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
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
mole.fit
Mole · Native Mac utility for cleanup, software, and status
Native macOS app for reviewing and cleaning caches, managing apps, maintaining the system, analyzing disk space, checking live status, and seeing key metrics in the menu bar.
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.
https://redd.it/1vapsmm
@macappsbackup
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.
https://redd.it/1vapsmm
@macappsbackup
Ikuna
Ikuna: Focus intelligence & context manager for macOS
See how you actually focus. The context manager for Mac, patterns revealed, context rebuilt in under 3 seconds. Ikuna Pro, €9/mo.
[OS] Blankie: a free, open-source ambient sound mixer for Mac (no subscription, no IAPs)
https://redd.it/1vaqw4s
@macappsbackup
https://redd.it/1vaqw4s
@macappsbackup
Anybody having issues with seeing cloud drives on Bloom App?
I am on Tahoe 26.6, bloom Version 1.5.36 (210), google drive Version: 129.0.1.0 (Intel) (File Provider).
I haven't used bloom for a while, i started it up today and my google drive and dropbox connections are not showing. The previous "recent" files which where in drive still show up but clicking on them says the file/folder is missing and asks if I want to remove it from the sidebar.
Did something change or is this on my machine only?
thanks.
https://redd.it/1vasnod
@macappsbackup
I am on Tahoe 26.6, bloom Version 1.5.36 (210), google drive Version: 129.0.1.0 (Intel) (File Provider).
I haven't used bloom for a while, i started it up today and my google drive and dropbox connections are not showing. The previous "recent" files which where in drive still show up but clicking on them says the file/folder is missing and asks if I want to remove it from the sidebar.
Did something change or is this on my machine only?
thanks.
https://redd.it/1vasnod
@macappsbackup
Reddit
From the macapps community on Reddit
Explore this post and more from the macapps community
[macOS] PrimeTask is out now: offline project management and CRM, one-time purchase
https://redd.it/1vau2vl
@macappsbackup
https://redd.it/1vau2vl
@macappsbackup
Reddit
From the macapps community on Reddit: [macOS] PrimeTask is out now: offline project management and CRM, one-time purchase
Explore this post and more from the macapps community
Tidyshot - auto-renames and sorts your screenshots in the background (big summer update)
https://redd.it/1vav2xp
@macappsbackup
https://redd.it/1vav2xp
@macappsbackup
CremaStudio: pro photo editing (layers, masks, RAW) without a Creative Cloud subscription
https://redd.it/1vaz8un
@macappsbackup
https://redd.it/1vaz8un
@macappsbackup
Reddit
From the macapps community on Reddit: CremaStudio: pro photo editing (layers, masks, RAW) without a Creative Cloud subscription
Explore this post and more from the macapps community
Need User feedback on Fluent
Fluent app is currently on sale (25% OFF Indieappsale) and I am planning to buy a personal license (+ Trickster)
Can any of the current users share your feedbacks/experiences about it?
Edit: Below is the price in EUR/DOLLAR after discount!
Prices after discount
https://redd.it/1vb4bwb
@macappsbackup
Fluent app is currently on sale (25% OFF Indieappsale) and I am planning to buy a personal license (+ Trickster)
Can any of the current users share your feedbacks/experiences about it?
Edit: Below is the price in EUR/DOLLAR after discount!
Prices after discount
https://redd.it/1vb4bwb
@macappsbackup
Fluent
Fluent – AI Assistant for Every Mac App
A native, context-aware AI assistant for macOS that works in every app — with your choice of AI models, MCP integrations, on-device memory (RAG), and multi-model AI Councils.
DNSShift: manage your Cloudflare domains and DNS from a native Mac app, no subscription
https://redd.it/1vb46ba
@macappsbackup
https://redd.it/1vb46ba
@macappsbackup
Reddit
From the macapps community on Reddit: DNSShift: manage your Cloudflare domains and DNS from a native Mac app, no subscription
Explore this post and more from the macapps community
Bibliome Library: a native macOS PDF librarian with fully on-device AI, no cloud
Hey r/MacApps, wanted to share something I built after getting fed up with my own mess of PDFs.
