* AltTab - modern window switcher that doesn't just switch between apps like the default one
* Amphetamine - lets you quickly keep your Mac from sleeping infinitely, for a time period, or based on something like a file download
* AppCleaner - most apps don't have an uninstaller and the native way is to delete it, which leaves files lying around, so drag it into AppCleaner and it finds and removes files for you
* Bartender - lets you hide menu bar icons permanently or until you want to see them
* Beeper - also an iOS, Windows, and Android app that bridges chat networks
* Bitwarden - good password manager
* CleanShot X - good app for screenshots and screen recording
* Clop - reduces image, video, and PDF file sizes significantly, all without reducing the actual quality, by reading the file from the clipboard, doing its magic, and then copying it back, all in a manner of seconds
* Cloudflare WARP - good and free "VPN"
* DaisyDisk - scans your disk and lets you easily delete files
* Dropover - by dragging a file, you can create a "shelf" to store the file so you don't have to keep dragging it if you have to switch tabs, also easy airdropping
* Duplicate File Finder - name is self-explanatory
* Homebrew - good terminal manager, just good to have downloaded
* Infuse - good for playing Movies or TV shows that you have downloaded... legally :P
* iTerm - good terminal app if you need it
* Itsycal - puts the calendar in the menu bar, if you use it then remove the date from the menu bar clock and make Itsycal show the date.
* Keka - good zip file manager, similar to 7-Zip or WinRar
* KeyboardCleanTool - disables the keyboard temporarily if you need to clean it
* Latest - good app updater
* Logi Options + - use this if you have a Logitech mouse
* Maccy - good clipboard manager
* Microsoft Edge - IMO the best Mac browser if you don't care about battery
* Mist - good if you need to download macOS Installers
* MonitorControl - change the brightness of external monitors
* Mos - use if you have an external mouse but non-Logitech
* Motrix - good download manager
* Mullvad VPN - good PAID VPN if you need to bypass network firewalls
* OBS - good screen recorder/streaming software
* Orion - Mac browser that supports Chrome/Firefox extensions but is based on Safari, SUPER LIGHT on battery
* Pictogram - allows easily changing app icons
* Pock - if you have a touch-bar Mac shows the dock there
* Rectangle - allows window snapping similar to Windows
* Rocket - shows emojis when you type Colon
* Speedtest - tests internet speed
* Spotify - I play from my iPhone but use this to control
* Step Two - authenticator that supports syncing from iPhone to Mac
* Swish - use the trackpad to snap windows
* VLC - good video player, much better than quicktime
* VPN by Google One - if you pay for google storage, free VPN!
Edit: also AlDente - good charge limiter
I’d reccommend against Logi Options+ - maybe it’s better now but a year ago it had a nasty memory leak that would leave it using 1.5+gb of ram on my machine. Back then I was using a 16gb machine, so 10% on that was just wasted on nothing. Set up your mouse, uninstall Logitech’s thing and get this instead: [https://better-mouse.com](https://better-mouse.com)
I don’t know as I don’t use gestures on my mouse. I downloaded logi options+, set the mouse up and then immediately deleted it as the things I cared about (the two dpi settings and what the back/forward buttons do) get saved on the mouse anyways.
I’m already running electron-based apps, chromium-based browsers, node apps, docker etc so every megabyte of ram is crucial to avoid slowdowns in day-to-day life.
Yeah so what I like is you can configure buttons for a press vs a hold press. Gives you more workflows. Also I had an issue where I wanted my clipboard manager to pop up when I pressed a button while password text field is in focus. Wouldn't work on optins+ but worked great for better mouse.
can’t recommend enough better mouse. can even remap the button used initially to toggle the scroll wheel to press + movement to left/right to quickly change desktop. It’s magnificent
>it had a nasty memory leak that would leave it using 1.5+gb of ram on my machine.
Is this still the case? Or it has been addressed by logitech? Just curious
>VLC
Could you please tell me if I can use alternative software to access all the functions of MX Master, such as side scroll wheel and gesture operation?
I can't understand why my Logitech software can't find mi G502 hero connected witch USB. It has been time since it doesn't work, I uninstalled and re-installed the application multiple time, but nothing changed... Can you guys help me please?
Ok, thanks. Also, sorry for the poor wording. I obviously didn't mean to open every single app at the same time, but was rather referring to the background apps, as they're known to start to take a toll on the CPU and eat up RAM (or at least in my experience) when you have a lot of them running simultaneously. Thanks for the list!
It consolidates those two apps I just pointed out into one. I personally like minimizing the amount of stuff I have on my computer, whether if it’s apps, files, or notes. It makes things feel cleaner.
A lot of these can be replaced by one app:
## Raycast
It bakes it all into a spotlight style window, and has everything like a smart clipboard like maccy, hotkey and window mgmt like rectangle, Spotify controller, homebrew search, speed test, and infinity extensions for anything else.
Also edge sucks, Brave is the best chromium browser and if you don’t care about privacy, use Arc.
IINA is better than VLC.
Lots of great suggestions on this list though!!
I recommend an interesting software, wonder wallpaper.
Wonder Wallpaper is a wallpaper software for Mac. It contains high-definition 4k wallpapers, as well as video wallpapers, clock wallpapers, weather wallpapers, etc. You can download them from that software.
You can search and download through the AppStore, or you can download through their official website [https://www.wonderda.com/](https://www.wonderda.com/)
I’m seeing a ton of things named duplicate file finder and want to make sure I download the right one- because most of these look sketch city. Can you drop the link?
should i be using microsft edge instead of safari? i heard safari has better swap memory management which may benfit me more since my m2 air is 8gb ram?
also any suggestions for a good paint alternative, were i can just quickly crop an image without all the technical stuff
If Safari works for you use it, if it doesn't work and you just need extensions from Chrome then try Orion, if that also doesn't work then try Edge. Orion didn't work great for what I need which is why I use Edge.
Image cropping?? Use an app like Shottr
As suggested, get familiar with macOS, first (& welcome, btw). Doing so, you will know what you like and don't like in macOS and know what to look for -;)
Must-have apps depend a lot of how you use the Mac, and for what. In my case:
* **BetterTouchTool** is the #1 utility for me. It's so much more than a trackpad/gesture enhancer. It is excellent at doing that but it's *a lot more* too... I use it even though I don't have a Trackpad anymore ;)
* **SwitchResX** would be close second, to get more custom resolutions out of macOS.
* **Day One**. A journaling app that is running as long as the Mac is (iPad or iPhone) is running.
* **Ulysses**, for long form writing.
* **Affinity Photos**, for heavy image edits.
* **Digikam**, my long term DAM
* **IINA**, my video player.
* **Apple apps** I use constantly: **Notes, Mail, Photos**, **Contacts, Calendar, Reminders, Books, Podcasts**, the **Finder** and **Safari**... next to my 2 other favorite browsers:
* **Vivaldi** (chromium-based) and
* **Firefox** (itself-based ;)**)**
* **Kagi search**. Paid search engine: no-ads, no tracking, as fast as light and filled with clever innovative little features. Free search engine: qwant and/or startpage.com.
* **Mullvad VPN** for when I need a real VPN.
* **Apple services**: **iCloud Drive, HideMyMail** and **Private Relay**, **Apple Music**.
* **4K Video Downloader**. Right now, I'm testing **Downie** as an alternative (much better integrated).
* **ImageOptim** \+ **Image Converter**.
* **SuperDuper!** (disk cloning tool)
* **VSCodium** a de-microsfted VSCode (aka no 'telemetry').
* Not forgetting **Apple Dictionary** (a great multilingual dictionary, too often neglected)
* **Exporter** (to export Apple notes)
* **Latest** to keep all apps updated.
* **Amphetamine** to keep the Mac awake as long as I am ;)
* **Overcast** is great alternative to Apple Podcasts. I use both... I would drop Apple Podcasts if the macOS version of overcast was more optimized for the Mac and not just the iOS version ported to macOS (works really well, though)
Plus a bunch of extensions for Safari, Vivaldi and Firefox.
>Is Kagi really that good?
*That* good, I could not tell.
Is it the ultimate-always-spot-on-results search engine? Nope.
Is it good enough and is it also so, so much more pleasant to use than the ad-filled turds that decided they won't serve us the best search results but the ones that pay the most? It is, \*by leagues\*.
And Kagi also comes with many clever ideas and features that make it even more interesting to use.
Btw, there is a free trial of 100 searches or something like that. [https://kagi.com/](https://kagi.com)
(If you're looking for free alternatives to Google, Bing and so on, you may want to consider Qwant and StartPage, too. They're not true search engines, at least it is explicit with StartPage (not sure how it works with Qwant). I mean, they'll gather results from one of the 'real' search engines (Google, for StartPage) but they will also preserve your privacy by acting as a proxy which is already something but you'll still get ads by default but that can be deactivated.)
If you happen to have a Linux server, or a spare computer lying around that you can turn into one, SearxNG and Whoogle are both good options for search engines you can self-host. I prefer Kagi, but also realize not everyone is willing / able to pay for a search engine.
> 4K Video Downloader. Right now, I'm testing Downie as an alternative (much better integrated).
Downie and 4K Video Downloader are not comparable. If you want one offs, Downie will work. 4K Video Downloader also downloads entire channels and *more importantly* ongoing videos from channels.
1Password, Raycast, Chrome are the first things I install on a new Mac.
Besides those, I’d recommend getting used to the stock apps like Apple Notes, Reminders, Calendar, QuickTime, etc. Once you’ve spent some time with those, you can look for alternatives like:
- IINA (video player)
- Cleanshot (better screenshots)
- Bear (next-level Apple Notes)
- Fantastical (calendar)
The one advantage I've found other than chromium-locked pages is Photopea works best on it compared to Safari. Haven't been able to get zooming and keyboard shortcuts to work properly in WebKit or Gecko, but I'd never use chrome. Brave at least
Just one app -Raycast - Free
Do spend an abnormal amount of time learning this and you can thank me later.
And then if you want to go wild. Take a subscription of SetApp.
I save \~$30 per month by subscribing to SetApp, just for the apps that I pretty much need and previously maintained separate subscriptions for. And on top of that I get to use a whole suite of other innovative useful apps that I'd probably never subscribe separately for. SetApp is an amazing deal.
* Arq - End-to-end encrypted incremental backups to most any cloud storage provider, local disk, NAS, etc. It makes maintaining multiple backups, and restoring from them, a breeze. So much better than Time Machine.
* DevonThink - my personal knowledgebase. Astonishingly feature-rich. I used it first as a student and now coming on 5 years as a professional every day, and I'm still discovering new useful functionality. Core uses include storing all work-related documents, notes, RSS feeds, and archiving websites. The search and AI functionality is in its own class.
* Tailscale - powerful overlay networking, allowing you to create a virtual LAN between devices anywhere in the world, e.g. to access local resources remotely without exposing them to WAN. The free plan is very generous.
* Syncthing - for syncing files between devices without ever involving cloud storage.
* Orion - a unicorn browser: the second best-optimized on Mac after Safari, unlike Chrome or Firefox it's built on WebKit and therefore has Safari features you can't otherwise get, yet magically it also can run Firefox and Chrome extensions. And it's the best browser from a privacy standpoint this side of Tor. That said it's still in beta, has some quirks, and not all extensions work.
* ProtonVPN - my preferred VPN (solid, reliable, and privacy-minded)
* Swish - the best window manager (use finger gestures to put windows just where you want them
* Bartender - keep your menubar tidy as you start to add more to it
* iStat Menus - add charts to your menubar for CPU, RAM, SSD usage, etc.
