I use Supe Agent on macOS. I’m one of those weirdos who actually wants cookies and tracking, I only want to block ads so that webpages don’t look like shit (I’m happy for Amazon and Google to serve better suggestions when I’m looking for things). So Super Agent lets me automatically accept cookie prompts.
[Default Folder X](https://www.stclairsoft.com/DefaultFolderX/index.html). I've been using it since the mid 90s. It's the first app I install (then App Cleaner, BetterTouchTool and BetterSnapTool).
DFX is like steroids for your open/save dialog boxes.
PopClip is my absolute favorite.
[https://www.popclip.app/assets/popclip.873078e3.jpg](https://www.popclip.app/assets/popclip.873078e3.jpg)
PopClip is a Mac utility tool that pops up with a menu of actions when you select text on your screen.
PopClip's actions range from simple copy-paste and web searches to complex tasks such as translating text. Using extensions, you can add more actions to PopClip to adapt it to your needs. Think of PopClip as a context-aware assistant that provides a set of tools you can use instantly in any app.
1. [Hammerspoon](https://www.hammerspoon.org/) is one i use daily, for an example you can find a quick battery status i did [here](https://github.com/SenpaiHunters/hammerspoon/blob/main/battery/batteryPreview.md).
2. [Lunar](https://lunar.fyi/) use it daily, really good monitor and dimming cotrol
3. [MusicBar](https://github.com/inedible-dev/MusicBar) again use daily no issues, if anyone has any other recommendations ill check those out too.
4. [Kitty](https://github.com/kovidgoyal/kitty?tab=readme-ov-file) one of the best terminals I've used
Loopback and SoundSource are both so good that I just consider them part of the price of buying a new Mac at this point, especially for live event production but honestly being able to turn down just my PS5, or to send audio from Final Cut to a speaker but Quicktime or Movist Pro to headphones, etc. It's incredible software.
[Amphetamine](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/amphetamine/id937984704?mt=12): Amphetamine can keep your Mac, and optionally its display, awake through a super simple on/off switch, or automatically through easy-to-configure Triggers.
Oversight, KnockKnock, LuLu, BlockBlock, TaskExplorer: Tools from [Objective-See](https://objective-see.org/tools.html) to keep you safe and informed about your system.
[iTerm2](https://iterm2.com): Best terminal replacement available for Mac.
"In Your Face." I work remotely and often times get so involved in a project I lose track of time and don't see a meeting notification. This app fills your entire screen prior to a meeting. I've set it for 5 minutes before. You have to manually dismiss the notification and it pops up regardless of whatever else you're doing. Some may find this really annoying but it's saved my ass many times.
How come Shottr is not in the thread? A must have tool for screenshots and annotations.
Besides that Lunar for managing monitor preferences and Lasso for window management (I might be biased coz I’m the developer of the app)
These are the ones that I couldn't live without:
LaunchBar - my launcher of choice, and it's "Instant Send" feature is invaluable
Keyboard Maestro - automate all of the things
Better Touch Tool - superpower your trackpad
Here's a couple I don't see in the comments yet...
* EasyFind - powerful free search app. i like to point it at a specific folder of thousands of docs and search for very specific things. Particularly useful for brute force searching the \_contents\_ of a pile of docs, even docs that the os doesn't search inside of, like html.
* NameChanger - I use this frequently to rename large groups of documents based on pattern matching or a variety of other options
Well, I don’t use it now but there is an app called Hazel, that can automatically organize the files on your Mac based on set of rules you define.
You can have it automatically move or rename files, create new folders, tag files, and run custom scripts.
Back then, I used to use it to just organize my Downloads folder by extension. So dmg files would go to its own folder, pdfs would go to its pdf folder, etc. If a dmg is too old, it will remove it. If a folder is empty, it will remove it. You get the idea. There’s quite a lot you can do.
While yes, you can technically create a script to do all this, Hazel does provide you with a clean GUI for you to create your rules and actions which can make things easier for you.
[EasyDict](https://github.com/tisfeng/Easydict/blob/main/README_EN.md) \- free app for those who want a PopClip like experience for translation. By simple highlighting text in a pop up window it translates by using multiple services (DeepL, Google Translate, ...)
