Essential Mac apps
If you’re like me, you’ll spend a lot of time on your Mac. It’s probably the place you get things done and organise everything. You need the right apps to help it run smoothly. These are the ones I’ve come to rely on.
CleanMyMac
This app will clear out the junk on your drive, giving you a fresh and faster device. It also helps you improve performance, with malware and optimisation checks. My favourite feature is a handy uninstaller for all apps.
It keeps your Mac running smoothly.
It’s natural to be a bit worried about this one. Like a password manager, you’re giving it a lot of responsibility. What if it deletes something important?
All I can say is that I’ve been using this app for over a decade and have never had an issue. In fact, while writing this I checked my activation email and it was back in 2010.
CleanMyMac is particularly effective if you have an older machine. Regular use can help keep things running smoothly. It’s simple, once a week or so you run a scan and it detects and removes anything unnecessary. By this, I mean things like duplicates, downloads and logs. The things that aren’t needed and clog up your Mac over time.
I like the way this app just sits in the background. Clicking on the shortcut in my menu bar, I can immediately see key information relating to memory use, battery status and connected devices. I can also use the intuitive menus to open the full app or start scanning or uninstalling.
Three easy things you can do with CleanMyMac:
Quickly remove the junk slowing down your machine
Fully uninstall any unwanted apps
Optimise performance to keep things quick
You can buy CleanMyMac outright or take out a yearly subscription. It’s also available as part of the Setapp package. This is a Mac app subscription service, and I’ll explain more about that at the end of this post.
Bartender
A simple but effective app. It gives you full control of your menu bar. You can now set it up the way you need it.
This is one of those very special apps that solves an obvious problem.
If you’re using a Mac, particularly a MacBook with a smaller screen, the menu bar at the top can become a bit crowded. Developers naturally like their apps to be up there, giving you a shortcut or helpful information. It’s easy for it to become cluttered though, and start disappearing off the screen.
Bartender allows you to set it up just how you need it. Essentially, you can either hide the shortcuts you don’t find important or quickly expand the menu at the push of a button.
Right now, I have around four essential app shortcuts I use all the time. The rest are only revealed when I hit the Bartender button, that neatly sits next to them. It’s easy to set up and I love how it makes my life on my Mac a lot easier.
Three easy things you can do with Bartender:
Customise your menu bar
Save space on your screen
Quickly make changes and adjustments
If you’re interested, they offer a free trial. If you like what you see, several options are available if you want to own it. Bartender is also part of the Setapp package.
iStat Menus
See what’s going on in your machine. This app gives you so much information and feedback. CPU and memory use are just the start.
You can keep track of everything with handy displays in your menu bar.
It’s simple, when you first set it up, you select what you want to keep an eye on. You’ll get real-time displays and notifications are available if you need them. For example, if your internet connection goes down or your CPU runs hot for an extended time, you can react to it.
I find iStat Menus particularly useful on older devices. You can quickly spot which apps are struggling and quickly react to memory and storage shortfalls.
It’s also up to you how you set it up. As well as system data, it can also display the time and give you weather updates in the menu bar. I think it works perfectly with the Bartender app, as mine fills the extended menu.
I’m sure you’ll find yourself just browsing through all these graphs and displays when you first start using it. It’s a really handy app to just leave on in the background and dive in when you have time.
Three easy things you can do with iStat Menus:
Quickly see how your Mac is performing
Get the data you find helpful
Spot potential problems
iStat Menus can be purchased directly from the developer or the Mac App store. It’s also part of the Setapp package.
Charmstone
A simple and effective app. It gives you a helpful menu and shortcuts to launch essential apps. You can set it up exactly how you need it.
It’s perfect if your dock has become a bit crowded.
You’re likely to have more apps installed on your device than you can fit in the dock or in the menu bar. This is the solution. You select the apps you need, and then you can either enjoy a neat drop-down from the menu bar or set a keyboard shortcut to bring up a handy launcher on-screen.
Charmstone is particularly useful if you only use certain apps for specific tasks. For example, if you shoot video and use several apps to create and edit. With this app, you can quickly access them together and save space on your main dock.