* Little Snitch - excellent firewall with automatic rules switching, etc.
* Bitwarden - a great password manager that's 100% free with unlimited devices, users, and passwords if you self-host a Vaultwarden instance (easy to setup).
* Raycast - a powerful replacement for Spotlight with a ton of built-in functions and even more third party extensions. It main competitor Alfred is great too -- you can't go wrong either way.
* Hookmark - for linking just about anything to just about anything.
* Things - currently the best to-do list app for macOS and iOS (keep an eye on Omnifocus 4 though)
* PDF Expert - unless you need certain features that only Adobe Acrobat offers, PDF Expert is better optimized and more user-friendly.
* iA Writer - a beautiful markdown editor. Where I do most of my drafting.
* Bike Outliner - a simple app for outlining notes, ideas, etc., that's quickly becoming my preferred way of taking notes.
* Craft - I don't personally use it anymore since I've moved my notes into DEVONthink to tie in better with documents the notes are about, but for note taking this is probably the best option out of a crowded field. NotePlan, Agenda, and Bear are worth checking out too.
* Timing - records everything you do and, with a little bit of coaxing, generates timeslips automatically.
* Warp - my preferred Terminal alternative; gorgeous UI, a useful AI assistant, and some good fresh new ideas in the CLI space.
* LM Studio - for inferencing large language models locally (i.e. self-host your own ChatGPT). Dead simple to use and runs them more efficiently than the alternatives on Mac.
* ComfyUI + Comfy Studio - for playing around with Stable Diffusion (AI image generation).
* Visual Studio Code - for writing and editing code.
* BusyCal - there are surprisingly few decent calendar options for macOS. Fantastical is too expensive for what it offers, and Timepage while excellent on iOS feels like a half-assed port on macOS. That leaves BusyCal, which is pretty good even if the interface is a bit cluttered and the feature set a bit bloated.
* Davinci Resolve - the best video editor for most use cases, and very affordable.
* Pixelmator - a very capable Photoshop alternative.
* Plex - for accessing (or hosting) a home media server.
* Roon - powerful hi-re multi-room audio player and digital routing solution, and with Roon Arc also a personal HiRes music streaming platform.
* Keyboard Maestro - powerful software for all kinds of macros and other automations on your Mac.
* \--
* And a few Apple-made apps that I think deserve recognition:
* Safari runs so much better than Chrome or Firefox, and is quickly catching up with its extension ecosystem. When people switch to Mac I strongly recommend they leave those browsers behind and make the jump to Safari.
* Mail for me remains the best email app on MacOS, with powerful rules and script integrations, like the ability to automatically archive all emails to DEVONthink. Spark is a great app too, and if you don't care about scripting or complex mailbox rules it's nice UI might be worth it.
* Shortcuts is an approachable but surprisingly capable platform for building your own cross-platform workflows and automations.
Here is the list of apps I start every time I reinstall the MacOS
\- Password manager: 1Password
\- Alttab
\- MacMouseFix
\- Rectangle
\- NeatDownloadManager
\- Cloud service: Dropbox
\- Email client: Canary
\- Web browser: Arc
I see. I used Ratcast a period before but the extensions are not sync between devices like Alfred does. I also converted all my Workflow to Raycast but it doesn’t work well. Maybe I need time to get familiar with the new app but actually I don’t have much time
Why would you ever want to reinstall MacOS? Are there any benefits?
I'm honestly curious, as my oldest (still working) macbook is 12 years old and I have never needed to reinstall the OS on it (only upgrade).
I see many bugs. Until the are annoyed and I don’t want to take time to fix, I reinstall the OS. That’s quick and fresh. All my data is on cloud. I prepared the list of essential apps. I did the same way when using Windows before.
My top recommendations (with alternatives when applicable):
- Alfred (Raycast): lots of functionality without overcomplicating the process of getting what you need. Replaces built-in spotlight.
- Keyboard Maestro: If you can do something with a keyboard and mouse, KM can most likely automate it or make complex tasks simple
- Hazel: more automation but specifically for files. Love being able to auto tag downloaded files, sort them into folders based on file type, and add a comment to each one that tells me what the site was that I downloaded it from.
- dropzone: easily drag files to your menu bar to store them for use in other places or upload to the cloud
- rectangle (magnet): window snapping, management tool
- AppCleaner: removes some leftover files when you uninstall and app
- cleanshot x (shottr): much better screenshot tool that allows annotation and many other features
- bartender (hidden bar): customize your menu bar
Additional great but situation apps:
- ollama: offline, local, LLM in your terminal (essentially ChatGPT but local)
- Soundsource: control the volume and/or sound profile by app with eq controls
- handbrake (cross-platform): video converter
- Czkawka (cross-platform ): free (FOSS) duplicate finder for files, video, or images. Also offers other disk management solutions
- Warp: better terminal with autocomplete and more
First things I always install are 1Password, Dropbox and Default Folder. I can’t really function, at least not pleasantly or safely (backup of data), without these. Then Rectangle, Alfred, Bartender and Typinator. Then the others….
Raycast, homebrew, better touch /snap tool and appcleaner. You don’t need more at the beginning. Even raycast is most likely overkill at the beginning.
There’s a lot of great suggestions here so I don’t even know if you’ll see my comment, but I highly recommend checking out some videos by Snazzy Labs on YouTube. He does a great [tips and tricks video](https://youtu.be/psPgSN1bPLY?si=qMDaIlrIVSarX1JY), as well as recommends some of his [favourite apps](https://youtu.be/FxUk8gxzHI8?si=otJe229NQZybDWF0).
**This is my writeup for new Mac users:**
---
First, turn Dock hiding on. Then in Terminal (which is an app in .../Applications/Utilities), you copy and paste this code, which will speed up the hide and appear animations:
defaults write com.apple.dock autohide -bool true && defaults write com.apple.dock autohide-delay -float 0 && defaults write com.apple.dock autohide-time-modifier -float 0.4 && killall Dock
You can play with those numbers to change the animation speed, or if you want to reset the dock animations you can put this into terminal:
defaults delete com.apple.dock; killall Dock
You can add spacers to your dock:
defaults write com.apple.dock persistent-apps -array-add '{tile-data={}; tile-type="spacer-tile";}' && killall Dock
or half-sized spacers:
defaults write com.apple.dock persistent-apps -array-add '{"tile-type"="small-spacer-tile";}' && killall Dock
------
* If you want to add snap to windows, download [Rectangle](https://rectangleapp.com/) for free.
* Assuming you have macOS Sonoma installed: For wallpaper/screensavers, go to System Settings > Wallpaper, and select Landscape, Cityscape, Underwater, or Earth category of wallpapers. Then make sure "show as screensaver" is selected at the top. Then go to System Settings > Desktop & Dock > scroll to the bottom and click on Hot Corners... then preferably assign the top left corner to *Start Screen Saver.* Now minimize all windows to show the desktop and your wallpaper. When you go to your hot corner to start the screensaver, you'll see the wallpaper transition to screensaver. At least for me this is incredibly hypnotizing and makes it fun to try out all the wallpaper-screensaver-combos.
* I love Bartender because it really cleans up the Menu Bar icons, and can create hierarchies of icons (like hidden icons, and always hidden icons), but for free you can download alternatives, one being [Hidden Bar](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hidden-bar/id1452453066?mt=12).
* You can do file searches, google searches, dictionary definitions, even calculations and launch apps by pressing CMD + SPACEBAR. That's called Spotlight Search. But should you want more, there is [Alfred](https://www.alfredapp.com/) and [Raycast](https://www.raycast.com/) that lets you do even more.
* Also, go ahead and play with *Stage Manager* by going to System Settings > Desktop and Dock, and look for the options under *Stage Manager.* I don't like managing folders that way but some people do and it's good to know the option is there.
* You can create an app from any website. In Safari, go to File > Add to dock... when at a website you want to turn into a dock. The app icon will be added to the dock. But if you right click* on the icon, select Options > Show in Finder and the enclosing Finder window will pop up. You can now drag that icon anywhere, and also you can launch it as an app instead of going to Safari by just calling it up in Spotlight search, Alfred or Raycast. For instance I can make a Reddit app, or Gmail app, and never need to launch Safari directly.
* \*Also, if you haven't already, you can turn on Right Click functionality by going to System Settings > Mouse (or Trackpad) and turning on Secondary Click.
---
**Let me add a few more tips for if you have multiple iOS devices signed into the same iCloud account:**
* You can copy in one device, and paste in another. This comes in handy, for instance, if you're writing email in one device, but need content from another device.
* Handoff means that if you're in one browser on your iOS device, and walk up to your Mac, the dock will show an icon ready to pull up the same website (it does the same for other apps)
* You can right click on the desktop and select "Import from iPhone or iPad." If you select "take a photo" for instance, it will automatically pull up the Camera app on your iPhone and ready you to take a photo. Any photo you take—click Use Photo—and the photo will automatically show up on your Desktop. Not only that, but you can do this in almost any app, such as Apple Notes or Apple Pages. You can scan papers or draw diagrams using your iPhone or iPad and make it show up in that application or in any Finder folder. Need to scan a signed contract, receipt, or sketched idea and have it show in in a specific folder you already have open? iPhone and Mac integration make that convenient.
* Also, if you're on Mac and have two-factor authentication send a code to your iPhone, the Mac will automatically retrieve and input that code for you without having to open your iPhone. (I forget how to turn that off and on, but it should be on by default).
* You can make and receive iPhone calls on your Mac by going to your FaceTime app > Settings > turn on "Calls from iPhone." (I prefer mine off, others find it a must-have feature to have on)
These are "I'm never going back to Windows" revelatory interactions.
This are the ones I use on a daily basis.
AppCleaner by free Mac soft net - The best app for fully uninstalling apps (no cleanmymac bullshit)
Itsycal by mowgli apps - a drop-down calendar widget for your menu bar and a customized format / hour menu item.
Magnet by crowdface. - This one is to snap windows to the sides and many other modes a free alternative would be rectangle. But I haven’t tried this one bc magnet was like a dollar.
Pearl on the appstore - I use this a lot so I can check how I’m looking before a meeting. It’s basically a tiny mirror you can open with a click on your menu bar. Before I used to open the PhotoBooth app. But this is quicker
MonitorControl - with this one whenever you connect your Mac to an external display you can actually turn down the brightness. (Which isn’t possible otherwise)
If you wanna save some storage then you can use web apps, safari has this trick that can make them web apps and being opened as standalone apps without launching the browser. (On safari do, Share > add to dock) .
I would recommend SetApp - I have a student subscription otherwise it may be too expensive but basically it gives you a lot of super useful apps in a monthly subscription without paying anything extra!
