These macOS utility apps are among the many greatest out there for the platform

Apple’s macOS working system has been around for decades, which has given ample time for third-party builders to construct out utilities and apps for the platform. There is a rich selection of apps on the market, particularly in relation to system utilities.

Over the course of a number of years, I’ve developed a keenness for a lot of these Mac applications, every of which performs an vital half in my every day workflow. Listed here are 10 of my favourite utility apps out there for macOS, all of that are suitable with the newly-released Sequoia update.

1 AlDente

A much-needed utility in case you usually plug in your MacBook

AlDente

A cost limiter app for sustaining your MacBook’s battery well being.

AlDente is a battery cost limiter utility that is particularly geared in the direction of MacBook customers. The app permits you to set a charging restrict under 100%, to keep away from stressing your battery when plugging in for prolonged intervals of time. MacBooks use li-ion batteries, which keep chemical well being for longer when stored between round 20% and 80% capability.

Apple has slowly been phasing in native charge limiter functionality in a few of its newer merchandise, however at the moment, MacBook batteries cannot be manually capped at a decrease share capability out of the field. If you end up usually plugging your laptop computer into the wall, or in case you maybe have it docked to an exterior monitor that receives energy, then AlDente is a superb alternative.

The free model of the app provides primary cost restrict and battery discharge functionalities, whereas the Professional model introduces extra scheduling and calibration choices, warmth safety, amongst different options.

Associated

5 essential free apps I download on every new Android phone

From decreasing movement illness to backing up cloud recordsdata, these fully free apps are a house display staple.

2 NearDrop

When you personal each a Mac and an Android gadget, then this device is a must-download

NearDrop

A utility for wirelessly transferring content material from Android to macOS.

When you’re like me and swap between pc and telephone platforms regularly, then NearDrop is a lifesaver of a utility. Apple’s AirDrop is a particularly useful gizmo for wirelessly transferring recordsdata and knowledge between your iPhone and your Mac, but it surely solely works inside Apple’s personal ecosystem of {hardware} and working programs.

Putting in NearDrop in your Mac makes it in order that any Android device can send content wirelessly to a Mac utilizing the AirDrop protocol. Imagine it or not, it really works like a appeal, with none unusual glitches or operational hiccups to talk of. Open your Android telephone or pill’s share sheet, and your Mac will seem as a sharing goal gadget, virtually like magic. Better of all, the app is totally free to obtain and set up.

Associated

5 free must-have apps I always install on my iPhone

These iPhone apps are solely free, they usually’re put in on my iPhone always.

3 Hidden Bar

Hidden Bar

A macOS utility for hiding away menu bar glyph icons.

When you begin downloading utilities onto your Mac, you will rapidly discover that the menu bar begins to fill to the brim with icons within the high right-hand nook of your show. These icons are fast setting modules, every with its personal drop-down menu for accessing in-app features.

Sadly, Apple does not provide a sublime answer for obscuring the icon litter, save for the choice of merely disabling every menu bar merchandise solely. That is the place Hidden Bar is available in — it is a free utility that locations a small chevron arrow in your menu bar. From right here, you may place icon modules to the left of the arrow, they usually’ll then be proven or hidden just by clicking on the arrow itself.

Associated

How to quickly find and manage all the apps on your Pixel phone

When you’ve misplaced depend of all of the Android apps put in in your Pixel telephone, here is the way to simply flick thru your assortment.

4 EjectBar

This app will velocity up your day in case you ceaselessly mount and unmount exterior storage drives

EjectBar

A macOS utility that permits you to eject all exterior storage gadgets without delay.

By default, the primary user-facing methodology for unmounting or disconnecting an exterior USB drive in your Mac is by right-clicking on it is corresponding desktop icon, after which clicking on ‘Eject.’ It isn’t troublesome to take action, however in case you juggle between a number of exterior storage gadgets on the common, it could rapidly develop into annoying to take care of.

EjectBar streamlines the method by inserting an icon inside your Mac’s menu bar. Clicking on it’ll reveal a drop-down menu that lists all related storage gadgets, with a fast toggle to eject every one. There’s additionally an ‘Eject All’ button, which may turn out to be useful. EjectBar prices $2 on the Mac App Retailer.

Associated

6 bloatware apps I uninstall the second I get a new Samsung phone

The second the telephone comes out of the field, I delete these apps to create space for these which are truly useful.

