{"id":16957,"date":"2011-01-04T21:16:04","date_gmt":"2011-01-04T15:46:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/?p=16957"},"modified":"2026-10-15T12:59:59","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T07:29:59","slug":"phone-apps-2010","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/01\/phone-apps-2010\/","title":{"rendered":"10 iPhone Apps of 2010 That Made a Difference (Where Are They Now?)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Which were the <strong>iphone apps of 2010<\/strong> that changed how people used their phones? This list was first written in early 2011, when the iPhone 4 was new and apps were starting to replace text messages, maps and even cameras. Below is the original top 10, what happened to each app, and what to use in 2026.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-66913\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/iphone-apps-of-2010-2026-1024x538.webp\" alt=\"iPhone apps of 2010 that made a difference\" width=\"1024\" height=\"538\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/iphone-apps-of-2010-2026-1024x538.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/iphone-apps-of-2010-2026-300x158.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/iphone-apps-of-2010-2026-150x79.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/iphone-apps-of-2010-2026-768x403.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/iphone-apps-of-2010-2026.webp 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> Most of the big iPhone apps of 2010 are still here: Dropbox, Pandora, Hipstamatic, Facebook, Runkeeper, WhatsApp and Yelp. Truphone&#8217;s calling app closed in 2016, and the smaller chat and to-do apps faded away. Today WhatsApp, iMessage and the built-in Reminders app cover most of what those apps did.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6ad947fd4d61a\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6ad947fd4d61a\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/01\/phone-apps-2010\/#Why_the_iPhone_apps_of_2010_mattered\" >Why the iPhone apps of 2010 mattered<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/01\/phone-apps-2010\/#The_top_10_list_then_and_now\" >The top 10 list, then and now<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/01\/phone-apps-2010\/#10_Dropbox\" >10. Dropbox<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/01\/phone-apps-2010\/#9_Truphone\" >9. Truphone<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/01\/phone-apps-2010\/#8_Pandora_Radio\" >8. Pandora Radio<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/01\/phone-apps-2010\/#7_Todo\" >7. Todo<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/01\/phone-apps-2010\/#6_Hipstamatic\" >6. Hipstamatic<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/01\/phone-apps-2010\/#5_Facebook\" >5. Facebook<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/01\/phone-apps-2010\/#4_RunKeeper\" >4. RunKeeper<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/01\/phone-apps-2010\/#3_WhatsApp_Messenger\" >3. WhatsApp Messenger<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/01\/phone-apps-2010\/#2_PingChat\" >2. PingChat!<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/01\/phone-apps-2010\/#1_Yelp\" >1. Yelp<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/01\/phone-apps-2010\/#What_to_install_in_2026_instead\" >What to install in 2026 instead<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/01\/phone-apps-2010\/#FAQ\" >FAQ<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/01\/phone-apps-2010\/#Which_iPhone_apps_of_2010_are_still_available\" >Which iPhone apps of 2010 are still available?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/01\/phone-apps-2010\/#What_happened_to_Truphone\" >What happened to Truphone?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/01\/phone-apps-2010\/#Was_WhatsApp_really_around_in_2010\" >Was WhatsApp really around in 2010?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/01\/phone-apps-2010\/#Do_I_still_need_a_separate_to-do_app_on_iPhone\" >Do I still need a separate to-do app on iPhone?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_the_iPhone_apps_of_2010_mattered\"><\/span>Why the iPhone apps of 2010 mattered<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In 2010 phone users were split into two camps: iPhone owners and everyone else. Part of the reason people switched was money. Apps like WhatsApp and Truphone let you send messages and make calls over data instead of paying for SMS and international calls, which could cut a phone bill noticeably. Others, like Dropbox and Yelp, showed that a phone could do jobs that used to need a computer.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_top_10_list_then_and_now\"><\/span>The top 10 list, then and now<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"10_Dropbox\"><\/span>10. Dropbox<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-16973\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/dropbox-app.png\" alt=\"Dropbox iPhone app icon\" width=\"150\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/dropbox-app.png 150w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/dropbox-app-100x150.png 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dropbox.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dropbox<\/a> made syncing simple: drop files in a folder on your computer and open them on your iPhone. It is still one of the best-known cloud storage services, with a free Basic plan and paid plans for more space. If you are on the free plan, see our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/04\/get-more-free-dropbox-space\/\">getting more free Dropbox space<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"9_Truphone\"><\/span>9. Truphone<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Truphone offered cheap and free calls over the internet, including to Skype and Google Talk users. The Truphone app closed in November 2016, and the company&#8217;s business was later sold to 1GLOBAL in 2023. For free calls today, use WhatsApp, FaceTime or Signal.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"8_Pandora_Radio\"><\/span>8. Pandora Radio<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pandora.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pandora<\/a> built personal radio stations by learning from your thumbs up and thumbs down. Pandora still works this way, though it is aimed at listeners in the United States. Elsewhere, most people now use Spotify or Apple Music for the same kind of personal mixes.