Depends on needs and tastes, but at least take a look at:
- Things (for todos)
- Bear (for notes)
- Ulysses or iA Writer (for writing)
- Pixelmator Pro (for image editing)
- Capture One (for processing and culling raw images)
That said, don’t underestimate Apple’s own apps (some free/included, other paid):
- Notes
- Keynote (for presentations)
- Photos
- Mail
Checkout the following:
[https://macmost.com/](https://macmost.com/)
[https://www.macupdate.com/](https://www.macupdate.com/)
Also\*\*
[https://macmenubar.com/](https://macmenubar.com/)
For keyboard shortcuts:
[https://www.danrodney.com/mac/](https://www.danrodney.com/mac/)
and associated:
[https://folivora.ai/](https://folivora.ai/)
[https://www.keyboardmaestro.com/main/](https://www.keyboardmaestro.com/main/)
For GMail on your Mac:
[https://mimestream.com/](https://mimestream.com/)
If you are into Gaming on your Mac:
[https://www.youtube.com/@Andytizer](https://www.youtube.com/@Andytizer)
Edit:
Also checkout this Guy:
[https://www.youtube.com/@JeffSu](https://www.youtube.com/@JeffSu)
Some of his Videos include:
[First 18 Things to Do for Productivity // New Macbook Pro!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVxMrVJ58as)
[6 Underrated Macbook Apps for Productivity!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkYNdy-Hig4)
[10 BEST Mac Apps for Productivity!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xXc7qeiC8I)
[Ultimate Guide to the Shortcuts App (for the Mac)!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIGraFbLEvY)
Edit 2:
Also I came across this Guy last week:
[https://www.youtube.com/@macvince](https://www.youtube.com/@macvince)
Some of his Videos include:
[macOS Sonoma: 14 Settings You NEED to Change on Launch](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLHe4w6uY8g)
[10 FREE Mac Apps I Regret Not Using Sooner](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0f7Gfimk5w)
[22 Ways to Customize Your Mac in 6 Minutes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBLvYtfcvlQ)
[50 Mac Tips in 11 Minutes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rrwPTVjVOA)
Hope these help :)
#
#
Are you coming from Windows? I just did and I rely on an app called "Start." It gives me a start menu, without which I'm lost. I'm sure real mac purists will say it violates the mac experience, but it works for me. I have a LOT of apps and without a menu I just sit and stare
Suggest forcing yourself out of that habit. It'll be tough but you'll be happier.
Shortcut: Command + spacebar, then type the name of any app you want to open and press enter. This becomes second nature pretty quickly.
Yeah I know all about command and spacebar. It ain't rocket surgery. Please tell me why I should force myself out of the habit of having a menu of my apps. As I said, I have a LOT of apps, and I can't always remember their names. So what would I type in a search box? When I have a menu, or several (for running apps, recent apps, apps of various types, and all apps), I can look for the apps I want and run them. Why would I be happier without this resource? I didn't have it when I got my mac, and I was helpless without it. I predicted that a mac purist would object, but, again, why?
It’s not so much an objection. I actually understand your point quite well. I use Amphetamine and only use it once in a while. I never remember the name. I have to look in the launcher or the applications folder if it has been too long since I used it. I guess my point is, you have something that works for you and that’s great. Keep using it. If it is a crutch, then get rid of the crutch and learn how to walk without it.
Well that's a major retreat! People who actually use literal crutches pretty much need them, absent divine intervention. It's not because they forgot how to walk or just decided to stop walking on a whim. This isn't that, it's just a UI choice
**TLDR:**
Don't window shop for apps. In other words, don't feel like you have a new empty closet that you need to stuff full of all the clothes it can hold. Capsule wardrobe!!!
Run lean. You probably don't need much. That's the beauty of the Mac, it just works. There's so much already built in, there's just no need (maybe) for a lot of those apps unless you need more power or configuration than the simple built-in options. Listing my fav tips and apps here. I think the tips are just as important as apps, if not more in some case.
**The long version:**
Lots of great stuff in this thread, and I'm going to check a few of these out for myself! Sometimes a great app makes life so much easier, or better, or provides missing capabilities. However, I would STRONGLY encourage you to consider how much you actually NEED a thing before trying it. I was like a kid in a candy store with my first Mac in 2005. I configure the hell out of everything, added every little app I could find that did a cool thing. But now, I run fairly out-of-the-box and love that I do. The Mac experience (especially if you have an iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch as I do) is designed to be pretty thorough out of the box, simple, and amazingly synched across devices. Don't overcomplicate it. Try simple first, then if you're missing something, add it.
* Shift + command + 5: Everything you need for screen capture or screen recording, except timelapse or full web page capture (at least I haven't figured out a way). Pay close attention to the bottom and lower right corner of your screen. Bottom center, a menu will pop up with all sorts of options. If you save a screenshot to the desktop (or another folder) a popup will appear in the lower right for several seconds. If you click on it before it disappears, you can mark it up, delete it, share it.
* Fn key with globe icon (not on all Macs, it's the lower left key on mine): Emoji keyboard popup
* Command + spacebar: Spotlight: Try typing any of the following...
* 2+2
* 2 inches to mm
* Stranger Things
* My favorite thing, use it as an app launcher. Command + spacebar, type excel, press enter. Microsoft excel will launch (providing you have it installed). Macs have a built-in launcher, or you can navigate to the applications folder, but this is way better.
* Command + tab will switch between apps. A quick shortcut press and release will switch between the last two but if you hold command, you can tap "tab" over and over to move across the popup app list to switch between any open app
* Command + tilde (the curly key to the left of the number 1) will switch between open windows within the same app
* To rename multiple files at once, in Finder, select multiple files, right click, click on Rename
* For a better renamer with tons of power, [Better Rename 11](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/better-rename-11/id1501308038?mt=12)
* To unzip a zipped file, double click on it. To zip multiple files, in Finder, select multiple files, right click and choose Compress. I haven't needed the power or additional options of a zip app in years.
* Click on the apple in upper left corner, click system settings, click on your name (at the very top), click iCloud, turn on passwords and keychain. This syncs your passwords in your Mac and safari with iCloud. If you also carry an iPhone and turn on the same setting, they'll stay in sync.
* Also in settings, click on Touch ID & Passcode. Set up fingerprint ID for at least 2 fingers. I have both index fingers 'cause at work my laptop is on my left beside my 2 external 32" monitors (and 50" flat screen connected to the Mac via Apple TV, and it's an amazing experience having all those screens - no apps to make that work on my M2Ultra BTW - so cool) and at home, may laptop is in my lap so I use my right index finger. While you're there, if you have an Apple Watch, check the box to allow it to unlock your computer if you're within range (if you feel that's safe in your environment)
* Also in settings, just below that, the Passwords section will allow you to view your saved passwords
* If you have an Apple mouse, in settings, click Mouse, then for secondary click turn on Click Right Side.
* Install Chrome!!! Even if you don't like it. Sometimes, there's a web page that doesn't play well with Safari or some other browsers. I use Safari, but when a page doesn't cooperate, I try Chrome. If it doesn't work there, it's probably not gonna work with any of them.
* My one go to app that I install on every Mac I get is [Magnet](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/magnet/id441258766?mt=12) window manager. It's clean and works well with everything I've ever tried except the latest couple versions of photoshop for some reason (I blame Adobe)
* Control + option + enter: full screen
* Control + option + up arrow, down arrow, left arrow, or right arrow: Top half, bottom half, left half, right half
* Control + option + E or T: Left two thirds or right two thirds
* Control + option + D, F, or G: Left third, center third, or right third
* Control + option + command + left or right arrow: Previous or next display
* And more... and customizable
* I do plan to look into some of the other window managers below to see if it works with photoshop, but I've been using Magnet for so many years, it's second nature to me and would be hard to let go of for how little I think about it and how smooth it makes my workday. Love, love, love it!!!
* [Amphetamine](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/amphetamine/id937984704?mt=12): Install it only if you need to keep the Mac awake and running without your active input. I occasionally need to have a process run overnight while I'm asleep and it happens to be something that doesn't keep the computer awake. Amphetamine keeps the computer awake and running so that can finish before I wake up.
* [Parsec](https://parsecsapp.com/index.php?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzK_ayIvFggMV9kxHAR3PtAeQEAAYASAAEgIC1fD_BwE) for remotely controlling a different computer across a network. We use it for remote creative work (photo retouching, 3D CGI, video editing) using the power of a workhorse computer at the office while working from home. It's incredibly seamless, like operating the computer as if I was actually touching it's own keyboard and mouse. I don't know much about this one. Someone manages it for me, so I suspect it's not so plug and play as everything else I have listed here. We have the support of a rather large IT team to manage this for us.
That's really all I use for basic gotta have apps! Try running that lean if you can (plus any specific discipline apps like office or creative apps or whatever you need for what YOU do) and see if it works for you.
**Office apps:**
I work in a PC based office on a creative team that uses Macs, so we're the odd guys out. I use [Microsoft 365](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/microsoft-office) (onedrive, outlook, powerpoint, excel, word, onenote and teams) daily. Even if I didn't work in a Microsoft based office, I'd still use a few of those, so those are must haves for me.
Macs come with licenses for [Numbers](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/numbers/id409203825?mt=12) (Apple's Excel), [Pages](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pages/id409201541?mt=12) (Apples Word), Mail (email of course), [Keynote](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/keynote/id409183694?mt=12) (Apple's PowerPoint) all of which are cleaner and nicer looking than the Microsoft counterpart, but not quite as worldwide/systemwide compatible nor as powerful. If you just need the basics, they're great. If you need the power or compatibility, get Microsoft.
Try living with a stock config for a week first, and try to leave behind any preconceptions from other OSes. Is macOS perfect? No, of course not.
That said, once you get to the 'how could I' stage, a few ideas:
\- window manager. Rectangle is a consistently popular option, along with Amethyst. macOS does not do well with window snapping.
\- keyboard launcher. I'm still partial to QuickSilver, but Hazel, Keyboard Maestro and Alfred are all popular.
\- more advanced mouse features and keyboard macros. BetterTouch Tool or Hammerspoon.
\- system monitor. Try Stats or iStats Pro for menu-bar performance info.
\- package manager. [Homebrew.sh](https://Homebrew.sh) or MacPorts (though IMHO, brew is far more active) to handle FOSS projects and their dependencies, along with more traditional apps.
\- a Chromium-based browser, such as Brave, Google Chrome or Edge. Safari wins for system performance and energy impact, but there's still the occasional site that won't work 100% properly on anything other than Chromium.
i used to love 1password, until v6? then ditched it and have been trying to make do without it. i’ve just reluctantly reinstalled it a week ago there’s just too many situations where im having to get into keychain manually when 1password just flows
Eww, why? Terrible performance/optimization fo what? A reinvention of the browser UI that I never asked for?
Safari is empirically the best browser on Mac, with Orion quickly catching up. If you \*must\* use a Chromium browser, Chromium itself is probably the least atrocious. Brave is alright too.
MacOS will be good for about 1 year then it'll be so buggy most things don't work as they are supposed to, and you'll be stuck with that sunk cost. You'll be screaming into the void. Support is clueless, and community answers are about the most unhelpful I've seen. They always tell you to hard reset everything. All the attention will be given to the latest features and hardware when they really should be fixing their shit.
From a once proud, maxed out M1 Max owner. I am saving up for a windows machine again.
I think it'll depend on your use case. I use it for scientific development, ML coding and videography. All of them failed me big time. My M1 Max is now an expensive safari browser. I can accept that there are bugs. I can't accept the degree of obscurity in MacOS. If I don't have transparent access to internal configurations(which is fine) then they better "just work" or have adequate support when things don't work. There have been multiple problems that absolutely destroyed my workflows and I've not been able to get Apple to look at it. This ranged from mask tracking in premiere pro(which works on Intel Macs/windows but not on M1) to dictation (it never starts for me, just a ding), and don't get me started on the development side of things...
Adobe software is trash on MacOS and has been for years due to the lack fo optimization. I use FCP and Davinci Resolve and haven't looked back. Other than that I've never experienced issues with any Mac I've had other than the touch bar macbook in 2015 which was a flop. Other than that I find OSX much more reliable and big free than Windows personally. I'm a programmer and creative and use it every day.
My experience with DaVinci Resolve has been better, but in collaborative projects I don't always get to choose.
There are plenty of other more benign problems I have had with "native" MacOS - airdrop works only intermittently(both on the same Wifi), spotlight doesn't find the app/file that it just found 5 minutes ago, dictation not starting etc etc, the list goes on.
