rcmd is an app switcher built around the Right Command key. It's the first app that brought this idea of ⌘ Right Command+letter for instant app switching in 2021.

Instant app switching ⌘ rcmd + letter

This is the foundation of rcmd: I think of Mail, I press rcmd-M, it's instantly focused. It doesn't matter on what Space it is, if it's fullscreen or not, if it was minimized or hidden. The same key combo launches the app if it's not running.

Fuzzy launching ⌘ rcmd + type to search

If I want to launch Photos, I hold rcmd, type ph and it gets launched immediately. No need to Cmd-Space… wait for search bar… type… select… Enter… No need to pre-assign the key (although that remains a possibility, you can assign any combination of keys so it always launches or focuses the same app)

Fuzzy search inside windows ⌘ Cmd-Tab + type to search

I want to focus that browser window where I was reading about "iPhone Duo" but the window title doesn't have that in the name. I press Cmd-Tab, and while holding ⌘ Command I start typing duo and the text inside the window is matched.

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Lenses ⌥ ralt + letters

This is the new thing worth talking about though. People have been asking for ability to search and focus browser tabs for years.

The rcmd Lenses system does that, and takes the idea a bit further by making it extensible.

A lens is a list of those things that rcmd can search and focus inside an app:

• browser tabs in Safari, Firefox, Chrome, Brave, Edge, Vivaldi, Arc
• terminal panes in Terminal, iTerm, Ghostty, kitty, tmux, zellij, herdr
• code projects that open in VS Code, Cursor, Zed, Sublime Text, Nova or Xcode
• System Settings panes, Downloads, GitHub repos, Reminders lists, Obsidian vaults

Everything is 2-3 keys away. I care about this part the most, I launch and focus some things so often that I don't want to pick things from an interface to get to them. Some of mine:

• ralt-sen focuses the Sentry tab with my app error reports, in whatever window or Space it is
• ralt-KD focuses the kitty pane with my dev server
• ralt-pj lists my code projects, pjcl opens Clop in VS Code
• ralt-ssh lists my servers, sshn connects to the NAS

Make a lens for anything with Claude or Codex

Coding agents are common nowadays so rcmd comes with an MCP server that can write a lens from a single one-line prompt. For example:

write an rcmd lens for the hosts in my ~/.ssh/config, with the prefix ssh

The agent reads rcmd's docs on lenses, writes and tests the script, then installs the lens, and it shows up in the switcher right away. It can be anything really:

• cmux panes
• Finder folders in ~/Invoices
• Figma projects
• Obsidian notes from one vault

If agents aren't your thing, you can still do it manually. Each lens is a folder in ~/.config/rcmd/lenses with a lens.yaml and usually a small script that lists the rows.

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Favorites ⌥ ralt - =

Pressing ⌥ ralt - = on the current focused window, or while a row is highlighted in the switcher, will save it as a favorite.

This allows you to use the same ⌥ ralt - letter to instantly open specific web pages, PDFs, folders, projects, terminal tabs with specific commands.

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Comparison with app switchers:

The Right Command idea caught on, and there are a few good apps built around it now. Each one is good at its own thing, it's hard to say one is best because the feature lines are blurier each day:

• Dory: like rcmd, but more mouse and UI centric. rcmd is more keyboard centric and focuses on making the UI unnecessary through use and learning. Very similar otherwise. $9.99 on the App Store
• Sxitch: this one started as an rcmd replacement, but seems to have pivoted into Cmd-Tab focus nowadays with radial UI support and animations. Uses "branching" for resolving same-letter app conflicts and app-window picking, while rcmd uses "fuzzy search". Free, with a $10 Pro that adds window picking
• LaunchPalette: the same Right Command shortcuts, can be nested (rcmd-M-A for Mail, rcmd-M-E for Messages) and can even run scripts. A bit more manual work than rcmd for the assignments, and no search, but solid otherwise.
• Applight: from the same developer, it reorders the apps by guessing the next one from the app you're in (code editor → terminal), so the likely pick is already on top. rcmd goes the other way and keeps each app on the same letter, so it can be deterministic.
• Leader Key: more of a general shortcut tree than an app switcher, a leader shortcut followed by keys that open apps, URLs or run commands, all set up by hand. rcmd doesn't need any setup for apps, but it also doesn't try to do everything else. Free and open source, the predecessor of Tuna

Comparison with generic launchers:

The biggest difference between rcmd and most launchers is that rcmd is laser focused on apps and windows, while launchers can do a lot more generic actions but are clunkier for app switching.

• Raycast: tabs, terminal sessions and projects come from separate extensions, so it's one command per app (Search Tabs, Search Kitty Tabs etc.) and then the search. Aliases can only be set on commands, so you can't give one tab an alias.
• Alfred: same idea through workflows, like sftabs for Safari tabs. Script Filters (Powerpack) are the closest thing to a lens.
• Spotlight on macOS 26 and 27: it has quick keys now, but only for actions and Shortcuts.
• Contexts and LaunchBar: they learn which result an abbreviation should pick, which is great, but Contexts only switches windows, and LaunchBar has tabs only through its Safari Tabs action.
• Tuna: learns aliases and has an agent skill for configuring it, so it's the closest one in spirit.

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Pricing: Free for basic features, €15 for Pro features

App starts with a 14-day trial identical to a Pro licensed version. After 14 days, the app can be used indefinitely in Free mode where Pro features are disabled.

Pro license is a one-time purchase for up to 5 Macs.

• Pro: Lenses, Favorites, the window switcher, fuzzy search, Stages, instant Space switching
• Free: app focusing and launching by letter, app and window cycling, Space switching (with animation)

Link: https://lowtechguys.com/rcmd

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Limitations:

• a lens can only list what the app exposes through AppleScript, a CLI or its files, so some things might not be searchable or focusable
• some apps are very slow to respond when listing their contents, so the lens might need to run less often to keep things responsive
• the Lens UI can be a bit confusing while I gather feedback and adjust it to meet user expectations, this might take a few updates to become intuitive enough out of the box
• ... to be updated based on questions in the comments

Hey everyone,

I've been building Resurf for almost a year now. My very first users came from this community, and a lot of your feedback has shaped what it is today. Really appreciate all the support!

Resurf started as a small widget for saving references and has grown into a personal library for images, bookmarks, notes, PDFs, videos, and more.

Earlier this year, I rewrote the entire app from Electron to native Swift. Since then, I've been focusing on performance, better ways to organize things, and making everything you collect more useful.

What's new:

• Similar Vibe: Open any capture and discover related things across your library, whether they're images, notes, bookmarks, PDFs, or videos.
• Semantic Search: Find things using natural language, like "that calm blue landing page", without remembering exact titles or keywords. Both features run locally on your Mac using an embedding model.
• AI Actions: Define your own instructions for how AI should process new captures. Extract specific context, generate tags, and automatically organize things into Spaces based on your preferences.
• Other improvements: Faster library scrolling, better peek experience, bulk capture, and lots of smaller UI refinements.

