Most USEFUL Mac Apps I Actually Use

FromSergio
26 Oct 202316:53

TLDRThis video showcases a selection of the most useful Mac applications that the presenter frequently utilizes, categorized into different areas. The apps range from communication and productivity tools like Beeper and Alfred, to utilities such as Pure Paste and LanguageTool, and even specialized software for tasks like screen recording and email management. The presenter also discusses apps for system maintenance, creative work, and travel. Notable mentions include One Password for secure password management, Rectangle for window management, and Flux for reducing blue light. The video provides insights into the presenter's personal preferences and workflows, offering viewers a comprehensive guide to enhance their Mac experience.

Takeaways

  • 📱 **Beeper** is a centralized messaging service that consolidates texts from various platforms like WhatsApp, iMessage, Slack, and Twitter into one location, available across all devices and is free to use.
  • 🚀 **Alfred** is an advanced Spotlight alternative that offers a multitude of features including quick file search, clipboard history, and direct access to various online services, as well as workflow customization.
  • 📋 **Pure Paste** is a utility that removes formatting from copied text, ensuring a clean paste, and allows formatted pasting with the option key.
  • 📝 **LanguageTool** is a grammar and spell checker that supports over 30 languages, making it a versatile choice for multilingual users.
  • 🔑 **1Password** is a robust password manager that securely stores not just passwords, but also credit card information, passports, and software licenses, with cross-platform compatibility and Alfred integration.
  • 🖼️ **Rectangle** is a window management tool for macOS that allows for customized keyboard shortcuts and efficient window positioning, superior to native options.
  • 💡 **Flux** helps reduce blue light emission from screens as the day progresses, aiding in better sleep hygiene for night owls.
  • 📚 **Setapp** offers a subscription service providing access to over 200 premium Mac apps for a monthly fee, enhancing the user's software library.
  • 🔍 **Petro** introduces a command palette to various apps, centralizing actions into a searchable interface for increased efficiency.
  • 🎵 **Ena** is a versatile media player that can handle a wide range of file types and is more user-friendly than Apple's QuickTime.
  • 🔍 **TechSniper** simplifies text extraction from images or videos by copying highlighted text directly to the clipboard, bypassing manual typing.

Q & A

  • What is the primary function of Beeper?

    -Beeper consolidates all your texts from various services like WhatsApp, iMessage, Slack, and Twitter into one centralized location. It also syncs across all your devices and is available for free, though there is a waitlist to access the app.

  • How does Alfred enhance the functionality of Spotlight on Mac?

    -Alfred is like an advanced version of Spotlight, offering faster search capabilities and hundreds of additional features. It allows users to find files, open applications, access clipboard history, search the web, manage passwords, and perform various tasks through workflows without needing to know any coding.

  • What is Pure Paste and how does it help with formatting issues?

    -Pure Paste is an app that resides in the background and automatically clears formatting when copying and pasting text, preventing formatting issues. It also allows users to paste with source formatting by pressing the option key before pasting.

  • Why is LanguageTool preferred over Grammarly by the speaker?

    -The speaker prefers LanguageTool over Grammarly mainly because it supports over 30 languages, which is beneficial for someone who types in English but also speaks Portuguese and is learning French. The free version of LanguageTool meets the speaker's needs.

  • What are the key features of the password manager mentioned in the script?

    -The speaker uses 1Password, which is a robust password manager that works across all platforms. It stores not just passwords but also credit card information, passport details, software licenses, and more. It also integrates with Alfred, allowing quick access to stored information.

  • How does Rectangle help with window management on Mac OS?

    -Rectangle is a free and open-source window management tool for Mac OS that allows users to customize keyboard shortcuts and move windows to various positions. It operates smoothly and efficiently, making it a preferred choice over even some paid alternatives.

  • What is Flux and how does it assist with blue light reduction?

    -Flux is an app designed to reduce blue light emitted by screens as the day progresses into night. This adjustment in light color temperature helps make it easier for users to fall asleep, especially those who work late into the night.

  • What is the Setapp and how does it differ from traditional app purchasing?

    -Setapp is a subscription service that provides access to over 200 paid apps for a monthly fee. It's like a Netflix for Mac apps, allowing users to try a wide variety of apps without purchasing each one individually.

  • How does Petro enhance the functionality of apps that lack a command palette?

    -Petro introduces a command palette to apps that don't have one by pressing a hotkey. It consolidates all the actions available in the top bar of an app into a searchable command palette, making it easier to access various settings and functions.

  • What is the main advantage of using Ena as a media player compared to QuickTime?

    -Ena is a highly customizable and well-designed media player that can play almost any file type. It feels more native than Apple's own QuickTime and doesn't struggle with file types that QuickTime may have difficulty handling.

