Apps I am not uninstalling



It’s been some time since my last post. Not because I haven’t continued testing nearly every app on the planet. I’ve simply been a little busy when it comes to checking in.

Quite a few apps have found their way onto my Mac recently. Some are new discoveries, while others have convinced me to change direction and replace apps I’d been using for years. Most importantly, these are apps I’ve actually kept installed, which, if you know me, is already quite an endorsement.

# Mole ($19,00) and Burrow (free)

My favourite recent discovery is still Mole, which I briefly mentioned in my previous post. Many people first came across Mole as a Terminal-based tool, and that’s where I initially fell in love with it. When I discovered that it was also available as a standalone app, I couldn’t have been happier.

Mole makes removing apps and all the little files they leave behind quick and painless. The standalone version does come at a cost, but a free alternative called Burrow has also appeared. Burrow is packed with functionality and, on paper, may even offer more. I really wanted it to become my first choice, but it feels slightly slower on my Mac, almost as though it’s lagging behind the task.

That small performance difference has kept me firmly with Mole. For now, it remains my uninstaller of choice.

# FaceGate (free) and Face Unlock (free)

FaceGate is one of those rare apps that immediately landed on my must-have list. In fact, it feels like something Apple should have included with macOS from the beginning.

It allows you to lock sensitive applications behind facial recognition, Touch ID or a secure password. Everything is processed on the device, with no telemetry, which makes perfect sense for an app designed around privacy.

Installation is smooth, and the facial recognition feels much like using Face ID on an iPhone. Within a few minutes, your chosen apps are protected—and it’s completely free.

I enjoyed it so much that I contacted the developer to ask whether they might consider creating something similar for folders, or perhaps even for unlocking the Mac after it wakes from sleep. As someone who genuinely loves the app, I’d happily pay for those features.

I also tested a similar app called Face Unlock, which focuses on the Mac’s lock screen. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get it working. It didn’t have quite the same polished installation or overall appeal as FaceGate, although I suspect my problem may have been an incorrect installation rather than a lack of functionality.

# EasyDMG (Free)

For years, I’ve relied on third-party apps to handle DMG installations. I used RapidDMG for a long time and, more recently, discovered that Supercharge could do much the same thing.

Pure curiosity led me to try EasyDMG. At its core, it handles DMG files in a similar way: you double-click, and the installation is taken care of for you. The feature that really stood out to me, however, is its ability to install unsigned applications when you specifically choose to allow them.

I’ve been a happy Sentinel user for a long time and still absolutely love it. Even so, there’s something wonderfully convenient about simply opening a DMG and letting one app handle the entire process.

EasyDMG is simple, useful and free which makes it very easy to recommend and, ironically, well worth paying for.

# Sxitch (free & Paid)

I’ve always been drawn to quick launchers, so when **Sxitch** appeared, I was curious to see what it could offer that the many existing launchers didn’t.

Its promise is that every app is just one key away, and it genuinely delivers on that idea. The learning curve is gentle, the interface is attractive, and it appears neatly in

the middle of the screen as an alternative to the traditional Dock.

It should be particularly appealing to anyone who prefers keyboard shortcuts over old-school navigation. I currently have it installed and am genuinely enjoying playing with it.

Will it still be on my Mac a year from now? I can’t promise that. Not because it isn’t a beautiful or clever app, but because I’m currently completely fixated on all the new ways of customising the Dock. For now, though, Sxitch has earned its place.

# Ikuna (starts at €9.00 a month)

I was delighted when the developer of **Ikuna** reached out to me. I’d been using Stay for a long time and had tried several free alternatives, but none of them quite gave me what I was looking for. Some interesting paid versions never seem to have a demo, and I'm often very reluctant to invest money in a claim rather than testing.

Ikuna came much closer. It saves each project as a complete workspace, including your apps, browser tabs, windows, layouts and Focus Mode and can restore everything in just a few seconds. If you’re already a Stay user, Ikuna should immediately make sense. It offers a great deal of functionality and is beautifully put together.

In truth, some of that functionality is probably wasted on me because I don’t change workspaces very often. But for managing my daily setup and placing my windows exactly where I need them, it has been excellent. I’ve since moved from Shift to Ikuna, and it now looks after my everyday workspace.

# Notcho Libre

Finally, there’s **Notcho Libre**. I have to admit that its name may be the most frustrating thing about it; no amount of Googling seemed to help me find the app again. I’m very glad I stumbled across it in the first place.

I have never liked the notch on the newer MacBook screens. For a long time, I used a free App Store app to hide it, but during the past couple of years I began experiencing irritating signature and installation failures.

When Notcho Libre crossed my path, I was keen to see whether it might solve the problem. I’m happy to report that, so far, it has done exactly that.

It appears to use a different method to disguise the notch, and I no longer have to stare at that awkward interruption at the top of the screen. It’s a small improvement, perhaps, but one that makes using my Mac noticeably more pleasant, and those are often my favourite kinds of apps.

Some of the app's I install after every format and Mac should come with this as default:
DockDoor Pro (The Dock the way I want it), Extradock (Many dock's all over my screen the way I want it), Supercharge (The App that does everything), dockflow (Why is Mac still not adding this as a default app), Menu bar spacing (another Sindre Sorhus original), Dropover (often copied, never equalled)

I was also planning to include a list of software I’ve upgraded, replaced or simply changed my mind about, but this post has already become a little longer than expected.

I’ll save those for the next one, which, hopefully, will be coming much sooner.





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Edit: Below is the price in EUR/DOLLAR after discount!

Prices after discount

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