Apple to start locking in some yearly subscriptions and allowing monthly payments

Tech Crunch announced today that Apple will allow developers to collect monthly payments on 1 year subscriptions instead of collecting yearly commitments up front as they do now. You will be able to cancel the subscription at any time, but you still have to make 12 payments. If you don’t cancel, the auto-renew will lock you into 12 more payments. Be careful.

https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/28/apple-introduces-a-cheaper-option-for-app-store-subscriptions/

https://redd.it/1sy412d
@macappsbackup

Spectro – Auto-detects fake lossless audio (upconverted MP3s in WAV/AIFF) on macOS | $39 Lifetime

Disclosure: I'm the developer.
Transparency: https://getspectro.app/privacy · https://getspectro.app/terms

Problem

Record pools and digital stores regularly distribute MP3-encoded audio inside WAV or AIFF containers "fake lossless" or upconverted audio. The file size looks right, the extension looks right, but the spectral frequency cutoff gives it away. On a high-end system it's immediately audible. Finding these files manually means reading spectrograms one by one, which doesn't scale when you're checking 80 tracks before a gig.

Comparison

Spek the go-to spectrum analyzer for this, but abandoned since 2013. No batch analysis, no automatic verdict, manual reading required.
iZotope RX precise but designed for audio repair, not library QA. Slow, expensive, and overkill for just checking whether a file is lossless.

Spectro is purpose-built for this single use case: batch analysis with an automatic verdict, deep Finder integration, and nothing else in the way.

(https://preview.redd.it/spectro-auto-detects-fake-lossless-audio-upconverted-mp3s-v0-p56cv9sskxxg1.png?width=1860&format=png&auto=webp&s=04dbc094ceab348bf3238c9405efa7223566b0ad)

Pricing: $39 USD, one-time, no subscription. Developer ID signed and notarized.

Free Trial: Scan your first 100 tracks for free

[more info: https://getspectro.app \]

Batch analysis, three verdicts (Lossless / Lossy / Fake Lossless), FFT spectral detection, Quick Look plugin, right-click Finder integration, 100% offline, Apple Silicon + Intel, macOS 12+.

Happy to answer questions about how the spectral detection works or anything else.



https://redd.it/1sy1edk
@macappsbackup

VaultSort update: Revise with AI, YubiKey-backed local file encryption + 10% off

Now you can edit your organization jobs with a simple english request - no messing with the rule builder.



Problem:
A lot of Mac file tools solve only one piece of the mess - cleanup, automation, duplicates, or encryption - but not all of it in one local app.

Compare:
VaultSort is probably closest to CleanMyMac for cleanup and Hazel for organization, but it’s built differently:

one-time purchase (no subscription)
local-first / on-device
combines cleanup + organization + dedupe + secure delete + encryption in one app
includes undo for organization jobs
supports BYOK AI for building organization jobs from prompts

This month’s main update: Revise with AI.

# What VaultSort does

auto-organize folders (with scheduling)
undo organization runs
find duplicate files
clean reclaimable cache/temp space
large file finder + storage breakdown
secure delete + disk shredding
AES-256 encryption with optional YubiKey support
AI job builder for plain-English organization rules
Secure Disk Shredding + Freespace overwrite of external non-APFS disks
Hardware Key File Encryption (That means you can encrypt files/folders locally on your Mac without relying on a cloud storage service or uploading anything anywhere.)

# Why I built the encryption/YubiKey side

I wanted a way to lock sensitive files down without using a cloud vault and without needing 4 different utilities for cleanup, organization, and privacy.

There is also a free version you can download and you get a lot of great features with that such as auto-organize, large file finder, storage breakdown, and disk analytics.

