Comparison

Recall vs PhoneDeck

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Recall

Keep important thoughts, tasks, and reminders visible by placing them directly on your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island. Access notes instantly without opening apps, ensuring you never forget what matters most.

Highlights
  • Notes on Lock Screen
  • Live Activities reminders
  • Dynamic Island integration
  • Shortcuts for quick add
  • 7-day note history
  • Distraction-free design
Read full description

Life moves fast. Between family, work, studies, meetings, ideas, goals, and everyday responsibilities, important things can easily slip away. Not because they aren't important. Because you're human. Recall helps you remember the things that matter by placing your notes exactly where you'll see them most: right on your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island. No digging through apps. No opening note folders. No forgotten tasks buried in a list. Just a simple reminder, always within sight. Whether it's: • A medicine reminder for a loved one • An important meeting or interview • A class assignment or exam task • A daily goal or habit • A prayer or affirmation • A sudden idea you don't want to lose Recall keeps it visible until you're ready to act. Why Recall? • Write notes directly to your Lock Screen • See reminders at a glance with Live Activities • Stay connected to your notes through Dynamic Island support • Quickly add notes with Shortcuts, and launch them using Back Tap or the Action Button • Beautiful, distraction free experience • Revisit important thoughts with 7-day note history • Fast, lightweight, and designed for everyday use Designed for Real Life The best reminder is the one you actually see. Recall turns your Lock Screen into a space for the thoughts, promises, goals, and reminders that deserve your attention. Because some reminders aren't just tasks. They're promises to yourself. Start your free trial and never lose sight of the notes, tasks, ideas, and reminders that matter most. Subscription options: ₹49/month, ₹499/year, ₹1499 Lifetime. These prices are for India. Pricing in other countries may vary and actual charges may be converted to your local currency depending on the country of residence. If you've previously purchased a pro subscription, you'll be able to use the Restore Purchases option in the app for access to all Recall pro features. Read the terms and conditions here: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Read the privacy policy here: https://recallnotes.co/#privacy

About

PhoneDeck

Transform your iPhone into a wireless controller for your Mac. Launch any application, control system functions, or open websites with a single tap. It offers a streamlined, privacy-focused experience without requiring an account or cloud services.

Highlights
  • Launch any Mac app with one tap
  • Control system functions (volume, brightness, media)
  • Open websites instantly
  • Organize tiles into pages
  • Works over local WiFi
  • No account or cloud required
Features
Read full description

PhoneDeck needs two free apps to work : this iPhone app + the Mac companion app at phonedeck.io . Both are 100% free, forever. No account needed. Stuck or something not working? DM me directly on Instagram @PhoneDeckApp - I reply personally, usually within a few hours. Turn your iPhone into a wireless Mac controller. Launch any Mac app, trigger system controls, open any website all with one tap. Think Stream Deck, but you already own the hardware. -------------------------- HOW IT WORKS -------------------------- • Install this app on your iPhone • Download the Mac app from phonedeck.io (free DMG) • Open both apps on the same WiFi - they pair automatically • Drag any Mac app, control, or website onto a tile • Tap your iPhone to launch No account. No cloud. No subscription. No data leaves your devices. -------------------------- WHAT YOU CAN DO -------------------------- APPS : Launch any Mac app with one tap. VS Code, Figma, Cursor, Premiere, Photoshop, Slack — anything installed on your Mac. CONTROLS : 16 built-in Mac controls: volume, brightness, keyboard backlight, media play/pause/next/previous, screenshot, screen recording, dictation, lock screen, show desktop, mission control, empty trash. WEBSITES : Drag any URL onto a tile. YouTube, ChatGPT, Linear, Figma files, your dashboards — one tap and it opens on your Mac. PAGES : Organize tiles into pages. One for Design, one for Dev, one for Music. Swipe between them on your iPhone. -------------------------- WHY IT'S DIFFERENT -------------------------- • Free forever. No subscription, no Pro tier, no ads, no tracking. • Works over local WiFi. No account, no cloud, no data collection. • Auto-updates on Mac : bug fixes ship the same day. • Built by one indie developer. Every feature is something a user asked for. -------------------------- WHAT YOU NEED -------------------------- • An iPhone running iOS 17 or later • A Mac running macOS 14+ or later • Both devices on the same WiFi network • The PhoneDeck Mac app from phonedeck.io (free download) -------------------------- Made by one developer in Mumbai. Constantly updated. Feature requests welcome at phonedeck.io/request-feature or DM @PhoneDeckApp on Instagram.

Screenshots

Recall4 screens
PhoneDeck4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PhoneDeck at none against Recall's 3. On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Recall sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. PhoneDeck asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Recall ships an update every 3 weeks, PhoneDeck every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Recall versus PhoneDeck: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRecallPhoneDeck
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMritunjay SharmaVansh Parihar

Customer experience

Recall

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

PhoneDeck

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Recall

Subscriptions2
  • Recall Pro Monthly3 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • Recall Pro Annual3 Days trial$4.991 Year
One-time1
  • Recall Lifetime$14.99
None

PhoneDeck

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Recall free?
Recall is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PhoneDeck free?
PhoneDeck is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Recall or PhoneDeck have ads?
Neither Recall nor PhoneDeck shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Recall or PhoneDeck?
Recall ships an update every 3 weeks, and PhoneDeck every 2 weeks. Most recently, Recall was updated on September 22, 2026 and PhoneDeck on October 12, 2026.

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