Default Apps
This is fun. Lots of bloggers have started posting lists of their “Default Apps”, inspired by a Hemispheric Views podcast episode. I use tons of apps, so I’ll start with the main ones, and maybe expand more later.
Importantly, I keep my personal and work environments separate, so I have two lists below for those apps. I use some different apps on mobile vs. desktop, so I have a mobile section below too. Enjoy!
Personal Desktop
- 🌐 Browser: Arc
- 📨 Mail: Apple Mail
- 📮 Mail Server: IMAP
- 📝 Notes: Bear
- ✅ To-Do: Apple Reminders
- 📆 Calendar: Calendar 366
- 🗂️ File Manager: ForkLift
- 🖥️ Terminal: iTerm
- 📖 RSS: Unread
- 🔐 Password Manager: 1Password
- 🛒 Shopping Lists: AnyList
- 👨🏽💼 Contacts: Apple Contacts + Contacts Sync for Google Gmail
- 📑 Read Later: GoodLinks
- 🔖 Bookmarks: Raindrop
- 🌆 Photo Management: Apple Photos for iPhone photos, RAW Power for Camera photos
- 💬 Chat: Apple Messages & Discord
- 🎵 Music: YouTube Music for Streaming, Music.app for CD Rips and Lossless Downloads
- 📄 Writing: Drafts
- 🎨 Image Editing: Pixelmator Pro
- 💰 Personal Finance: Quicken for Mac
- 💾 Backup: Backblaze
- 📁 Cloud File Storage: Google Drive
Work Desktop
- 🌐 Browser: Chrome
- 📝 Notes: Notion
- ✅ To-Do: Notion
- 📆 Calendar: Google Calendar
- 💬 Chat: Slack & WeChat
- 📊 Presentation: Keynote & PowerPoint
- 📈 Spreadsheet: Google Sheets & Numbers
- 📄 Documents: Notion
- 🧑🏻💻 Editor: Visual Studio Code
- 💼 Source Control (Git): Fork
- 📁 Cloud File Storage: Google Drive & Box
Desktop Utilities
- 📦 Shipment Tracker: Aftership
- 📎 Clipboard Manager: PasteBot
- 📚 Image Stash: Gladys
- 🌐 Browser Chooser: Bumpr
- 🪄 Launcher: Alfred
- 📉 System Stats: iStats Menus
- 🎧 Bluetooth Audio Manager: ToothFairy
- 🛜 Network Monitor: Little Snitch
- 🗃️ File Decompression: The Unarchiver
- 📺 Display Settings: BetterDisplay
- 🪟 App Window Layout: Moom
Mobile & Tablet
- 🌐 Browser: Safari & Firefox Focus
- 📨 Mail: Apple Mail
- 📝 Notes: Bear & Notability (with iPad Pencil)
- ✅ To-Do: Reminders
- 📆 Calendar: Calendar 366
- 📸 Camera: Halide
- 🌆 Photo Editing: Photomator
- 🔖 Bookmarks: Raindrop
- 🧮 Calculator: PCalc
- 🔐 Passwords: 1Password
- 📖 RSS: Unread
- 📑 Read Later: GoodLinks
- 📚 Image Stash: Gladys
- 📄 Writing: Drafts
- 🧑🏻💻 Editor: Runestone
- 🌤️ Weather: Apple Weather & Windy
- 🎵 Music: YouTube Music
- 🎤 Podcasts: Overcast
- 🛒 Shopping List: AnyList
- 🍻 Habit Tracker: Productive
- 🛋️ Home Automation: Home+
- 💬 Chat: Apple Messages, WeChat, Facebook Messenger, Discord
- 👩🏽💻 Social: Mastodon via Mona
- 🖥️ Terminal: ShellFish
- 🏃🏻♂️ Health & Fitness: Happy Scale, Sleep Cycle, Pedometer++, Oak
- 💼 Source Control (Git): Working Copy
- ✈️ VPN: AdGuard VPN