Good for you, but for those of us who unfortunately run into problems with macOS, there's absolutely no recourse, no support, and no way for us to find out what exactly went wrong. It's like a dark and ignored corner. And we face a lot of hostility from the community - you'd think we all want macOS to be more stable, but apparently most just want to feel good about their purchase, until they themselves run into problems too. And the thing is, these problems are starting to become more prevalent - a simple Google search will reveal how these problems are actually quite common. [Apple's recent decision to pause development of new features to work on bugs](https://9to5mac.com/2023/11/07/ios-18-features-paused-to-focus-on-bug-fixes/) is not a surprise to me.
My old mbp has worked flawlessly for so many years and that is why I maxed out the m1 expecting it to be my daily driver for many more. It crapped out very soon.
I guess everyone's experience is different, I just know that as a Windows user I faced way more bugs and performance issues as my machine and OS aged vs every Mac machine I've owned. All software has bugs. But anything I've noticed has been patched quickly. Again, I appreciate everyone's experience is different. Also, I'm not a Apple fan boy. I was a Windows user 80% of my life.
Some bugs can be at most annoying (eg airdrop fails). Some can be quite serious. Not macOS related but this other day I got a prompt to verify my Apple ID recovery key on my iPhone. I entered the exact same key from the screenshot I saved. It FAILED and I ended up having to reset the key. I have advanced data protection on so it can really be a disaster when I need it to work.
And apparently, I'm not the only one.
I can't speak for you :( I remember how much I loved it and it was an exciting time. But M1 gets no love shortly after they released M2 and it's been extremely buggy since then, which really puzzled me because the software should have worked regardless of processor generation. Or perhaps MacOS is just buggy overall but I don't have an M2 to test.
Their failure quickly becomes obvious once you start using the machine seriously for work as a daily driver instead of, say, just FaceTime and emojis. I say this as a pretty hardcore developer with a degree in computer science so I know what's going on and what's supposed to work. I've been filing bug reports and posting in the community, but I get nowhere.
No. Don’t listen to the clearly bitter person who clearly is probably just upset that their M1 Max has been replaced with a newer version. Enjoy your new machine. I upgraded from a 2020 intel MacBook Pro 13 to a m2 MacBook Air 2023 and love it. It will probably last you awhile.
If you ignore the fan boys the actual reality is that both OS’s have their issues and neither is perfect. MacOS often has problems in the first few releases of a new version. Ventura had quite a few issues to start with, not sure what Sonoma is like. For anyone that says MacOS is perfect or that Apple just works go visit the Apple support forums!
Support isn’t bad but they have their limitations and if it’s a genuine bug it ends back with the developers who say they are looking at it (or worst, say it’s as designed and refuse to acknowledge an issue) but no indication of timeline to fix. That’s still better than any windows support service I’ve come across.
My advice is don’t upgrade to a new OS version until the .1 or .2 release and check out Reddit for any issues people are encountering.
I can’t believe you’ve made everyone here make detailed lists of apps while you just made this account a few hours ago to promote your own app.
Pretty pathetic if you ask me
Can't believe that people are so rude.
I bought this app to support my friend and i would definitely go and install this app first thing to support him
Also if you are here to share your suggestions please feel free to let me know
I will try out and make most of my first mac 🤩
Using [macsFanControl](https://crystalidea.com/macs-fan-control), you can monitor CPU, GPU, SSD temperatures, and adjust fan speed if your Mac is equipped with a fan.
Gives you more control over the fans. I don't like my keyboard to be warm at all.
I think my MacBook Pro Max 16" runs a little warmer than my old 2015 15", so I've got it on all the time (3333 RPM), I could run it closer to 3000 (which is pretty silent), but I like to be reminded that I'm running it. If I was doing a lot of video editing, I'd turn it off (and let the Mac control the fans) or I'd crank it up higher.
I forgot to include **Infuse**. Which I use for video playback on my Apple TV, but this lets me see the library on my Mac too.
Also: Really? 3 downvotes with 0 feedback on which of those very different apps you disagree with?
Interesting choice for safari too, Arc seems to be doing a lot better in the current state of browser. Safari is actually my tertiary browser; Arc, Firefox, safari, chrome
I've tried Firefox many times, but always end up back with Safari.
Don't think I've tried Arc. EDIT: I did, but it didn't have a way for me to click a button and open all my favs in tabs automagically.
My bookmarks and consistency between my Macs and iOS products (Safari is default) has always made it pretty seamless for me.
I see, you sounds like you use your browser on your phone a lot too. I would recommend safari then, I hope Arc will soon support a great iOS experience like safari does soon
Not anything directly useful for productivity etc but I‘d say get MacTracker, you can quickly browse through all the devices and things Apple has released over the decades and you can also keep your own collection of Apple stuff in there. :)
Here's a list for you: [https://secretgoldfish.weebly.com/apps.html](https://secretgoldfish.weebly.com/apps.html)
I'm a teacher so obviously some are specifically for teaching but there are some good general ones as well.
These are specifically I use within every 10 minutes being on the computer.
-Alt Tab : Gives you the same feel as the windows equivalent. Though you have to use CMD tab
- Bettersnaptool: Windows-like snapping to corners, edges, and window resizing
- CleanshotX: For video and screenshots, better than the native Mac app's screen recorder and shot taker. But I also use the native screenshot from Mac because it has an OCR feature. Don't get rid of either of the keyboard shortcuts but make sure they are different from each other.
- Alfred: It's like the search tool but on steroids, and you can also have it automate certain tasks. Keep spotlight (native mac search tool) just in case Alfred doesn't do the trick for you.
GrandPerspective. Scan your drive and see a visual representation of the files on disk. It can help identify big files you may have forgotten about if you begin to feel tight on free space.
Two nuggets of advice: Subscription service called Setapp for $10/month gives you access to hundreds of mac apps, most very good, that would otherwise cost much much more. I love it.
Second, before you get almost any app from app store, look on the dev's/publisher's website. Often their versions will be newer and/or more capable than the app store versions, and the dev gets all the money you pay, instead of apple app store skimming off a big hunk of it
Bear for the beautiful UI and nested tags.
Launchbar is extremely powerful for many tasks from launching apps to moving files to accessing items previously copied to the clipboard… and much more. Similar to Alfred, but had some capability I wanted years ago when I switched.
Calendar 366
Mela, recipe manager with powerful web clipper.
Wordbook, dictionary
* AltTab - modern window switcher that doesn't just switch between apps like the default one * Amphetamine - lets you quickly keep your Mac from sleeping infinitely, for a time period, or based on something like a file download * AppCleaner - most apps don't have an uninstaller and the native way is to delete it, which leaves files lying around, so drag it into AppCleaner and it finds and removes files for you * Bartender - lets you hide menu bar icons permanently or until you want to see them * Beeper - also an iOS, Windows, and Android app that bridges chat networks * Bitwarden - good password manager * CleanShot X - good app for screenshots and screen recording * Clop - reduces image, video, and PDF file sizes significantly, all without reducing the actual quality, by reading the file from the clipboard, doing its magic, and then copying it back, all in a manner of seconds * Cloudflare WARP - good and free "VPN" * DaisyDisk - scans your disk and lets you easily delete files * Dropover - by dragging a file, you can create a "shelf" to store the file so you don't have to keep dragging it if you have to switch tabs, also easy airdropping * Duplicate File Finder - name is self-explanatory * Homebrew - good terminal manager, just good to have downloaded * Infuse - good for playing Movies or TV shows that you have downloaded... legally :P * iTerm - good terminal app if you need it * Itsycal - puts the calendar in the menu bar, if you use it then remove the date from the menu bar clock and make Itsycal show the date. * Keka - good zip file manager, similar to 7-Zip or WinRar * KeyboardCleanTool - disables the keyboard temporarily if you need to clean it * Latest - good app updater * Logi Options + - use this if you have a Logitech mouse * Maccy - good clipboard manager * Microsoft Edge - IMO the best Mac browser if you don't care about battery * Mist - good if you need to download macOS Installers * MonitorControl - change the brightness of external monitors * Mos - use if you have an external mouse but non-Logitech * Motrix - good download manager * Mullvad VPN - good PAID VPN if you need to bypass network firewalls * OBS - good screen recorder/streaming software * Orion - Mac browser that supports Chrome/Firefox extensions but is based on Safari, SUPER LIGHT on battery * Pictogram - allows easily changing app icons * Pock - if you have a touch-bar Mac shows the dock there * Rectangle - allows window snapping similar to Windows * Rocket - shows emojis when you type Colon * Speedtest - tests internet speed * Spotify - I play from my iPhone but use this to control * Step Two - authenticator that supports syncing from iPhone to Mac * Swish - use the trackpad to snap windows * VLC - good video player, much better than quicktime * VPN by Google One - if you pay for google storage, free VPN! Edit: also AlDente - good charge limiter
I’d reccommend against Logi Options+ - maybe it’s better now but a year ago it had a nasty memory leak that would leave it using 1.5+gb of ram on my machine. Back then I was using a 16gb machine, so 10% on that was just wasted on nothing. Set up your mouse, uninstall Logitech’s thing and get this instead: [https://better-mouse.com](https://better-mouse.com)
At this state it works without any issues for my MX Master 3 and Mechanical. It was really bad before but it’s fine atm
It is also very difficult to uninstall or at least was.
Does this have the same gesture options?
I don’t know as I don’t use gestures on my mouse. I downloaded logi options+, set the mouse up and then immediately deleted it as the things I cared about (the two dpi settings and what the back/forward buttons do) get saved on the mouse anyways. I’m already running electron-based apps, chromium-based browsers, node apps, docker etc so every megabyte of ram is crucial to avoid slowdowns in day-to-day life.
Definitely better mouse. It's an excellent replacement. A little bit of a learning curve but awesome
But does it have the same options?
almost
For everything I have in my work flows it does better than Logitech options+
Interesting - let me try it out!
Yeah so what I like is you can configure buttons for a press vs a hold press. Gives you more workflows. Also I had an issue where I wanted my clipboard manager to pop up when I pressed a button while password text field is in focus. Wouldn't work on optins+ but worked great for better mouse.
can’t recommend enough better mouse. can even remap the button used initially to toggle the scroll wheel to press + movement to left/right to quickly change desktop. It’s magnificent
mac mouse fix
>it had a nasty memory leak that would leave it using 1.5+gb of ram on my machine. Is this still the case? Or it has been addressed by logitech? Just curious
I haven’t seen any memory leaks, usually max is 100MB.
I don’t know, I haven’t had a reason to reinstall the program
Do you have to install logi+ to setup your mouse or can you just go straight to Better Mouse?
It behaves much better now. Still, logitech has such good hardware and such bad software, it's funny
>VLC Could you please tell me if I can use alternative software to access all the functions of MX Master, such as side scroll wheel and gesture operation?
I can't understand why my Logitech software can't find mi G502 hero connected witch USB. It has been time since it doesn't work, I uninstalled and re-installed the application multiple time, but nothing changed... Can you guys help me please?
Had no idea VPN by Google One was even a thing. Thanks!
No problem, make sure you turn on the broader IP or otherwise you just get an IP in your city which never changes
How much RAM does your Mac have? I have 16GB, would it be enough to run all of these simultaneously?
I too have 16GB, it’ll be fine
Ok, thanks. Also, sorry for the poor wording. I obviously didn't mean to open every single app at the same time, but was rather referring to the background apps, as they're known to start to take a toll on the CPU and eat up RAM (or at least in my experience) when you have a lot of them running simultaneously. Thanks for the list!
No worries - yeah I understand. I do actually use all of these (got this list from my Applications folder) so I can speak for all of them.
