Install 10 must-have Mac apps first

Main points

• Got a new Mac? Here is a list of apps you should install first.
• I installed all of these apps, including Magnet, which allows me to easily organize my screen for maximum efficiency across multiple monitors.
• I also use the Bear app because it offers more features than the standard Notes app. Read on to learn about 8 other must-have Mac apps.

For most people, the biggest benefit of investing in a Mac is that you don’t have to worry too much about anything going on behind the scenes. Whether it’s a desktop or laptop, the convenience of easy connectivity to all your Apple devices is worth the price. In most cases, you can just plug it in and enjoy a hassle-free experience. That said, if you want to get the most out of your Mac and be as efficient and productive as possible, the default apps and programs just won’t cut it.

Like the best iPhone apps, installing and using new apps on your Mac is a breeze. It’s as painless as possible, leaving only the question of which apps you need to look for. The app stores are filled with free and paid apps, and if you want to pick diamonds in the rough, it’s basically a full-time job. For someone like me who lives and works on a Mac, these are the first apps I download whenever I upgrade to a new device.

1 magnet

keep everything in place

Whether you’re using a single or multiple monitor setup, we all have dozens of tabs and windows open at the same time. Your screen real estate is always at a premium, and if you want to have multiple windows open then you’re going to have to organize them to prevent them from overlapping. Windows has a handy feature where you can segment windows easily, but Mac doesn’t do this by default.

Magnet is the best organizational app you can buy for $5. It lets you easily split your screen into halves, thirds, and quarters, among many other variations. In a world that requires multitasking, this feature is crucial to staying productive. It can run on up to six connected monitors, which should be enough for your needs.

2 Bear

Continue the task

I think it’s safe to say that we have collectively stopped taking notes with pen and paper. Compared to our Macs, this is wasteful, messy, and inconvenient. A standard note-taking app is available, but once you experience the advanced note-taking app, you won’t be able to go back.

Bear is designed to be easy to use, yet much more feature-rich than Notes. You can create to-do lists, tag your notes with tags and topics to organize them, and even draw or include pictures in your notes. You can get as detailed or as simple as you want, but either way, the app keeps things user-friendly so you’re not spending more time creating your to-do list than completing it. There is a free version to test out, as well as a pro-level subscription that gives you more flexibility and options.

3 Spotify

Excellent music application

Apple will try to push the Apple Music app to every Mac you own, and while it’s not a bad music player by any means, it can’t compare to Spotify. For the sheer number of songs, options, and features, it’s no wonder this app has become the go-to music player for just about everyone. You may already have it installed on your mobile device, so sync it with your Mac and keep playing music.

Whether you’re working or playing, turning on some background music can help you avoid going crazy with the silence. Or worse, if you need to drown out loud distractions, Spotify has a great selection of music and podcasts and comes with tons of features. If you don’t mind ads, you can continue using the free version or upgrade to premium to get ad-free and unlimited skips.

4 Chrome alloy

Just as a backup

Unless you’re a Windows user switching to a Mac, you probably know that Safari is an amazing browser. It’s designed specifically for Mac, which means it won’t slow you down and integrates seamlessly with your other Apple technology. However, for some reason, there are still some websites that are not optimized for Safari users and may even malfunction.

Using Chrome as a backup is necessary when a specific website doesn’t work properly on Safari. Just download Chrome and keep it on your desktop until you need it.

Just a touch

Whether you’re using a mouse, Touch Bar, or trackpad, one of the coolest features your Mac has to offer is the variety of gestures you can use. Depending on your swipe, you can perform several simple actions. But what if you could create your own gesture shortcuts to do anything you want?

BetterTouchTool fulfills this desire. By setting up a gesture, you can assign it to perform any function you want, such as opening a specific app, closing a window, or almost any other function. If you find yourself performing something frequently and want to simplify it, this app will change the way you interact with your Mac forever.

6 dark noise

eliminate interference

If music is too distracting but you need something to occupy your ears, some soothing ambient sounds might be just what the doctor ordered. We’re not all lucky enough to be working at a lake or in a tent during a light rain, but dark noise can at least give you the illusion.

In addition to the vast array of ambient sounds, you can also choose to listen to colored noises, which are said to increase productivity. The free version only includes eight sounds, but you can subscribe to the pro version to get access to over 50 sounds and the ability to mix multiple sounds together to create your own perfect soundscape.

7 transfer

Never be locked out

It feels like every website we visit requires a login. Between emails, apps, and various accounts, my brain sometimes has trouble keeping track of everything. Thanks to Shift, I can take all the mental load off and let it do the remembering. That alone is worthy of being on the list, but Shift does a lot more than that.

Once you link all your accounts to Shift, it consolidates everything into one organized window. All my various email accounts, apps, etc. in one place. It even allows me to search all connected accounts so I don’t have to sift through each account individually to find calendar meetings I need to update.

8 NorthVPN

be safe

Like many of the apps I’ve listed, this one is not just for Mac users, but for anyone who values ​​their privacy. This is especially true if you’re using a laptop, but it’s equally important for desktop users. Data thieves and hackers are everywhere, looking for ways to get their hands on your data, and VPNs are by far our best defense against them.

NordVPN is my personal choice among many VPNs, and here’s why. First, it’s very easy to use. It literally only takes a few clicks to change my location to anywhere in the world. Other than that, I couldn’t notice any performance difference when using it. Oh, and as an added bonus, it lets you watch shows on streaming services like Netflix that aren’t available in your area, which is a nice bonus.

9 Amphetamine

don’t fall asleep

Just look at this awkward name and you might find a simple but useful application here. Unless you use your Mac a lot, it will eventually go into rest mode to save power, right? That’s all well and good, but if you’re downloading something like a large game and want to do other things while it’s downloading, you’re in trouble because your Mac going to sleep will interrupt anything that’s running or downloading .

By using Amphetamine (app!) you can make sure your Mac never goes to sleep when you don’t want it to. You can simply toggle it to stay awake until you turn it off, set a timer, or activate it only when a file is downloading or an app is running, among many other specific scenarios. It can be as straightforward or comprehensive as you need.

10 Dropbox

Sharing is caring

Especially in workspaces, having a unified file sharing system simplifies everything. Both PC and Mac have their own cloud storage solutions, but Dropbox is platform-agnostic and works perfectly on all devices. Even if you don’t need it for work, it’s smart to back up your files in an application like Dropbox to ensure you can easily access them in the future, no matter what computer you use.