Apps and Utilities I Use on My Mac You Might Want Too

iMac
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Here’s a list of useful apps I use to make my daily tasks faster. I’ll add simple descriptions for anyone who likes quick info
From A-Z:

Accelerate

  • Safari Extension that helps speed up videos on various platforms, not just YouTube

Adguard

  • Safari Extension for blocking ads

AltTab

  • Better Cmd + Tab experience
  • I’ve set it to skip minimized windows and hide apps with no open windows, making it very clean

Bartender 4

  • Organizes menubar apps to keep it tidy. There are free options, but I really like this one

Browserosaurus

  • Defaults to Safari but lets me choose Chrome or Edge for links from Telegram

Cloudflare WARP

  • Fast and free VPN

Copied

  • The only clipboard manager I know that lets you drag and drop text and images in and out
  • A bit buggy, but it works most of the time

Craft

  • Note taking app

Dark Reader for Safari

  • A Safari Extension that enables dark mode for websites. Free options exist, but I’m used to this one from Chrome

Dropover

  • Creates a mini window for easy dragging and dropping. You can share documents quickly with public or private links through their cloud service

Magnet

  • Helps snap windows together. I use shortcuts like Cmd+Opt+Arrow keys for quick window management

Menu Bar Dock

  • Displays the last 3 opened items on your menubar. I don’t use it often, but it’s handy when I hide the dock

MenuBar Stats

  • Shows GPU and memory usage along with swap memory info to remind me when to close some apps

Minimal Consent

  • Claims to assist with cookie acceptance; I’m not entirely sure if it works

Multitouch

  • Uses gestures for keyboard shortcuts
  • I use a three-finger swipe left/right to switch between tabs, a gesture I’ve been using for almost five years
  • Used to prefer BetterTouchTool until I found this one

Numi

  • Quick notes with calculator functions on your menubar

Raindrop.io

  • I save links here along with its Safari Extension Save to Raindrop.io

Soulver 3

  • Notes with calculator features but better at managing notes

Step Two

  • 2FA for Safari (with a Safari Extension) that syncs across iCloud devices

Text Sniper

  • Allows you to capture text from images and convert it to editable text using OCR

Things

  • My task manager

Unsplash Wallpapers

  • It’s nice to start the day with different backgrounds

Hope these tools help you too Feel free to share your favorite utilities here and maybe I’ll find some new gems

Update: Thanks everyone I discovered awesome apps like Tot and MacUpdater since posting

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I really recommend Rectangle as a free alternative to Magnet and Eul as a free option for Menu Bar Stats. Great list overall!

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River said:
I really recommend Rectangle as a free alternative to Magnet and Eul as a free option for Menu Bar Stats. Great list overall!

Thanks for mentioning Rectangle I never knew I needed this! I was used to switching between windows manually but now I can work so much clearer and faster Cheers!

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@Vic
No problem Using Rectangle has become second nature to me now If I use someone else’s Mac that doesn’t have it, I really struggle since I’m so used to it.

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@Eli
I don’t understand why easy file conversion isn’t something Apple supports

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@Colby
I used Spectacle for a long time and switched to Rectangle about a year ago. I didn’t notice much difference between the two honestly, but the switch is worth it since Rectangle gets regular updates.

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@River
I have Rectangle installed but didn’t set it to auto start. Let me check out how to set that up

Update: You were right There are shortcuts for 1/2 left, right and 1/3 for left, right, center, which covers most of my usage. Just missing 1/3 for top, bottom, center, but I can deal with that. I’m switching to Rectangle for good now haha

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River said:
I really recommend Rectangle as a free alternative to Magnet and Eul as a free option for Menu Bar Stats. Great list overall!

YES THIS!

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Check out Tweaks for Reddit as a Safari alternative to RES.

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Zara said:
Check out Tweaks for Reddit as a Safari alternative to RES.

I think it only works on macOS 11 (Big Sur) or newer

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Handbrake is great for converting and resizing video files.

Nebo is perfect for note-taking. It may not have many organizing features beyond the top-level folders but has the best handwriting to text conversion. I use it to keep a daily journal and it works flawlessly for me.

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@Ash
Are you referring to Nebo for taking notes?

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Eli said:
@Ash
Are you referring to Nebo for taking notes?

Yes my mistake Thanks for the correction I’ll edit my original post.

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@Ash
Is there a good option for Handbrake that works on images? Sometimes I need to take a photo of something and upload it, but due to high-res formats from my phone, it usually fails.

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Peyton said:
@Ash
Is there a good option for Handbrake that works on images? Sometimes I need to take a photo of something and upload it, but due to high-res formats from my phone, it usually fails.

[deleted]

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@Peyton
Thanks for the tip I’ll check it out Such a powerful tool!

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@Ash
FFWorks is a solid (paid) alternative for Handbrake.
It’s a GUI for ffmpeg, which is a powerful command-line tool for video/audio that has many advanced features.

Even if you are comfortable with ffmpeg, this GUI is worth it—it’s usually easier to click than to enter complex commands.

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@Ash
A classic from the days of loading videos onto your iPod nano

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Alfred App - https://www.alfredapp.com/ helps you launch apps quickly with Cmd + Spacebar and you can use it as a calculator or to search Google, DuckDuckGo, Amazon, Wikipedia and more.

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Morgan said:
Alfred App - https://www.alfredapp.com/ helps you launch apps quickly with Cmd + Spacebar and you can use it as a calculator or to search Google, DuckDuckGo, Amazon, Wikipedia and more.

Spotlight does those things too Any difference