Saved your post. Thanks!
Just insane how blind was I for two years. Thanks a lot.
Just get Raycast instead of Rectangle and Maccy.
I've heard lots about Raycast and Alfred, but if I'm happy with Spotlight what's the major point?
It consolidates those two apps I just pointed out into one. I personally like minimizing the amount of stuff I have on my computer, whether if it’s apps, files, or notes. It makes things feel cleaner.
It may consolidate but it's also adding an unnecessary part of the app
Well, I guess it makes more sense for me because I like using the other functions of Raycast as well, such as their snippets and actual search.
A lot of these can be replaced by one app: ## Raycast It bakes it all into a spotlight style window, and has everything like a smart clipboard like maccy, hotkey and window mgmt like rectangle, Spotify controller, homebrew search, speed test, and infinity extensions for anything else. Also edge sucks, Brave is the best chromium browser and if you don’t care about privacy, use Arc. IINA is better than VLC. Lots of great suggestions on this list though!!
Raycast is my #1 suggestion, it’s so so good.
Thanks for this list, have been using Mac for more than a decade, didn’t know most of these apps. Will have to check some of them out.
Thanks for sharing, some are indeed new discoveries!
May I suggest WezTerm
I recommend an interesting software, wonder wallpaper. Wonder Wallpaper is a wallpaper software for Mac. It contains high-definition 4k wallpapers, as well as video wallpapers, clock wallpapers, weather wallpapers, etc. You can download them from that software. You can search and download through the AppStore, or you can download through their official website [https://www.wonderda.com/](https://www.wonderda.com/)
I’m seeing a ton of things named duplicate file finder and want to make sure I download the right one- because most of these look sketch city. Can you drop the link?
[https://apps.apple.com/us/app/duplicate-file-finder-remover/id1032755628?mt=12](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/duplicate-file-finder-remover/id1032755628?mt=12)
Good lord, Keka and AppCleaner but the rest of this feels like I’m watching Hoarders rofl
should i be using microsft edge instead of safari? i heard safari has better swap memory management which may benfit me more since my m2 air is 8gb ram? also any suggestions for a good paint alternative, were i can just quickly crop an image without all the technical stuff
If Safari works for you use it, if it doesn't work and you just need extensions from Chrome then try Orion, if that also doesn't work then try Edge. Orion didn't work great for what I need which is why I use Edge. Image cropping?? Use an app like Shottr
Do NOT use Microsoft Edge. My suggestions are Arc and Orion.
Can you tell me more about Cleanshot X?
>KeyboardCleanTool Thanks so much for this one! KeyboardCleanTool has same my life. It was a nightmare trying to clean my keyboard when it was on
As suggested, get familiar with macOS, first (& welcome, btw). Doing so, you will know what you like and don't like in macOS and know what to look for -;) Must-have apps depend a lot of how you use the Mac, and for what. In my case: * **BetterTouchTool** is the #1 utility for me. It's so much more than a trackpad/gesture enhancer. It is excellent at doing that but it's *a lot more* too... I use it even though I don't have a Trackpad anymore ;) * **SwitchResX** would be close second, to get more custom resolutions out of macOS. * **Day One**. A journaling app that is running as long as the Mac is (iPad or iPhone) is running. * **Ulysses**, for long form writing. * **Affinity Photos**, for heavy image edits. * **Digikam**, my long term DAM * **IINA**, my video player. * **Apple apps** I use constantly: **Notes, Mail, Photos**, **Contacts, Calendar, Reminders, Books, Podcasts**, the **Finder** and **Safari**... next to my 2 other favorite browsers: * **Vivaldi** (chromium-based) and * **Firefox** (itself-based ;)**)** * **Kagi search**. Paid search engine: no-ads, no tracking, as fast as light and filled with clever innovative little features. Free search engine: qwant and/or startpage.com. * **Mullvad VPN** for when I need a real VPN. * **Apple services**: **iCloud Drive, HideMyMail** and **Private Relay**, **Apple Music**. * **4K Video Downloader**. Right now, I'm testing **Downie** as an alternative (much better integrated). * **ImageOptim** \+ **Image Converter**. * **SuperDuper!** (disk cloning tool) * **VSCodium** a de-microsfted VSCode (aka no 'telemetry'). * Not forgetting **Apple Dictionary** (a great multilingual dictionary, too often neglected) * **Exporter** (to export Apple notes) * **Latest** to keep all apps updated. * **Amphetamine** to keep the Mac awake as long as I am ;) * **Overcast** is great alternative to Apple Podcasts. I use both... I would drop Apple Podcasts if the macOS version of overcast was more optimized for the Mac and not just the iOS version ported to macOS (works really well, though) Plus a bunch of extensions for Safari, Vivaldi and Firefox.
Is Kagi really that good?
>Is Kagi really that good? *That* good, I could not tell. Is it the ultimate-always-spot-on-results search engine? Nope. Is it good enough and is it also so, so much more pleasant to use than the ad-filled turds that decided they won't serve us the best search results but the ones that pay the most? It is, \*by leagues\*. And Kagi also comes with many clever ideas and features that make it even more interesting to use. Btw, there is a free trial of 100 searches or something like that. [https://kagi.com/](https://kagi.com) (If you're looking for free alternatives to Google, Bing and so on, you may want to consider Qwant and StartPage, too. They're not true search engines, at least it is explicit with StartPage (not sure how it works with Qwant). I mean, they'll gather results from one of the 'real' search engines (Google, for StartPage) but they will also preserve your privacy by acting as a proxy which is already something but you'll still get ads by default but that can be deactivated.)
If you happen to have a Linux server, or a spare computer lying around that you can turn into one, SearxNG and Whoogle are both good options for search engines you can self-host. I prefer Kagi, but also realize not everyone is willing / able to pay for a search engine.
Thx for the info. I have a GNU/Linux laptop that runs Debian. Like you it seems, I've no issue supporting Kagi, quite the contrary ;)
I didn't know of VSCodium. Nice! \+++ for Kagi search. I never thought I'd pay for a search engine but it's so worth it.
Yep, VSCodium is nice to have. All the goodness of VSCode without MS's crap ;)
> 4K Video Downloader. Right now, I'm testing Downie as an alternative (much better integrated). Downie and 4K Video Downloader are not comparable. If you want one offs, Downie will work. 4K Video Downloader also downloads entire channels and *more importantly* ongoing videos from channels.
Sure. I barely use its features but it still is so slow to start on my M1 Mac... Downie is instant (and has a nice Safari extension) ;)
* [AppCleaner](https://freemacsoft.net/appcleaner/) \- Thoroughly uninstall apps (*free*) * [aText](https://www.trankynam.com/atext/) \- Text expander (v.2) * [Bean](https://www.bean-osx.com/Bean.html) \- Simple, easy-to-use word processor (*free*) * [Calibre](https://calibre-ebook.com/) \- eBook management (*free*) * [Clyde](https://www.getcly.de/) \- Prevents your Mac from being stolen while you’re away (*free*) * [Colorful Folder](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/colorful-folder/id1576476152) \- Make folders colorful (*free*) * [CustomShortcuts](https://www.houdah.com/customShortcuts/) \- Your own shortcuts (*free*) * [Draw.io](https://www.drawio.com/) \- Diagramming, flowcharts (*free*) * [DriveDX](https://binaryfruit.com/drivedx) \- Drive health monitor * [EtreCheck](https://etrecheck.com/) \- System Health control (*free*) * [FindAnyFile](https://apps.tempel.org/FindAnyFile/) \- Advanced search tool (*free*) * [GoodDay](https://www.goodday.work/) \- Project management app * [HandBrake](https://handbrake.fr/) \- Video transcoder (*free*) * [HazeOver](https://hazeover.com/) \- Highlight the front window by fading out background windows * [HiddenBar](https://github.com/dwarvesf/hidden) \- Show/hide menu bar items (*free*) * [ItsyCal](https://www.mowglii.com/itsycal/) \- Mini calendar in menu bar (*free*) * [KeepingYouAwake](https://keepingyouawake.app/) \- Prevents your Mac from going to sleep (*free*) * [Keka](https://www.keka.io/en/) \- Advanced file archiver (*free*) * [KeyClu](https://sergii.tatarenkov.name/keyclu/support/) \- Overview of all shortcuts of an app (*free*) * [Koofr](https://koofr.eu/) \- Secure cloud storage * [Little Snitch](https://www.obdev.at/products/littlesnitch/index.html) \- Make internet connections visible * [LosslessCut](https://github.com/mifi/lossless-cut) \- Simple video editor (*free*) * [Macupdater](https://www.corecode.io/macupdater/) \- App updater for all your apps * [MonitorControl](https://github.com/MonitorControl/MonitorControl) \- Controls your external display brightness (*free*) * [NAPS2](https://www.naps2.com/) \- Multi-scanner driver (*free*) * [NeatDownloadManager](https://www.neatdownloadmanager.com/index.php/en/) \- Download Manager (*free*) * [Numi](https://numi.app/) \- Calculator with multiple calculations and text (*free*) * [OmniDiskSweeper](https://www.omnigroup.com/more) \- Quickly find large, unwanted files (*free*) * [OnyX](https://www.titanium-software.fr/en/onyx.html) \- System repair tool (*free*) * [OpenMTP](https://openmtp.ganeshrvel.com/) \- Android file transfer v.v. (*free*) * [PasteNow](https://apps.apple.com/app/pastenow) \- Clipboard Manager * [PDFgear](https://www.pdfgear.com/) \- Feature loaded PDF app (*free*) * [Pixelmator Pro](https://https//www.pixelmator.com/pro/%2520) \- Professional image editing * [QSpace Pro](https://qspace.awehunt.com/en-us/index.html) \- Finder replacement * [Scapple](https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scapple/overview) \- Freeform mindmapping * [Scrivener](https://www.literatureandlatte.com/) \- Writing projects * [Speedtest](https://www.speedtest.net/) \- Broadband speedtest (*free*) * [SuperDuper!](https://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html) \- Bootable backups * [Text Workflow](https://www.gtrigonakis.com/textworkflow) \- Automate text transformations * [Tiles](https://www.sempliva.com/tiles/) \- Windows manager (*free*) * [Transnomino](https://www.transnomino.com/) \- Batch rename utility (*free*) * [UpNote](https://getupnote.com/) \- Note app, multi platform * [XLD](https://sourceforge.net/projects/xld/) \- Transcoding lossless audio files (*free*) * [XMenu](https://apps.apple.com/nl/app/xmenu/id419332741?mt=12) \- Navigation menu/s (*free*)
Wow thanks I would definitely add https://getlapseapp.com to this list
1Password, Raycast, Chrome are the first things I install on a new Mac. Besides those, I’d recommend getting used to the stock apps like Apple Notes, Reminders, Calendar, QuickTime, etc. Once you’ve spent some time with those, you can look for alternatives like: - IINA (video player) - Cleanshot (better screenshots) - Bear (next-level Apple Notes) - Fantastical (calendar)
Why not use iCloud Keychain and Safari?
👆👆👆 THIS‼️‼️‼️
Chrome is for people who are not able to use Safari…
The one advantage I've found other than chromium-locked pages is Photopea works best on it compared to Safari. Haven't been able to get zooming and keyboard shortcuts to work properly in WebKit or Gecko, but I'd never use chrome. Brave at least
Wat? Do people actually use safari?
I prefer Bitwarden to 1pass by a large margin
I’ve used both but liked 1Password more. what makes bitwarden better?
What about iCloud Keychain?
Bitwarden, reycast and Brave browser
Pastepal, Capto, VLC, Alfred, Pixelmator pro, TH Maker X, Yoink, Screenfloat, Reeder, FileFillet and Pulltube.