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_Todo\"><\/span>7. Todo<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Simple to-do apps helped forgetful users note appointments and tasks. You no longer need a separate app for basics: the built-in Reminders app on iPhone handles lists and alerts. For more features, <a href=\"https:\/\/todoist.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Todoist<\/a> is a popular choice.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_Hipstamatic\"><\/span>6. Hipstamatic<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/hipstamatic.app\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hipstamatic<\/a> turned the iPhone screen into the back of a retro camera, with swappable lenses, flashes and films. It started the vintage photo filter craze that Instagram later made huge, and the app is still around.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Facebook\"><\/span>5. Facebook<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/facebook-app.png\" alt=\"Facebook iPhone app icon\" width=\"150\" height=\"216\" \/><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook<\/a> brought the news feed and notifications to your pocket, so you no longer had to wait until you got home to catch up with friends. The app has changed many times since its 2010 grid design, but it remains one of the most used apps in the world.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_RunKeeper\"><\/span>4. RunKeeper<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/runkeeper.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Runkeeper<\/a> used the iPhone&#8217;s GPS to map your runs and show pace and approximate calories. It is still available, and today it competes with Strava and the built-in Fitness app on iPhone and Apple Watch.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_WhatsApp_Messenger\"><\/span>3. WhatsApp Messenger<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.whatsapp.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WhatsApp<\/a> let you message friends over data, show when they were online and skip SMS charges. It went on to become one of the biggest messaging apps in the world and is now owned by Meta. Newer features like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2022\/04\/whatsapp-one-view-photo-video\/\">View Once photos and videos<\/a> keep it useful.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_PingChat\"><\/span>2. PingChat!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>PingChat offered group chat rooms with photos and videos, a bit like MSN on your phone. It faded away, and group chats are now built into WhatsApp, iMessage, Telegram and Signal.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Yelp\"><\/span>1. Yelp<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yelp.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Yelp<\/a> used GPS to find the nearest restaurant, bank or pharmacy, with reviews from other users. It is still a popular local search app, especially in the US, alongside Google Maps and Apple Maps.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_to_install_in_2026_instead\"><\/span>What to install in 2026 instead<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Messaging and calls:<\/strong> WhatsApp, iMessage, FaceTime or Signal (replaces Truphone and PingChat).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Files:<\/strong> Dropbox or iCloud Drive.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Music:<\/strong> Pandora (US), Spotify or Apple Music.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Tasks:<\/strong> Reminders or Todoist.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Running:<\/strong> Runkeeper, Strava or Apple Fitness.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Local search:<\/strong> Yelp, Google Maps or Apple Maps.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Which_iPhone_apps_of_2010_are_still_available\"><\/span>Which iPhone apps of 2010 are still available?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Dropbox, Pandora, Hipstamatic, Facebook, Runkeeper, WhatsApp and Yelp are all still available on the App Store.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_happened_to_Truphone\"><\/span>What happened to Truphone?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The Truphone calling app shut down in November 2016. The company later sold its business to 1GLOBAL in 2023.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Was_WhatsApp_really_around_in_2010\"><\/span>Was WhatsApp really around in 2010?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Yes. WhatsApp was already popular on the iPhone in 2010 as a way to avoid SMS charges, years before Facebook (now Meta) bought it.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_I_still_need_a_separate_to-do_app_on_iPhone\"><\/span>Do I still need a separate to-do app on iPhone?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Not for simple lists. The built-in Reminders app covers lists, due dates and alerts. Apps like Todoist add projects and sharing.<\/p>\n<p><em>Originally written by guest author Nicholas, who ran a men&#8217;s fashion blog and the gadget site Cool Quirks. Updated for 2026 by QuickOnlineTips. You can also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/guest-blogging\/\">write guest articles<\/a> here.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Which were the iphone apps of 2010 that changed how people used their phones? This list was first written in&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":66913,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[44],"class_list":["post-16957","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-apple","tag-guest-posts"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16957","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16957"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16957\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":66921,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16957\/revisions\/66921"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/66913"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16957"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16957"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16957"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}