Paid iPhone apps can really build up and eat away at your budget, so if you want to download a lot of great apps to your iPhone without hurting your bank account, you'll need to find free ones. Here's where you should look.
STEPS
METHOD 1 OF 3: FREE APPS FROM THE ITUNES APP STORE
1
PRESS THE HOME BUTTON ON YOUR IPHONE. The home button is the circular button with a rounded square on it, located on the front bottom of your iPhone.
Note that you may need to slide to unlock your phone or otherwise enter a password to unlock it, depending on your current settings.
2
OPEN THE APP STORE. Tap once on the App Store icon to open it
When you buy a new iPhone, this icon should already be on your home screen. If you buy a used or refurbished iPhone, though, you may have to open up the phone's Internet browser and download the iTunes App Store from there.
Note that you must have be registered on iTunes in order to use the App Store. Registration is free.[1]
You will need to have a 3G network or locate a WiFi hot spot in order to use the App Store.
3
CHECK OUT THE TOP FREE APPS. From the App Store, locate the iTunes charts. Once you reach the charts, tap on the "Free Apps" option to take a look at the top 100 free apps of the week.[2]
The iTunes charts track the top 100 songs, albums, shows, movies, movie rentals, music videos, free apps, and paid apps each week.
From the charts page, you can click on the "Buy Now on iTunes" link below the app to be redirected to the download page for that app.
4
ALTERNATIVELY, BROWSE THE CATEGORIES. If you are unable to find the iTunes charts, or if none of the apps there appeal to you, you can browse for the type of app that interests you using the categories listed along the bottom.
These options include: Featured, Categories, and Top 25.
"Featured" will show you the apps iTunes is currently promoting.
"Categories" will allow you to browse apps by content or subject.
"Top 25" will take you to a list of the current top app downloads.
5
ALTERNATIVELY, DO A KEYWORD SEARCH. If you know the name of the app you are looking for, or if you have a specific type or subject in mind, you can quickly find apps that fit your wants by doing a search in the App Store.
Tap once on the "Search" option at the bottom of the screen.
Once you reach the search page, type your search terms in the text box and hit the "Search" button.
Scroll through the results and alter your search terms as needed.
6
CHECK THE PRICE OF EACH APP. If you decide to browse for apps using the store's categories or search tool, you will need to actively pay attention to the price of each app.
Each app should be marked "Free" or have a listed price beside it. Never assume that an app is free just because you do not spot the pricing information.
7
GET MORE INFORMATION ON THE APP BEFORE YOU DOWNLOAD IT. Tap once on the app name or icon to go to its product page. From there, you can read more about the app and what it does.
You should always read up as much as you can about an app before you download it, even if the app is free.
8
TAP ON "INSTALL." From the app's product page, you should be able to click on an "Install" button, which will download the free app to your iPhone.
This completes the process. You should be able to access the new app from its app icon on your iPhone home screen.
METHOD 2 OF 3: LEGALLY GET PAID APPS FOR FREE USING OTHER APPS
1
PRESS THE HOME BUTTON ON YOUR IPHONE. Look for a circular button with a rounded square on it, located on the front bottom of your iPhone.
You may need to slide to unlock your phone, or you might need to enter a password, depending on your current settings. Sometimes, though, no further action is needed._
2
OPEN THE APP STORE. Open the App Store by tapping once on its icon, usually located on the home screen.
The App Store icon should be on your home screen if your iPhone is new or verified used. If you bought a used or refurbished iPhone from a third party source, however, you may need to access and download the App Store using the phone's Internet browser.
You need to register with iTunes before you can use the App Store. Registration is free.
A WiFi hot spot or 3G network is needed in order to use the App Store.
3
LOOK FOR AN APP TRACKER_ APP. App trackers allow you to legally track changes in price for many, if not most, apps available on the iTunes App Store. You can either do a keyword search for “app tracker” or search for one by name.
To do a keyword search, click on the “Search” option at the bottom of your App Store screen. Type “app tracker” into the box and search as you usually would from there.
Popular app tracker apps include:
AppShopper: http://appshopper.com/
AppMiner: http://www.bitrino.com/appminer/
Monster Free Apps: http://monsterfreeapps.com/
Apps Gone Free: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/apps-gone-free-best-daily/id470693788?mt=8
4
HIT "INSTALL." Once you reach the product page for your desired app tracker app, hit the “Install” button to download it.
Close out of the iTunes App Store for the time being.
At this point, you should be able to access the app from your iPhone's home screen. When you want to use your app tracker, tap on its icon to open it. You do not need to be in the iTunes App Store to use the app tracker.
5
CHECK THE APP FOR DAILY DEALS. Each day, open your new app tracker and browse through the current price changes. Look for a price that has recently changed to “Free.”