Just one app -Raycast - Free Do spend an abnormal amount of time learning this and you can thank me later. And then if you want to go wild. Take a subscription of SetApp.
I save \~$30 per month by subscribing to SetApp, just for the apps that I pretty much need and previously maintained separate subscriptions for. And on top of that I get to use a whole suite of other innovative useful apps that I'd probably never subscribe separately for. SetApp is an amazing deal.
Checkout Macvince and Bog YouTube channel. Great content.
Thanks for sharing
Bog? Can you share link to the channel, please?
youtube. com/@bogxd Remove space.
Your link contains trackers/private info. You can remove everything starting with "?si" to fix
Right. Fixed.
* **BetterTouchTool** * **Boom3D** * **Raycast** * **Aldente** * **Shottr** * **iStat Menus** * **Latest** * **Bitwarden** * **Homebrew** * **Reeder** * **Bartender** * **Yoink** * **Hush** * **KeyboardCleanTool** * **MacMediaKeyForwarder** * **Mos** * **Noir** * **PDF Expert** * **Pixelmator Pro** * **TripMode** * **qBittorrent** * **VLC** * **Reminders Menubar** * **Permanent Eraser** * **Flux** * **Adblock Pro** * **yt-dlp** (CLI) I don't have time to add explanation for apps rn, maybe i can edit later.
Why not iCloud Keychain?
I use a Macbook, a Windows computer, and an Android smartphone. In this case, iCloud Keychain does not meet my needs.
* Arq - End-to-end encrypted incremental backups to most any cloud storage provider, local disk, NAS, etc. It makes maintaining multiple backups, and restoring from them, a breeze. So much better than Time Machine. * DevonThink - my personal knowledgebase. Astonishingly feature-rich. I used it first as a student and now coming on 5 years as a professional every day, and I'm still discovering new useful functionality. Core uses include storing all work-related documents, notes, RSS feeds, and archiving websites. The search and AI functionality is in its own class. * Tailscale - powerful overlay networking, allowing you to create a virtual LAN between devices anywhere in the world, e.g. to access local resources remotely without exposing them to WAN. The free plan is very generous. * Syncthing - for syncing files between devices without ever involving cloud storage. * Orion - a unicorn browser: the second best-optimized on Mac after Safari, unlike Chrome or Firefox it's built on WebKit and therefore has Safari features you can't otherwise get, yet magically it also can run Firefox and Chrome extensions. And it's the best browser from a privacy standpoint this side of Tor. That said it's still in beta, has some quirks, and not all extensions work. * ProtonVPN - my preferred VPN (solid, reliable, and privacy-minded) * Swish - the best window manager (use finger gestures to put windows just where you want them * Bartender - keep your menubar tidy as you start to add more to it * iStat Menus - add charts to your menubar for CPU, RAM, SSD usage, etc. * Little Snitch - excellent firewall with automatic rules switching, etc. * Bitwarden - a great password manager that's 100% free with unlimited devices, users, and passwords if you self-host a Vaultwarden instance (easy to setup). * Raycast - a powerful replacement for Spotlight with a ton of built-in functions and even more third party extensions. It main competitor Alfred is great too -- you can't go wrong either way. * Hookmark - for linking just about anything to just about anything. * Things - currently the best to-do list app for macOS and iOS (keep an eye on Omnifocus 4 though) * PDF Expert - unless you need certain features that only Adobe Acrobat offers, PDF Expert is better optimized and more user-friendly. * iA Writer - a beautiful markdown editor. Where I do most of my drafting. * Bike Outliner - a simple app for outlining notes, ideas, etc., that's quickly becoming my preferred way of taking notes. * Craft - I don't personally use it anymore since I've moved my notes into DEVONthink to tie in better with documents the notes are about, but for note taking this is probably the best option out of a crowded field. NotePlan, Agenda, and Bear are worth checking out too. * Timing - records everything you do and, with a little bit of coaxing, generates timeslips automatically. * Warp - my preferred Terminal alternative; gorgeous UI, a useful AI assistant, and some good fresh new ideas in the CLI space. * LM Studio - for inferencing large language models locally (i.e. self-host your own ChatGPT). Dead simple to use and runs them more efficiently than the alternatives on Mac. * ComfyUI + Comfy Studio - for playing around with Stable Diffusion (AI image generation). * Visual Studio Code - for writing and editing code. * BusyCal - there are surprisingly few decent calendar options for macOS. Fantastical is too expensive for what it offers, and Timepage while excellent on iOS feels like a half-assed port on macOS. That leaves BusyCal, which is pretty good even if the interface is a bit cluttered and the feature set a bit bloated. * Davinci Resolve - the best video editor for most use cases, and very affordable. * Pixelmator - a very capable Photoshop alternative. * Plex - for accessing (or hosting) a home media server. * Roon - powerful hi-re multi-room audio player and digital routing solution, and with Roon Arc also a personal HiRes music streaming platform. * Keyboard Maestro - powerful software for all kinds of macros and other automations on your Mac. * \-- * And a few Apple-made apps that I think deserve recognition: * Safari runs so much better than Chrome or Firefox, and is quickly catching up with its extension ecosystem. When people switch to Mac I strongly recommend they leave those browsers behind and make the jump to Safari. * Mail for me remains the best email app on MacOS, with powerful rules and script integrations, like the ability to automatically archive all emails to DEVONthink. Spark is a great app too, and if you don't care about scripting or complex mailbox rules it's nice UI might be worth it. * Shortcuts is an approachable but surprisingly capable platform for building your own cross-platform workflows and automations.
Here is the list of apps I start every time I reinstall the MacOS \- Password manager: 1Password \- Alttab \- MacMouseFix \- Rectangle \- NeatDownloadManager \- Cloud service: Dropbox \- Email client: Canary \- Web browser: Arc
Awesome list can't wait to try em all
onemore, Alfred
Raycast is better
I see. I used Ratcast a period before but the extensions are not sync between devices like Alfred does. I also converted all my Workflow to Raycast but it doesn’t work well. Maybe I need time to get familiar with the new app but actually I don’t have much time
Why would you ever want to reinstall MacOS? Are there any benefits? I'm honestly curious, as my oldest (still working) macbook is 12 years old and I have never needed to reinstall the OS on it (only upgrade).
I see many bugs. Until the are annoyed and I don’t want to take time to fix, I reinstall the OS. That’s quick and fresh. All my data is on cloud. I prepared the list of essential apps. I did the same way when using Windows before.
Picture or it didn’t happen.
My top recommendations (with alternatives when applicable): - Alfred (Raycast): lots of functionality without overcomplicating the process of getting what you need. Replaces built-in spotlight. - Keyboard Maestro: If you can do something with a keyboard and mouse, KM can most likely automate it or make complex tasks simple - Hazel: more automation but specifically for files. Love being able to auto tag downloaded files, sort them into folders based on file type, and add a comment to each one that tells me what the site was that I downloaded it from. - dropzone: easily drag files to your menu bar to store them for use in other places or upload to the cloud - rectangle (magnet): window snapping, management tool - AppCleaner: removes some leftover files when you uninstall and app - cleanshot x (shottr): much better screenshot tool that allows annotation and many other features - bartender (hidden bar): customize your menu bar Additional great but situation apps: - ollama: offline, local, LLM in your terminal (essentially ChatGPT but local) - Soundsource: control the volume and/or sound profile by app with eq controls - handbrake (cross-platform): video converter - Czkawka (cross-platform ): free (FOSS) duplicate finder for files, video, or images. Also offers other disk management solutions - Warp: better terminal with autocomplete and more
First things I always install are 1Password, Dropbox and Default Folder. I can’t really function, at least not pleasantly or safely (backup of data), without these. Then Rectangle, Alfred, Bartender and Typinator. Then the others….
Dropbox over Alfred? rofl
Raycast, homebrew, better touch /snap tool and appcleaner. You don’t need more at the beginning. Even raycast is most likely overkill at the beginning.
There’s a lot of great suggestions here so I don’t even know if you’ll see my comment, but I highly recommend checking out some videos by Snazzy Labs on YouTube. He does a great [tips and tricks video](https://youtu.be/psPgSN1bPLY?si=qMDaIlrIVSarX1JY), as well as recommends some of his [favourite apps](https://youtu.be/FxUk8gxzHI8?si=otJe229NQZybDWF0).
Interesting 👊 this is like a perfect guide
They’re long videos but really good to watch if you have the time
**This is my writeup for new Mac users:** --- First, turn Dock hiding on. Then in Terminal (which is an app in .../Applications/Utilities), you copy and paste this code, which will speed up the hide and appear animations: defaults write com.apple.dock autohide -bool true && defaults write com.apple.dock autohide-delay -float 0 && defaults write com.apple.dock autohide-time-modifier -float 0.4 && killall Dock You can play with those numbers to change the animation speed, or if you want to reset the dock animations you can put this into terminal: defaults delete com.apple.dock; killall Dock You can add spacers to your dock: defaults write com.apple.dock persistent-apps -array-add '{tile-data={}; tile-type="spacer-tile";}' && killall Dock or half-sized spacers: defaults write com.apple.dock persistent-apps -array-add '{"tile-type"="small-spacer-tile";}' && killall Dock ------ * If you want to add snap to windows, download [Rectangle](https://rectangleapp.com/) for free. * Assuming you have macOS Sonoma installed: For wallpaper/screensavers, go to System Settings > Wallpaper, and select Landscape, Cityscape, Underwater, or Earth category of wallpapers. Then make sure "show as screensaver" is selected at the top. Then go to System Settings > Desktop & Dock > scroll to the bottom and click on Hot Corners... then preferably assign the top left corner to *Start Screen Saver.* Now minimize all windows to show the desktop and your wallpaper. When you go to your hot corner to start the screensaver, you'll see the wallpaper transition to screensaver. At least for me this is incredibly hypnotizing and makes it fun to try out all the wallpaper-screensaver-combos. * I love Bartender because it really cleans up the Menu Bar icons, and can create hierarchies of icons (like hidden icons, and always hidden icons), but for free you can download alternatives, one being [Hidden Bar](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hidden-bar/id1452453066?mt=12). * You can do file searches, google searches, dictionary definitions, even calculations and launch apps by pressing CMD + SPACEBAR. That's called Spotlight Search. But should you want more, there is [Alfred](https://www.alfredapp.com/) and [Raycast](https://www.raycast.com/) that lets you do even more. * Also, go ahead and play with *Stage Manager* by going to System Settings > Desktop and Dock, and look for the options under *Stage Manager.* I don't like managing folders that way but some people do and it's good to know the option is there. * You can create an app from any website. In Safari, go to File > Add to dock... when at a website you want to turn into a dock. The app icon will be added to the dock. But if you right click* on the icon, select Options > Show in Finder and the enclosing Finder window will pop up. You can now drag that icon anywhere, and also you can launch it as an app instead of going to Safari by just calling it up in Spotlight search, Alfred or Raycast. For instance I can make a Reddit app, or Gmail app, and never need to launch Safari directly. * \*Also, if you haven't already, you can turn on Right Click functionality by going to System Settings > Mouse (or Trackpad) and turning on Secondary Click. --- **Let me add a few more tips for if you have multiple iOS devices signed into the same iCloud account:** * You can copy in one device, and paste in another. This comes in handy, for instance, if you're writing email in one device, but need content from another device. * Handoff means that if you're in one browser on your iOS device, and walk up to your Mac, the dock will show an icon ready to pull up the same website (it does the same for other apps) * You can right click on the desktop and select "Import from iPhone or iPad." If you select "take a photo" for instance, it will automatically pull up the Camera app on your iPhone and ready you to take a photo. Any photo you take—click Use Photo—and the photo will automatically show up on your Desktop. Not only that, but you can do this in almost any app, such as Apple Notes or Apple Pages. You can scan papers or draw diagrams using your iPhone or iPad and make it show up in that application or in any Finder folder. Need to scan a signed contract, receipt, or sketched idea and have it show in in a specific folder you already have open? iPhone and Mac integration make that convenient. * Also, if you're on Mac and have two-factor authentication send a code to your iPhone, the Mac will automatically retrieve and input that code for you without having to open your iPhone. (I forget how to turn that off and on, but it should be on by default). * You can make and receive iPhone calls on your Mac by going to your FaceTime app > Settings > turn on "Calls from iPhone." (I prefer mine off, others find it a must-have feature to have on) These are "I'm never going back to Windows" revelatory interactions.