  • How does TechSniper help with copying text from images or videos?

    -TechSniper allows users to copy text from images or videos by highlighting the text within the visual content. The text is then automatically copied to the clipboard, eliminating the need to manually type it down.

Outlines

00:00

📱 Favorite Apps and Productivity Tools

The speaker discusses their favorite apps, starting with Beeper, a service that consolidates texts from various platforms. They highlight Alfred, a powerful tool that enhances Spotlight with additional features like clipboard history and workflow integration. Pure Paste is introduced as a formatting solution, and Language Tool is praised for its grammar and spell-checking capabilities across multiple languages. The importance of a password manager is emphasized with a personal preference for 1Password. Window management on Mac OS is addressed with Rectangle, and Flux is recommended for reducing blue light. Setapp is mentioned as a subscription service for accessing over 200 paid apps. The command palette feature in apps like Notion, Obsidian, and VS Code is highlighted through the use of Petro, and Ena is introduced as a versatile media player. Tech Sniper is a tool for copying text from images, and the convenience of Apple's ecosystem is explored through various apps.

05:01

🔧 Utility Apps and Personal Knowledge Management

The speaker details utility apps that enhance their workflow, such as Downy for downloading videos, Pend for tracking sitting time, and Monitor Control for adjusting display brightness. They delve into their ecosystem of smart lights managed through Hue Menu. Productivity is discussed with iSense, a text expander, and Todoist, a robust task manager. Fantastical is chosen as the preferred calendar app for its natural language processing and integration with Alfred. The email client Arc is praised for its features, and Drop Zone is highlighted for its file management and action capabilities. CleanShot X is mentioned as a comprehensive screen capture tool, though it's noted to be expensive. The native Mail app on Mac is commended for its recent improvements.

10:02

🛠️ Maintenance and Creative Work Apps

The speaker talks about the challenges of maintaining various apps and introduces Latest, a tool for centralizing updates. App Cleaner is recommended for thoroughly removing apps and their associated files. iStats is mentioned for monitoring CPU and RAM usage, and Bartender is used for organizing the menu bar. For creative work, Eagle is a new find that helps collect and organize digital assets locally with tags and color analysis. Photoshop is acknowledged as a well-known tool, and Affinity Photo is noted for its improvement. Sip is highlighted as a color picker with history and organization features, and Final Cut Pro is the preferred video editing software, especially with the release of Apple's silicon chips.

15:03

🏖️ Travel Apps and Wrapping Up

The speaker discusses TripMode, an app that monitors data usage, and Tripsy, a travel planner for collaborative trip organization. Fighty is introduced as a beautifully designed app for tracking flights and receiving alerts about delays. The speaker expresses their appreciation for the apps mentioned and invites viewers to share any great apps they might have missed.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Beeper

Beeper is a communication app that consolidates texts from various services like WhatsApp, iMessage, Slack, and Twitter into a single, centralized location. It is particularly useful for individuals who use multiple messaging platforms, as it simplifies the process of managing communications across these different services. In the video, the speaker mentions Beeper as a favorite app due to its ability to sync messages across all devices and its free availability, despite having a waitlist for new users.

💡Alfred

Alfred is described as an application that significantly enhances the functionality of the built-in Spotlight search feature on Mac computers. It is capable of performing searches and executing tasks at a much faster rate than Spotlight, while also offering a wide array of additional features. These include a full clipboard history, quick access to various online platforms like Amazon and YouTube, and even the ability to integrate with password managers. The speaker in the video uses Alfred to streamline their workflow and perform complex tasks more efficiently.

💡Pure Paste

Pure Paste is a utility app designed to manage the formatting of copied and pasted content. It operates in the background to clear formatting automatically, ensuring that pasted content retains its original formatting or comes without any formatting, based on user preference. This is beneficial for users who frequently deal with text that may have unwanted formatting from its source. The speaker highlights Pure Paste as a must-have app that solves the common issue of formatting discrepancies when copying and pasting text.

💡Language Tool

Language Tool is a grammar and spell checker software that the speaker prefers over other alternatives like Grammarly. It is appreciated for its support of over 30 languages, which is particularly useful for multilingual users or those learning new languages. The speaker mentions using Language Tool despite primarily typing in English, but also valuing its support for Portuguese and French, which are other languages they speak or are learning.

💡1Password

1Password is a password manager application that securely stores and manages sensitive information such as passwords, credit card details, passport information, and software licenses. The speaker has been using 1Password for years and finds it to be a reliable tool that works across all platforms. It is also highlighted for its integration with Alfred, allowing for quick access to stored information through a simple keyword input.

