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Over the years, millions of apps have been released for iPhone and Android devices. In the early days of smartphones, there were some apps and games that were particularly popular and important. Let’s see some of them.
When the Apple App Store and Android Market (now the Google Play Store) were new, there weren’t as many apps and games released. People weren’t just downloading the latest trendy social media app. They would find apps that enabled features not yet built into phones, and it was much, much more common for games to become incredibly popular.
It’s fun to remember the first iPhone apps and the first Android apps you downloaded. Let’s take a look at some old favorites and see where they stand today.
Barcode scanner (ZXing)
Released for Android in March 2008, ZXing’s Barcode Scanner app was one of the first QR code scanning apps. It was not yet possible to do this with the built-in camera, which made this one of the original must-have apps. Nowadays, it still works fine, but there are better ways to scan QR codes. It has more than 100 million downloads.
downloads:android
Boxcar for iPhone
iPhone notifications have never been great. In the past, slow or non-existent push notifications were a common annoyance. “Boxcar” enabled super fast notifications for email services, Facebook, Twitter and more. It was a must-have app for power users. The app was released to the App Store in 2009 and was removed due to incompatibilities with iOS in 2019.
downloads:N/A
dolphin browser
Android’s first pre-installed browser left a lot to be desired. Dolphin Browser was one of the first third-party browsers on the scene. Released in 2009, it brought pinch-to-zoom support, which was a big deal for small screens at the time. Big-name mobile browsers like Chrome and Edge are very good nowadays, but Dolphin is still a good option. It has more than 50 million downloads.
downloads: Android, iPhone, iPad
Firm
Foursquare was one of the first apps to take advantage of people carrying GPS-enabled devices everywhere. Launched in 2009, it pioneered the concept of “checking in” to locations and sharing it with your friends. The company turned the social registration feature into a separate app called “Swarm” in 2014; Foursquare remained a service similar to Yelp. Both are still available and active today, but not as popular since the larger social networks adopted their features.
downloads: Android, iPhone, iPad
google glasses
Not to be confused with the failed augmented reality headset, Google Goggles was the precursor to what is now known as Google Lens. Released in 2010, it was our first look at what image recognition software could do with a smartphone camera. Many of the ideas behind Goggles are still present today in Google Lens.
downloads:N/A
K-9 Mail
K-9 Mail was born when Jesse Vincent wanted to patch the standard email app included in Android 1.0. He released the patched version of the app as a standalone email app. K-9 has long been a fan favorite in the open source community and has continued to receive constant updates. In 2022, it will be acquired by Mozilla and will be relaunched as “Thunderbird for Android”.
downloads:android
Launcher Pro
If you are a long-time Android user, the name “LauncherPro” may bring you some nostalgic thoughts. When it launched in 2010 it was he android launcher. There weren’t a ton of great third-party launchers yet, and LauncherPro achieved what a lot of people were looking for. Unfortunately, it was only in 2011.
downloads:N/A
photosynthesis
It’s hard to believe, but there was a time when smartphone cameras didn’t have built-in panorama modes. After being available on the web since 2008, Microsoft Live Labs released “Photosynth” in 2011 for mobile devices. The app made it easy to create full 360-degree panoramas with your camera. It is currently available in the Microsoft Pix app for iPhone.
downloads:N/A
Shazam and Soundhound
Shazam and Soundhound actually predate the iPhone and Android, but they became household names when everyone started owning smartphones. Shazam was released on iPhone and Android in 2008, while SoundHound was released in 2009. Shazam is now integrated into iOS, while SoundHound is still popular, although there are more convenient methods.
downloads: Android, iPhone, iPad
downloads: Android, iPhone, iPad
sky map
Being an early adopter of smartphones meant showing off what they could do. Sky Map, released in 2009, was the perfect Android app for the job. Just open it, point your camera up at the sky and you can see all the constellations and planets in an augmented reality overview. It was super awesome and fun to wear this day.
downloads:android
zedge
The best part of owning your first smartphone was customizing it to your liking. Zedge was one of the first apps that made it easy to download ringtones, wallpapers, and icons for iPhone and Android devices. The company opened a store in 2003 and became available on smartphones in 2009. Zedge is still alive and kicking today.
downloads: Android, iPhone, iPad
Games
Simple mobile games were a big deal in the early years of smartphones. Many people were experiencing touch screens for the first time, and games were primed to take advantage of the functionality. There are a handful of iconic games that were released between 2009 and 2011.
angry Birds
The first Angry Birds was released in 2009 and it was a huge success. He has launched an incredibly successful franchise that has spawned books, movies, toys, a TV series, and more than 25 games. As of February 2023, the latest game is Angry Birds Journey.
downloads: Android, iPhone, iPad
Cut the rope
Cut the Rope was released in 2010. The swipe-to-cut mechanic was a perfect fit for smartphones, and everyone loved the adorable green monster named “Om Nom”. There have been nine sequels since the original, and the series has been downloaded over a billion times.
downloads: Android, iPhone, iPad
Doodle Jump
Doodle Jump is another big hit that was released in 2009. This simple game took advantage of smartphones with accelerometers. By tilting the phone, you control a cute creature that jumps from platform to platform.
downloads: Android, iPhone, iPad
fruit ninja
Fruit Ninja is a perfect example of a game that takes advantage of touch screens. All you had to do was swipe the screen to cut the fruit as it was thrown. It was extremely addictive, and that addictive gameplay has been reborn for virtual reality headsets.
downloads: Android, iPhone, iPad
heaven burger
Sky Burger launched in 2009 and was one of the first big hits for NimbleBit, who would later release Tiny Tower. This addictive game tasked you with stacking the correct ingredients for burgers by tilting your device from side to side. Unfortunately it is no longer available for download.
downloads:N/A
temple run
Temple Run Explorers started running in 2011. The game was an immediate success and quickly became the most popular free game on iOS before its release on Android. In 2012, a spin-off of the Pixar film “Brave” was released. As of February 2023, there have been six games in the series, with the most recent releasing in 2017.
downloads: Android, iPhone, iPad
words with friends
In 2009, Zynga released Words With Friends, a cross-platform online version of Scrabble. Zynga had already had success with games on Facebook, but Words With Friends brought it to smartphones and was a huge success. It is still a very popular game on iPhone, Android and Facebook.
downloads: Android, iPhone, iPad
I love looking back on old mobile apps. For those of us lucky enough to experience the first era of smartphones, I imagine it was similar to before there were a million TV channels to choose from. People were talking a lot more about the apps they found and there were more “viral” apps. Nowadays, we have a lot of options, and that’s great too.
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