The Apple App You Might Overlook, But Don’t

You know that feeling when you stumble on something amazing… and then realize it’s been sitting right under your nose the whole time?

That was me with Apple Freeform.
It showed up quietly on my iPad and Mac when I updated to iOS 16.2. I saw the icon, thought “Another random app I’ll never use”, and promptly ignored it.

Big mistake.

One lazy day, I finally tapped it—and ten minutes later, I was wondering why Apple wasn’t shouting about this from every rooftop in Cupertino.

First Impressions: A Whiteboard? Not Exactly.

At first glance, Freeform looks like yet another whiteboard app. But the second you start dragging, dropping, sketching, and zooming around, you realize it’s an infinite playground for ideas.
You’re not confined to a page. There’s no “end.” You can zoom out until your work is just a speck, then zoom back in and keep going.

Why I Fell for It

Here’s what hooked me:

No Boundaries – An infinite canvas for brainstorming, planning, or dreaming.
Collaborate Without Chaos – Invite up to 100 people to work with you, live, in the same space.
Apple Pencil Magic – Sketch, annotate, and doodle without restriction.
File Wonderland – Drop in PDFs, videos, images, links, and preview them instantly.
Stay Organized Without Trying – Alignment guides and locking make it all look neat.

Real Ways I’ve Used It Recently

Designing a visual mood board for a client’s campaign.
Mapping out a process that would’ve taken three notebook pages.
Designs for some upgrades around the house.
On iPad, it’s fluid and creative. On Mac, it’s precise and structured. And switching between the two feels seamless.

The Only Thing Missing…

Freeform still can’t sync directly with Apple Notes or Reminders, which seems like an obvious upgrade Apple should make. But even with that gap, it’s already replaced some paid tools I was using—and it’s free.

The Bottom Line

Don’t make my mistake. Open Freeform today. Start with one sticky note for your top weekly priority. See where it takes you.
You might just find your next big idea has been waiting here all along.