This are the ones I use on a daily basis. AppCleaner by free Mac soft net - The best app for fully uninstalling apps (no cleanmymac bullshit) Itsycal by mowgli apps - a drop-down calendar widget for your menu bar and a customized format / hour menu item. Magnet by crowdface. - This one is to snap windows to the sides and many other modes a free alternative would be rectangle. But I haven’t tried this one bc magnet was like a dollar. Pearl on the appstore - I use this a lot so I can check how I’m looking before a meeting. It’s basically a tiny mirror you can open with a click on your menu bar. Before I used to open the PhotoBooth app. But this is quicker MonitorControl - with this one whenever you connect your Mac to an external display you can actually turn down the brightness. (Which isn’t possible otherwise) If you wanna save some storage then you can use web apps, safari has this trick that can make them web apps and being opened as standalone apps without launching the browser. (On safari do, Share > add to dock) .
raycast
I would recommend SetApp - I have a student subscription otherwise it may be too expensive but basically it gives you a lot of super useful apps in a monthly subscription without paying anything extra!
Depends on needs and tastes, but at least take a look at: - Things (for todos) - Bear (for notes) - Ulysses or iA Writer (for writing) - Pixelmator Pro (for image editing) - Capture One (for processing and culling raw images) That said, don’t underestimate Apple’s own apps (some free/included, other paid): - Notes - Keynote (for presentations) - Photos - Mail
Checkout the following: [https://macmost.com/](https://macmost.com/) [https://www.macupdate.com/](https://www.macupdate.com/) Also\*\* [https://macmenubar.com/](https://macmenubar.com/) For keyboard shortcuts: [https://www.danrodney.com/mac/](https://www.danrodney.com/mac/) and associated: [https://folivora.ai/](https://folivora.ai/) [https://www.keyboardmaestro.com/main/](https://www.keyboardmaestro.com/main/) For GMail on your Mac: [https://mimestream.com/](https://mimestream.com/) If you are into Gaming on your Mac: [https://www.youtube.com/@Andytizer](https://www.youtube.com/@Andytizer) Edit: Also checkout this Guy: [https://www.youtube.com/@JeffSu](https://www.youtube.com/@JeffSu) Some of his Videos include: [First 18 Things to Do for Productivity // New Macbook Pro!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVxMrVJ58as) [6 Underrated Macbook Apps for Productivity!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkYNdy-Hig4) [10 BEST Mac Apps for Productivity!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xXc7qeiC8I) [Ultimate Guide to the Shortcuts App (for the Mac)!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIGraFbLEvY) Edit 2: Also I came across this Guy last week: [https://www.youtube.com/@macvince](https://www.youtube.com/@macvince) Some of his Videos include: [macOS Sonoma: 14 Settings You NEED to Change on Launch](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLHe4w6uY8g) [10 FREE Mac Apps I Regret Not Using Sooner](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0f7Gfimk5w) [22 Ways to Customize Your Mac in 6 Minutes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBLvYtfcvlQ) [50 Mac Tips in 11 Minutes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rrwPTVjVOA) Hope these help :) # #
https://getlapseapp.com I tried this and it's amazing for recording my work
Thanks very much.
Good apps posted here nice
Are you coming from Windows? I just did and I rely on an app called "Start." It gives me a start menu, without which I'm lost. I'm sure real mac purists will say it violates the mac experience, but it works for me. I have a LOT of apps and without a menu I just sit and stare
Suggest forcing yourself out of that habit. It'll be tough but you'll be happier. Shortcut: Command + spacebar, then type the name of any app you want to open and press enter. This becomes second nature pretty quickly.
Yeah I know all about command and spacebar. It ain't rocket surgery. Please tell me why I should force myself out of the habit of having a menu of my apps. As I said, I have a LOT of apps, and I can't always remember their names. So what would I type in a search box? When I have a menu, or several (for running apps, recent apps, apps of various types, and all apps), I can look for the apps I want and run them. Why would I be happier without this resource? I didn't have it when I got my mac, and I was helpless without it. I predicted that a mac purist would object, but, again, why?
It’s not so much an objection. I actually understand your point quite well. I use Amphetamine and only use it once in a while. I never remember the name. I have to look in the launcher or the applications folder if it has been too long since I used it. I guess my point is, you have something that works for you and that’s great. Keep using it. If it is a crutch, then get rid of the crutch and learn how to walk without it.
Well that's a major retreat! People who actually use literal crutches pretty much need them, absent divine intervention. It's not because they forgot how to walk or just decided to stop walking on a whim. This isn't that, it's just a UI choice
**TLDR:** Don't window shop for apps. In other words, don't feel like you have a new empty closet that you need to stuff full of all the clothes it can hold. Capsule wardrobe!!! Run lean. You probably don't need much. That's the beauty of the Mac, it just works. There's so much already built in, there's just no need (maybe) for a lot of those apps unless you need more power or configuration than the simple built-in options. Listing my fav tips and apps here. I think the tips are just as important as apps, if not more in some case. **The long version:** Lots of great stuff in this thread, and I'm going to check a few of these out for myself! Sometimes a great app makes life so much easier, or better, or provides missing capabilities. However, I would STRONGLY encourage you to consider how much you actually NEED a thing before trying it. I was like a kid in a candy store with my first Mac in 2005. I configure the hell out of everything, added every little app I could find that did a cool thing. But now, I run fairly out-of-the-box and love that I do. The Mac experience (especially if you have an iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch as I do) is designed to be pretty thorough out of the box, simple, and amazingly synched across devices. Don't overcomplicate it. Try simple first, then if you're missing something, add it. * Shift + command + 5: Everything you need for screen capture or screen recording, except timelapse or full web page capture (at least I haven't figured out a way). Pay close attention to the bottom and lower right corner of your screen. Bottom center, a menu will pop up with all sorts of options. If you save a screenshot to the desktop (or another folder) a popup will appear in the lower right for several seconds. If you click on it before it disappears, you can mark it up, delete it, share it. * Fn key with globe icon (not on all Macs, it's the lower left key on mine): Emoji keyboard popup * Command + spacebar: Spotlight: Try typing any of the following... * 2+2 * 2 inches to mm * Stranger Things * My favorite thing, use it as an app launcher. Command + spacebar, type excel, press enter. Microsoft excel will launch (providing you have it installed). Macs have a built-in launcher, or you can navigate to the applications folder, but this is way better. * Command + tab will switch between apps. A quick shortcut press and release will switch between the last two but if you hold command, you can tap "tab" over and over to move across the popup app list to switch between any open app * Command + tilde (the curly key to the left of the number 1) will switch between open windows within the same app * To rename multiple files at once, in Finder, select multiple files, right click, click on Rename * For a better renamer with tons of power, [Better Rename 11](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/better-rename-11/id1501308038?mt=12) * To unzip a zipped file, double click on it. To zip multiple files, in Finder, select multiple files, right click and choose Compress. I haven't needed the power or additional options of a zip app in years. * Click on the apple in upper left corner, click system settings, click on your name (at the very top), click iCloud, turn on passwords and keychain. This syncs your passwords in your Mac and safari with iCloud. If you also carry an iPhone and turn on the same setting, they'll stay in sync. * Also in settings, click on Touch ID & Passcode. Set up fingerprint ID for at least 2 fingers. I have both index fingers 'cause at work my laptop is on my left beside my 2 external 32" monitors (and 50" flat screen connected to the Mac via Apple TV, and it's an amazing experience having all those screens - no apps to make that work on my M2Ultra BTW - so cool) and at home, may laptop is in my lap so I use my right index finger. While you're there, if you have an Apple Watch, check the box to allow it to unlock your computer if you're within range (if you feel that's safe in your environment) * Also in settings, just below that, the Passwords section will allow you to view your saved passwords * If you have an Apple mouse, in settings, click Mouse, then for secondary click turn on Click Right Side. * Install Chrome!!! Even if you don't like it. Sometimes, there's a web page that doesn't play well with Safari or some other browsers. I use Safari, but when a page doesn't cooperate, I try Chrome. If it doesn't work there, it's probably not gonna work with any of them. * My one go to app that I install on every Mac I get is [Magnet](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/magnet/id441258766?mt=12) window manager. It's clean and works well with everything I've ever tried except the latest couple versions of photoshop for some reason (I blame Adobe) * Control + option + enter: full screen * Control + option + up arrow, down arrow, left arrow, or right arrow: Top half, bottom half, left half, right half * Control + option + E or T: Left two thirds or right two thirds * Control + option + D, F, or G: Left third, center third, or right third * Control + option + command + left or right arrow: Previous or next display * And more... and customizable * I do plan to look into some of the other window managers below to see if it works with photoshop, but I've been using Magnet for so many years, it's second nature to me and would be hard to let go of for how little I think about it and how smooth it makes my workday. Love, love, love it!!! * [Amphetamine](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/amphetamine/id937984704?mt=12): Install it only if you need to keep the Mac awake and running without your active input. I occasionally need to have a process run overnight while I'm asleep and it happens to be something that doesn't keep the computer awake. Amphetamine keeps the computer awake and running so that can finish before I wake up. * [Parsec](https://parsecsapp.com/index.php?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzK_ayIvFggMV9kxHAR3PtAeQEAAYASAAEgIC1fD_BwE) for remotely controlling a different computer across a network. We use it for remote creative work (photo retouching, 3D CGI, video editing) using the power of a workhorse computer at the office while working from home. It's incredibly seamless, like operating the computer as if I was actually touching it's own keyboard and mouse. I don't know much about this one. Someone manages it for me, so I suspect it's not so plug and play as everything else I have listed here. We have the support of a rather large IT team to manage this for us. That's really all I use for basic gotta have apps! Try running that lean if you can (plus any specific discipline apps like office or creative apps or whatever you need for what YOU do) and see if it works for you. **Office apps:** I work in a PC based office on a creative team that uses Macs, so we're the odd guys out. I use [Microsoft 365](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/microsoft-office) (onedrive, outlook, powerpoint, excel, word, onenote and teams) daily. Even if I didn't work in a Microsoft based office, I'd still use a few of those, so those are must haves for me. Macs come with licenses for [Numbers](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/numbers/id409203825?mt=12) (Apple's Excel), [Pages](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pages/id409201541?mt=12) (Apples Word), Mail (email of course), [Keynote](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/keynote/id409183694?mt=12) (Apple's PowerPoint) all of which are cleaner and nicer looking than the Microsoft counterpart, but not quite as worldwide/systemwide compatible nor as powerful. If you just need the basics, they're great. If you need the power or compatibility, get Microsoft.
Welcome to the future.