It’s really easy to use. You’ll probably forget it’s there, but that’s the whole point. I’ve tried a lot of these launcher apps, but this one works for me. It doesn’t try to do too much and it’s neat and practical.
Charmstone can really improve your workflow. Switching between tasks and apps is easy and I often find I forget about some apps if they’re buried away in a folder.
Three easy things you can do with Charmstone:
Quickly launch the apps you need
Save space in your dock
Ensure great apps aren’t forgotten
Charmstone is available on the Mac App store for a nice price. It’s worth a look.
Aldente
An essential app if you have a MacBook. This one helps you keep your battery in great condition by limiting overcharging. If you use your MacBook plugged in for long periods, you can degrade the battery. Batteries last longer when they are charged between 20% and 80%.
This app takes care of your battery behind the scenes.
Using this app, you can set the charge level and stop charging beyond a certain point. It even lets you automatically discharge when you need to. Advance options include heat protection and calibration.
Al Dente is easy to set up and you can then relax while it does its thing in the background. It certainly gives me peace of mind.
Like others on this list, it feels like an app your Mac should have shipped with. It’s so useful, and I’m certain it will extend the lifespan of my MacBook.
If you’re like me, your MacBook will get a lot of use. This makes the decision to use this app very easy. While the advanced options may not be essential for some people, I’d carefully consider the basics here.
Three easy things you can do with AlDente:
Keep your MacBook battery in great condition
Set it up to suit you
Get warnings when something needs your attention
The basic version of this app is free, with the option to subscribe or fully purchase the one with advanced features. It’s also available as part of the Setapp package.
Magnet
Would you like to snap your windows into place like you do on a PC? This is where you move a minimised window to the side of the screen, and it locks in place filling half of it. It can be really helpful.
This app unlocks a simple feature that’s missing on your Mac.
Magnet is a great example of a simple and effective app that solves a clear problem. It’s perfect for someone who uses a PC at work, as they are likely to instinctively move minimised windows to the side and expect something to happen.
Like a lot of apps on this list, you can set it up just how you need it. Open windows can be set to open full-screen, or at the left, right, top and bottom. It really helps when you’re working hard.
If moving isn’t enough, you can set up keyboard shortcuts. I find it’s particularly helpful when working on smaller MacBook screens.
Three easy things you can do with Magnet:
Quickly snap your windows into place
Open things full-screen when you need to
Set up keyboard shortcuts
Magnet is available on the Mac App store. It’s worth a look.
Alfred
This one can really change the way you use your Mac. It’s based around a text interface that offers a welcome alternative to the Spotlight search bar. You can also set up handy hotkeys and automations.
It makes life on your Mac a lot easier.
I like the way you can use the interface to quickly launch apps and find files. Alfred has been on all my Macs for over nine years, and it’s one of those apps that’s just there. I’d be lost without it, but I rarely notice it. It just does its thing in the background.
You’ll like the way you can set it up exactly the way you need it. If you’re like me, Alfred will be a helpful navigation tool. If you’re more adventurous though, you can explore the automations. These allow you to launch multiple apps, links and files with a hotkey of your choice.
You get control over your workflow with Alfred. There’s even an iOS remote app available. Using your phone, you can have everything ready and waiting when you get to your desk.
Like I said, I’m sure most people will forget Alfred is there. I’m also sure they’d quickly notice if it was removed though.
Three easy things you can do with Alfred:
Quickly find everything you need
Effortlessly launch things
Set up handy automations
The basic version of Alfred is available for free. If you want more features, you can buy the ‘Powerpack’ that unlocks everything.
So, those are the Mac apps I use to make my life easier. As I said at the start, I also recommend a lot more apps here on the site that you can reach via the links below.
Like all my Essential Apps posts, I’ll keep this one updated with anything else I find, so please keep checking back.
The Setapp service I mentioned gives you access to range of Mac apps, and selected iOS versions, for a monthly subscription. It’s something I use and I’ve included it in my post, Essential digital services >
Finally, as I always like to remind people at the end of posts like these, I don’t take part in any affiliate schemes. I recommend these apps and services because I use them and I honestly think they’ll help you.