Useful Mac Apps Worth Checking Out - August 2021

Apps created for the Mac don't often receive as much attention as apps designed for iPhones and iPads, so we have a video series that highlights useful Mac apps worth checking out. Our August picks feature apps for drawing with the trackpad, managing music, keeping track of passwords, and more.

  • SigmaOS ($10/Month) - SigmaOS is a browser that's aimed at those who do a lot of their work on the web. It allows websites and web apps to be organized into different workspaces or projects, and it supports multitasking with two active pages at one time. Workspaces that you don't need can be snoozed temporarily, and for those who often collaborate, you can send pages directly to another user's browser. SigmaOS is free to try, but it costs $10 per month for unlimited workspaces, pages, actions, and cross-device syncing.
  • MiniKey ($1.99) - MiniKey is a lightweight one-time password app for the Mac that's designed as an alternative to apps like Authy or Google Authenticator. It lives in the Mac's menu bar and can be used to store all of your two-factor authentication codes. You can click to copy or drag and drop from the drop down menu where your authentication codes are stored.
  • Magic Drawing App (Free) - Magic is designed to let you create drawings with your Mac's trackpad. It has pressure sensitivity when used with a MacBook's Force Touch trackpad, and there are customizable brushes to choose from.
  • Sleeve ($5) - Sleeve is a desktop music player that works with Apple Music, Spotify, and Doppler. It's deeply customizable and lets you create a little desktop music widget that lets you know what's playing, provides album art, and offers up playback controls. You can decide just how much information you want to see and where you want it.
  • Slapdash (Free) - Slapdash aggregates the capabilities from all of your apps into one easy access spot that can be reached with a single keyboard command (command + J). You just open up Slapdash and search for what you want if it's not already in the quick access list. Slapdash is customizable and there are team features for companies. Slapdash is free for limited use, but unlocking all of the features requires a $12/month subscription.

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. Many of our Mac apps that we share are recommended by MacRumors readers. For more of our Mac app picks, check out our Mac apps archive.

Popular Stories

hikawa phone grip stand apple%402x

Apple Launches Second Limited-Edition iPhone Accessory in a Month

Friday November 21, 2025 3:53 am PST by
Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind. Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe. Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

iOS 27 Will Reportedly Have Two Key Upgrades

Sunday November 23, 2025 8:48 am PST by
iOS 27 will reportedly have two major elements: quality improvements and new AI features. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that Apple is focused on improving "quality and underlying performance" over adding new features. Gurman said there is one exception to this rule, though, as he expects...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: iPhone 18 Pro Looks Like a Huge Upgrade

Friday November 21, 2025 9:10 am PST by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through all of the new features and improvements expected to come to next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Apple's next-generation iPhones are less than ten months away and we already have a good idea about what to expect based on corroborated leaks, rumors,...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Two Breakthrough Features

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:26 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include two standout features that could set it apart from the competition. The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
ipad black friday 2025

The Best Early Black Friday iPad Deals

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:20 am PST by
Black Friday is just over a week away, and iPad deals have finally started to flood in at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. Below we're tracking discounts on every current generation iPad, including lowest-ever prices on M3 iPad Air and M5 iPad Pro, plus steep markdowns on iPad and iPad mini. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a ...
General Black Friday Deals 25 Red

Apple Black Friday Deals Available Now on AirPods, iPads, Accessories, and More

Friday November 21, 2025 8:48 am PST by
We're officially less than one week away from Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Report: Low-Cost iPhone, iPad, MacBook Coming Early 2026

Friday November 21, 2025 2:26 am PST by
Apple is planning to release new entry-level models across its iPhone, iPad, and Mac categories early next year, with an all-new affordable MacBook the most notable addition to the lineup. According to a new research report by Jeff Pu of GF Securities seen by MacRumors, Apple will launch the iPhone 17e – its second iteration of the "e" line – in the spring, likely along with a...

Top Rated Comments

dylanthomas Avatar
55 months ago
$10/Month for a web browser...
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
seanmills1020 Avatar
55 months ago
In the 1990s Netscape actually charged for its browser, but $120/yr is astronomical.

Netscape pricing ('http://www.cnet.com/news/netscape-cuts-prices-on-retail-products/').
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
EmotionalSnow Avatar
55 months ago

In the 1990s Netscape actually charged for its browser, but $120/yr is astronomical.

Netscape pricing ('http://www.cnet.com/news/netscape-cuts-prices-on-retail-products/').
Agreed. The browser seems nice but considering that it misses a few features and the price I am definitely not interested. I am willing to pay for good software but having to pay a subscription more expensive than Apple Music or Disney+ is just ridiculous.

And Slapdash is charging $12/m for their Pro tier. I generally am somewhat understanding when it comes to developers and subscriptions but this is really getting out of hand.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Roadcrew Avatar
55 months ago
Who is even making these recommendations? I'm not afraid of paying for good apps, but the monthly pricing on SigmaOS and Slapdash is just ridiculous.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
EmotionalSnow Avatar
55 months ago

Apps created for the Mac don't often receive as much attention as apps designed for iPhones and iPads
That's unfortunately true and why I appreciate this series. I didn't know any of these apps before. Thanks to the MacRumors team.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple_Robert Avatar
55 months ago
No way I would pay a monthly fee to use a web browser.

Minikey does not live in the Menu Bar. It resides there. Apps can't live.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)