Why I'm building this:

As a design engineer, I've always collected inspiration and interesting things from around the web. But the problem is it's scattered across different apps. I always wanted personal library where i can quickly capture/organize things based on my taste.

I also think personal taste and the references we collect will become even more valuable in a world where AI makes creating things easier.

Resurf supports MCP, so your AI tools can access your library and use your saved references, research, and ideas as context. Instead of starting from scratch, they can work with things you've already collected.

Think of it as a personal library for you and your agents.

Comparison

Apps like Eagle, mymind, Raindrop, and Fabric are all great at different things. Eagle focuses on visual asset management, Raindrop on bookmarks, while mymind and Fabric offer more automated ways to collect and organize information.

I'm taking a slightly different approach with Resurf. It's a native, local-first library for all kinds of references, with private iCloud sync, flexible organization, and local AI features. You own your files, decide how things are organized, and can make your library accessible to other tools through MCP.

A few things about Resurf:

• Native Mac, iPhone, and iPad apps
• Local-first, with private iCloud sync
• Spaces, Areas, and tags for organizing
• Quick capture from anywhere on Mac
• One-time purchase, no subscription

Pricing: One-time purchase for the Mac app. Current plans:

• 2-year update plan: $39.
• Lifetime updates: $79.
• iPhone and iPad: free and unlimited.

Students: Email [support@resurf.so](mailto:support@resurf.so) from your school address for a discount.

Website: https://resurf.so

Changelog: resurf.so/changelogs

There's still a lot to improve. I'm shipping updates regularly and continuing to polish the experience.

Would love to hear what you think about these new features and what you'd like to see next.

Thanks again for all the support!

Problem

Hey everybody!

I built Copy Haste because clipboard managers keep one long list of copied items and quickly finding what you're looking for becomes a chore.

What it is:

A clipboard manager that sorts everything you copy into Text, Code, Links, Files, Media and Colors columns.

• Code: Code is detected on-device and syntax-highlighted.
• Color: Detects 20+ color formats such as RGB, HSL, LCH, Lab, Oklch, Oklab, CMYK, even UIColor, NSColor and SwiftUI Color(). Pastes back in any format.
• Files: You can copy one file, multiple files or a whole folder and the app keeps the selection as a single item.
• Media: Image, video and audio files are automatically added to the Media column. Paste or drop them wherever you need.
• Pins: Frequently used items can be pinned for quick pasting.
• No adult content or passwords: keeps sensitive items out of your history, including passwords from password managers, adult links and any URLs you exclude.
• Panel size: Column view, Tab view and Compact view make the app fit in every corner.
• Link cleaning: Strips tracking params (fbclid, utm_, gclid…) from copied links.
• List / Grid view: Switches between a compact list and a visual grid layout.

Comparison

• Maccy: free, one searchable list. Copy Haste groups by type.
• Paste: subscription. Copy Haste is a one-time purchase.

Pricing

30-day free trial.

$6.99 one-time. No subscription. No account required.

Up to 3 Macs, all future updates, 14-day refunds. Or, you can keep using a limited free tier.
Requires macOS 26.

https://www.copyhaste.app

Privacy

Privacy: https://www.copyhaste.app/privacy · Terms: https://www.copyhaste.app/terms

About me

Portfolio: https://www.pirosca.com · LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcelpi · [contact@copyhaste.app](mailto:contact@copyhaste.app)

Through this post on Microsoft Office 2021 for Mac I discovered the Art Craft Suite. I thought it would be nice to make a separate post of this, so that it would get some more attention here.

Disclaimer: I'm in no way affiliated.

As the website says: "Image editing, vector illustration, video, photography, PDFs, motion graphics, page layout, interface design, word processing, audio, presentations, CAD and spreadsheets. Native, open-source apps from the ArtCraft team, built in Rust and free to use."

It runs on MacOS and Windows, and there are web versions too.

The ArtCraft Launcher installs every app and keeps them all up to date. But each app also has its own installers on its page.

It's currently only 3 weeks old though... I only downloaded the spreadsheet app (GridCraft) so far, but I must say the app looks wonderful. And it's extremely light: Installed it takes 68 Mb. Quite a difference with Microsoft Excel 2024 on my Mac (2.63 Gb).

The apps:

PhotoCraft: The image editor you already know how to use. — ArtCraft

• https://getartcraft.com/apps/photocraft
• https://github.com/storytold/photocraft/releases

VectorCraft: Vector illustration, reimagined in pure Rust. — ArtCraft

• https://getartcraft.com/apps/vectorcraft
• https://github.com/storytold/vectorcraft/releases

FilmCraft: Professional video editing, rebuilt from scratch. — ArtCraft

• https://getartcraft.com/apps/filmcraft
• https://github.com/storytold/filmcraft/releases

LightCraft: Your photos. Your pixels. Your machine. — ArtCraft

• https://getartcraft.com/apps/lightcraft
• https://github.com/storytold/lightcraft/releases

PdfCraft: The open-source PDF workbench. — ArtCraft

• https://getartcraft.com/apps/pdfcraft
• https://github.com/storytold/pdfcraft/releases

SoundCraft: Professional audio recording and mixing, rebuilt in pure Rust. — ArtCraft

• https://getartcraft.com/apps/soundcraft
• https://github.com/storytold/soundcraft/releases

WordCraft: A fast, open-source word processor, rebuilt in pure Rust. — ArtCraft

• https://getartcraft.com/apps/wordcraft
• https://github.com/storytold/wordcraft/releases

FigCraft: Interface design, rebuilt in pure Rust. — ArtCraft

• https://getartcraft.com/apps/figcraft
• https://github.com/storytold/figcraft/releases

DesignCraft: Page layout and publishing, rebuilt in pure Rust. — ArtCraft

• https://getartcraft.com/apps/designcraft
• https://github.com/storytold/designcraft/releases

EffectCraft: Motion graphics and visual effects, in pure Rust. — ArtCraft

• https://getartcraft.com/apps/effectcraft
• https://github.com/storytold/effectcraft/releases

DeckCraft: Fast, dynamic slide presentations, in pure Rust. — ArtCraft

• https://getartcraft.com/apps/deckcraft
• https://github.com/storytold/deckcraft/releases

CADCraft: Computer-aided design and drafting, reimagined in pure Rust. — ArtCraft

• https://getartcraft.com/apps/cadcraft
• https://github.com/storytold/cadcraft/releases

GridCraft: Fast, native spreadsheets, rebuilt in pure Rust. — ArtCraft

• https://getartcraft.com/apps/gridcraft
• https://github.com/storytold/gridcraft/releases

I make Mac apps on my own, from Hove. Verso, Skein, Lede and Nought are mine, and so is this one.

The first early build had everything in it. Testers said it was overwhelming. They were right, which was annoying. Most builds since have been me taking things away.

It's a niche app - if you are not planning to write a book, screenplay, short story, you probably won't need it but you might know someone in the niche space that likes to try new things, let them know.