5 Amphetamine

Sure, your Mac wants an occasional pick-me-up as effectively

Amphetamine

Maintain your Mac awake and forestall it from sleeping with one click on out of your menu bar.

Amphetamine does to your Mac what caffeine does to your physique early within the morning on a Monday. It is a easy and light-weight utility that tells your Mac to maintain its display on, bypassing no matter sleep and display-off timer you have configured within the System Settings app.

The fantastic thing about amphetamine is that it is fully free, and it provides a dead-simple consumer interface from the get-go. I am keen on the varied glyphs out there to select from as your menu bar icon — I all the time go for the espresso carafe, myself. When you ever end up performing a job in your Mac by which you need your display to briefly stay on and be prepared for motion, then this app will prevent from having to dig by your settings.

Associated

My 7 go-to Android Auto apps I use on every road trip

These apps make an extended drive simpler, extra bearable, and much more (safely) productive.

6 Right this moment

Right this moment

A macOS menu bar app that gives fast entry to imminent calendar occasions.

Right this moment is a brilliant easy and free utility that locations your every day calendar occasions inside a drop-down menu in your Mac’s menu bar. The app is extraordinarily streamlined, with an interface that avoids pointless litter. It is in a position to sync with iCloud, Microsoft Trade, and Google Calendar, so it is possible that it will faucet into your present occasions that you have saved.

When you’re searching for a comparable app that comes with a full-blown calendar grid inside an analogous menu bar icon, the $12 Dato app has you coated. For most individuals, nevertheless, Right this moment is greater than practical sufficient for rapidly glancing at upcoming and every day calendar occasions.

Associated

9 unnecessary Pixel phone apps you can go ahead and uninstall

Pixel telephones come full of versatile options proper out of the field, so you may let go of those pointless apps.

7 Gestimer 2

A novel and novel device for organising reminders in your Mac

Gestimer 2

A gesture-based menu bar app that permits you to add timers and reminders with out disrupting your workflow.

Gestimer 2 is a enjoyable and novel Mac software that permits you to set timers and reminders utilizing a easy drag gesture. The app sits inside your menu bar as an icon, and the additional you drag your mouse away from it, the longer the period of your reminder shall be. You may modify the drag sensitivity, in addition to present a countdown throughout the menu bar in case you so select to.

When you arrange lots of reminders or timers whereas utilizing your Mac, Gestimer 2 is a refreshingly unique-yet-intuitive answer that does not take you out of your workflow. The app prices $7 on the Mac App Retailer, and it is effectively well worth the worth of admission in case you’re the kind of one who features through digital countdowns.

Associated

What are the new macOS features you can’t access on an Intel Mac?

Surprisingly, there are solely a few macOS Sequoia options which are unique to Apple-silicon {hardware}.

8 Speediness

An web velocity take a look at app that feels so native, I assumed Apple constructed it

Speediness

An web velocity take a look at software that feels native to macOS.

Speediness is an app that permits you to test your web velocity, which does not sound significantly thrilling off the bat — a lot of competing apps like Speedtest by Ookla provide related performance, and nowadays you may even run a velocity take a look at immediately from inside Google.

Speediness has an ace up its sleeve, nevertheless: the app is superbly made, utilizing native consumer interface parts that make it really feel like a first-party Apple app. It is solely free, too, so there’s little draw back to downloading it from the Mac App Retailer. The app additionally provides integration with Apple Shortcuts, which ought to appease energy customers.

Associated

You can now use iPhone Mirroring to rearrange your Home Screen in macOS Sequoia and iOS 18

It is doable to activate jiggle mode within the newest Mac and iPhone betas.

9 CopyClip

One of the best ways to reference your copied clipboard objects on Mac

CopyClip

A macOS app that gives fast entry to clipboard historical past through the menu bar.

MacOS is not identified for its strong clipboard historical past assist, no less than not when in comparison with the likes of Home windows and even Android. A clipboard is a digital log of the varied objects you have copied and pasted in your gadget, and it may be helpful for saving a number of strings of things or textual content for reference, or to rapidly re-paste inside a unique app.