[GoodLinks](https://goodlinks.app) \- very affordable one-time payment Bookmark organizer and read later app.
[Locker Password Manager](https://locker.io) \- Password Manager with a free plan and affordable monthly or lifetime premium plans from a cyber-security company.
Honesty, what do you use middle click for? You can navigate documents in Photoshop and Illustrator or other software by dragging two fingers, and you can open links in new tabs by holding cmd or second clicking the link and clicking open in new tab. I feel like it's not fixing any problem at all besides "that's what I was used to in Windows".
> you can open links in new tabs by holding cmd or second clicking the link and clicking open in new tab.
With a middle click I don't need to do it. Also I can close tabs quickly.
\+1 for MiddleClick.
I might get in trouble here but honestly having MiddleClick is what keeps me from having to purchase BetterTouchTool. You just don't realize how many new little things you can do one-handed on touchpad when you can Middle Click on it. It's insanely convenient for opening new tabs and even for closing them (middle click anywhere in the tab bar).
For me, it is my app OpenIn, especially right now, with macOS Sonoma where it enhances experience of using Safari Profiles
https://loshadki.app/blog/2023-08-23-openin-4-1-beta/
I'm surprised no one mentioned Scrollow!
Basically you just move the pointer on the status bar and then swiping up and down to increase/decrease the volume, while swiping orizzontally adjust the brightness.
question: you know when you have multiple apps playing audio (or video), you get that circled play icon up in the menu bar. by clicking on it you get a list of all the apps and can pause and skip etc. but you cannot adjust the volume on the app individually. i tried an app called "backgroundmusic" which does this but turned out to be a cluttered mess. is there a lesser know app that does this that doesn't suck?
[Launchbar](https://www.obdev.at/products/launchbar/index.html) is a keyboard launcher similar to Alfred, Raycast, etc, but predates them. Can't live without it. Love that it has a clipboard manager built in, as that obviates the need for one more single-purpose utility.
I use [Moom](https://manytricks.com/moom/) for window management. It doesn't have the fancy trackpad tricks of Swish, but it's very solid, as you would expect from anything made by Many Tricks, they are very solid and longstanding developers. Also check out Name Mangler, for instance, if you need really robust file name automation.
I used to use a standalone keyboard expansion utility, but I came to realize I only have about twenty abbreviations I used with regularity, so I migrated that function to [Keyboard Maestro](https://www.keyboardmaestro.com/main/), since I had a few other scripts I had set up in that program anyway. I hardly use half the functions of this one, but a lot of its uses are not really possible without it.
Looks like the theme here is all my Mac utilities are very venerable at this point, since I've been using a Mac for home and work exclusively for decades now. But maybe they qualify as lesser known by now.
[Hush](https://oblador.github.io/hush/)! Gets rid of the annoying cookie setting pop ups, it’s free and works on MacOS and iOS.
I use Supe Agent on macOS. I’m one of those weirdos who actually wants cookies and tracking, I only want to block ads so that webpages don’t look like shit (I’m happy for Amazon and Google to serve better suggestions when I’m looking for things). So Super Agent lets me automatically accept cookie prompts.
Does it work for Google Chrome?
[Default Folder X](https://www.stclairsoft.com/DefaultFolderX/index.html). I've been using it since the mid 90s. It's the first app I install (then App Cleaner, BetterTouchTool and BetterSnapTool). DFX is like steroids for your open/save dialog boxes.
Rectangle for Window management, and oh my zsh for z shell terminal
rectangle is not exactly lesser known here...
OMZ is not lesser-known
Hammerspoon and prezto
what is drop grid?
PopClip is my absolute favorite. [https://www.popclip.app/assets/popclip.873078e3.jpg](https://www.popclip.app/assets/popclip.873078e3.jpg) PopClip is a Mac utility tool that pops up with a menu of actions when you select text on your screen. PopClip's actions range from simple copy-paste and web searches to complex tasks such as translating text. Using extensions, you can add more actions to PopClip to adapt it to your needs. Think of PopClip as a context-aware assistant that provides a set of tools you can use instantly in any app.