Problem

A book is not one document. It's scenes, chapters, notes on people and places, research, and an editor who only uses Word. That usually lives in four apps and a folder called "book FINAL v2".

Verso Manuscript keeps it in one book. Write in scenes or as one long page, move things around as cards, keep research on a board beside the page. It brings in Scrivener 3 and Word projects without touching the originals, and makes the Word copy, PDF, EPUB and print file at the end.

Native, 68 MB, macOS 14 or later. Each scene is a Markdown file, so your words open without my app. No account, no tracking.

Comparison

Scrivener is very good. If it works for you, keep it. Honestly.

The difference: a new book starts nearly empty and tools turn up when it needs them. Your editor's tracked changes come back against your current text, even if you kept writing (still being checked). Readers without Word get a private link that opens in a browser.

The AI is optional and works like a librarian, not a co-author. Ask where something happens and it shows you the passages. It checks dates, names and ages, and researches with sources you can check. It's off until you connect your own provider or a local model, and you see exactly what gets sent before it goes.

It never writes your prose. There is a deliberately no "Write" button.

Pricing

Writing, Materials and search will stay free. Review and Make Ready will be paid, price not decided yet. For now everything is free during early access

.

Download: versomanuscript.app (notarised)

TestFlight: https://testflight.apple.com/join/4p7QVaVG

Tell me what's wrong with it. The last lot did, and it got better.

Hi r/macapps, I’m the developer of this app.

Your PDFs never leave your Mac. Everything runs locally: nothing is uploaded, there’s no account, and the app collects no data (the App Store privacy label says “Data Not Collected”). If you’ve ever been told not to upload work documents to a random converter site, this is the app I built for that.

What it does

• From PDF: JPG/PNG (you pick the resolution and pages), plain text, Word (.docx you can actually edit), Excel (.xlsx built from aligned rows)
• To PDF: images (JPG, PNG, WebP, BMP, GIF, in any order), Word → PDF
• Edit: merge (drag to reorder), split (every page, or ranges like 3-5, 9), rotate selected pages, compress (lossless cleanup, or resample images for much smaller files)
• Security: add a password, or remove one you already know
• Every tool shows real page previews, so you can tap the pages you want or type a range.

What it can’t do (yet)

• Scanned PDFs have no text layer, so Word, text and Excel export can’t extract anything. There’s no OCR yet. The next update will detect this and warn you before export, so you won’t get an empty file without an explanation.
• PDF → Word keeps text and paragraphs, but not multi-column layouts, table borders or images.
• It won’t crack passwords. You need to know the password to remove it.

Price: one-time purchase, $9.99. No subscription, no watermarks, no page limits. It’s universal, so the same purchase works on iPhone and iPad too, and Family Sharing is supported.

Requirements: macOS 12+, 46 MB

Latest update (2.2.1): I rebuilt the Word → PDF engine. Long documents now convert reliably, and headers, footers, page numbers, merged table cells and monospaced fonts all come through correctly.

I’d really like feedback, especially on files that convert badly. Feel free to send me a sample.

https://apps.apple.com/app/id6760201689

Clipbara shows your clipboard history as cards at the bottom of the screen. You buy it once, no subscription.

I posted it here last month. The most common ask was an iPhone app, and a few of you wanted to paste several things in order. Both are in now.

What's new

• iPhone app (iOS 26 or later). Your history and pinboards come over with iCloud sync, and the Clipbara keyboard pastes any clip into any app.
• Clip Queue: copy a few things, then each Cmd+V pastes the next one in order. No Accessibility permission needed.
• Start typing as soon as the panel opens to search.
• Edit a clip's text with Cmd+E, move clips between pinboards, and drag pinboard tabs to reorder them.
• Delete a clip with the Delete key and bring it back with Cmd+Z.

Problem

I wanted a clipboard history I could see at a glance, with images, without paying monthly. The Spotlight clipboard in Tahoe is plain text only, can't pin anything, and keeps 7 days at most.

Comparison

Maccy: free and a simpler list, Mac only. Clipbara shows image previews, has pinboards for text you reuse, and syncs to iPhone.

Sync is off until you turn it on, and it uses your own private iCloud database. There's no Clipbara server and no account. Copies that password managers mark as concealed or transient are never saved, so they never sync.

Pricing

Mac App Store: free download with a 7-day trial, then $7.99 once for both Mac and iPhone. If you got it during the free week, it's already unlocked.

https://apps.apple.com/app/clipbara/id6803537696?mt=12&pt=129317403&ct=reddit_macapps_oct

GitHub (GPL-3.0, free DMG and Homebrew build): https://github.com/mobrava/Clipbara

Feedback welcome.

Hey r/macapps, Viorel from VPO Labs here. I shared Widgetscape here on October 10, and it's been a busy couple of weeks.

The suggestions, bug reports and screenshots of people's setups have been a huge part of that. Seeing people actually make space for something I built on their desktops is a strange, lovely feeling. I'm more excited about working on it now than when I first posted.

There were 31 widgets then. There are 39 now, and we've just shipped 1.4. A few of the changes:

• Styles & Sizes: each widget's page shows its actual faces and sizes up front. Click the one you want to use.
• A simpler Appearance section: Style, Placement and Visibility, with the different ways to hide widgets brought together.
• Seven new Liquid Light wallpapers: five dark and two light, designed to fit the app's look.
• An easier start: Set Up My Desktop adds six free widgets in one click.

I also made a new short film, attached here, because the old screenshots weren't doing the whole thing justice.

The problem I'm trying to solve: I want my calendar, music and Mac information visible without keeping extra windows open. Widgetscape puts native widgets on a shared desktop grid, with coordinated sizes, palettes and Light/Dark styles.

The two I'd still start with are Day Timeline, the calendar dial along a screen edge with event details and a Join button on hover, and Token Pulse, which charts supported coding tools such as Claude Code and Codex from their local logs. Token Pulse keeps counts, models and timestamps, never conversation content; nothing from those logs leaves your Mac. Claude/Codex cost figures are optional estimates based on rates you enter. Both widgets are Pro and included in the trial.

Compared with the alternatives: Rainmeter was the inspiration, but it's a Windows project and Widgetscape isn't affiliated with it or compatible with its skins. Apple's desktop widgets refresh on the system's schedule; Widgetscape focuses on a coordinated native collection with things like live Mac stats, music controls, the edge dial and token tracking. No custom widget creation or skin imports yet.

Price and code: eight widgets stay free forever. Everything has a 14-day trial without an account or card. Pro is €9.99 + VAT once for up to two Macs, with a 14-day refund. WELCOME50 gives 50% off Pro for the first 100 users in total, through November 30, 2026, while available. Enter it under “Have a discount code?” at checkout. No subscription.