# Pricing

Free download available
Premium: $19.99 one-time
Use on up to 3 Macs
No subscription

# [r/MacApps](https://www.reddit.com/r/MacApps/) discount

I made a 10% off code for this sub:

Code: REDDIT10

# Links

Download: [https://vaultsort.com/download](https://vaultsort.com/download)
Changelog / roadmap: [https://vaultsort.com/change-log](https://vaultsort.com/change-log)

# Transparency

I’m the developer: Justin Haubrich
Software Engineer since 2019,
Programming since 2016

Website: [https://vaultsort.com](https://vaultsort.com/)
LinkedIn: [https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-haubrich-6641b188/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-haubrich-6641b188/)
Privacy Policy: [https://vaultsort.com/privacy](https://vaultsort.com/privacy)
Terms: [https://vaultsort.com/terms](https://vaultsort.com/terms)

# System requirements

macOS 12+
Apple Silicon only

Happy to answer anything - especially around:

The AI Job Builder + the new Revise With AI feature
how the YubiKey support works
how VaultSort compares to Hazel / CleanMyMac in practice



https://redd.it/1syabh0
@macappsbackup

Marble's Marbles: A homage to the classics like Marble Madness, Hamsterball, Gyroscope and Ballance available on macstore

https://redd.it/1syjwuo
@macappsbackup

OS Tolaria: a files-first Markdown app for Mac designed for Git workflows and AI agents

Tolaria

Tolaria is a free, open-source desktop app for macOS and Linux built by Luca Rossi, the author of the Refactoring newsletter. Rossi created Tolaria to manage his own collection of 10,000+ notes.

That origin story matters. The feature set feels like it grew out of solving real problems for a real workflow; not something assembled by a product manager or stitched together from an AI roadmap.

At its core, Tolaria is a very 2026-style Markdown editor; modern, opinionated, and not trying to clone Notion or compete head-on with Obsidian.

The sweet-spot user is someone who:

1. Already lives in Markdown and Git
2. Is experimenting with tools like Claude Code or other AI agents in their daily workflow
3. Wants their knowledge base to be part of their AI context instead of isolated from it
4. Treats data portability as a non-negotiable requirement

# Tolaria’s Core Principles

These are deliberate design choices from the developer.

Files-first.
Notes are plain .md files on disk. No proprietary database; no export step. Open them in BBEdit, Obsidian, Vim, or anything else that understands Markdown.

Git-first.
Every vault is a Git repository. You get full version history and can push to any remote you like. There are no Tolaria servers; the app doesn’t depend on one.

That alone sets it apart from a lot of the field.

Offline-first, zero lock-in.
No account. No subscription. The vault works completely offline.

Open source (AGPL-3.0).
The code lives on GitHub. You can read it, fork it, and run your own build if you want.

# What It’s Not

Tolaria is not trying to be Notion.

There’s no relational database layer, no property-driven schemas, and no team collaboration platform. That trade-off is intentional; those features usually come with heavier infrastructure and less portability.

It also doesn’t have anything close to Obsidian’s plugin ecosystem. If your workflow depends on dozens of community plugins, Tolaria probably isn’t ready to replace Obsidian yet. It’s a younger, more focused tool.

Another practical detail: it runs on Mac and Linux only; there’s no Windows version. For some people that’s a dealbreaker. For others, it’s perfectly fine.

# AI Support and Integration

This is where Tolaria earns its “second brain for the AI era” tagline.

Instead of bolting on a chat sidebar, the app treats your knowledge vault as something AI agents can actually work with.

Tolaria includes built-in support for tools like Claude Code, Codex CLI, and Gemini CLI. It automatically generates a shared AGENTS.md file in the vault root. That file explains the structure and conventions of your notes, and every supported AI tool reads the same one.

The practical benefit: you maintain a single source of truth for how your vault is organized instead of writing separate instructions for each model you’re experimenting with.

Tolaria also runs a local MCP (Model Context Protocol) server. When you connect an external AI tool, your vault is registered as a structured context source that the agent can query directly.

Most “AI-enabled” note apps just add a chat window. Tolaria takes a different approach: it lets AI agents navigate and operate on the vault itself using standard protocols.

