Enhance Your Mac Experience: 10 Must-Have Apps for 2022
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Essential Mac Applications
While macOS comes with its fair share of built-in applications, many users find them outdated or unnecessary. This article highlights ten exceptional Mac applications designed to enhance your experience by enabling you to:
- Set countdowns for significant events
- Quickly check the time across various time zones
- Unshorten links from your clipboard
- Incorporate subtitles during FaceTime calls
- Add emojis effortlessly using the : key
- Refresh all Safari tabs with a single click
- Relive nostalgia by exploring vintage Apple Stores
- Strengthen your network’s privacy and security
- Conceal menu bar icons to declutter your workspace
- Monitor your current internet bandwidth
Countdowns: Event Day Tracker
We all cherish special days like birthdays, anniversaries, or holidays. The Countdowns app allows you to create widgets that keep track of these occasions, showing the days remaining until they arrive.
Why I Love It: Its design is consistent across iPadOS and iOS, ensuring a seamless experience.
Quick Tip: To quickly add a new countdown, press CMD + N.
Developer: Shayes Apps LLC is also known for productivity apps like Progress and Recurrence.
?? Privacy: 4/10
?? Price: $19.99 (with additional in-app purchases)
?? Design & Compatibility: UX (7), UI (7)
Download the App & Learn More Here
Hovrly
Though I typically dislike menu bar apps due to clutter, Hovrly stands out. It displays various time zones in a visually appealing format.
Why I Love It: The minimalist design is both efficient and attractive.
Quick Tip: To condense the displayed text, click on the app and select Compact View.
Developer: Alexey Tarutin offers this app for free, with optional donations on their website.
?? Privacy: 2/10
?? Price: Free
?? Design & Compatibility: UX (7.5), UI (7)
Download the App & Learn More Here
Link Unshortener
Link Unshortener is a tool I never knew I needed. It helps you decode shortened links that often lead to unwanted redirects or pop-ups.
Why I Love It: It prioritizes your privacy by exposing hidden URLs that could track you.
Quick Tip: To remove unwanted apps from the “Open URL with” list, adjust the preferences accordingly.
Developer: Jeff Johnson also created the Safari extension StopTheMadness, which I previously highlighted.
?? Privacy: 10/10
?? Price: $7.99
?? Design & Compatibility: UX (6), UI (5)
Download the App & Learn More Here
Navi: Subtitles & Translation
Navi addresses communication challenges during FaceTime calls, particularly for individuals with hearing impairments, by providing real-time subtitles.
Why I Love It: It significantly enhances communication during video calls.
Quick Tip: To reduce translation tokens, navigate to Settings and disable Realtime Translation.
Developer: Good Snooze also created the Vivid app, which increases your MacBook’s brightness.
?? Privacy: 10/10
?? Price: Includes in-app purchases
?? Design & Compatibility: UX (7), UI (7)
Download the App & Learn More Here
Rocket
Adding emojis on a Mac can be cumbersome; Rocket simplifies this process by allowing you to use the : key to find emojis easily.
Why I Love It: Fast and efficient emoji access enhances my workflow.
Quick Tip: To customize your emoji skin tone, head to Preferences and select your desired tone.
Developer: Matthew Palmer has created several useful Mac applications.
?? Privacy: 8/10
?? Price: $10
?? Design & Compatibility: UX (7.5), UI (7)
Find Out More Here
Total Refresh for Safari
This Safari extension allows users to refresh all open tabs simultaneously, simplifying the browsing experience.
Why I Love It: It provides a one-click solution for refreshing all tabs.
Quick Tip: To refresh only the tabs in your current window, right-click the extension and choose the appropriate option.
Developer: William Walker is known for several great Mac apps, including Speed Reader.
?? Privacy: 10/10
?? Price: $0.99
?? Design & Compatibility: UX (7), UI (7.5)
Download the App & Learn More Here
The Apple Store Time Machine
This unique application evokes nostalgia by allowing users to virtually visit iconic Apple Stores from the past.
Why I Love It: It provides an immersive experience reminiscent of the early days of Apple Stores.
Quick Tip: For the best experience, increase the graphics settings in the Main Menu.
Developer: Michael Steeber has a background in writing about Apple Stores on 9to5mac.
?? Privacy: 10/10
?? Price: Free
?? Design & Compatibility: UX (6), UI (5)
Find Out More Here
Fing
Fing is a network utility that scans your network for vulnerabilities, enhancing security and privacy.
Why I Love It: The Speed Test feature provides valuable insights into my internet connection.
Quick Tip: To monitor fluctuations in your internet speed, run regular speed tests and track the data over time.
Developer: Fing Limited creates apps for multiple platforms, including Windows and Android.
?? Privacy: 3/10
?? Price: Subscription plans start at $59 per year
?? Design & Compatibility: UX (7), UI (6.5)
Download the App & Learn More Here
Scaler Bandwidth Monitor
If you're experiencing connectivity issues, Scaler Bandwidth Monitor provides a clear graph to visualize your internet speed and detect performance problems.
Why I Love It: Its clean design makes it easy to understand bandwidth fluctuations.
Quick Tip: For Gigabit internet users, switch the measurement unit from Mb/s to MB/s for clearer readings.
Developer: Mohammad Faisal Bin Ahmed also created KeyTrails, which displays keystrokes on your screen.
?? Privacy: 10/10
?? Price: Free
?? Design & Compatibility: UX (7), UI (8)
Download the App & Learn More Here
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