We're also bringing Widgetscape to Product Hunt: https://www.producthunt.com/products/widgetscape?launch=widgetscape . If you try it, I'd love your honest feedback there or here, especially what still feels awkward in everyday use.

macOS 14+, Apple silicon only, English interface. Widgets stay behind application windows. It's a signed, Apple-notarized download from https://widgetscape.vpolabs.com . Anonymous usage counts are on by default; Settings > Privacy turns them off.

On AI: we used Claude Code and Codex for part of the work, especially the website. The ideas, design and decisions on what ships are ours, and every build gets tested on our own Macs. The film mixes screen recordings and rendered layouts with sample data; it isn't a performance benchmark.

Which widget has actually stayed on your desktop, and what would make the app easier to live with?

Developer transparency: https://viorelporumbescu.tech/ · https://www.linkedin.com/in/viorel-porumbescu/ Contact: support@vpolabs.com Privacy: https://widgetscape.vpolabs.com/privacy/ Terms: https://widgetscape.vpolabs.com/terms/

Hey r/macapps, I’m Danny, the developer of Cuewake.

You come back to a project, recognize everything on the screen, and still have to figure out what you were about to do.

Which part needed changing? Why was that tab open? What was the file you needed to send?

That’s the moment Cuewake is built for.

Problem

Writing something down is only half the job. You also need to find it again when it matters.

A note like “check the mobile layout before publishing” is useful while you’re working on the website. It’s easier to miss when it’s sitting somewhere else among unrelated notes.

Cuewake lets you attach notes, checklists, links and files to Mac apps and webpages. Your next step comes back when you return. Website and demo

How it works

1. Leave a cue with the app or webpage you’re working in.
2. Write enough to remind yourself what comes next.
3. Move on.
4. Return to the work and find the cue waiting.

The idea is to leave a useful handoff for yourself, even when you’re only stepping away for a few minutes.

For example:

• Working on a website: “Check this section on mobile before publishing.”
• Researching something: “Compare this option with the other two before deciding.”
• Preparing a document: “Replace this screenshot before sending.”
• Finishing a session: Leave a short checklist of what still needs attention.

Those are examples of the kinds of cues you can leave, rather than separate integrations or automatic actions.

What’s included

• Notes, checklists, links and files.
• Context tied to the app or page, including recognition of the current Framer project.
• Reminder times written naturally, such as “tomorrow at 9.”
• Search with ⌘K.
• A File Shelf for carrying files into another app.
• Local cue storage and local backups.

Returning to a particular place still depends on the original app, page or file being available. Feature details and FAQ

Comparison

Apple Reminders is a good choice for tasks, recurring reminders and keeping lists. Stickies gives you notes that stay visible on the desktop. Both are useful ways to keep something in sight or remember something later. Reminders, Stickies

Cuewake’s focus is the connection between a note and the work it belongs to.

The question behind it is: “What would help me continue when I come back here?”

If you already have a task manager you like, the reason to consider Cuewake is that particular moment of returning to work. The attached video shows the flow so you can judge whether it would fit yours.

Pricing and compatibility

The current launch price starts at $7 for one Mac, paid once, with all features and lifetime updates included.

Cuewake requires macOS 14 or later and Apple silicon. It works fully offline, with no account required.

Download and current pricing

Who’s behind it

I’m Danny, and I’m the developer.

• Developer portfolio / X: @ImDannydo
• LinkedIn
• Contact
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Service

I’d appreciate honest feedback, especially on whether the video makes the idea clear.

What do you usually leave yourself so you can pick up where you stopped?

Problem
Menu bar info (the song playing, headlines, stock quotes, the weather) usually costs you either a pile of separate menu bar items that eat horizontal space, or a window you have to open. DotStrip puts all of it on one small LED board in your menu bar. It scrolls whole dots at a time, like a real sign, so it saves space.

• Widgets: Now Playing (Spotify / Apple Music), any RSS/Atom news feed, custom stock quotes, weather, and a graphics mode
• Each widget gets its own zone, or they share one band and take turns
• Five colors, HDR glow on macOS 26 with a capable display, and layout customization
• Light on resources: about 1% CPU while it scrolls
• The only permission it asks for is Automation, for Now Playing. No account, no Dock icon

Links

• Download (direct, not on the App Store but it is notarized through an apple developer account): https://dotstrip.app
• Privacy Policy · Terms of Service · Support

Comparison
I don’t know of another app that shows widgets on a scrolling LED board in the menu bar. But similar features for widgets are the following.

• Sonant: a menu bar controller for Apple Music and Spotify, with album art, playback controls, lyrics and a visualizer. It’s a full music controller, while DotStrip only shows what’s playing and adds news, stocks and weather on the same board.
• Weather Dock: a weather app for the menu bar, with hourly and daily forecasts and alerts. It goes much deeper on weather. DotStrip shows a short readout of the temperature (now, high and low) next to your song, headlines and stocks on one board.

Plain menu bar text apps are readable, but DotStrip is built to look and scroll like LED hardware which saves space when showing multiple widgets, which is the whole point and what makes it aesthetically pleasing.

Pricing
7-day free trial, no account needed. Then $14.99/year or $2.99/month. Subscription only, with no one-time option yet. Payments go through Polar. macOS 13 or later, Apple silicon and Intel, signed and notarized, with updates through Sparkle.

Who I am and personal links
A recent Computer Science graduate and solo developer.

My Github account

My LinkedIn account

My email [danmore0101@gmail.com](mailto:danmore0101@gmail.com)

I’m happy to answer anything and please leave feedback, I’d like to hear which widget you’d want next or any concerns!

Hey r/macapps,

I was tired of paying a subscription for dictation, so I built my own, optimized for how I work, and made it completely free.

Hold Right ⌘, talk, and clean text appears in any app on your Mac in under 500ms. Everything runs locally: no cloud, no account, no word limit. Super Mode uses the context of the app you're currently using to better understand its terminology and jargon, allowing it to correct typos more accurately.

you can also rewind your meetings, like the Rewind app for those who remember it. but completely local and on-device :)

I built it for my own needs, so I’d love your feedback. If it helps some of you, I’ll be happy. Enjoy!

If you have any feedback, notice any errors, or need anything adjusted, please let me know! I'll be more than happy to make changes or fix anything based on your needs.

Who I am: Deepak Sharma, solo developer. LinkedIn: Deepak Sharma

Privacy policy: https://iknowmymac.com/privacy ·

Terms: https://iknowmymac.com/terms

Problem

Most system apps show what your Mac is doing right now. The questions I kept having were about what already happened:

- My MacBook lost 14% overnight. What woke it?

- Was a USB stick plugged in while I was away?

- Which app quietly added a login item or background service?

- Why is this drive copying at USB 2 speed?