I had thousands of them scattered across folders, papers, manuals, contracts, receipts with zero structure and no real way to search inside them. Spotlight could guess at filenames, but it had no idea what was actually written on any given page. Bibliome is my answer to that: a native macOS app that reads, organizes, and lets you talk to your PDF library, entirely on your own machine.
What it does:
Bibliome scans a folder of PDFs and automatically sorts them by what they actually are, like a research paper, a manual, an invoice, without you touching a tag or writing a rule. It learns the categories from your own collection instead of forcing a fixed taxonomy on it.
The centerpiece is Ask Your Library: type a plain-English question like "what's the warranty on my espresso machine," and Bibliome finds the right document and jumps you straight to the page that answers it. That's backed by semantic search across the full text of your library, not just filenames or keywords.
There's also a redaction tool for stripping names, addresses, and other PII out of a document before you send it, and a free iOS/iPadOS companion so you can browse and search the same library from your phone, synced through your own iCloud account, never a third-party server.
All of the AI in Bibliome, including categorization, semantic search, and Ask Your Library, runs locally, either through Apple's on-device model or a bundled Llama 3.1 model (Built with Llama). The Mac app has no network entitlement in its sandbox, so there's no cloud call it could make even if it wanted to.
Problem:
Most Mac PDF tools either want you to do the organizing yourself (folders, tags, rules) or hand your documents to a cloud service to get any real intelligence out of them. I wanted something that did the organizing for me, without my documents ever leaving my Mac.
I understand this app is not for everyone! It's solving a specific problem that exists, which is that there aren't offline PDF librarian apps with real on-device AI built in. It requires an AI model, but not everyone wants to send their data to even a trusted partner, think lawyers, and others who have confidentiality agreements that cannot be breached under any circumstances, even a leak by a frontier company.
Comparison:
\- vs DEVONthink ($99-199): far more powerful as a general-purpose information manager, but it asks you to build out your own database and rules. Bibliome does the categorizing for you.
\- vs EagleFiler ($69.99): a great filing cabinet, but still manual filing. Bibliome reads and sorts the documents itself.
\- vs Zotero/Mendeley: built specifically for academic citations, not a manual or a receipt.
\- vs PDFgear (free): also has AI features, but they run through the cloud. Bibliome's stay entirely on-device.
I got a nice writeup here:
https://www.scoringnotes.com/news/from-chaos-to-clarity-bibliome-library-files-your-hoard-of-pdfs/
Pricing: $29.99 one time for the Mac app. The iOS/iPadOS companion is free.
Mac App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bibliome-library/id6786826590?mt=12
iOS App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bibliome/id6782099149
This is a new app for me, so if you try it and hit something rough, I'd genuinely like to hear about it, and if it's useful, a review on the App Store goes a long way for something this small.
The faster on-device answers (the new Fast mode) need macOS 26 (Tahoe) or iOS 26 with Apple Intelligence turned on. The app itself runs fine on older versions using the bundled model either
Hey r/MacApps, wanted to share something I built after getting fed up with my own mess of PDFs.
I had thousands of them scattered across folders, papers, manuals, contracts, receipts with zero structure and no real way to search inside them. Spotlight could guess at filenames, but it had no idea what was actually written on any given page. Bibliome is my answer to that: a native macOS app that reads, organizes, and lets you talk to your PDF library, entirely on your own machine.
What it does:
Bibliome scans a folder of PDFs and automatically sorts them by what they actually are, like a research paper, a manual, an invoice, without you touching a tag or writing a rule. It learns the categories from your own collection instead of forcing a fixed taxonomy on it.
The centerpiece is Ask Your Library: type a plain-English question like "what's the warranty on my espresso machine," and Bibliome finds the right document and jumps you straight to the page that answers it. That's backed by semantic search across the full text of your library, not just filenames or keywords.
