Five Mac Apps Worth Checking Out - July 2020 - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Five Mac Apps Worth Checking Out - July 2020

Apps created for Macs don't typically receive as much coverage as apps designed for iPhones and iPads, so we crated a series here at MacRumors to highlight interesting Mac apps worth checking out. This month's apps focus on productivity and feature great tools for working from home.

  • Twobird (Free) - Twobird is an email app from the makers of Notability that's designed to integrate with Gmail accounts, adding tools for creating notes, setting reminders, and collaborating with others on notes and tasks. Twobird is basically an all-in-one app that merges list making, note taking, email management, and more, and it's worth checking out for those who like multi-function apps.
  • Rectangle (Free) - Rectangle is an app for moving and resizing macOS windows using keyboard shortcuts and snap to align functionality. It's a free, lightweight app that's ideal for managing multiple windows on your Mac.
  • Silicio (Free) - Silicio adds a mini player with album art and a Today Center widget for controlling music that's playing on the Mac. It works with iTunes, the Apple Music app, Spotify, and more, providing customizable themes, sizes, and shortcuts along with Touch Bar integration.
  • Bumpr ($2.99) - Bumpr is a simple Mac app that's designed to choose where to open links when you click them. If, for example, you click on a web link, Bumpr pops up a menu displaying all of your installed browsers so you can choose where to open the link. The same is true for mail apps, which makes this a solid option for those who use multiple mail and browser apps.
  • SideNotes - ($19.99) SideNotes is a note taking app that's hidden at the side of your Mac's display by default, but pops out when you need it for jotting down quick notes. The app keeps notes readily available on your desktop, but hidden away when not needed so there's not another open app taking up space. SideNotes can be accessed with a keyboard shortcut or a swipe gesture, and when opened up, will stay on top of other windows. It supports folders, lists, formatting, and more.

Know of a must-have Mac app or game that we haven't highlighted yet? Let us know in the comments below and we might feature it in a future video. For more of our Mac app picks, check out our essential Mac apps archive.

Popular Stories

iphone 17 pro max battery 1 year

Three Years of 80% Charge Limits on iPhone: The Results

Tuesday October 6, 2026 12:59 pm PDT by
Since 2023, Apple's newer iPhones have had an 80 percent charge limit for those who want to extend battery lifespan. Charging to 80 percent instead of 100 percent is supposed to put less stress on the battery, improving longevity. For the last three years, I've used that setting on my iPhone. I started with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, then did the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and most recently, the iPhone...
apple welcome home event

Apple Product Launch Announced for October 13: 'Welcome Home'

Thursday October 8, 2026 9:04 am PDT by
Apple today announced an upcoming product launch that will take place on Tuesday, October 13. We are expecting Apple's announcement to focus on new smart home products, including the long-rumored smart home hub, a new Apple TV 4K, and a refreshed HomePod mini. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The home hub is an all-new device that's like a cross between an iPad and...
Black Apple Event Logo

Sources: Apple Planning Two Sets of Product Launches in October

Monday October 5, 2026 7:24 pm PDT by
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman recently reported that Apple plans to unveil an all-new home hub, a new HomePod mini, and a new Apple TV 4K on Tuesday, October 13, and MacRumors has since learned about another launch slated for later in the month. Apple is planning to unveil additional new products in the final week of October, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. While we do...

Top Rated Comments

Apple_Robert Avatar
81 months ago
What makes Side-Notes worth $20? Seems steep.

Bumpr looks like a good app.

Thanks, Dan
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
81 months ago
We receive and store any information you knowingly provide to us. For example, through the registration process and/or when new email accounts are added to your Twobird account, we may collect the following personal information to allow us to operate the service: name, email address, and Gmail authentication and refresh tokens (which allow our servers to perform email tasks on your behalf, such as returning Reminded emails to your inbox). Your Gmail account is required to be associated with the Services in order for you to use the Twobird Services.
Looks like another fake client... a client for google services should connect directly to the google servers... At least on a desktop there is absolutely zero reason to go over 3rd party servers...
Has this been tested?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kaostheory777 Avatar
81 months ago
Rectangle is great. It's basically as slick as and identical to Magnet but completely FREE!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
81 months ago

Hi there, Les here from Ginger Labs. I'm one of the programmers working on Twobird. We addressed a similar question over in another thread ('https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/app-recap-bluelane-originate-twobird-and-major-app-updates.2243460/?post=28623481#post-28623481'). For most things, the Twobird client connects directly to Gmail. But for a few things like reminders and notifications, these features really can't work in a purely client-side way. We use as little data as possible to make them work as expected. Hope I addressed your concern (let me know if I didn't!), and let us know if you have any other questions or feel free to email us at feedback@twobird.com
It's utterly unacceptable to catch somebody's credentials in a client and use them on your server to connect to 3rd party service directly. The security and privacy implications of doing that are simply insane.



* Twobird ('https://www.twobird.com') (Free) - Twobird is an email app from the makers of Notability that's designed to integrate with Gmail accounts, adding tools for creating notes, setting reminders, and collaborating with others on notes and tasks. Twobird is basically an all-in-one app that merges list making, note taking, email management, and more, and it's worth checking out for those who like multi-function apps.

PLEASE add a big fat WARNING that this app will use a server under the maker's control to connect directly to your gmail account without use of the client and as such poses risks to your security and privacy.

I'd outright remove the suggestion, but I fear that boat has sailed.