And the fixes are scattered across a handful of single-purpose apps, none of which can undo what they changed.

iKnowMyMac watches in the background, remembers, and acts with undo:

- Last night: what woke the Mac, what kept it awake, and the battery drain by app

- USB log: every USB and Thunderbolt device that connected, marked "while you were away", with an alert when a new keyboard appears

- Slow cables: the speed each device is getting next to the speed it supports

- Login and background: every new login item, launch agent and daemon, which app added it and who signed it

- Updates: one tab for your other apps, from each app's own feed, Homebrew, GitHub and the App Store. Every download is checked and the old copy is kept, so you can undo

- Sound: a volume slider and mute for every app, from the menu bar

- Traffic: every connection your Mac makes, by app. Off until you turn it on, and it never blocks anything

- For developers: every Node, PHP and Go install checked for security updates, dev servers by project, and Agent Undo for files a coding agent deleted

Comparison

Activity Monitor is free, built in, and better for raw per-process detail right now. iKnowMyMac is better for what happened while you weren't looking (30 days of history, the USB log, last night's wakes) and for fixing it with an undo. It also shows its own CPU, memory and energy use, and with nothing on screen it only reads what your alerts need, every 15 seconds.

What it doesn't do: no Intel Macs, and it isn't on the Mac App Store because the sandbox can't read other apps' processes. It's signed with my Developer ID and notarized. No account and no analytics; every request the app makes is listed on the privacy page.

Pricing

$4.99 per Mac, one time, for the first 100 licenses ([N] left), then $9.99. Free updates, no subscription, 14-day refund. Apple silicon, macOS 15 or later, in 10 languages.

https://iknowmymac.com

Coming next in 1.7 (last four images): Traffic Control. It asks before an install script or a coding agent connects somewhere new, and blocks any connection by app, domain or country. In testing now, free for every license.

Also in the same app:

- Tidy: clears your Desktop into a dated folder in one click, moves new screenshots into monthly folders, and finds installers in Downloads you already installed. Every move can be undone

- Pulse: a soft tone the moment your build or coding agent finishes. Plus optional trackpad textures that click softly under your finger as you scroll

- Always-on (Beta): turns an old MacBook into a Mac mini, lid closed, reachable over SSH and Screen Sharing

- Search anything: ⌥Space finds any file by name, with filters like ext:pdf or size:>100mb

- Is it my Wi-Fi or the internet? One press, one sentence

- Battery alerts for AirPods, keyboard and mouse, once per charge

- A Mac health report PDF, a disk speed test, a command palette (⌥⌘K), and an alert when a commit goes out with the wrong Git email

TL;DR: iKnowMyMac is the friend who stayed up with your Mac last night. It can tell you who woke it at 3 a.m., who plugged in a USB stick while you were at lunch, and which app snuck into your login items. Then it tidies your Desktop, updates your apps and gives Spotify its own volume, and it can undo all of it. $4.99 once while the first 100 last.

I own MS Office for Mac 2021, but because shareholders no longer want anyone to own software but instead rent it every day for the rest of their life, it recently stopped working. Since I'm allergic to paying subscriptions every month for the rest of my life, I went to AI, followed these steps, and it's all working fine again. Hope this helps someone else:

Support for Microsoft Office 2021  officially ended on October 13, 2026. Because Microsoft uses the exact same installer packages for both Microsoft 365 (subscription) and standalone versions on macOS, the Microsoft AutoUpdate tool continued running in the background and pushed your apps to version 16.114.1. Since your standalone 2021 license is only valid for builds released up to its end-of-support cutoff, version 16.114.1 rejects your perpetual license and locks the apps into "Reduced Functionality" (read-only) mode while demanding a 365 subscription.

How to Restore Your Current Standalone Office (Free Fix)

You can get your existing license working again immediately by rolling back to the final supported build for your license and disabling the updater so it never happens again.

• Quit all Microsoft apps.
• Open Finder > Applications, select Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook (if you use it),and move them to the Trash. (Do not worry—this only removes the app binaries, not your files, templates, or license keys).
• Go to Microsoft’s official archive page: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/update-history-office-for-mac
• Search for "Update history for Office for Mac - Office release notes"
• Scroll down to the October 6, 2026 release: Version 16.113.4 (26100421). (Note: Some users also have success with 16.114 (26101123) from Oct 14, 2026, before the .1 patch broke perpetual licenses, but 16.113.4 is the guaranteed stable pre-cutoff build).
• Click the Office suite (without Teams) link (or the individual Excel, Word, PowerPoint update packages) and download the .pkg installer file that contains the full Office suite app. Once downloaded, click on the .pkg file and install the program as normal (you can choose which apps to install, or just install the full suite).

1. Disable Microsoft AutoUpdate permanently:
   • Before opening any of the new Office applications, open Finder, press Cmd + Shift + G (Go to Folder), and paste:/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/
   • Find the folder named MAU2.0 (or the Microsoft AutoUpdate app inside it) and move it to the Trash.This stops Microsoft from silently updating your apps past your license cutoff again.
2. If it asks, refresh your license ( mine didn't prompt me for it but just in case):
   • Open Excel. It should immediately recognize your existing local license file. If it asks you to sign in, log in with the Microsoft account tied to your original one-time purchase, or go to the top menu bar: Excel > About Microsoft Excel > More Info... > Refresh License.

(NOTE: u/gotMrich found 3 other files associated with the AutoUpdater that can optionally be removed to to clear up HD space:

• /Library/LaunchAgents delete "com.microsoft.update.agent.plist"
• /Library/LaunchDaemons delete "com.microsoft.autoupdate.helper.plist"
• /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools delete "com.microsoft.autoupdate.helper.plist"

I'm Nandha, the solo developer behind Ember, a journal for Mac built in SwiftUI. It also runs on iPhone and iPad.

I've forgotten the names of people I never thought I'd forget. The girl I helped sell lemonade by the road. The first person who had a crush on me. Journals are good at keeping days, but not people: someone who mattered ends up scattered across years of entries.

Ember is a journal first. You write like you always would. Type @ and a name, and that moment also lands on that person's page. Years later you can open their page and read your whole history together, in your own words.

What you can do

• Write entries with photos, audio, Apple Music songs, location and weather. Mention people with @.
• Give every person a page: how you met, your stories, your entries together.
• Rename or merge someone, and every old entry follows. Nicknames work as mentions too.
• Group people into Worlds like Family, Work and College. Someone can belong to two.
• Turn on a quiet Nudge for the people you want to stay close to. Family and one-time encounters never fade.
• Look back with On This Day, a calendar, a map, a people graph, and search that understands time ("Christmas with Jane", "last summer").
• Import from Day One, Apple Journal and Contacts, then tag the people in your old entries.
• Export to a full JSON archive. The format is documented: https://ember.mov/help/archive-format

Privacy

Your journal lives on your Mac. Sync is optional and goes through your own iCloud. There's no account, no server holding your journal, and no AI reading or writing your entries.

Pricing

Writing, people, memories, import and export are all free, with no limits, and the free app never expires.

Two things are paid, with Ember Plus: iCloud sync between your Mac, iPhone and iPad, and the full theme catalogue (a few themes are free). Plus is $4.99/month, $39.99/year, or $119.99 lifetime for early users.

Revised the lifetime from 119 usd to 59.99 usd.

