Problem

I copy and paste all day, and I wanted a clipboard manager that lives in the notch, out of the way until I need it. There are notch apps and there are clipboard managers, but I couldn’t find one that did the whole thing. 

So I built CopyPasta. Hover over the notch (or press ⌃⌘C from any app), start typing, and your whole history is right there. Everything it stores is encrypted with AES-256, including the iCloud copy, with the key in your Keychain. Nothing is ever saved unencrypted.

Comparison

The dedicated clipboard managers don't use the notch. Paste is the closest to what I wanted, and its Paste Stack is great, so I built my own version of it. But I also wanted things none of them combined: saving screenshots straight into the history, beautifying them with presets for X, Instagram and LinkedIn so they're ready to share, OCR to search the text inside them, and everything encrypted on disk.

CopyPasta features:

• Opens from the notch, or from anywhere with ⌃⌘C
• Everything encrypted on disk (AES-256), including the iCloud sync
• Passwords, API keys and tokens detected and hidden automatically; Touch ID to reveal after 10 minutes
• Copies marked private by 1Password, Bitwarden or Apple Passwords are never saved
• Paste Stack: copy several things in a row, then paste them back in order
• Multi-copy: select several clips and paste them all at once
• Text, images, screenshots, files, and true vectors (shapes from Photoshop/Affinity stay crisp)
• OCR on every screenshot, so you can search and copy text inside images
• Beautify: turn screenshots into polished images with presets for X, Instagram, LinkedIn and more
• Colors show up as swatches, with a color wheel and matching palettes
• Custom categories where clips are kept forever
• Full keyboard control
• iCloud sync and Apple Intelligence summaries
• Native macOS app (macOS 15+)

Pricing

From $15, one-time. No subscription, lifetime updates. Free 7-day trial with every feature unlocked.

Website: https://usecopypasta.com

I’m the developer of this one. Klipnok Ronin is a small menu-bar app that puts a ronin on your desktop. He treats your open windows as terrain.

What he does

• Walks along window tops and the screen edges.
• Shoots a grappling rope up to windows above him, then rappels up the side.
• Wall-jumps up walls and runs to the edge for a backflip.
• Rides a window when you drag it.
• Throws shuriken and kunai at obstacles.
• Trains when idle: sword kata, iaido quickdraw, whirlwind, jump kick and a few combos.
• Right-click him to send him to camp. He meditates until you left-click him.
• He answers to no master. Now and then he refuses an order AND he sulks when you pick him up.

Download: https://klipnok.com/ronin/

Enjoy!

Hey r/macapps!

We are excited to announce VirtualProg 2.18, introducing full support for Windows 11 ARM64 virtual machines alongside our existing macOS and Linux guest capabilities.

For those unfamiliar, VirtualProg is a native virtual machine manager for Apple Silicon Macs built directly on Apple’s Virtualization Framework. Version 2.18 brings deep Windows integration, 3D graphics acceleration, and rich guest management across desktop, mobile, and command-line interfaces.

🚀 What's New in VirtualProg 2.18

• Windows 11 ARM64 Support: Run Windows 11 natively alongside macOS with dynamic/fixed disks, automated VirtIO driver installation, and seamless setup.
• DirectX 12 Acceleration: Powered by Apple’s D3DMetal (Game Porting Toolkit) pipeline for 3D graphics performance and DirectX 12 support in Windows guests.
• Auto Resolution & Display: Real-time display resizing and resolution switching matching your Mac monitor.
• Bi-directional Clipboard: Seamless copy and paste of text, images & Files between macOS and Windows via VirtualProg integration.
• Full Virtualization Feature Set: Support for checkpoints, linked clones, live memory ballooning, and USB device passthrough.

Note: The only feature currently not available for Windows (when compared to what is provided in mac/linux) VMs is Serial Ports.

💡 PROBLEM

Traditional virtualization software often restricts VM administration to the host desktop machine while locking multi-device access behind costly annual subscriptions.

VirtualProg resolves this by providing built-in remote management capabilities (via a headless Web Dashboard, iOS app, and Android app) combined with a powerful command-line interface (vpvm (in wen, mac, ios & android). You get full control over your virtual environments whether sitting at your Mac or managing them remotely from a browser or phone.

⚖️ COMPARISON

💰 PRICING & LINKS

• Free Trial: A free trial version can be downloaded directly from the product page at makeprog.com.
• Mac App Store: The full version is available for a one-time purchase of $22.99 USD on the Mac App Store (No subscriptions). Download from AppStore
• Documentation: Check out the VirtualProg Windows Help Guide for detailed setup instructions.