There's also a redaction tool for stripping names, addresses, and other PII out of a document before you send it, and a free iOS/iPadOS companion so you can browse and search the same library from your phone, synced through your own iCloud account, never a third-party server.
All of the AI in Bibliome, including categorization, semantic search, and Ask Your Library, runs locally, either through Apple's on-device model or a bundled Llama 3.1 model (Built with Llama). The Mac app has no network entitlement in its sandbox, so there's no cloud call it could make even if it wanted to.
Problem:
Most Mac PDF tools either want you to do the organizing yourself (folders, tags, rules) or hand your documents to a cloud service to get any real intelligence out of them. I wanted something that did the organizing for me, without my documents ever leaving my Mac.
I understand this app is not for everyone! It's solving a specific problem that exists, which is that there aren't offline PDF librarian apps with real on-device AI built in. It requires an AI model, but not everyone wants to send their data to even a trusted partner, think lawyers, and others who have confidentiality agreements that cannot be breached under any circumstances, even a leak by a frontier company.
Comparison:
\- vs DEVONthink ($99-199): far more powerful as a general-purpose information manager, but it asks you to build out your own database and rules. Bibliome does the categorizing for you.
\- vs EagleFiler ($69.99): a great filing cabinet, but still manual filing. Bibliome reads and sorts the documents itself.
\- vs Zotero/Mendeley: built specifically for academic citations, not a manual or a receipt.
\- vs PDFgear (free): also has AI features, but they run through the cloud. Bibliome's stay entirely on-device.
I got a nice writeup here:
https://www.scoringnotes.com/news/from-chaos-to-clarity-bibliome-library-files-your-hoard-of-pdfs/
Pricing: $29.99 one time for the Mac app. The iOS/iPadOS companion is free.
Mac App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bibliome-library/id6786826590?mt=12
iOS App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bibliome/id6782099149
This is a new app for me, so if you try it and hit something rough, I'd genuinely like to hear about it, and if it's useful, a review on the App Store goes a long way for something this small.
The faster on-device answers (the new Fast mode) need macOS 26 (Tahoe) or iOS 26 with Apple Intelligence turned on. The app itself runs fine on older versions using the bundled model either
Scoring Notes
From chaos to clarity: Bibliome Library files your hoard of PDFs - Scoring Notes
Bibliome is a new Mac app that files, OCRs, and answers questions about your PDF score library with on-device AI.
way.
https://preview.redd.it/u9we9t5l1ggh1.png?width=2880&format=png&auto=webp&s=37f6f8cf511a2c1dc899a76a2d9469e7c3d9137c
Changelist:
I just sent the latest build in for review, so it should be available shortly. Changes include clear guidance on how to use the app, as I understand the settings need to be addressed 1st, this will be in the next version. I also added a button to switch from Fast to Detailed for "Ask My Library" (on board Apple Intelligence vs Llama).
AI:
Bibliome's on-device AI (categorization, semantic search, Ask Your Library) is real and central to what it does. It runs on Apple's on-device model when available, or a bundled Llama 3.1 model (Built with Llama) otherwise, no cloud calls, ever.
https://redd.it/1vb8i8r
@macappsbackup
https://preview.redd.it/u9we9t5l1ggh1.png?width=2880&format=png&auto=webp&s=37f6f8cf511a2c1dc899a76a2d9469e7c3d9137c
Changelist:
I just sent the latest build in for review, so it should be available shortly. Changes include clear guidance on how to use the app, as I understand the settings need to be addressed 1st, this will be in the next version. I also added a button to switch from Fast to Detailed for "Ask My Library" (on board Apple Intelligence vs Llama).
AI:
Bibliome's on-device AI (categorization, semantic search, Ask Your Library) is real and central to what it does. It runs on Apple's on-device model when available, or a bundled Llama 3.1 model (Built with Llama) otherwise, no cloud calls, ever.
https://redd.it/1vb8i8r
@macappsbackup
