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As a Mac user for over half a decade, I’ve gotten used to a handful of apps to help me with various tasks. Barring the obvious apps like web browsers and password managers, these are the ones I install as soon as possible on a new Mac.
11. Raycast
Raycast is my favorite Mac app on the list. In fact, it’s one of thebest Spotlight search alternatives for your Mac; it’s not only fast but also offers a slew of features and customizability options to improve your productivity on the Mac.
I use Raycast on my Mac every day for performing calculations (including unit conversions), checking clipboard history, searching for files (and performing various actions on the results directly), looking up things on the web, quickly snapping app windows on the screen, typing long repetitive text with snippets, and many more.
Besides, I have several app extensions installed on Raycast that allow me to do specific things without going into their apps. For example, I have Google Translate to help me translate text quickly, TinyPNG tocompress images on the go, and Search Browser Bookmarks to search for bookmarks.
Last but not least, Raycast also has AI, thanks to ChatGPT. It’s available in Raycast Pro, and you can use it to get answers to all sorts of questions, get help with writing code, and automate repetitive tasks, among other things.
Download:Raycast(Free, premium version available)
22. Hyperkey
Hyperkey is a macOS app that offers two functions. First, it lets you remap the Caps Lock key on your keyboard to another key. This is useful if you aren’t a fan of Caps Lock and want to remap it to another key that’s either broken or not easily accessible on the keyboard.
Second, it gives you a hyper key, which is essentially a combination of different modifier keys: Command, Control, Option, and Shift (optional). You can then use this hyper key to create unique keyboard shortcuts for various apps on your Mac without worrying about them interfering with existing ones.
I use Hyperkey on my Mac to remap the Caps Lock key to the hyper key. Then, I’ve set up multiple keyboard shortcuts with this hyper key for various actions like launching apps, running shortcuts (from the Shortcuts app), executingFinder Quick Actions, and more. Plus, I’ve also set up unique hotkeys for various Raycast actions.
Download:Hyperkey(Free)
33. LANDrop
LANDrop is a cross-platform app for transferring files between devices over LAN. I use it every day towirelessly move files between my Mac and Android phone.
What I like the most about LANDrop is that it doesn’t require any setup. The app takes care of everything as long as your devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. And when you’re outside, you’re able to set up a personal hotspot and share files between devices over it.
I enjoy using LANDrop because it doesn’t compress photos and videos during transfers. As such, you have the convenience of wireless sharing without worrying about losing the quality of your photos and videos.
Download:LANDrop(Free)
44. OpenMTP
LANDrop is great for wirelessly transferring files between my Mac and Android phone. However, there are times when I need to move several large files between my devices. This is when I switch to the OpenMTP app, which lets me transfer multiple files (larger than 4GB) in one go.
OpenMTP is a free and open-source app I use to transfer files between my Mac and Android devices. It’s one of the best alternatives to Google’s Android File Transfer app, which is known to be quite buggy, unreliable, and slow. The app has a clean interface, is super smooth, and easy to use. It also offers drag-and-drop support for easily moving files between your devices.
Download:OpenMTP(Free)
55. Shottr
Shottr is my favorite Mac screenshot tool. As someone whose work requires taking a lot of screenshots, I like Shottr because it’s fast and has built-in annotation tools, so I don’t need another program to annotate and edit my screenshots.
One of my favorite Shottr features is the ability to set up the default window background for screenshots. This ensures my screenshots look consistent throughout. You can alsouse Shottr to take scrolling screenshotsand delayed screenshots, which I find beneficial.
Moving to annotation and editing, Shottr lets you write text or draw a few different shapes and add arrows to your screenshots. It even has blur and erase tools to help you remove sensitive information from screenshots.
Download:Shottr(Free, premium version available)
66. Amphetamine
Amphetamine is my go-to app for keeping my MacBook awake in clamshell mode. It’s pretty straightforward and requires you to toggle a simple switch to enable it. Alternatively, there’s support for triggers, which lets you automatically start a keep-awake session until the specified task runs on your MacBook.
For example, I’ve set up a trigger that automatically starts an Amphetamine session when I plug my MacBook into an external display. This lets me keep my MacBook’s lid closed when hooked onto my external display, even when it’s not on charge.
If you use your MacBook hooked to an external display, Amphetamine is a must-have Mac app that can prolong your battery’s lifespan.
Download:Amphetamine(Free)
77. Dropover
Dropover is a very useful Mac app with a simple idea: make moving files between folders easy. Since I need to move lots of files between different folders on my Mac multiple times a day, I use Dropover to help me do it efficiently.
Dropover gives you a shelf where you can temporarily hold all the files you want to move from different source folders and then drop them off to their destination folder. You can access this shelf anywhere by selecting an item and simply shaking the cursor, after which it’s a simple drag-and-drop procedure.
The app preserves up to ten of your previous shelves, in case you need them. You can also save your shelves in the cloud and share them with someone using a public link.
Dropover doesn’t just support files; it works with folders, URLs, and text snippets too. Other notable Dropover features include clipboard sharing, custom scripts, and pinned shelves.
Download:Dropover(Free, premium version available)
88. CheatSheet
CheatSheet is a must-have Mac app for anyone who loves using keyboard shortcuts. As the name implies, CheatSheet gives youa cheat sheet of all the Mac keyboard shortcutssupported in an app, so you don’t have to look them up online.
Accessing the cheat sheet is easy. Simply press and hold the Command key in the app whose shortcuts you want to view, and you’ll see an overlay screen with all its shortcuts. You can then press the other key(s) of a shortcut combination to trigger the corresponding action on that app.
Download:CheatSheet(Free)
Velja is a browser and app picker that can make your life easier. Simply put, the app lets you choose which browser (and even browser profile) or app to open a link in, so you aren’t stuck with it open in your Mac’s default web browser.
For example, if you prefer to open Google Sheets links in Safari but don’t want to set the default browser to Safari, you may set up a rule in Velja. That way, whenever you click a Google Sheets link, Velja will open it in Safari. Similarly, if you have the Zoom app on your Mac, you can set Velja to open any Zoom link you click on directly in the native app.
Alternatively, you’re able to configure Velja to show a list of your favorite browsers when you click a link. You can then pick a browser from the list to open that link based on your preference.
Download:Velja(Free)
1010. TinkerTool
TinkerTool is an app that lets you get more out of your Mac by enabling or modifying system preferences that are otherwise missing or not easily accessible in the System Settings app. The app doesn’t change any component of the operating system, and any changes you make are reversible.
TinkerTool shows hidden preferences for several system components and apps. Simply pick a category from the left sidebar and enable or disable the ones you want. In some cases, you may need to relaunch apps to apply the changes.
Some of my favorite tweaks include Add Quit item in Finder menu, Disable delay when showing hidden Dock, Disable fade-in effect when opening from Launchpad, and Prefer expanded Save dialogs when using new applications in General.
Download:TinkerTool(Free)
These are all the apps I can’t start using a new Mac without. While some apps give me additional functionality, others help me do things on my Mac more efficiently and, in turn, boost my productivity.