Thomas, post: 28674895, member: 1021539"]
Looks like another fake client... a client for google services should connect directly to the google servers... At least on a desktop there is absolutely zero reason to go over 3rd party servers...
Has this been tested?
Good catch, thanks! Hope it gets removed from the article as the implications of such a things are just too ridiculous to even consider.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dogslobber Avatar
81 months ago
Great call on Rectangle. An awesome app such that i dumped payed versions.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
81 months ago
Just putting it out there, Bumpr is not free. ('https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bumpr/id1166066070?mt=12') It costs $2.99.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
Apple's October 13 Launch: What's Coming
Apple's October 13 Launch: What's Coming
6 hours ago
Anthropic Says Users Can't Be Needlessly Cruel to Claude
Anthropic Says Users Can't Be Needlessly Cruel to Claude
7 hours ago
Apple to Launch Touchscreen OLED MacBook Pro and OLED iPad mini on October 27
Apple to Launch Touchscreen OLED MacBook Pro and OLED iPad mini on October 27
8 hours ago
Apple Now Pushing iPhone Users Still on iOS 26 to Install iOS 27
Apple Now Pushing iPhone Users Still on iOS 26 to Install iOS 27
8 hours ago
Apple Has a New M&A Chief as Ternus Reshuffles Leadership
Apple Has a New M&A Chief as Ternus Reshuffles Leadership
10 hours ago
Prepare for Apple's New Home Hub With These HomeKit Accessory Deals
Prepare for Apple's New Home Hub With These HomeKit Accessory Deals
10 hours ago
Tim Cook Says He's 'Not Meddling' With Apple's New CEO John Ternus
Tim Cook Says He's 'Not Meddling' With Apple's New CEO John Ternus
11 hours ago
Tim Cook Explains Why He Stepped Down as Apple CEO Before iPhone Duo Launch
Tim Cook Explains Why He Stepped Down as Apple CEO Before iPhone Duo Launch
11 hours ago
Apple Product Launch Announced for October 13: 'Welcome Home'
Apple Product Launch Announced for October 13: 'Welcome Home'
13 hours ago
Amazon Unveils New iPad Rivals With Alexa+ and Google Play
Amazon Unveils New iPad Rivals With Alexa+ and Google Play
14 hours ago
Missed Prime Day? You Can Still Score Big on Apple Devices Today
Missed Prime Day? You Can Still Score Big on Apple Devices Today
14 hours ago
Apple's Cheapest 16-Inch MacBook Pro Just Got a Massive $563 Discount on Amazon
Apple's Cheapest 16-Inch MacBook Pro Just Got a Massive $563 Discount on Amazon
14 hours ago
Apple Still Expected to Announce Three New Products on October 13
Apple Still Expected to Announce Three New Products on October 13
15 hours ago
Leaker Jon Prosser Pushes Back as Apple Seeks His YouTube Data
Leaker Jon Prosser Pushes Back as Apple Seeks His YouTube Data
16 hours ago
iPhone Air 2 Could Be as Thin as an Unfolded iPhone Duo
iPhone Air 2 Could Be as Thin as an Unfolded iPhone Duo
17 hours ago
New iPad Mini Rumored to Have 60Hz OLED Display Ahead of Launch
New iPad Mini Rumored to Have 60Hz OLED Display Ahead of Launch
20 hours ago
Gurman: OLED MacBook Pro Won't Be 'Significantly Thinner'
Gurman: OLED MacBook Pro Won't Be 'Significantly Thinner'
20 hours ago
Microsoft Launches $2,599 Surface Laptop Ultra to Take on MacBook Pro
Microsoft Launches $2,599 Surface Laptop Ultra to Take on MacBook Pro
1 day ago
Google's SynthID AI Detector is Now Available to Everyone
Google's SynthID AI Detector is Now Available to Everyone
1 day ago
ChatGPT Gets GPT-6 and New Intelligent UI With Visual Answers
ChatGPT Gets GPT-6 and New Intelligent UI With Visual Answers
1 day ago
Get AirPods Pro 3 for $179, Apple Watch for $199, and More Before Prime Day Ends Today
Get AirPods Pro 3 for $179, Apple Watch for $199, and More Before Prime Day Ends Today
1 day ago
Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 Score 4/10 for Repairability
Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 Score 4/10 for Repairability
1 day ago
Apple Launches Creative Labs Program With The King's Trust
Apple Launches Creative Labs Program With The King's Trust
1 day ago
Apple Watch Series 12, Ultra 4 Owners Report Skin Irritation
Apple Watch Series 12, Ultra 4 Owners Report Skin Irritation
1 day ago
Boston's MBTA Testing New Charlie Card With Apple Wallet Support
Boston's MBTA Testing New Charlie Card With Apple Wallet Support
1 day ago
Manchester's Bee Card Now Fully Supported in Apple Wallet
Manchester's Bee Card Now Fully Supported in Apple Wallet
2 days ago
You Can Get Up to $149 Off Every New Mac Mini During Prime Day
You Can Get Up to $149 Off Every New Mac Mini During Prime Day
2 days ago
Best Buy Takes $260 Off All iPhone Air Models During Techtober Sale
Best Buy Takes $260 Off All iPhone Air Models During Techtober Sale
2 days ago
The Best Anker Prime Day Deals: Score Big on MagSafe Chargers and More
The Best Anker Prime Day Deals: Score Big on MagSafe Chargers and More
2 days ago
12 New Things to Expect From Apple in October
12 New Things to Expect From Apple in October
2 days ago