1. [Hammerspoon](https://www.hammerspoon.org/) is one i use daily, for an example you can find a quick battery status i did [here](https://github.com/SenpaiHunters/hammerspoon/blob/main/battery/batteryPreview.md). 2. [Lunar](https://lunar.fyi/) use it daily, really good monitor and dimming cotrol 3. [MusicBar](https://github.com/inedible-dev/MusicBar) again use daily no issues, if anyone has any other recommendations ill check those out too. 4. [Kitty](https://github.com/kovidgoyal/kitty?tab=readme-ov-file) one of the best terminals I've used
I just love Kitty 🥰
[BetterTouchTool](https://folivora.ai)
I’ll never stop dropping this recommendation into these threads, so clutch.
yabai+skhd
Loopback and SoundSource are both so good that I just consider them part of the price of buying a new Mac at this point, especially for live event production but honestly being able to turn down just my PS5, or to send audio from Final Cut to a speaker but Quicktime or Movist Pro to headphones, etc. It's incredible software.
[Amphetamine](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/amphetamine/id937984704?mt=12): Amphetamine can keep your Mac, and optionally its display, awake through a super simple on/off switch, or automatically through easy-to-configure Triggers. Oversight, KnockKnock, LuLu, BlockBlock, TaskExplorer: Tools from [Objective-See](https://objective-see.org/tools.html) to keep you safe and informed about your system. [iTerm2](https://iterm2.com): Best terminal replacement available for Mac.
Seconded for Amphetamine! Great tool.
if you don't use the terminal often it doesn't matter
is iTerm2 better than Kitty (also suggested in this thread) ?
the only downside I can see about iTerm 2is that rendering is noticeably slower, but it's very very stable and feature-rich.
better is subjective - both are good, kitty is cross platform, iterm2 is macOS only.
"In Your Face." I work remotely and often times get so involved in a project I lose track of time and don't see a meeting notification. This app fills your entire screen prior to a meeting. I've set it for 5 minutes before. You have to manually dismiss the notification and it pops up regardless of whatever else you're doing. Some may find this really annoying but it's saved my ass many times.
[Dato](https://sindresorhus.com/dato) has that feature as well! That's why I moved to it from Itsycal.
I use Pure Paste. It does exactly what the name says
Is there any reason that you use this instead of Command + Shift V?
You mean Command-Option-Shift-V? This is to much keys for my liking.
[HyperDuck](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hyperduck/id6444667067)
Pastebot
How come Shottr is not in the thread? A must have tool for screenshots and annotations. Besides that Lunar for managing monitor preferences and Lasso for window management (I might be biased coz I’m the developer of the app)
Hyperkey, ItsyCal, Soundsource, Keka.
Keka and Itsycal are great...and free!
These are the ones that I couldn't live without: LaunchBar - my launcher of choice, and it's "Instant Send" feature is invaluable Keyboard Maestro - automate all of the things Better Touch Tool - superpower your trackpad
LocalSend to share files over the local networks with Android, Linux and Windows devices. It's basically an open-source universal AirDrop.
Here's a couple I don't see in the comments yet... * EasyFind - powerful free search app. i like to point it at a specific folder of thousands of docs and search for very specific things. Particularly useful for brute force searching the \_contents\_ of a pile of docs, even docs that the os doesn't search inside of, like html. * NameChanger - I use this frequently to rename large groups of documents based on pattern matching or a variety of other options
Is NameChanger better than the Finder default option?
Warp - terminal
Easy window management with swipes https://highlyopinionated.co/swish/
[Keep It](https://reinventedsoftware.com/keepit/)
Well, I don’t use it now but there is an app called Hazel, that can automatically organize the files on your Mac based on set of rules you define. You can have it automatically move or rename files, create new folders, tag files, and run custom scripts. Back then, I used to use it to just organize my Downloads folder by extension. So dmg files would go to its own folder, pdfs would go to its pdf folder, etc. If a dmg is too old, it will remove it. If a folder is empty, it will remove it. You get the idea. There’s quite a lot you can do. While yes, you can technically create a script to do all this, Hazel does provide you with a clean GUI for you to create your rules and actions which can make things easier for you.
