8 Catholic Apps You Need Right Now

With millions of apps in the App Store, finding useful, must-have iPhone apps takes some digging. Finding the best Catholic apps can be even harder.

Here are 8 apps I keep coming back to, sorted by what they help with: prayer, news, fun, meditation, the Rosary, and one non-Catholic app that makes daily life easier.

If your favorite app isn’t on the list, tell us in the comments below!

iBreviary TS Plus

iBreviary TS Plus on the App Store, Android

When I was in seminary, I was introduced to the heavy books of the Liturgy of the Hours. This is it, lighter, more beautiful, and the pages never tear out. I love it! You can also pray online with no app needed, but the app has lots of great bells and whistles.

iBreviary brings you the Liturgy of the Hours and the texts of the Mass on your iPhone and iPad. The “Pro Terra Sancta” edition also supports, through a partnership with the Custody of the Holy Land, prayer and friendship with the Christians living in the Holy Land.

Hallow: Prayer & Meditation

Hallow on the App Store, Android

If you’re getting ready for confession, Hallow has guided examinations of conscience that walk you through it slowly, so you actually remember what you want to bring. Beyond that it’s a full prayer app: the Rosary, Lectio Divina, daily Gospel reflections, and sleep prayers. The app is free to download; much of the library sits behind Hallow Pro, but there’s plenty to start with.

iPieta: The Catholic Church in Your Pocket

iPieta on the App Store, Android

You can read my full review here. As a Catholic there are plenty of distractions that make it hard to focus on prayer and traditional readings. Thanks be to God for the team at iVerbum, who packed the Bible, the Catechism, prayers, and the writings of the saints into one little gem.

EWTN

EWTN on the App Store

EWTN keeps you close to what’s happening in the Church and at the Vatican. You get live TV and radio, daily Mass, news from EWTN News and the National Catholic Register, and coverage of the Holy Father’s travels and messages, all free in one place.

Pinterest

Pinterest on the App Store, Android

Is it a faith app? Not really. But the boards and ideas out there for faith are awe-inspiring. If you want to bring faith into a craft, project, or event, this is the place to look. You can follow CatholicApps.com on Pinterest, where we pin podcasts, clothes, and more with great connections to the faith, plus our latest reviews.

3-Minute Retreat

3-Minute Retreat on the App Store

Loyola Press’s free 3-Minute Retreat helps you reconnect with God, re-center your day, and relax. Each day brings a new bite-sized retreat with a Scripture passage, calming music, and reflection questions you can pray at your own pace. Those three minutes of peace are just a tap away.

iRosary

iRosary on the App Store

iRosary is a clean, simple way to pray the Rosary on your phone. It follows the mysteries for each day, keeps your place bead by bead, and stays out of the way so you can focus on the prayer itself. It’s free and one of the best-rated Rosary apps on the App Store.

Google Chrome

Chrome on the App Store, Android

Here’s the exception. Is this a Catholic app? No. But Chrome makes my life, and writing this blog, a lot easier. It’s my browser of choice on all my devices, and I especially like how it syncs bookmarks, history, and passwords across them.

I use my iPhone, iPad, and Mac to keep track of most of the moving parts of my life, and I’m sure you do too. Are there apps you enjoy, Catholic or not? Let me know in the comments below!