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
Update 10:06 a.m.: iOS 26 is rolling out now, though it may take a bit for all users to see it, so keep checking!
Today's the day! Apple is about to release iOS 26, which will deliver the biggest redesign since iOS 7 and bring a range of new features and improvements to iPhones worldwide. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at last week's iPhone event that...
In the iOS 26 release notes, Apple is warning iPhone users that installing the new software might have a temporary impact on battery life, which is normal.
A new support document explains that major iOS updates require background setup like indexing data and files for search, downloading new assets, and updating apps.
Further, Apple says that new features could require more resources,...
Apple's annual September event is now in the rearview mirror, with the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air, Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple Watch SE 3, and AirPods Pro 3 set to launch this Friday, September 19.
As always, there is more to come. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple plans to release many products in the...
Apple today released updated firmware for the AirPods Pro 2 and the AirPods 4, introducing support for the new AirPods features that are included in iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe.
The firmware has a build number of 8A356, and it replaces the current 7E93 firmware.
With Apple's new software updates, the AirPods Pro 2 and the AirPods 4 support better audio quality for phone calls and...
Following three months of beta testing, iOS 26 was released today, September 15. The update is compatible with the iPhone 11 series and newer, and it is available to install via the Settings app, under General → Software Update.
Below, we have highlighted eight new features included in iOS 26. Even more new features and changes are outlined in Apple's release notes for the update.
Some of ...
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 lineup and ultra-thin iPhone Air in stores on Friday, September 19, and the company has already shown off the new devices at its fall event, which ran with the the tagline "Awe dropping."
The iPhone 17 series brings a host of new features and enhancements. Here's a rundown of the biggest upgrades and changes:
iPhone 17
Display Changes
The iPhone...
iOS 26 was finally released on Monday, but the software train never stops, and the first developer beta of iOS 26.1 will likely be released soon.
iOS 18.1 was an anomaly, as the first developer beta of that version was released in late July last year, to allow for early testing of Apple Intelligence features. The first betas of iOS 15.1, iOS 16.1, and iOS 17.1 were all released in the second ...