Oftentimes, the price of a standard paid app will drop to $0.01 or free for a limited time as a promotional special. You may not know about these price drops on your own, but by using an app tracker app, you can find out about all of these amazing deals quickly and efficiently.
Many of these app trackers will allow you to search for apps based on current prices.
Some of these apps also have categories that list apps which are “free,” “free today,” or “recently free.”
6
SET UP WISH LISTS WHEN POSSIBLE. Some app trackers may allow you to set up wish lists that allow you to track the price of a desired paid app without having to keep track of it manually.
Usually, you will need to go to the desired app's page via your app tracker and click on a “Add to Wishlist” or “Track” button.[3]
Depending on how the app tracker is set up, you will either receive a notification when one of the apps on your wish list becomes free, or you will receive a daily email listing the price changes to all the apps marked as favorites.
7
DOWNLOAD THE PAID APP FOR FREE WHEN AVAILABLE. As soon as you find that the app you want is free and available for download, click on the “Available in iTunes,” “Get this App,” or equivalent button to be redirected to the product page on the iTunes App Store.
On the app's download page, hit the “Install” button to download the app.
Once downloaded, the new and free app should be available for use on your iPhone simply by tapping on its icon on the phone's home screen.
METHOD 3 OF 3: SEARCHING ON THE INTERNET
1
VISIT WEBSITES THAT OFFERS FREE APPS AND APP DEALS. Just like there are apps that can track and report on free apps, there are also websites that you can use to track app prices and view paid apps that have recently become free.
You can access these websites from your iPhone Internet browser or from your computer. If accessing the website from your computer, though, you will need to find any app you spot on the website at the App Store on your iPhone later on.
Some of these websites may allow you to sign up for free daily e-newsletters. For others, however, you will need to check back on a daily basis.
Several notable app sites include:
Free-App-a-Day: http://freeappaday.com/
AppShopper: http://appshopper.com/
2
CHECK OUT ONLINE MAGAZINES AND BLOGS THAT SPECIALIZE IN TECH TIPS. Oftentimes, online tech magazines, online cell phone magazines, and consumer tech blogs will have their own lists of the “top free iPhone apps.”
Go to your favorite consumer tech website and search the website for articles or posts on “free iPhone apps.”
You can access these websites from your iPhone Internet browser or from your computer. If accessing the website from your computer, though, you will need to find any app you spot on the website at the App Store on your iPhone later on.
Several notable examples include:
Gizmodo list of free iPhone Apps: http://gizmodo.com/5423680/free-iphone-apps/
PC Mag, Top 5 free iPhone Apps: http://appscout.pcmag.com/apple-iOS-iphone-ipad-ipod/312911-top-5-free-iphone-apps-for-saving-time
Tech Radar list of the 80 best free iPhone apps: http://www.techradar.com/us/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/70-best-free-iphone-apps-2013-663484/1#ArticleContent
3
DO AN INTERNET SEARCH FOR FREE APPS. If all else fails, you can use your favorite search engine to do an Internet search like “best free iPhone apps” or “top free iPhone apps.”
You can access these websites from your iPhone Internet browser or from your computer. If accessing the website from your computer, though, you will need to find any app you spot on the website at the App Store on your iPhone later on.
4
CLICK ON THE LINK TO BE REDIRECTED TO THE ITUNES APP STORE. Usually, when you find a free app on another website, you will be given a link saying something along the lines of “Get this app from the iTunes store.” Click on this link, or the equivalent of it, to be redirected to the app's product page on the App Store.
Alternatively, re-locate the app on your iPhone. If you were not searching for the app from your phone and were instead searching on your computer, you should open the App Store directly from your iPhone home screen and perform a search for the name of your desired app.
5
HIT THE “INSTALL” BUTTON. Tap on an "Install" button from the app's product page, thereby downloading the free app to your iPhone.
This completes the process. You should be able to access the new app from its app icon on your iPhone home screen.
Be on the look out for free apps whenever you head online or walk around town. Stores, restaurants, and popular websites often have free apps that allow you to access deals and information from your iPhone. These apps can be advertised in store or online.
WARNINGS
Do things the legal way. There are plenty of guides online explaining how you can "jailbreak" your iPhone and download any paid app for free, but doing so is illegal, and you may face serious consequences if you get caught. Moreover, sources that allow you to download paid apps for free in this manner are more likely to contain bugs and viruses.
SOURCES AN CITATIONS
? http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2731
? http://www.apple.com/itunes/charts/free-apps/
? http://www.moneytalksnews.com/2011/07/12/iphone-apps-free/
ARTICLE INFO
Categories: IPhone Applications
Recent edits by: Maluniu
In other languages:
Italiano: Come Ottenere Applicazioni Gratuite per iPhone Português: Como Conseguir Aplicativos Gratuitamente no iPhone
Discuss
Email
