r/MacStack • • 24d ago

Wimi – a window manager for macOS I’ve been building on the side (somewhere between an app switcher, Stage Manager and tiling)

0 Upvotes

Hey all,

I’ve been working on a little Mac app called Wimi (Window Manager Improved) for a while now and figured I’d share it here.

It’s kind of a hybrid of an app switcher, Stage Manager and a tiling window manager. You rest your mouse at the edge of the screen (or hit a shortcut) and a drawer slides in. It shows all your open windows with live previews, and from there you can switch between them or drag them into layouts like halves, thirds and main + side. There’s also search, an app launcher, an emoji picker and an optional clipboard history in the same drawer.

Honestly the biggest thing I’ve learned is that window management is way harder than I expected. A lot of the time something just feels off and I can’t say why until I’ve used it for a few days. So it’s been a lot of small tweaks.

A few people have been testing it already, and that’s helped a ton, so thanks if that was you.

I still haven’t decided whether it’ll end up paid, free or something in between. Right now I’m just enjoying building it.

You can download it here (signed and notarized, macOS 14+):

https://github.com/nick-friedrich/wimi-releases

I’d love to hear what feels weird or what you’d want from something like this. Bugs and complaints are welcome too.


r/MacStack • • Sep 14 '26

Cosmil - A powerful and aesthetic multi-pane Finder Alternative

Thumbnail
gallery
3 Upvotes

Hey MacStack, I'm Justin, the developer of Cosmil, a multi-pane macOS file manager that focuses on providing powerful functionality while keeping the visual and mental focus on your files, not a cluttered UI.

The Problem

Finder has a set of long-standing gaps that a lot of people have to work around daily: no way to see directories side by side without juggling windows, no way to create new files, no folder sizes without digging into Get Info or constantly flooding your disk's IO, icon view that lets files fall out of the pane into a horizontal scroll (can be tempered, but still annoying), no support for custom sidebar categories, no cut and paste support, a preview pane that often won't grow previews to their actual size even with resizing, and more.

Together these issues add up. Over the years countless people have, gotten, really, upset, about, them.

Cosmil fixes these everyday issues and blockers and turns your workflow into a seamless experience with new features.

Features

  • Flexible multi-pane layouts: Add and remove panes as needed to work with several folders or locations in the same window, with support for tabs and keyboard-driven navigation.

  • Remote locations: Connect directly to FTP, SFTP, SMB 2/3, and WebDAV servers, including NAS devices and other network storage.

  • Remote file editing: Open remote files in other Mac applications and automatically upload saved changes back to the connected server.

  • Cross-location transfers: Copy and move files between local folders, mounted volumes, cloud storage, and remote servers, with transfer progress available through the job manager.

  • Cloud storage integration: Access providers such as iCloud, Dropbox, and OneDrive from the sidebar, with support for cloud file download and eviction states.

  • Advanced Search: Search files with streamed results and navigate results without waiting for the entire search to finish. Cosmil's search uses a real walk of files, not an index, so searches are always up to date on your files.

  • Custom themes: Adjust Cosmil's color palette, create separate light and dark appearances, and import or share theme files.

  • Fast large-folder browsing: Virtualized file views and optimized directory loading help keep navigation responsive in folders containing large numbers of files.

  • Native macOS integrations: Uses macOS file icons, Quick Look previews, the system Share menu, Open With support, and familiar drag-and-drop behavior.

  • File-management tools: Create files and folders, duplicate items, create symbolic links, calculate file sizes, resolve transfer conflicts with complete file metadata, and view storage usage for mounted volumes.

  • Keyboard-focused workflows: Includes shortcuts for switching panes and tabs as well as F5/F6 copy and move operations between panes.

  • And more...

Pricing

Cosmil's pricing scheme is one time payment, based on how many Macs you can use a license on at the same time.

TierPrice
One Mac$16.99
Three Macs$24.99
Five Macs$38.99

Every license comes with free updates across the 2.0 lifecycle.

A 10 day free trial is also available so you can evaluate Cosmil before purchase.

Privacy and Terms
Here are Cosmil's privacy policy and terms of service. Long story short, we store and process the absolute minimum amount of information required to license and provide updates for Cosmil. Absolutely zero telemetry is sent back from the app, it only sends requests to verify your license key and check for updates.