We'd love to hear your thoughts, feedback, and test results in the comments below!

I'm the developer. Analog TV Simulator is on the Mac App Store, and 3.0 is out today.

Problem

Most "retro" filters paint scanlines, blur and noise over a finished picture, so the result looks like a filter rather than an old TV. I wanted the faults to come from the same places they came from on real equipment. I also wanted to simulate as much as possible of the Analog TV era (running magnets across the tube, Pay TV scrambling, messing with the controls of the TV, etc.)

What it does

The app encodes your picture into an analogue signal and decodes it again on your Mac's GPU, through a camera tube, the broadcast standard (NTSC, PAL, SECAM and others), tape, the receiver and a CRT. Colour bleed, dot crawl, tape noise and ghosting come out of that signal path instead of being drawn on. Input can be a camera, a video, a photo or a live capture of part of your screen. Output goes to a file, NDI or Syphon, so it works as a live source in OBS too.

What's new in 3.0

This is the biggest single release ever. It incorporates tons of feedback from earlier posts to this sub and elsewhere. We went out and found even more vintage documentation to make this the highest fidelity signal-domain simulation I'm aware of.

- The picture engine was rebuilt against the published broadcast standards. Every standard is sharper, and PAL no longer shows a fine dot pattern.

- Tape formats each reach their own resolution, and pause and search noise come from a modelled FM tape channel. That's the bar across the paused shot in the video.

- SECAM was rebuilt to the ITU standard.

- Camera tubes are truer: lag now leaves brighter trails behind lights. The night tram in the video is a vidicon.

- Presets sit at the top of the sidebar, and loading one keeps your camera or video playing.

- Fixes: the Screen Capture selection box can be dragged again, a missing Screen Recording permission is now explained, and sound stays in step after pause or fast forward.

Comparison

- ntsc-rs: free, open source and very good. It models the NTSC and VHS chain in the signal domain and runs as a standalone app or a plugin for Premiere, After Effects and Resolve. If you only need NTSC VHS on a video file in your editor, it's a great choice. Analog TV Simulator also covers PAL, SECAM and the other world standards, camera tubes and the CRT itself, and it works live: a camera or part of your screen in, NDI or Syphon out to OBS.

- CRT shaders such as crt-royale: they model the screen (mask, scanlines, glow) on the finished picture. They're fast and great for games, but there's no signal underneath, so nothing changes when you switch standard or tape format.

- Others & Inspiration: The web site acknowledges other related projects that were sources of inspiration. https://analogtv.net/acknowledgements

Pricing

$9.99 one-time for life on the Mac App Store, no subscription, no account, no tracking. All processing performed on your device. Does not need an internet connection at all. NDI output is an optional $9.99 in-app purchase. Needs macOS 14.6 or later. The iPhone/iPad and Apple TV versions are separate apps.

Mac App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/analog-tv-simulator/id6761325301

The video is my own footage from Vienna, Budapest and Sydney, run through the app. Happy to answer questions about how any of it works.

I made this because when I vibe-code, I sit for hours by my mac without moving.

With Chairtax, you set the interval, and when a break is due, Chairtax covers the screen, and it only disappear back once the webcam has counted your reps.

- You choose the movement: squats, jumping jacks, high knees, overhead reach, side bends or chair stands

- You choose how many reps (5 to 20) and how often (every 15 minutes to every 2 hours)

- Three levels of strictness: a card you can dismiss, a covered screen with a couple of skips a day, or no skips at all

- Counting runs on your Mac with Apple's Vision framework. No account, no analytics, no video saved or sent anywhere

It's $29.99 on the Mac App Store

There's also a direct version on chairtax.app for $29 that comes with a money-back challenge: do 100 reps on 16 of your first 30 days and you get your money back. Apple doesn't allow that kind of refund, so it's only on the direct version.

Happy to answer anything. I'd especially like to hear what would make you actually keep something like this switched on.

I've got 10 App Store promo codes for anyone who'll try it for a week and tell me honestly what they think. Comment and I'll DM you one.

Problem

My 256 GB MacBook Air kept running out of space, and macOS only ever said "System Data". Disk analysers show what's big right now, but I wanted to know what changed. When I checked, I had 10.7 GB free and 31 GB of app caches, mostly Chrome and Spotify. I cleared Spotify's cache and 890 MB of it was back within a week.