There are also vault-level permission modes, so agents don’t automatically get full write access to your notes.

# Power-User Bonus Feature

Tolaria clearly targets people who prefer keyboards over mice.

The Command Palette is central to the workflow, and the editor is designed around keyboard navigation. If you spend time in tools like Raycast, Keyboard Maestro, or VS Code, the design philosophy will feel familiar.

This is the difference between a command palette that drives the interface and one that feels bolted on as an afterthought.

# Availability and Pricing

Tolaria is free and open

source.

You can download it from tolaria.md or build it yourself from the GitHub repository.

No subscription. No account. No catch.

https://redd.it/1sykgst
@macappsbackup

Lapser Studio - Create beautiful timelapse screen recordings in minutes

https://redd.it/1syu40s
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Parall 2.2.2: I made a Mac app to run multiple separate instances of other Mac apps, now with WhatsApp support

https://redd.it/1syyn2v
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File Deep Info 3.1.5: I made File Deep Info that helps you deeply inspect hidden & embedded file data: Checksum/Hex, EXIF, metadata, spoofed format detection & forensic privacy analysis

The Problem:

As a developer and data security engineer, I regularly handle files from unknown or untrusted sources. My old workflow was messy and fragmented: separate tools for checksums, hex viewing, EXIF lookup, and document metadata review.

It gets risky and time-consuming when you need to verify if a file extension is fake, inspect nested content inside Office/iWork/PDF files, uncover incomplete redactions, or audit private embedded data before sharing files.

Comparison:

Most existing tools either lack deep inspection or objects extractions capabilities or lock advanced features behind expensive bulky suite subscriptions, or just simply not maintained any more.

\- File Info Professional: outdated, and checksum/hex only
\- More Info: only checksums
\- FileMate: EXIF and metadata

The Solution:

File Deep Info works as an all-in-one native macOS forensic & privacy inspection utility, consolidating all file deep analysis into a single lightweight app — no more juggling multiple CLI or standalone tools.

https://preview.redd.it/v2zs273id5yg1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=cf7baa23eb1bd2ca4e88a042a7547895c3d513ac





Core Capabilities:

1. Hidden Data Discovery Uncover hidden rows/sheets, invisible white-on-white text in Office files, fake PDF redactions, hidden layers, and trailing/steganography data inside images.
2. True Format Identification Ignore misleading file extensions to detect spoofed formats, disguised executables, and extension-less suspicious files.
3. Metadata & Privacy Audit Extract full edit history, author info, EXIF/GPS data, and macOS extended attributes — including the original download source URL of a file.
4. Embedded Object Extraction Drill into internal document structure and extract nested assets: media inside PDFs, OLE objects in Office/iWork docs, and nested embedded content.
5. Hex & Checksum Tools Instant MD5/SHA hash calculation plus hex header preview for fast file signature validation.

Why use this?

Perfect for anyone inspecting sketchy files before opening, verifying whether PDF redactions actually remove sensitive content, or auditing personal/client documents for private metadata leakage — all in one, no subscription, no telemetry, no tracking, 100% offline!

Pricing:

Free Tier: Full fingerprint analysis, format detection, metadata extraction, and hidden content discovery — covers nearly all the daily use cases.
Pro Version: $12.99 for one-time purchase to unlock Shadow Data deep parsing, recursive multi-level analysis (Analyze in New Window), and unlimited embedded object extraction.

Transparency:

I'm Harvey, the maker of File Deep Info.
Official Site: https://filedeep.info
Privacy policy: https://filedeep.info/privacy
Mac App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/file-deep-info-hidden-data/id6759220338

Would love for you guys to try it out and hear your feedback!

https://redd.it/1sz2150
@macappsbackup

Where do you draw the line with app permissions?

I’m building an app and trying to figure out which features are worth the "permission hurdle."