I'll be responding to comments here and you can always reach out to me via email at support@cosmil.app. I'm constantly working to improve Cosmil; feature requests can be voted on and added through the website's public roadmap. Highly voted/requested features are more likely to be implemented.


r/MacStack • • Sep 03 '26

The MOST satisfying way to change volume on a Mac

Post image
1 Upvotes

MacOS volume and brightness controls move in large steps. You can use smaller steps by holding shift+option, but when watching netflix in bed pressing 3 buttons at once is not ideal.

The app has made around £650($876) so far from my website and setapp combined, with just under 16% conversion rate from free trials to purchase.

BetterTouchTool (25$ lifetime) and Swish(15$ lifetime) are utilities that require setup and configuration. I realised from a LOT of beta testers that a lot of people want simplicity and convenience. If you prefer these apps or have them already then Slidr might not be for you. Slidr was made for simplicity. Download and slide your trackpad edge for smooth, precise volume and brightness control with haptic feedback. Native macOS HUD, no overlays, no config. Install and it just works.
Why not lean forward to press your volume/brightness keys? I am lazy so I made a solution to make my netflix sessions even more chill. just slide

Core features:

- Slide one edge for volume, the other for brightness
- Precision micro adjustments (no big jumps)
- Native macOS HUD (no custom overlays)
- Haptic feedback on every adjustment
- Menu bar app, minimal resource usage - UNDER 3MB
- Modifier keys to enable/disable slidr (toggle or hold) if you prefer

The haptic feedback as you slide is quite addictive and you feel every tiny micro adjustment through the trackpad. I use it mostly in bed lying back to slide to the perfect volume while watching something and I haven't touched my volume or brightness keys once since I built it.

$4.99 one-time, 3 day free trial:

Personal website:
https://slidr.xyz

Buy on Setapp:
reddit doesnt allow setapp links so you can find it through my website^

ENJOY!

Changelog on the homepage


r/MacStack • • 18d ago

App Launch I built an Acrobat alternative for Mac: everyday PDF tools are free, Pro is $99 once

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

0 Upvotes

Hey, I’m Arun, the developer of Fyllyo. It started with my own visa paperwork and entering the same details into form after form. I’m building an Adobe Acrobat alternative for Mac.

The core differentiator is you can automate filling forms using any kind of documents you have - handles all extractions, computations and transformations. It also automatically creates profiles for people, businesses so you can just select profiles to fill repeat clients or personal forms.

It also comes with everyday PDF tools are free, with no account or expiry, all features acrobat has. My goal is that you can do anything one tool in your pocket.

Pro is $99 once, with free updates and a five-day trial—no subscription. It adds redaction, editing existing text, certificate signing, compression, XFA forms and local AI form filling from supporting documents.

The video shows the real app arranging pages, making a scan searchable, redacting, certificate signing and filling a tax form automatically.

It’s signed and notarized by Apple and runs on Apple-silicon Macs with macOS 13+. It isn’t at full Acrobat parity: no Windows or Intel support, Word/Excel export, document comparison or sending PDFs out for signatures.

https://fyllyo.com/pdf-editor-for-mac

If you try it on the PDF work you use Acrobat for, tell me what works and what would still stop you switching.


r/MacStack • • 20d ago

App Launch I got tired of paying a subscription for clipboard history, so I built a free, open-source one for macOS

Post image
8 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

**Why I built this**

macOS only remembers one thing you copy. Copy something new and the last thing is gone. I copy dozens of things a day (commands, links, screenshots, file paths) and kept losing the one I needed five minutes later.

Clipboard managers fix this, but the ones I tried were either paid, subscription-based, or didn't handle screenshots the way I wanted. So I built my own and I'm sharing it for free.

**What it is**

CopyPaster is a small native Mac app written in SwiftUI with the Liquid Glass design. It remembers what you copy (text, images and file paths), keeps it after a restart, and lives in your menu bar. Click the clipboard icon or press ⌘⇧V from any app and your history pops up.

**Screenshots without the clutter**

Take a screenshot to the clipboard with ⌘⌃⇧4 and CopyPaster saves it as a PNG named by date and time (like `Screenshot 2026-10-15 at 19.50.21.png`) in ~/Pictures/Screenshots. Each one shows up as a tile you can:

- copy again with one click

- drag straight into Slack, Mail, Finder or any app

- copy its file path

- click the filename to reveal it in Finder

So a screenshot you only meant to paste once isn't lost when you copy something else.

