10 Apps That Make the Best Use of iOS 8

10 Apps That Make the Best Use of iOS 8

iOS 8 has been touted as Apple's biggest overhaul to the operating system since its launch.

However, unlike iOS 7, which had a significantly different look and feel than its predecessors, many of iOS 8's biggest changes are not immediately noticeable after downloading the update.

That's because some of the most radical differences— like third-party keyboards, extensions and other features designed to give third-party developers more flexibility — are reliant on individual developers to take advantage of the features and optimize each app for the new tools.

Though developers have only just begun to roll out iOS 8-optimized updates to the App Store, here's a first look at some of the apps that are putting the newest version of iOS to good use. But before you go ahead and download the new software, make sure to back everything up first.

Apps Putting iOS 8 to Good Use

1. 

   1Password

   
   

   The “holy grail” of password managers that 1Password maker AgileBits teased earlier this year has arrived. The app's iOS 8 version touts an extension that allows users to fill in login credentials directly from Safari as well as some third-party apps. 1Password also takes advantage of Apple's Touch ID so users can unlock their password vault with a single tap. 

   The updated app is completely free with some premium features available for in-app purchase; existing users who paid for the previous version automatically get these when they update.

   Image: AgileBits, Inc.

2. 

   Box

   Box’s extension allows you to easily share content between the app and other productivity apps like iWork’s suite of apps. For example, you can start in the Box app, choose a document, open it in a text editing app, and make all the changes you wish. The same goes for photos and other file types and all changes can be synced within Box.

   Image: Box, Inc.

3. 

   Evernote

   Evernote wasted no time in taking advantage of iOS 8. Its latest app has an extension that can be enabled in Safari for saving photos, documents and web pages as notes. It also comes with a widget that allows users to quickly create notes from within the notification center. Additionally, premium users can use Apple’s Touch ID on password protected accounts.

   Image: Evernote

4. 

   Pocket

   One of the original “read it later” apps, Pocket now has a Safari extension so iOS users no longer have to rely on the cumbersome bookmarklet to send articles to their accounts. And when you’re using Pocket itself, you can share what you’re reading to other apps like Twitter or Evernote with one touch. The app also takes advantage of iOS’ handoff features so you can easily switch between iOS devices (and eventually OS X) without losing your place.

   Image: Read It Later, Inc.

5. 

   Instapaper

   Similarly, Instapaper has gotten its own extension in iOS 8 that allows users to save content to their account s from within any app. The new app also has a 'Today' extension that displays a list of everything you’ve saved that day within the notification center on your device.

   Image: Instapaper Holdings, Inc.

6. 

   Mint

   Mint.com’s personal finance app got an extra layer of security in its iOS 8 update with support for Apple Touch ID. The app already used 128-bit encryption but users no whale the additional option of using Touch ID in place of a passcode.

   Image: Mint.com

7. 

   OmniFocus 2

   The productivity app that combines to-do lists with daily task management has two new extensions in iOS. OmniFocus 2 now has a widget in the today section of the notification center in iOS that highlights daily tasks and to-dos as well as a sharing extension that enables users to share content from the web and other apps with OmniFocus.

   Image: The Omni Group

8. 

   Pinterest

   Pinterest is putting extensions to smart use for the benefit of power-pinners everywhere. Anyone who has the Pinterest app can enable the extension in Chrome or Safari by adding Pinterest in the "more" menu. This allows you to pin anything while browsing, whether it be a photo, article, recipe or video.

   Image: Pinterest

9. 

   Yahoo Weather

   Yahoo Weather just gave us even more reason to open it every morning. The iOS 8-ready app now includes an animated widget for the “today” view in iOS' notification center. Themain app features the same animations, which uses images of your location from Flickr’s photo library as well was weather-specific illustrations like rain, snow or fog.

   Image: Yahoo

10. 

    LastPass

    LastPass has gotten a major update complete with its own Safari extension and Touch ID functionality. Third party apps can also integrate the extension into their own apps for more streamlined logins. The app is free but certain features, including Touch ID, the Safari extension and offline access, are only available to the app’s premium users.

    Image: LastPass

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