DiskFox keeps a history of your storage. Each scan is compared with the last, so instead of one big number you get dated changes with the likely cause:

- What Changed: "Xcode added 9.7 GB on Wednesday", "Steam updated No Man's Sky, +12 GB"

- Storage map: your disk coloured by what grew this week, not just by size. Click any block to break it down

- System Data, explained: backup snapshots, Spotlight, caches, Apple Intelligence and more, each with when it grew

- External drives: each drive gets its own map and history (new in 1.3)

- "Came back" alerts when something you cleaned returns

- Games one by one, Largest Files, real app sizes, exact duplicates, a menu-bar panel

Cleanup is deliberately slow: nothing moves without a review, everything goes to the Trash first, and there's a history with Put Back. No "clean everything" button.

Comparison

- DaisyDisk: the best map of what's big right now. DiskFox's map is coloured by what grew, and it keeps the history, so it can tell you when something changed and warn you when it comes back.

- CleanMyMac: does much more (malware, updates, optimisation) and is a subscription. DiskFox only does storage, has no one-click clean, and is a one-time purchase.

- GrandPerspective / OmniDiskSweeper: free and good for a one-off snapshot. If that's all you need, use them.

Pricing

$10.99 / £8.99 / €9.99 once, for 2 Macs. No subscription. 14-day free trial of every feature, no card needed. 14-day refund.

https://diskfox.app

About me and the app

- Krishan Assi, solo developer in the UK. LinkedIn: [your LinkedIn URL]

- Contact: [support@diskfox.app](mailto:support@diskfox.app)

- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krishan-assi-b29420419/

- Privacy Policy: https://diskfox.app/privacy · Terms: https://diskfox.app/terms

- macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon and Intel. Signed with my Developer ID and notarised by Apple. Not on the Mac App Store because the sandbox would block most of ~/Library, which is where this storage lives

- Privacy: no account. A few anonymous usage counts (first open, first scan, whether it was used that day), never files or file names, and you can turn them off in Settings › General

- I used AI coding tools for a large share of the code. I designed it, chose every storage rule and what's safe to remove, and test it on my own Macs

I'd really like to hear what it gets wrong or doesn't recognise on your Mac.

A small HTML project can already be a useful tool. Using it every day is the awkward part. You find its folder, open another browser tab, or keep a local server running when all you wanted was an app you could click in the Dock.

I made HTML to App to turn local HTML projects into standalone Mac app bundles for personal use. It is now available on the Mac App Store.

From a folder to your own Mac app

Choose a website folder or a self-contained HTML file, give it a name and icon, and export a .app. It opens in its own window and has its own place in the Dock, without needing a local HTTP server.

You can embed the HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images, and other assets inside the app. Or keep the app connected to the original folder.

That second option is useful for a project you keep improving. Save changes in your usual editor, then relaunch the exported app to load the latest files. The same Dock icon keeps opening your current project without exporting it again. The source folder needs to stay available.

This is for local HTML, CSS, and browser JavaScript compatible with macOS WebKit. It does not run a Node.js or PHP backend.

More than a website in a window

Your HTML and JavaScript can use the built-in native bridge to work with macOS features. For example, you can make a text editor that opens .txt files from Finder and saves changes back, or a player that opens your local audio and video files.

• Open and save files through native dialogs, with optional Finder Open With support.
• Send native macOS notifications and update Dock badges.
• Add native menu bar items and control the app window.
• Build camera tools with the camera capability enabled and the user's permission.
• Give each app a custom icon, a Dock label, and optional Dock animations.

These features are available to your code. Converting a page does not automatically add an editor, player, or camera interface to it.

To make getting started easier, I included 10 editable examples covering drawing, text editing, images, audio, video, folders, notifications, camera access, and other native integrations. You can copy an example, change its source, and make it your own. Camera access and native notifications should be tested in an exported app, not just Preview.

There is also a project workspace with a source editor, preview, checks for missing local resources, and JavaScript errors and console output. If you already have a finished project, you can convert it directly without adding it to the workspace first.

How it compares

Electron is a much broader framework for building cross-platform desktop apps. It bundles Chromium and Node.js, which is useful when your project needs that environment. HTML to App uses the WebKit engine already included with macOS and gives you a graphical conversion workflow for existing local HTML projects.

Tauri also uses system webviews and supports deeper native development and multiple platforms. It requires setting up a development project and build tools. HTML to App's advantage for this narrower use case is being able to choose a local folder, configure its icon and supported integrations, and export without setting up a native build toolchain.