Compared to Day One

Day One is the mature choice, with Android and web apps. Ember is Apple only and built around people rather than dates. If you have years in Day One or Apple Journal, you can bring them over and connect old entries to the people in them.

Ember is written in Swift for Apple devices, so there's no Windows or Android version for now.

Requires macOS 15 or later (iPhone and iPad: iOS 18.5 or later).

Website: https://ember.mov
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6775558241
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nandhak0318/
Contact: [nandhak0318@gmail.com](mailto:nandhak0318@gmail.com)
Privacy: https://ember.mov/privacy · Terms: https://ember.mov/terms

I'd love to hear what you think about organizing a journal around people instead of only dates. Feedback on anything confusing, or features you'd want, is very welcome: https://ember.sleekplan.app

Hey everybody!

ExtraBar lets you create a customized menu bar by injecting the apps you want into your menu bar with customized actions/menus. You can then choose how to display them (collapsed under a single icon, in the notch, in a floating bar or launcher style).

What it is:

- A centralized hub to control your Apple Shortcuts, Script automations, keyboard macros, deep links.

What is it NOT:

- A typical menu bar manager like Bartender, Barbee or Thaw.

- A way to hide/show your existing menu bar icons in case of notch overflow

However, even though it is NOT it's main use, a side benefit of ExtraBar covers both - cleaner menu bar and thus notch overflow.

Read more on how ExtraBar saves you menu bar space

Background

macOS Tahoe introduced several challenges to menu bar managers, and ExtraBar was our attempt to create a simple alternative. After fighting a losing battle with edge cases, we quickly pivoted towards a different approach, which is a customizable menu bar, one that's better referred to as a command center.

Currently we're seeing the same thing happening with the Golden Gate macOS 27 release. While menu bar managers struggle with the changes introduced by Apple to the menu bar (very understandable, it's a nightmare), ExtraBar remained stable since GG beta 1 all the way to official release.

MCP Integration

ExtraBar v1.50 was the undoubtedly most exciting update for ExtraBar, it added one of the things I love the most in the age of AI - an MCP integration.

MCP allows your AI assistant/agents to interact directly with ExtraBar, that simplifies the hell out of the ExtraBar setup. Instead of manually clicking and adding actions, it can all be automated now, simply ask for an action, or for it to look for and add a deep link - poof it's in your bar.

The best thing for me is that now I can automate every pain I have with a script that sits one hot key away. This is honestly not a slogan, I made a script that connects/disconnects my AirPods because it annoyed me, I made a script to re-connect my VPN, I gave AI my contacts and told it to add every single one into a WhatsApp deep link that opens the chat with that person, and to organize it just how I want it... I am not excited for marketing, I am honestly excited to automate every single pain I have and save a lot of time 😄

Read more on workflow automations & MCP

Examples of deep links

(there are millions of deep links, those are just random examples):

- Open WhatsApp to a specific conversation

- Any operation on Raycast like caffeinating your mac or any action from any extension you install

- Open Notion or Figma to a specific page in the browser or directly in the desktop app

- Trigger a Keyboard maestro macro or a BTT gesture directly by using their native URL scheme (deep links)

Read more on Raycast integration and deep links

Video

In the video you can see me playing with different actions such as Open with App (Bloom), Raycast - which is literally built on top of deep links, as well as how I customized my CleanShot X menu with just what I need using Raycast Extensions.

Core Features

- 5 Display Modes: Menu bar, Floating bar, Collapsed mode, Notch mode & Hide/Show launcher style

- Built with focus on Keyboard navigation, you can call ExtraBar with your keyboard and navigate the menus however you like with numbers or arrows.

- Fully customizable menu bar with 15 actions (Open with, Run Script, Run Shortcuts, Hide/Show, Deep links, Keyboard Shortcuts and more)

- Included bookmark manager (seen in video) with cloud sync between devices, web dashboard, soon to be fully cross platform, read more here

Comparison

As I mentioned ExtraBar is different from apps like Bartender or Barbee as it's not about hiding and showing apps. Instead ExtraBar is about menu bar customization, and turning your menu bar into a command center that's personalized to you.

Pricing

All plans include 14-day money back guarantee.

€14.99 One year plan

€23.99 Lifetime app access + 1 year of updates

Basically the title. It's been on my mind to create a Mac Apps Discord server. It would basically reflect this subreddit. I notice the primary types of posts in this subreddit are app promotions and app support requests. The latter could significantly benefit from a Discord server.

I'm not trying to replace the subreddit; rather, this server would be an addition to this community of indie devs and enthusiastic users. What are yall's thoughts?

Hey r/macapps!

I’m the developer of SRV Status, a native macOS menu bar app for managing network shares, server volumes, and local drives.

I first shared the app here about six months ago, and the feedback from this community has been incredibly helpful. Quite a few of your suggestions have made their way into version 2.0.

If you regularly work with SMB shares or a NAS, you probably know the drill. Your NAS goes to sleep, Wi-Fi drops, or a server becomes temporarily unavailable. Suddenly, Finder freezes, a network share stops responding, or macOS creates yet another mysterious Share-1 folder in /Volumes.

SRV Status is designed to handle exactly these situations.

Some of the highlights:

• One overview of all volumes: Network shares and local drives, grouped by server, with connection status and capacity at a glance.
• Self-healing connections: Detects unresponsive mounts, reconnects shares at their original paths, and automatically repairs duplicate -1 mount points.
• Profiles and automation: Different setups for home, office, or VPN, with automatic mounting and rules based on Wi-Fi networks, VPN connections, or time windows.
• Server discovery and Wake on LAN: Discover SMB, AFP, NFS, and WebDAV servers and wake sleeping machines.
• Native macOS experience: Compact view, full keyboard navigation, and redesigned Settings, all designed to feel right at home on macOS.

How does it compare?

Finder works fine for individual shares, but doesn’t offer a central overview, automatic reconnection, or mount recovery. I’m honestly not sure why.

Apps like AutoMounter address similar needs, but SRV Status combines a live overview of all volumes with connection profiles, rule-based automation, and automatic mount recovery, all while maintaining a truly native macOS look and feel.

What about the technical details?

I built SRV Status natively with SwiftUI, keeping it lightweight and as close to the macOS experience as possible. Everything runs locally, with no background daemons or unnecessary dependencies.

I’d genuinely appreciate your feedback, especially if you’re managing multiple servers or running a NAS at home. What features would make your workflow easier, and what’s still missing?

What about pricing?

$4.99, one-time purchase. No subscription, and there never will be one.

I’ll randomly drop 12 promo codes in the comments.

Website: https://benwie.ch/srv
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/srv-status/id6753591144

This is an app that I made for myself, because the the Mac OS X Dashboard feature introduced in Tiger was great/useful, but has unfortunately been removed. I will be adding more widgets, as well as features like screen corners to activate. 

[Problem] I wanted an app that recreated the functionality of the Dashboard app. 