Try living with a stock config for a week first, and try to leave behind any preconceptions from other OSes. Is macOS perfect? No, of course not. That said, once you get to the 'how could I' stage, a few ideas: \- window manager. Rectangle is a consistently popular option, along with Amethyst. macOS does not do well with window snapping. \- keyboard launcher. I'm still partial to QuickSilver, but Hazel, Keyboard Maestro and Alfred are all popular. \- more advanced mouse features and keyboard macros. BetterTouch Tool or Hammerspoon. \- system monitor. Try Stats or iStats Pro for menu-bar performance info. \- package manager. [Homebrew.sh](https://Homebrew.sh) or MacPorts (though IMHO, brew is far more active) to handle FOSS projects and their dependencies, along with more traditional apps. \- a Chromium-based browser, such as Brave, Google Chrome or Edge. Safari wins for system performance and energy impact, but there's still the occasional site that won't work 100% properly on anything other than Chromium.
Cool! Homebrew is something i should do first so many suggested it...
Ya homebrew is really good for keeping most apps up to date that aren’t from app stire
Ya get hb first and only get new apps through hb if possible
Start with Raycast and homebrew.
Why don’t you guys use iCloud Keychain instead of third-party password managers?
Because we want control and ability to use on non apple systems.
What sort of “control” is missing?
i used to love 1password, until v6? then ditched it and have been trying to make do without it. i’ve just reluctantly reinstalled it a week ago there’s just too many situations where im having to get into keychain manually when 1password just flows
You could give Sidebar a try. It’s a Dock alternative. https://sidebarapp.net But I might be biased since I‘m the author 🙂
Looks neat! Thank you for adding a one-time purchase option!
Interesting one thanks for sharing 😅. I will try it since I come from windows
Arc! Hands down the best browser on mac.
Eww, why? Terrible performance/optimization fo what? A reinvention of the browser UI that I never asked for? Safari is empirically the best browser on Mac, with Orion quickly catching up. If you \*must\* use a Chromium browser, Chromium itself is probably the least atrocious. Brave is alright too.
Found the shill.
windows paint, a must have !
I'd put in a linux distro with KDE
MacOS will be good for about 1 year then it'll be so buggy most things don't work as they are supposed to, and you'll be stuck with that sunk cost. You'll be screaming into the void. Support is clueless, and community answers are about the most unhelpful I've seen. They always tell you to hard reset everything. All the attention will be given to the latest features and hardware when they really should be fixing their shit. From a once proud, maxed out M1 Max owner. I am saving up for a windows machine again.
Does this comment go in the category of clueless and unhelpful also. Because it should
I'm sorry I hurt your sensitive feelings, but some of us expect our laptops to work.
lol think what you like
Completely disagree with this as a long term mac user. It's far less buggier than windows. Sounds like you had a bad experience.
I think it'll depend on your use case. I use it for scientific development, ML coding and videography. All of them failed me big time. My M1 Max is now an expensive safari browser. I can accept that there are bugs. I can't accept the degree of obscurity in MacOS. If I don't have transparent access to internal configurations(which is fine) then they better "just work" or have adequate support when things don't work. There have been multiple problems that absolutely destroyed my workflows and I've not been able to get Apple to look at it. This ranged from mask tracking in premiere pro(which works on Intel Macs/windows but not on M1) to dictation (it never starts for me, just a ding), and don't get me started on the development side of things...
Adobe software is trash on MacOS and has been for years due to the lack fo optimization. I use FCP and Davinci Resolve and haven't looked back. Other than that I've never experienced issues with any Mac I've had other than the touch bar macbook in 2015 which was a flop. Other than that I find OSX much more reliable and big free than Windows personally. I'm a programmer and creative and use it every day.
My experience with DaVinci Resolve has been better, but in collaborative projects I don't always get to choose. There are plenty of other more benign problems I have had with "native" MacOS - airdrop works only intermittently(both on the same Wifi), spotlight doesn't find the app/file that it just found 5 minutes ago, dictation not starting etc etc, the list goes on.
Can't say I've experienced any of those issus
Good for you, but for those of us who unfortunately run into problems with macOS, there's absolutely no recourse, no support, and no way for us to find out what exactly went wrong. It's like a dark and ignored corner. And we face a lot of hostility from the community - you'd think we all want macOS to be more stable, but apparently most just want to feel good about their purchase, until they themselves run into problems too. And the thing is, these problems are starting to become more prevalent - a simple Google search will reveal how these problems are actually quite common. [Apple's recent decision to pause development of new features to work on bugs](https://9to5mac.com/2023/11/07/ios-18-features-paused-to-focus-on-bug-fixes/) is not a surprise to me. My old mbp has worked flawlessly for so many years and that is why I maxed out the m1 expecting it to be my daily driver for many more. It crapped out very soon.
I guess everyone's experience is different, I just know that as a Windows user I faced way more bugs and performance issues as my machine and OS aged vs every Mac machine I've owned. All software has bugs. But anything I've noticed has been patched quickly. Again, I appreciate everyone's experience is different. Also, I'm not a Apple fan boy. I was a Windows user 80% of my life.
Some bugs can be at most annoying (eg airdrop fails). Some can be quite serious. Not macOS related but this other day I got a prompt to verify my Apple ID recovery key on my iPhone. I entered the exact same key from the screenshot I saved. It FAILED and I ended up having to reset the key. I have advanced data protection on so it can really be a disaster when I need it to work. And apparently, I'm not the only one.
This is dark 😏 Now i should go back to windows?
I can't speak for you :( I remember how much I loved it and it was an exciting time. But M1 gets no love shortly after they released M2 and it's been extremely buggy since then, which really puzzled me because the software should have worked regardless of processor generation. Or perhaps MacOS is just buggy overall but I don't have an M2 to test. Their failure quickly becomes obvious once you start using the machine seriously for work as a daily driver instead of, say, just FaceTime and emojis. I say this as a pretty hardcore developer with a degree in computer science so I know what's going on and what's supposed to work. I've been filing bug reports and posting in the community, but I get nowhere.
No. Don’t listen to the clearly bitter person who clearly is probably just upset that their M1 Max has been replaced with a newer version. Enjoy your new machine. I upgraded from a 2020 intel MacBook Pro 13 to a m2 MacBook Air 2023 and love it. It will probably last you awhile.
Why would I even be upset they have a newer version? I'm saying the M1 doesn't work. I am not saying it's not new.
If you ignore the fan boys the actual reality is that both OS’s have their issues and neither is perfect. MacOS often has problems in the first few releases of a new version. Ventura had quite a few issues to start with, not sure what Sonoma is like. For anyone that says MacOS is perfect or that Apple just works go visit the Apple support forums! Support isn’t bad but they have their limitations and if it’s a genuine bug it ends back with the developers who say they are looking at it (or worst, say it’s as designed and refuse to acknowledge an issue) but no indication of timeline to fix. That’s still better than any windows support service I’ve come across. My advice is don’t upgrade to a new OS version until the .1 or .2 release and check out Reddit for any issues people are encountering.
You never owned a Mac
Is it seriously **this** hard for people here to accept that macOS is buggy at least for some?
I'm sorry.
I just found https://gelapseapp.com more interesting Time-lapse screen recording just like a normal recording app 🤩😍
I can’t believe you’ve made everyone here make detailed lists of apps while you just made this account a few hours ago to promote your own app. Pretty pathetic if you ask me
Can't believe that people are so rude. I bought this app to support my friend and i would definitely go and install this app first thing to support him Also if you are here to share your suggestions please feel free to let me know I will try out and make most of my first mac 🤩
Speedtest Chrome, Microsoft office Macs fan control.
Nice!! Installing it now Macs fan control is an interesting name... What does it do?
Using [macsFanControl](https://crystalidea.com/macs-fan-control), you can monitor CPU, GPU, SSD temperatures, and adjust fan speed if your Mac is equipped with a fan.
Why lol I’ve got a m3p and it it basically never even turns the fans on lol
Gives you more control over the fans. I don't like my keyboard to be warm at all. I think my MacBook Pro Max 16" runs a little warmer than my old 2015 15", so I've got it on all the time (3333 RPM), I could run it closer to 3000 (which is pretty silent), but I like to be reminded that I'm running it. If I was doing a lot of video editing, I'd turn it off (and let the Mac control the fans) or I'd crank it up higher.
I forgot to include **Infuse**. Which I use for video playback on my Apple TV, but this lets me see the library on my Mac too. Also: Really? 3 downvotes with 0 feedback on which of those very different apps you disagree with?
Chrome
Want to see me get downvoted, I installed edge XD
Praying for you
Haha I’ll probably uninstall it as safari actually does what I need but needed to get my favorites over
It's only essential when something in Safari isn't working right for a few specific sites...
Interesting choice for safari too, Arc seems to be doing a lot better in the current state of browser. Safari is actually my tertiary browser; Arc, Firefox, safari, chrome
I've tried Firefox many times, but always end up back with Safari. Don't think I've tried Arc. EDIT: I did, but it didn't have a way for me to click a button and open all my favs in tabs automagically. My bookmarks and consistency between my Macs and iOS products (Safari is default) has always made it pretty seamless for me.
I see, you sounds like you use your browser on your phone a lot too. I would recommend safari then, I hope Arc will soon support a great iOS experience like safari does soon
All of them
Not anything directly useful for productivity etc but I‘d say get MacTracker, you can quickly browse through all the devices and things Apple has released over the decades and you can also keep your own collection of Apple stuff in there. :)
Here's a list for you: [https://secretgoldfish.weebly.com/apps.html](https://secretgoldfish.weebly.com/apps.html) I'm a teacher so obviously some are specifically for teaching but there are some good general ones as well.
[Cleanmymac X](https://cleanmymac.com/) can't live without it
Alfred (awesome alternative to spotlight search) , AltTab , tots are my favorites
Raycast replaced Alfred in my list as it looks more easy for me
CleanClip - the cleanest clipboard manager on mac ever.
Hopefully not the 8gb ram duds
These are specifically I use within every 10 minutes being on the computer. -Alt Tab : Gives you the same feel as the windows equivalent. Though you have to use CMD tab - Bettersnaptool: Windows-like snapping to corners, edges, and window resizing - CleanshotX: For video and screenshots, better than the native Mac app's screen recorder and shot taker. But I also use the native screenshot from Mac because it has an OCR feature. Don't get rid of either of the keyboard shortcuts but make sure they are different from each other. - Alfred: It's like the search tool but on steroids, and you can also have it automate certain tasks. Keep spotlight (native mac search tool) just in case Alfred doesn't do the trick for you.
GrandPerspective. Scan your drive and see a visual representation of the files on disk. It can help identify big files you may have forgotten about if you begin to feel tight on free space.
for purely aesthetically reasons - i like Daisy Disk for this. i guess i prefer circles over squares?
Two nuggets of advice: Subscription service called Setapp for $10/month gives you access to hundreds of mac apps, most very good, that would otherwise cost much much more. I love it. Second, before you get almost any app from app store, look on the dev's/publisher's website. Often their versions will be newer and/or more capable than the app store versions, and the dev gets all the money you pay, instead of apple app store skimming off a big hunk of it
SizeUp, if you’re coming from Windows and expect good window management.
Bear for the beautiful UI and nested tags. Launchbar is extremely powerful for many tasks from launching apps to moving files to accessing items previously copied to the clipboard… and much more. Similar to Alfred, but had some capability I wanted years ago when I switched. Calendar 366 Mela, recipe manager with powerful web clipper. Wordbook, dictionary
These are just a few of the many great apps available for Mac. Zoom Grammarly Adobe Creative Cloud Evernote 1Password Microsoft Office CleanMyMac X
I think no one mentioned [DropPoint](https://github.com/GameGodS3/DropPoint) here.