CopyClip is a light-weight utility that provides a menu bar icon to your Mac, and clicking on it brings up a drop-down menu that lists all of your clippings. You may select what number of clippings to maintain in reminiscence, in addition to blacklist any software you do not need something copied over from. Maccy is one other well-liked answer that provides a lot of the identical primary performance, but it surely prices $10 on the Mac App Retailer. CopyClip, in contrast, is a wholly free utility.

Associated

Window managment for all: Does macOS Sequoia feature a Magnet replacement?

Apple’s upcoming macOS replace brings built-in window administration, difficult Magnet’s high chart placement within the Mac App Retailer.

10 Mac Mouse Repair

A device that unlocks helpful third-party mouse settings in your Mac

Mac Mouse Repair

A macOS device that brings a lot of much-needed settings for third-party mice.

Simply as macOS is not identified for having one of the best native clipboard assist, it additionally is not significantly well-regarded in relation to providing strong mouse settings. When you’re rocking Apple’s personal Magic Mouse product, then you definately’ve obtained loads of choices to work with. If, nevertheless, you have related a non-Apple mouse to your Mac, then you definately may wish to check out a utility that introduces some much-needed settings into the combo.

Mac Mouse Repair is a free app that ports over tons of choices to any previous USB or Bluetooth mouse, no matter model or worth. Trackpad gestures may be mapped to your mouse, a momentum-based scrolling algorithm improves on the stuttery expertise that usually plagues third-party mice, and it even allows you to change the scrolling path of your mouse independently of your trackpad or your Magic Mouse.

Mac Mouse Repair is free for the primary 30 days, after which prices $3 to personal after this trial interval ends. It is a bit cheaper than the $8 asking worth of one other related utility, BetterMouse, however each instruments provide a much-needed enhance to your Mac’s general mouse compatibility.

Associated

What are the new macOS features you can’t access on an Intel Mac?

Surprisingly, there are solely a few macOS Sequoia options which are unique to Apple-silicon {hardware}.

11 Folder Peak

Flip your Mac’s menu bar right into a full-blown file and app launcher

Folder Peak

Folder Peak is a Mac utility that permits you to simply place any file immediately onto your Menu Bar for fast entry.

Folder Peak is considered one of my absolute favourite utilities out there on the Mac. In brief, it permits you to add any and all folders into your Menu Bar, every represented as both an icon or a textual content entry. The utility is easy to make use of and light-weight, which I admire. That being mentioned, there’s loads of customization potential right here for energy customers as effectively.

The flexibility to hyperlink your Functions folder onto your Menu Bar is especially helpful — with some minor tweaking to get the sizing proper, it could simply operate as an app launcher à la the Home windows Begin Menu.

Folder Peak is a free obtain from the Mac App Retailer, and is solely freed from advertisements. As such, it is a no-brainer obtain in case you’re seeking to streamline the accessibility of ceaselessly used recordsdata and folders.

Associated

I use these 7 easy Windows tweaks to optimize usability and make my life easier

Home windows 11 may be unnecessarily sophisticated. Make it extra user-friendly and streamline your expertise with these seven tweaks.

12 Command X

If in case you have years of Home windows muscle reminiscence constructed up, then this utility is a must-download

Command X

Command X is a light-weight utility that runs within the background, introducing a Home windows-style cut-and-paste operate through the Cmd+X and Cmd+V shortcuts.

Home windows converts to macOS will know the frustration in relation to reducing and pasting recordsdata on the latter platform. Not like on Home windows, the place you may simply reduce recordsdata from one location (Ctrl+X) after which paste them (Ctrl+V) onto one other spot, by default, macOS requires you to repeat (Cmd+C) after which transfer (Choose+Cmd+V) them to carry out this motion.

Command X is a light-weight utility that may run within the background always, guaranteeing that you just by no means have to recollect to maneuver your file through the cumbersome Choose+Cmd+V mixture. Reasonably, when the app is enabled, you may cut-and-paste recordsdata through Cmd+X and Cmd+V, identical to you may on Home windows.

Better of all, Command X is totally free to obtain from the Mac App Retailer, with no strings hooked up. The app works flawlessly in all circumstances, with the one limitations being that you may’t reduce a file title when enhancing it in Finder, or when utilizing the search subject.

Associated

5 things I really want Apple to add to macOS 15: revitalized Launchpad, the return of Dashboard, and more

For all its deserves, macOS nonetheless lacks some key performance. Here is what I am personally clamouring for within the subsequent main replace.