Even as a dev, I still get hesitant when I see a request for something invasive like Full Disk Access or Accessibility APIs—sometimes I’ll just ditch the app entirely because of it. I'm curious where everyone else stands:

1. What permissions do you usually grant without thinking twice?

2. Which ones are an instant "no" or make you want to uninstall?

3. What makes you comfortable granting a "risky" permission? (e.g., Is it because the app is open source, a clear explanation in the UI, or just the dev’s reputation?)

https://redd.it/1sz4nkl
@macappsbackup

Calendar 366 Update

No affiliation, just a happy customer. This major update rocks as far as I can tell with an hour exploring. Previously an excellent app, I switched when Fantastical went extreme greed mode a few years ago, and it has served me well. Smooth, clean interface and display options. The new update offers 3 tiers — free, subscription, lifetime. The free seems to provide what the previous version did with enhanced UI. The paid tiers have a bunch of new features (that I won’t try to enumerate). I use this app on three devices, including laptop, so the all inclusive $50 lifetime is my huckleberry ($20 iPhone, iPad, watch). I could probably get by with the free tier, but I want several of the new features, and I like that Vincent Miethe is making such a well designed app, and providing us several good options.

https://redd.it/1sz40pl
@macappsbackup

DockPops: iPhone-style app folders for your Mac Dock. I added the two most requested features: icon previews and multiple Dock icons

https://redd.it/1sz8jyb
@macappsbackup

Network App Gone?

So I just noticed Apple's Network app is gone from the Applications/Utilities folder. Anyone know why they removed it and what is a good free app to replace it with? I liked the way it was laid out and ease of use and don't want to use the Terminal for things that the Network app did very easily.

https://redd.it/1sz88av
@macappsbackup

TranscribeX v6.0 — Live Transcription for Meetings & Recordings Is Finally Here. Fully local on-device.

https://redd.it/1szdycb
@macappsbackup

I made a desktop sticky notes app because switching between apps was annoying

https://reddit.com/link/1szr2x5/video/e2cjof3qpayg1/player

I kept running into the same problem:



\- I just wanted to jot something down quickly

\- But I had to open a notes app every time

\- And switching between windows kept breaking my flow



So I built a small tool for myself: Enote



The idea is simple:



\- Notes stay directly on your desktop (like real sticky notes)

\- You can drag, resize, and place them anywhere

\- Supports Markdown

\- Always visible when you need it



Basically:



"Capture thoughts instantly, without breaking focus."





Download (Mac):

Appstore



\---



Still improving it — would love any feedback 🙏

https://redd.it/1szr2x5
@macappsbackup

ChatGPT “always continue “

Hello,is there anyway to make chatgpt always continue its answer
Like to explain 100 mcq at once ,not like to explain 10 questions then tell chatgpt to ” continue “ to add 10 q and so on….

https://redd.it/1szsz3x
@macappsbackup

I made a desktop sticky notes app because switching between apps was annoying

https://reddit.com/link/1szt3d4/video/2mbtf3hz9byg1/player

I kept running into the same problem:

\- I just wanted to jot something down quickly

\- But I had to open a notes app every time

\- And switching between windows kept breaking my flow

So I built a small tool for myself: Enote

The idea is simple:

\- Notes stay directly on your desktop (like real sticky notes)

\- You can drag, resize, and place them anywhere

\- Supports Markdown

\- Always visible when you need it

Basically:

"Capture thoughts instantly, without breaking focus."

Download (Mac):

Appstore

\---

Still improving it — would love any feedback 🙏

https://redd.it/1szt3d4
@macappsbackup

ClickClack 3.6.3: Deep Accuracy Analytics, NGram Core Mastery, and Precision UI Tools ⌨️🚀

https://redd.it/1szvona
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[MacOS] R.A.D. Weather for Mac - Multi-source forecasts, model confidence, RAD Atlas, and widgets

https://redd.it/1szxm0r
@macappsbackup