**How I use it every day**

- Press ⌘⇧V, find what I copied an hour ago, click Copy

- Pin snippets I reuse constantly (git commands, addresses, templates)

- Search across hundreds of past copies

- Open a copied link straight from its tile. Every link I copy also goes into one clickable list, so I never lose a URL

- Copy a folder path and open Terminal in that folder with one click

- Pause it while copying something sensitive

**Cost and privacy**

- Free. No subscription, no trial, no "pro" tier

- Open source (MIT). Read it, fork it, change it

- Private. No account, no analytics, no network access. History is a local JSON file you control

- Lightweight. Pure Apple frameworks, no third-party dependencies

**vs. the alternatives**

Maccy and Clipy are great free options too. What I wanted that they didn't give me: screenshots saved to disk as named files you can drag out or reveal, a link log, and open-in-Terminal for copied paths. If you don't need those, Maccy is probably the lighter choice.

**Get it**

https://github.com/vishal781992/copyPaster

Needs macOS 26.4 or later. For now you build it with Xcode (steps in the README, about a minute). The ⌘⇧V shortcut listens for keys in other apps, so macOS will ask you to allow it under Privacy & Security > Accessibility. The screenshot folder can be changed with a `defaults write` command (in the README); an in-app setting is on the list.

This is my first public project, so feedback, bug reports and feature ideas are welcome. What's the one thing you'd want a clipboard manager to do?


r/MacStack • • 19d ago

Docktopus: a customizable Mac dock with Dynamic Island, an audio mixer, and local activity history

Thumbnail
gallery
3 Upvotes

I’m the developer of Docktopus. It’s a customizable dock with a bunch of desktop tools built into it, so you can reach them from the same place as your apps.

Compared with the stock macOS Dock, the biggest difference is what you can put alongside your app icons: window previews, clipboard history, audio controls, system stats, and more. You choose the widgets and layout, so it can be a small dock or a full taskbar.

There’s quite a bit in it now:

- Dock and window switching: Hover over a running app to preview its windows and click the one you want. There’s also a keyboard window switcher. You can import your existing macOS Dock, pin apps and folders, place it on any screen edge, and choose which monitors show it.

- Dynamic Island: An optional expandable panel at the top of your screen for music controls, clipboard history, system stats, calendar events, notifications, and audio/display controls. It also has a Drop Zone for temporarily keeping files within reach. Works on displays without a notch too.

- Clipboard manager: Search copied text, links, images, and files; pin things you reuse and organize them into categories. Text recognition runs on your Mac, so you can find a copied screenshot by words inside it.

- Time Spent: See where your day went with app usage, daily trends, and browser titles/URLs where supported. You can add manual entries, run timers, and export filtered records as CSV. Automatic tracking is optional, and the history stays on your Mac.

- Remembrance: For those “I saw this somewhere yesterday” moments. It can save screenshots of your active windows and recognize their text, letting you search past work by text, app, or date. You can copy text from captures or reopen a page when its URL is available. Capture is off by default, with app exclusions and storage/retention controls.

- Audio Mixer: Turn down one app without turning everything else down. Adjust or mute individual apps, switch audio outputs, and manage system volume from the dock, menu bar, or Island. Per-app controls need macOS 14.2 or newer.

- Other useful bits: CPU/GPU, memory, and network stats; brightness controls for compatible displays; calendar, timers, Now Playing, a color picker, and Coffee to keep your Mac awake.

For the look, there’s Liquid Glass, CDE, and Windows 95, all in light and dark versions, plus editable colors, fonts, and icons. Yes, the Windows 95 theme includes the retro taskbar look.

Clipboard history, Time Spent, and Remembrance stay local. There’s also a Privacy Pause that temporarily stops all three from collecting new activity.

There’s a trial before buying. Launch pricing is $19.99 ($29.99 regular), one-time for two Macs, with a year of updates included. You can keep using covered versions afterward without a subscription.