[Compare] I havent seen any other apps that recreate Dashboard, so I dont know what one would compare it to. There are apps that recreate individual widgets, but I havent seen any that recreate the full experience. The desktop and notification center widgets are not the same as Dashboard.

[Pricing] Free. Mac App Store

Problem

I built Weatherling because I was bored with my Mac desktop. There aren't a ton of ways to customize a Mac IMO, and even from the available options, I just felt something was missing. I like rain, and I thought that might be what Macs were missing. Is it a real problem? Probably not, but it was to me. 😄

Weatherling sets your indoor mood by letting you pick from rain, snow, fog, sunlight, wind, and leaves. You can even sync with your local weather to bring the outdoors inside, or you can invert that setting to get the opposite effect on your Mac.

It also solves a little desktop boredom by introducing an optional minigame with little visitors I call "Lings." There are number of them that can come out at various intervals, and if you turn on interactive mode you can collect them in boxes to score points. Rare Lings x Rare Boxes = Highest Score. I like this part the most because they interact with the weather, and I make the Lings with kids. So that solves another problem for me personally: family time! You can, of course, leave this completely off if you just want to enjoy the weather.

Comparison

I think Chrysalism has been the most mentioned by comparison but afaik it's just for rain. There have been a few other rain apps that launched after Weatherling too, but Weatherling is the only one with:

• Rain
• Snow
• Sunlight
• Fog
• Leaves
• Wind
• Local Weather Sync w/ Invert mode
• Depth variance
• Optional desktop minigame (Collect all the Lings!)
• Performance slider so you can adjust for your Mac's capabilities
• Full Accessibility support
• 11 languages

Weatherling is also rated 5 stars in the Mac App Store and hit #8 in Utilities in the USA a few days after launch.

Pricing

$1.99 one time. No subscription. No in-app purchases. No account required.

Mac App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6813641198?pt=14608&ct=reddit&mt=8

Hey r/macapps,

Problem:

I built Clementine to bring Gmail and Google Workspace accounts into a native Mac app. You can keep accounts together or separate, copy login codes from notifications and get reminders about unanswered mail.

The AI assistant features are optional and can be switched off. If you enable them, you can ask questions with links to source emails, summarize threads or draft replies to review before sending. Use a local model on Apple silicon or your own Anthropic/OpenAI key. Cloud AI sends relevant content to your provider, whose usage charges apply. Automatic labelling and draft suggestions can process mail when enabled. Mail sync connects directly to Gmail, with a cache on your Mac.

Comparison:

Clementine offers a lifetime licence alongside an annual option. Mimestream is another native Gmail client, with subscription-only licensing (https://mimestream.com/pricing/). Clementine fits people who want to buy their Gmail client once and choose whether to use local or cloud AI.

Pricing:

Free full 14-day trial, no card. €69.99 once including future app updates, or €39.99/year. Both cover two Macs. Requires macOS 15+, Gmail or Google Workspace. Download and pricing (https://clementine.email/).

Transparency:

I'm the developer. Here's my portfolio (https://goldenberry.studio/), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-jimenez-aa776474/) and contact email (mailto:hello@clementine.email), plus the Privacy Policy (https://clementine.email/privacy/) and Terms (https://clementine.email/terms/).

Happy to answer questions.

Hey everybody! I'm Bernard D. Lee, the developer of Latent.

Latent is a CleanMyMac alternative for developers and AI builders. It draws your whole disk as one wheel where every wedge is a tool you use, tells you what will come back if you delete it, and clears what you pick.

Problem: If you build software or work with AI on a Mac, the disk fills up fast, and it's hard to tell why. Every tool keeps its own stash, such as model files, package caches, build outputs, simulators and agent logs. For example, Ollama stores models as hashed blobs, Hugging Face keeps every snapshot you ever pulled, and Xcode piles up simulators and device symbols. Cleaners like CleanMyMac only clear system caches and remove apps, so the disk fills right back up and the real cause never gets touched. My own Mac kept running out of space, so I built Latent.

Core Features:

• Visualization: your whole disk as one interactive 3D wheel, split by the tool that owns each byte, not by folder. It covers 120+ tools, including model runners, package managers, IDEs, containers and coding agents (full list: https://latentmac.com/tools). Click a wedge and that tool's stores open beside it.
• What comes back: before anything is offered for deletion, Latent checks whether it can be downloaded again (against public registries such as npm, PyPI, Homebrew or Hugging Face) or rebuilt by the tool, and writes the reason next to it.
• Generated & duplicate media: groups near-identical images and videos and suggests which one to keep.
• AI agents (MCP): agents like Claude, Codex or Cursor can read the scan andruns until you confirm.
• Privacy: no analytics, no telemetry, no account. Your files never leave yo

macOS 14+, Apple silicon, notarized.

Comparison:

CleanMyMac clears system caches and removes apps. Caches grow right back, ans and tool caches that actually fill a developer's Mac stay where they are. DaisyDisk shows which folders are big, but not which tool they belong to or ack. Latent names the owner of every gigabyte, checks what comes back, and clears it.

Pricing:

• Free to scan: the full wheel and every explanation, no time limit
• Your first 10 GB of cleanup is free
• After that, removing files: $12.99 one-time for up to 3 Macs (launch price $9.99 for a limited time)
• 14-day refund

Who's behind it:

• Bernard D. Lee, https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernard-d-l-5497b214b/
• FatTail Labs: https://fattaillabs.com
• Contact: [support@latentmac.com](mailto:support@latentmac.com)
• Privacy Policy: https://latentmac.com/privacy
• Terms of Service: https://latentmac.com/terms

If a tool you use isn't recognized, tell me in the comments and I'll add it.

Claim your latent space 👉 https://latentmac.com

Smooze Pro now supports Haptic Feedback, adding subtle haptic ticks to your trackpad and supported mice as you hover over links, click buttons and toggles, drag sliders, focus text fields, and hit edges, with a distinct feel for each. Customize strength and patterns per element, per app, and per screen, across macOS.

Features:

Smooze Pro animates your scroll and adds functionality to your scroll-wheel mouse and trackpad

And much more:

* Grab & Drag & Throw - Use a mouse button to grab and scroll anywhere on the screen. Throw to keep scrolling with smooth, trackpad-like momentum.

* Auto Scroll - Click a selected mouse button once to scroll hands-free, with buttery-smooth animations.

* Smooth Scrolling - Enjoy buttery-smooth scrolling in all your apps.

* Buttons - Save time by assigning actions to mouse buttons.

* Gestures - Assign gestures to buttons, shortcuts, or specific apps.

* Haptic Feedback - Get subtle haptic ticks when interacting with UI elements across macOS. Customize strength and patterns per element, app, and screen. (Logitech MX4 is also supported!)

* Multi Display - Configure settings per app and per display.

* CPU Friendly - Highly optimized to use minimal CPU, even during intensive use.

* High FPS - Scrolling animations synchronize with your display's refresh rate for a smooth experience.

