into interactive experiences. It also identifies the flower by name, both its scientific name and its common name.<\/p>\n You can try the app to press two flowers for free, then pay a one-time fee of $4.99 to unlock the full app. This could be a fun app for luring your little ones outside, as it gives them something else to do beyond the hike itself.<\/p>\n Available on iOS<\/a> only.<\/p>\n We\u2019re suckers for single-purpose apps that are built well. Moods Faster<\/a> by Nick Leith is a perfect example, as it offers a way to log your moods for tracking in Apple Health in just two taps \u2014 one to select the mood and a second to save it.<\/p>\n You can choose between logging your current mood or your overall mood for the day, and can also optionally add information about the context and emotions you\u2019re experiencing at the time of logging. In the settings, you can pick between different color schemes for your moods, though some are paywalled. <\/p>\n At $1.95 per month, it\u2019s a reasonably priced subscription for anyone who regularly tracks their moods and emotions for mental health purposes.<\/p>\n Available on iOS<\/a> only. <\/p>\n Originally pitched as a way to encourage kids to exercise, Activate Fitness<\/a> has recently expanded its screen-time-earning app to include the whole family, which, frankly, makes it better. (The kids will just hate their parents for using this otherwise. Plus, it could turn outdoor time or exercise into a dreaded chore in kids\u2019 minds, which defeats the purpose.)<\/p>\n For adults, the app could allow you to accomplish your own personal goals, like no doomscrolling until you get your steps in for the day.<\/p>\n Available on iOS<\/a> only. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission<\/a>. This doesn\u2019t affect our editorial independence.<\/em><\/p>\nAlbo<\/h2>\n
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Coop<\/h2>\n
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PI.FYI by Perfectly Imperfect <\/h2>\n
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Lettre<\/h2>\n
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Sofa Time<\/h2>\n
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ThingsBook<\/h2>\n
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Pressed Petals<\/h2>\n
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Moods Faster<\/h2>\n
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Activate Fitness<\/h2>\n
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