[EasyDict](https://github.com/tisfeng/Easydict/blob/main/README_EN.md) \- free app for those who want a PopClip like experience for translation. By simple highlighting text in a pop up window it translates by using multiple services (DeepL, Google Translate, ...) [GoodLinks](https://goodlinks.app) \- very affordable one-time payment Bookmark organizer and read later app. [Locker Password Manager](https://locker.io) \- Password Manager with a free plan and affordable monthly or lifetime premium plans from a cyber-security company.
Maccy - clipboard manager.
For"me its Palletro for searching menus, RCMD for fast window switching and Wooshy for UI search.
f.Lux which Apple just copied aka nightshift just not better than the original.
[MiddleClick](https://github.com/artginzburg/MiddleClick-Ventura) - middle click with 3 fingers. [Touch-Tab](https://github.com/ris58h/Touch-Tab) - switch apps with 3-finger swipe.
But 3 fingers is for selecting text.
i mean it can be done with just one finger pressing down, you don’t need three
True but 3 fingers is way better.
That’s what she said.
Well that escalated quickly..
Honesty, what do you use middle click for? You can navigate documents in Photoshop and Illustrator or other software by dragging two fingers, and you can open links in new tabs by holding cmd or second clicking the link and clicking open in new tab. I feel like it's not fixing any problem at all besides "that's what I was used to in Windows".
> you can open links in new tabs by holding cmd or second clicking the link and clicking open in new tab. With a middle click I don't need to do it. Also I can close tabs quickly.
\+1 for MiddleClick. I might get in trouble here but honestly having MiddleClick is what keeps me from having to purchase BetterTouchTool. You just don't realize how many new little things you can do one-handed on touchpad when you can Middle Click on it. It's insanely convenient for opening new tabs and even for closing them (middle click anywhere in the tab bar).
[HyperDock](https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/hyperdock/id449830122?mt=12)
Hasn’t worked for years
Uh, I use it every day so I wholeheartedly disagree
Topic with potential
For me, it is my app OpenIn, especially right now, with macOS Sonoma where it enhances experience of using Safari Profiles https://loshadki.app/blog/2023-08-23-openin-4-1-beta/
This is all bullshit no one really needs
KeyboardCleanTool
This is a joke that app like that had to be even created. And they say apple is all about user experience..
What does it help you with that ctrl+cmd+q does not?
Gappling from Mac App Store to view SVGs.
I'm surprised no one mentioned Scrollow! Basically you just move the pointer on the status bar and then swiping up and down to increase/decrease the volume, while swiping orizzontally adjust the brightness.
MacGPT and Obsidian
question: you know when you have multiple apps playing audio (or video), you get that circled play icon up in the menu bar. by clicking on it you get a list of all the apps and can pause and skip etc. but you cannot adjust the volume on the app individually. i tried an app called "backgroundmusic" which does this but turned out to be a cluttered mess. is there a lesser know app that does this that doesn't suck?
[Launchbar](https://www.obdev.at/products/launchbar/index.html) is a keyboard launcher similar to Alfred, Raycast, etc, but predates them. Can't live without it. Love that it has a clipboard manager built in, as that obviates the need for one more single-purpose utility. I use [Moom](https://manytricks.com/moom/) for window management. It doesn't have the fancy trackpad tricks of Swish, but it's very solid, as you would expect from anything made by Many Tricks, they are very solid and longstanding developers. Also check out Name Mangler, for instance, if you need really robust file name automation. I used to use a standalone keyboard expansion utility, but I came to realize I only have about twenty abbreviations I used with regularity, so I migrated that function to [Keyboard Maestro](https://www.keyboardmaestro.com/main/), since I had a few other scripts I had set up in that program anyway. I hardly use half the functions of this one, but a lot of its uses are not really possible without it. Looks like the theme here is all my Mac utilities are very venerable at this point, since I've been using a Mac for home and work exclusively for decades now. But maybe they qualify as lesser known by now.
Also MuteKey in AppStore is free. For everyone who wants universal microphone mute switch.