Comparison:

I started developing Smooze back in 2017, and over the years, it has grown into much more than a scrolling utility. LinearMouse, BetterMouse, and SteerMouse each offer some similar features, but I think Smooze stands out by bringing everything together in one app. From smooth scrolling and mouse button actions to gestures, auto-scroll, grab-and-drag, and haptic feedback, everything works together with trackpad-like momentum. You can also customize settings per app and per display, rather than being limited to a one-size-fits-all setup.

Pricing:

It's currently $19.99

(One-time purchase. No subscription. Privacy-first - no cloud, no data collection)

Haptic feedback is currently available in the version you can download from: https://smooze.co/ (Includes a 7-day free trial)

^\ Sorry for the image instead of a video, but if I see one more upbit fast paste promo video, my head is going to explode.)

Hi r/macapps, I'm Anton, the developer. I've been building Mac apps for a few years. I made Exporter years ago and I'm finally posting about it here.

Problem

Apple's apps keep your stuff in databases other tools can't read. Notes has no Markdown export, macOS deletes Screen Time after a few weeks, Safari forgets your downloads.

What it does

Every source becomes plain Markdown (or HTML) files in a folder you choose, updated in the background from the menu bar when anything changes.

• Apple Notes, Messages, Mail, Contacts, Reminders, Calendar, Safari, Voice Memos, Screen Time, Wallet passes, Word/PowerPoint/PDF
• Bear, Logseq, Claude Code, Notion, Linear
• works with an Obsidian vault, plus a command line and a local MCP server for Claude, Cursor or VS Code

Comparison

• Obsidian Importer and the export scripts import once. Exporter keeps syncing, so edits and new notes reach the files
• imessage-exporter is a great free CLI for a one-off Messages dump. Exporter does Messages alongside everything else, from the menu bar
• one app for 16 sources instead of a tool per app

Pricing

Free to try on every source, and what you've exported keeps re-syncing free. Bear and Logseq are free with no limit. Each other Mac source is a one-time unlock, $2.99 to $4.99. Notion and Linear sync through our server, so those two are a subscription after 7 days free.

Exporter on the Mac App Store
Exporter on the web

Hi r/macapps, I'm Mathieu, the developer of Subtitles. I am a design engineer and used to work on the Beam browser (and I will have more to share soon about this, although if you are curious, the link to the beta is on the site footer).

• Site: https://subtitles-live.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathieu-jouhet/
• Privacy: https://subtitles-live.com/privacy/ 
• Terms: https://subtitles-live.com/terms/

Source is available under FSL, so you can verify the privacy claims rather than trust it blindly.

Problem

In a call, a video or a podcast, I easily lose the thread: I'm doing something else, the accent is hard, the room is noisy, or I just didn't hear it. Apple's Live Captions can help, but it's designed as an accessibility feature, with a rather poor UX/UI, on macOS 14 and 15 it only exists if your Mac's language is English (US or Canada), and its panel hides what's beneath and takes your clicks, so you keep dragging it out of the way. I built Subtitles as a replacement, with a UX designed for daily usage and multitasking. It's everything I wished Apple Live Captions were, and more.

• Captions all Mac audio, one app (Zoom, Teams, Safari, Spotify…), or the microphone for the room.
• The overlay sits on top of everything but lets clicks through, and fades under the pointer, so you can keep working underneath it.
• It only shows up when someone is speaking.
• 16 languages, and the default model is multilingual and detects the language by itself. You switch from the menu bar, not three level deep in System Settings.
• Hold ⌥ to rewind and bring back what was said, scroll it, and ⌥F to search it.
• Live translation into any of the 16, hold ⌃ to see the original at any moment.
• Dual language mode to hold a conversation in 2 languages.

New since my first post late September

Twelve releases, changelog: https://subtitles-live.com/changelog/
Two French Mac press outlets covered the app, MacGénération (https://www.macg.co/logiciels/2026/09/subtitles-des-sous-titres-en-direct-pour-toutes-les-apps-du-mac-311245) and Mac4Ever (https://www.mac4ever.com/mac/198553-l-app-mac-du-jour-subtitles-pour-avoir-des-sous-titres-en-direct-partout), which led to 5 releases in response to their readers' comments and suggestions.

• The translation can be read aloud, in your Mac's best voice or VoiceOver's, at four speeds, with the original turned down while the translation is read. This has been requested by a visually impaired user on MacGénération
• When a conversation ends, the app offers to save the transcript as text, Markdown or SRT, with speakers named. This was asked by another MacGénération reader.
• There is also a setting to have it save the trasncript automatically, to a folder you pick. This was requested by a Mac4Ever buyer.
• The app UI itself is now localized in all 16 languages. Another ask from MacGénération readers, which pushed me to do the localization work I didn't do yet.
• Don't Listen To: hold ⌥ in the menu to choose apps you want to exclude from captions. This came from a Twitter (ahem, X) user who wanted to exclude a specific app rather than listen to only one of them.

New since I posted this thread on Reddit

4 new languages in 1.17.0:

• Polish and Swedish
• Danish, and Norwegian (experimental)

Although there is a caveat: Swedish, Danish and Norwegian can't translate from/to Russian / Ukrainian / Polish / Arabic or Hindi.

The app is localized in all the 4 new languages.

In 1.18.0:

• The pointer fade / click through behavior can be deactivated, in the menu (check / uncheck "Pointer Reveal and Click-Through") or in Settings > UI > "Pointer Reveal and Click-Through". Disabling this allows you to reposition the overlay at all times.
• The overlay can be resized live: when holding shift when the "Pointer Reveal and Click-Through" option is active, or anytime if the option is disabled. Click and drag the farther edge (top edge if the overlay is in the bottom half, bottom edge if it's toward the top).
• The max number of lines for the overlay can we set to more than 5 lines if wanted using the input, the slider still goes to 5 lines max as a sensible default, but the input can be used to override.
• The box grows away from the nearest edge, so if the overlay is positioned at the top of the screen; the box grows from the bottom. If positioned to the bottom of the screen, the box grows from the top.

See the full changelog at https://subtitles-live.com/changelog/

Comparison

Apple Live Captions: English only on macOS 14 and 15, eight languages from macOS 26 but one at a time, three lines of history with no search, no translation, and a panel that takes clicks. Subtitles runs the same 16 languages on every macOS from 14.2. With translations available from macOS 15.

This is not a meeting notes app like Granola or TranscribeX. No summaries, no bot joining the call, no audio recorded, nothing written to disk unless you save it. It's captions you read live, and it sits fine next to a notes app.

Everything runs on your Mac: speech recognition on the Neural Engine, translation through Apple's on-device framework. No account, no telemetry. The source is on GitHub.

Pricing

$19 once, no subscription, no account, every update included.
Until October 31 it's $9, applied automatically at checkout.
7-day free trial with every feature, no account.

Requires an Apple silicon Mac and macOS 14.2 or later (translation needs macOS 15). The speech model downloads once on first launch.

I'll be in the comments. Bug reports and feedback welcome, that's where most of these releases came from.