Hey guys, it’s Kevin, and Happy Techtember.
So, I’ve been a Mac user for over 15 years now.
And I used a lot of great apps and a lot of...
not so great apps.
In this video, I’m going to share my favorite apps that I use everyday
that help me get the most out of my Mac.
I won’t mention built-in apps like Safari and Music,
or first party ones like Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro.
I’ll go in alphabetical order, so let’s jump right in.
MacBook batteries eventually degrade over time,
and leaving the battery at 100% all the time will expedite the process.
This is where the app, Al Dente comes in.
It allows you set a charging limit,
mine is at 80%,
and the battery will stop charging once it reaches that limit.
I know macOS has an Optimized Battery Charging option,
but it rarely worked for me.
I use the MacBook Pro alongside an LG monitor via USB-C.
Without the app, the monitor will always charge the MacBook Pro to 100%.
So, after nine months of owning the 14” MacBook Pro and using Al Dente,
my battery health is at 99%,
give or take a percent.
There is also a pro version that adds additional features like
Sailing Mode, Heat Protection, and Calibration Mode.
Getting a new Mac is one of the best feelings out there,
at least to me.
Setting it up for the first time, installing apps, and transferring files over.
But in time, junk files and unused apps start to clutter and slow down your Mac,
and cleaning these up can be time consuming.
CleanMyMac X can clean, protect, and optimize your Mac with a few simple clicks.
And a massive thank you to MacPaw for sponsoring this video.
I love this app because it, well…
cleans my Mac
on a system wide level,
and it performs as quick as the day I first got it.
I use the Smart Scan feature every week
to keep my Mac’s performance in tip top shape.
Not only does it clean,
but it can also uninstall apps completely without leaving random files behind.
And the newly added CleanMyMac X Menu gives you a bird’s eye view of your Mac’s activity.
You can monitor the storage, memory, CPU, and more, right within the menu bar.
And the UI, animations, and sound effects are beautifully designed.
I'll leave a link to this in the description box as well as the other apps I mention.
Dragging and dropping multiple files from multiple locations can be a hassle.
But with Dropover, you can have a “shelf” pop up,
drag all of the files you want in it,
and drag the stack to your app of choice.
For example, I start by selecting a file
and shake it to have the pop up shelf.
Then I can go to a different folder and add an image to it.
I can even add files from the iPad Pro using Universal Control,
and once I’m done, I can drag the stack to,
let’s say, Mail, and boom.
This works with photos, videos, documents, text, just about anything.
You can even compress the whole stack and send it as a link.
Next up is Hidden Bar.
Apps can fill up the menu bar quickly,
and MacBook’s with a notch have limited space.
So, Hidden Bar allows you to hide icons to the left of the bar,
and you can show them by clicking on the arrow.
The bar can also collapse automatically after a set period of time.
Now your menu bar can be clean yet functional.
Maccy is my most recently installed app.
It’s basically a clipboard manager.
Gone are the days of accidentally overwriting the clipboard.
You can store up to 999 items such as text, images, and files in the clipboard.
This app has been very useful when I’m writing scripts.
I can copy a few topics.
then press the hotkey, ⌘ + ⇧ + C, and start pasting away.
Window management on macOS isn’t very good.
There’s full screen, and there’s split view…
in full screen.
Yeah, there’s Mission Control and Stage Manager,
but it’s not the same as snapping windows.
And with Magnet, you can do just that.
Just drag a window in any corner
or use the hotkeys on the screen
to snap the window in that area.
It works better on a larger screen,
and I can snap windows to the left or right, thirds,
move it to different displays, and even maximize the windows.
Moving on to Pixelmator Pro.
It’s similar to Photoshop but better.
It performs faster, looks nicer, and it’s a one time purchase.
It has most of the features you’d want in a photo editing app,
color adjustments, magnetic selection, and repair, just to name a few.
I use this everyday for touching up photos and for YouTube thumbnails.
And their AI is really good at removing the background from a subject.
For instance, here’s the Embody Chair, and with one click, it’ll remove the background.
It’s not perfect, but that only took five seconds.
Their AI can also increase the resolution of low quality photos.
I like to have my windows organized,
but since I use the MacBook Pro on its own and docked
windows can be all over the place.
The app Stay can have windows
stay where they are.
For instance, on the MacBook Pro,
I have Notes in the middle, Safari on the right, and Reminders on the left.
And when I connect an external monitor, the windows are not organized.
So, I move the windows to the way I want them and store them in Stay.
Now, when I either disconnect or connect the monitor,
the windows are just they way I want them to be.
Tweetbot is my preferred Twitter app,
and it’s pretty straight forward.
I don’t like using the web or the official app.
My timeline appears in chronological order by default.
There are no ads.
And since I have Tweetbot on the iPad and iPhone,
my timeline position automatically sync across devices.
It’s a paid app, but it’s worth it since I use it every single day.
And last, but not least, The Unarchiver,
which is by the same developers as CleanMyMac X.
The built-in Archive Utility in macOS is good,
but this one takes it a step further.
It supports more archive types.
And there are options to open the folder automatically when the files are extracted.
and move the archive file to the trash.
And that’s it for my favorite Mac apps.
Whether you’re new to the Mac or a veteran Mac user,
I hope you find this video helpful.
Let me know what your favorite apps are in the comments down below
If you enjoyed this video, then you might like to check out this one on
my favorite Mac accessories and my favorite features in macOS Ventura.
Please like, comment, and subscribe.
And I’ll catch you guys in the next one. Bye!