Recommended Apps
The tools I rely on to stay focused and get more done - hand-picked, not sponsored roundups.
Menu bar
Alcove
Brings the iPhone's Dynamic Island to your Mac's menu bar - turns notifications, now-playing, and AirPods battery into slick animated widgets.
Utility
Amphetamine
A free menu bar utility that keeps your Mac (and its display) awake on demand or on a schedule - handy for downloads, renders, or screen shares.
Menu bar
Bartender
Takes control of your menu bar - hides, reorders, and groups icons so only what you need stays visible.
Mac cleanup
CleanMyMac
An all-in-one Mac cleaner that clears out junk, frees up storage, and keeps your system running smoothly.
Screenshots
CleanShot X
A polished screenshot and screen recording tool with annotation, scrolling capture, and instant cloud sharing built in.
Docs & notes
Craft
A beautifully designed docs and notes app for writing, planning, and organising your work - fast, and a joy to use.
Browser
Dia Browser
An AI-native browser from the makers of Arc - ask it questions, summarise pages, and get work done straight from the address bar.
Video downloads
Downie
Downloads video (and audio) from over a thousand sites with a single click or a dragged-in link.
Notes export
Exporter
Exports your Apple Notes to markdown or HTML - great for getting notes into your AI projects as clean markdown files.
Calendar
Fantastical
A calendar and tasks app that understands natural language - type "lunch with Sarah at 1pm tomorrow" and it just works.
Focus timer
FocusPomo
A minimalist Pomodoro timer that rewards every focus session with a tiny tomato - simple, satisfying, and great for building consistency.
Meetings & notes
Granola
An AI notepad for meetings - it listens in, transcribes, and turns your rough notes into clean, shareable summaries.
Focus
HazeOver
Dims every window except the one you're working in, so your focus stays exactly where it should.
Media conversion
Permute
A drag-and-drop media converter for video, audio, and images that handles just about any format you throw at it.
Productivity
Raycast
A fast, extendable replacement for Spotlight - launch apps, run extensions, and control your Mac without touching the mouse.
Read-it-later
Reader
A read-it-later app built for power readers - pulls articles, PDFs, newsletters, and RSS feeds into one clean, distraction-free inbox.
Color picker
Sip
A color picker and palette manager for designers and developers - pick, organise, and share colors in seconds.
Habit tracker
Streaks
A simple habit tracker that turns daily tasks into streaks - track up to 24 habits with reminders, widgets, and Apple Watch support.
Task manager
Superlist
A modern to-do list and planner from the creators of Wunderlist - tasks, notes, and projects in one clean, collaborative app.
Voice dictation
SuperWhisper
AI voice dictation for Mac and iPhone - offline or cloud transcription that types straight into any app.
Task manager
Things 3
An elegant, Apple Design Award-winning to-do app for planning your day, projects, and goals - simple on the surface, powerful underneath.
Task manager
TickTick
An all-in-one to-do list, calendar, habit tracker, and Pomodoro timer that keeps your tasks and your time in one place.
Voice dictation
Willow Voice
AI voice dictation for Mac and iPhone - speak naturally and it types polished, ready-to-send text straight into any app.
20% off for 12 months (redeem on the Mac app, syncs to iOS)
FEELPRODUCTIVE20
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you sign up or buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you - it helps support the channel. I only feature apps I genuinely use.