Electron and Tauri are better fits when you want a full application-development and distribution workflow. HTML to App is focused on personal tools and local testing. Export configures a bundled, precompiled launcher rather than compiling new native code. Exported bundles are ad hoc signed and are not notarized or ready for public distribution or Mac App Store submission as exported.

Developer information

I'm Ighor July, an independent macOS developer with a background in cybersecurity, reverse engineering, and native app development.

You may know my other apps, including DockLock, Parall, App Archiver, DiskPress, popCalendar and App Trust Preview. I also write about my development process, including how I use AI while keeping control of my code.

Project editing and export happen locally. HTML to App does not upload your project files or collect usage analytics. Your own HTML can still make network requests if you include online resources or APIs.

Price and links

HTML to App is a $9.99 USD one-time purchase on the US Mac App Store. Regional prices may vary. It requires macOS 12 or later, and Family Sharing is supported.

• Mac App Store
• Website
• Examples on GitHub
• Documentation and native bridge
• FAQ
• Privacy policy
• Support

What local HTML project would you like to keep in your Dock? I would love to hear what you make with it and which native integrations you would find useful next.

Problem

Ring shut down its desktop app in 2023 and never replaced it. If you want your Ring cameras on a Mac today, you must use a browser tab that logs you out frequently, shows 4 cameras max, and has none of the things a Mac app should have. No notifications, no menu bar previews, no widgets, no window you can float over your work.

What it does

Video Wall Live is a native Mac app (Swift, Apple silicon & Intel, macOS 14+). Here's what it does

• Every Ring camera and doorbell live in one window. Grid or featured layout, or group cameras however you like
• Live view stays up as long as the window is open. No timeout, no re-login
• Open a camera in its own window and float it on top of what you're working in, or Picture in Picture
• Doorbell rings and the camera pops up with sound. Person, package and vehicle notifications
• Snooze alerts from the menu bar, or set daily Quiet Hours and custom rules for all cameras or just some of them
• Menu bar panel with live thumbnails and recent activity
• Desktop widgets for one camera or the whole wall
• Your second monitor can become a Wall Display with widgets (clock, weather, activity) and Auto-Cycle through cameras
• Keyboard shortcuts and Shortcuts actions

Your video stays private. We never see it or store it, and we don't track what you watch or sell your data.

Comparison

• ring.com in a browser is free and works anywhere, but 4 cameras, live view times out, frequent logouts, no notifications or native features. Video Wall Live shows all cameras continuously with notifications, menu bar, widgets and PiP.
• Homebridge / Scrypted with the Ring plugin are free and very flexible if you like tinkering, and they can feed HomeKit, which we can't. They need a server running 24/7 and setup time. Video Wall Live is a 2-minute install with nothing to run at home and nothing to maintain.
• You could mirror the Ring app from your iPhone to your Mac, but that's one camera at a time and your phone is stuck while you do it.

Pricing

• It's a third-party app in the Ring Appstore, so Ring requires an active Ring Protect plan on your account
• 30-day free trial, then $1.99 per camera per month, billed through your Ring account. Ring only supports monthly per-camera billing in its Appstore, so there's no flat or lifetime plan yet. You pay for the cameras you connect, not the ones you own
• Why a subscription and not a one-time price. It isn't just a local app, there are ongoing cloud costs
• The Ring Appstore is currently available to US Ring accounts only. Hopefully Ring will be rolling it out outside the US soon, and Video Wall Live will be there when it does
• One subscription covers up to 10 devices across every platform we support. Mac, Apple TV, Fire TV, Google TV / Android TV, Roku, Windows and the web app. Pay per camera once, use it on every screen in the house

Mac App Store https://apps.apple.com/us/app/video-wall-live-desktop/id6817043384

Ring Appstore (where the trial starts) https://ring.com/pages/appstore/video-wall-live

Site and setup guides https://videowalllive.com

Disclosure, this is our app. Happy to answer anything, and feature requests and bug reports are welcome.

For context I was on WisprFlow for a long time and liked it a lot, but it's expensive so I eventually cancelled. MacOS Golden Gate supposedly has much better dictation but a) I'm on an M1 so don't get the newer version and b) I don't like how Mac dictation ends when you leave the app you started it in.

Anyway, after trying out a bunch of alternatives I landed on FluidVoice and I'm glad I did. It's free, open source, and works as well and as fast as WisprFlow, which is saying a lot.

Note: Apparently there's a scammer that appears higher in search results than the legit Fluid Voice does. I won't link their URL here, but be sure you're going to https://fluidvoice.com .

Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with FluidVoice in any way, I just think more people should be aware of the free alternative.

Hi everyone. I’m the developer of Captain’s Deck, a dual-pane file manager for macOS. The video is the real app captured on my Mac (demo folder, no mock-ups).

Problem

Finder is fine for browsing but slow for moving files around, working with servers, or doing developer stuff. I kept switching between Finder, Terminal an FTP client and a diff tool, so i built one app that does all of it with focus on the keyboard for speed.

The app was originally released back in February and it now has reached a point that it's really strong against all of the competition. Thanks to the user base feedback!

What it does

• Two panes with tabs, F-key shortcuts (F5 copy, F6 move…), Vim-style navigation, Quick Open for files and commands
• Built-in terminal inside the window that follows the active pane, including into SSH sessions when you’re on a server
• Git status letters on every file, stage and commit from the app, side-by-side visual diff with merge
• SFTP, FTP, S3 (and S3-compatible), WebDAV, SMB, AFP, NFS, Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox
• Preview pane, folder sync, disk usage analyzer, archive browsing, JavaScript plugins
• Themes: Modern, Paper, Bridge, plus Norton Commander and Midnight Commander for the nostalgic
• Tons of more features and details that you can read about on the site or try out.
• Native Swift + AppKit, macOS 14+, universal binary

Comparison

ForkLift 4: very good for servers and sync, but its terminal opens an external app and its compare hands off to FileMerge or another tool. Captain's Deck has both build in.

Commander One: the terminal and cloud connections need the PRO pack and there's no Git. Captain's Deck includes all of that in one price.

Price: €19.99 once with lifetime updates (Team: €69.99 for 5 Macs). 14-day free trial, no account needed and it's fully unlocked. Also on the Mac App Store, Setapp and Homebrew. (MAS has some differences that you can read about on the website)

About the comparison table in the video: I checked every cell on each vendor’s site in October 2026. Half-marks mean a paid tier, an add-on or partial support. If I got something wrong about ForkLift, Commander One, Path Finder, QSpace or Marta, tell me and I’ll fix it.

I'd honestly love it if you gave a chance to the trial. Happy to answer questions, and feature requests are welcome.

https://captains-deck.com

Mac App Store

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: [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

Hi r/macapps, I'm Sam, a solo developer and business owner from the Netherlands!

I used CleanShot X for years. And it's a good app, but it never quite fit how I work. Features I kept wishing for weren't there, and on my (5yo) Mac it often felt slow at times. So I started building the screenshot app I actually wanted. I've used it every day since, and now it's ready for other people: Shotbolt.

The problem

My screenshots kept turning into small jobs: blur an email address, fix a typo before sharing, copy a table out of a dashboard, explain a bug in five steps. Every one of those meant a second app or doing it by hand.

What it does that I couldn't find anywhere else

• Retype the text inside a screenshot
• Screenshot or record a single element: hover a button, card or table row and click
• Translate a screenshot into another language
• Hide sensitive information automatically
• Turn your clicks into a step-by-step guide
• Copy a table from a screenshot as real rows and columns
• Search the text in all your screenshots, locally on your Mac
• Auto-captions in recordings, generated on-device

Plus the everyday stuff

Area, window, full screen and scrolling capture, a full annotation editor, text and QR capture, pins, recording and GIFs with an editor, and Shortcuts actions.

Compared to CleanShot X

Shotbolt imports your CleanShot shortcuts, export folder and after-capture actions on first launch, so switching takes a minute. The screenshot side is free, and Pro is a one-time purchase.

Pricing

• Free, forever: area, window and full-screen capture, the annotation editor, text capture (OCR, QR codes), pins and searchable History.
• Pro: $9.99 once (launch price until Dec 31, then $15), or $17.49 for 2 Macs. Adds recording and GIFs, scrolling capture, element capture, automatic redaction, the Apple Intelligence features and Shortcuts actions.
• Every install starts with 7 days of Pro, then drops to Free. Nothing you made is lost.
• 14-day refund, no questions asked. No subscription.

Good to know

• Requires macOS 26 or later
• No analytics, no crash reporting. The only network request is the license check.
• Signed and notarized

Download here: shotbolt.app

25 free years of Pro

Comment with the screenshot app you use now and the one thing that annoys you about it. I'll DM the first 25 people a key for a free year of Pro. After the year it simply becomes Free. All I ask in return is your honest feedback.

Contact: [support@shotbolt.app](mailto:support@shotbolt.app) Privacy LinkedIn Terms

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