💡Rectangle

Rectangle is a free and open-source window management app for macOS that allows users to customize keyboard shortcuts and move windows to different positions on the screen. The speaker considers it a favorite due to its effectiveness and the fact that it operates smoothly in the background without much user intervention. It is presented as a solution to the native macOS window management shortcomings.

💡Flux

Flux is an app designed to reduce the amount of blue light emitted by computer screens, particularly as the day progresses into night. By doing so, it aims to make it easier for users to fall asleep, as exposure to blue light can interfere with sleep patterns. The speaker finds Flux essential for their nighttime work routine, as it helps mitigate the potential negative effects of screen time on sleep quality.

💡Setapp

Setapp is a subscription-based service that provides users with access to a large collection of premium Mac applications for a monthly fee. The speaker mentions Setapp as a way to access over 200 paid apps, which can be particularly useful for users looking to try out a variety of software without committing to individual purchases. It is also noted that some of the apps featured in the video are available on Setapp.

💡Petro

Petro is an app that introduces a command palette feature to various applications, similar to the one found in apps like Notion, Obsidian, or Visual Studio Code. It allows users to access and search through a list of actions that are usually found in the top bar of an application. The speaker finds Petro especially useful in apps with many settings, like Photoshop, or in browsers for quick access to bookmarks and search history.

💡Ena

Ena is a media player app that can play a wide range of file formats and is known for its high level of customization and native-like design. The speaker prefers Ena over Apple's QuickTime due to its superior ability to handle various media types and its more intuitive interface. Ena is highlighted as a top choice for media playback on Mac.

💡Tech Sniper

Tech Sniper is an app that facilitates the process of copying text from images or videos. By using a hotkey and highlighting the text within an image, Tech Sniper copies the text to the clipboard, allowing users to paste it elsewhere. This is particularly useful for individuals who need to transcribe text from visual media without manually typing it out. The speaker notes that while Apple has a similar feature, Tech Sniper offers more flexibility for users who need to copy text from browser-based content.

Highlights

Beeper consolidates texts from various services like WhatsApp, iMessage, Slack, and Twitter into one location.

Alfred is a powerful tool that enhances Spotlight functionality with additional features and workflows.

Pure Paste is a utility that clears formatting when copying and pasting, and retains it with an option key press.

LanguageTool is a grammar and spell checker that supports over 30 languages, preferred for its language versatility.

1Password is a robust password manager that integrates with Alfred for easy access to stored information.

Rectangle is a window management tool that offers customization and efficiency for managing Mac OS windows.

Flux helps reduce blue light on screens, making it easier to work at night without disrupting sleep patterns.

Setapp provides access to over 200 paid apps for a monthly fee, offering a wide selection of software.

Petro brings the command palette feature to apps that don't have one, streamlining access to various actions.

Ena is a highly customizable media player that surpasses QuickTime in compatibility and design.

TechSniper allows copying text from images or videos by highlighting, without the need for manual transcription.

Downy is a simple tool for downloading videos from websites by pasting a link and selecting the desired quality.

Pend is a subtle app that monitors sitting time and prompts users to take breaks, improving work habits.

Monitor Control simplifies the adjustment of external display brightness without physically reaching the monitor.

Hue Menu is an app that allows control over Hue lights directly from the menu bar, enhancing convenience.

Isense is a text expander tool that can replace typed words with pre-set alternatives, saving time and effort.

Todoist is a reliable task manager with excellent natural language processing and a feature-rich free version.

Fantastical is a subscription-based calendar app with advanced natural language processing and integration with Alfred.

Arc is a highly customizable web browser with unique features that enhance the browsing experience.

Drop Zone is a versatile menu bar app that streamlines file management and offers various actions like email creation and image uploading.

CleanShot X is a comprehensive screen capture tool with annotation and video recording capabilities, though it requires a subscription for ongoing feature access.

The native Mail app on Mac has improved significantly, offering reliability and seamless integration with other Apple devices.

Obsidian and Readwise are essential apps for personal knowledge management, with Obsidian being particularly useful for note-taking and organization.

Eagle is a local asset organizer for digital assets like images and videos, offering high-speed access and full control over assets.

Sip is a color picker tool with a history feature that allows for quick access to color palettes and contrast checking for thumbnail creation.

Final Cut Pro is a preferred video editing software, especially on Mac with Apple silicon chips, for its performance and user base.

TripMode is an app that monitors data consumption of individual apps, useful for avoiding data overuse when using a hotspot.

Tripsy is a travel planner that allows collaboration and integration of reservations, though its price may not justify its use for some.

Fliggy is a flight tracking app that syncs with calendars and provides updates on delays and baggage claim information.

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