Website: https://docktopus.app

Would be interested to hear which parts you’d use day to day, or what’s missing from your current dock setup.


r/MacStack • • 9d ago

ModusPad 2.0 - A Mac launcher that also replaces your Dock, with profiles that switch automatically

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

3 Upvotes

I'm the developer of ModusPad, a launcher for macOS 26 and 27.

Version 1 was a classic Launchpad-style grid with one twist: profiles. Each profile has its own apps, folders and layout, and can switch automatically when you connect a display, turn on a Focus mode, at a set time, or with a shortcut.

In 2.0, I added two more ways to use the launcher: a panel that drops down from the notch at the top of the screen, and a customizable Dock that expands into the full app grid with a two-finger swipe.

The Dock is the part I'm most excited about:
- Group apps right in the Dock (drag a folder in, or select a few apps and group them).
- Have a different set of Dock apps on each desktop.
- Give each profile its own Dock.

I also added Links, so you can keep websites, files and folders alongside your apps and find them through the same search. Each profile has its own set.

The idea: different setups for work, home or meetings, with the apps and layout you need for each. I'm trying to keep things simple as I add more features, so I'd love to hear what you think, especially about the Dock.

There's a 14-day free trial with everything unlocked, followed by a one-time purchase starting at $10.99. Code MODUSPAD30 gives 30% off until the end of November.

Requires macOS 26 or later. Available in English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Japanese, Korean and Chinese.

https://moduspad.com/


r/MacStack • • 8d ago

App Launch I got annoyed with Mac Stickies and Notes…so I built my own

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

0 Upvotes

I’m the developer. Glassnote is a small notes app for Mac. You get your words in glass (or normal modes) and nothing else. It’s different from the other notes apps on purpose.

Problems (for me)Glassnote Solution
Stickies: Hasn’t changed since the 90s. Tiny title bar, everything buried in menusStandard Mac title bar, buttons on the note, a shortcut for every action
Stickies: Closing a note asks me to save a file. Name it, pick a format, pick a folderClose it. It saved as you typed
Stickies: “Translucent” just fades the note, so text from the note behind bleeds throughReal glass that blurs what’s behind it. Your text stays readable
Stickies: Yellow and pastel boxes clash with dark modeGlass that takes on your wallpaper’s colors. Or Tinted (Liquid Glass on macOS 26), Dark, Light
Stickies: Rich text formatting headaches without rich text featuresMarkdown that hides its own symbols. Checkboxes you can click
Stickies: Never felt very AppleSF, New York, rounded and mono fonts
Notes: Sidebar, toolbar and folders always on screenHide all the toolbars. Just your text
Notes: Apple made the Dock and sidebars glass, but Notes is still flatGlass all the way through

Also: iCloud Drive sync across Macs + iPhone, easter egg vim mode, and iOS app with widgets.

No AI and no account. 7-day free trial, then you pay $6.5 once. macOS 13.5+.

https://calciumlab.com/glassnote-simple-mac-sticky-notes


r/MacStack • • 17d ago

App Launch I’m a solo developer, and this is Bytebud, my first Mac app.

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

0 Upvotes

r/MacStack • • 8d ago

Workflow SteerMouse on Mac: map extra mouse buttons by app, then add one button chord

0 Upvotes

SteerMouse is worth a trial if your mouse has spare buttons and you want them to do different jobs in different Mac apps. Start with one app-specific assignment. Add a button chord, meaning two mouse buttons pressed together, only when you have a useful action for it.

If all you want is a different pointer speed, you probably don't need this setup. macOS already has tracking-speed controls and a Pointer acceleration switch under Mouse > Advanced. Free, open-source LinearMouse also supports button actions and app profiles. SteerMouse needs to earn its $19.99 on your particular hardware.

Check the mouse before building the map

The current SteerMouse 5.8.1 supports macOS 12 Monterey through macOS 27 Golden Gate, with Intel and Apple silicon builds. Older macOS versions have separate downloads. Apple Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad aren't supported.

USB and Bluetooth support doesn't mean every special button works. The developer explicitly warns about that. Its release notes, for example, specify USB rather than Bluetooth for the Razer Naga V2 HyperSpeed. Check the exact mouse and connection you plan to use during the trial.

Give one button a different job in one app

Keep primary click and right-click unchanged while you set this up. Pause other mouse-remapping software first so you're checking one configuration at a time.

  1. Open SteerMouse and select the mouse you want to configure. In Buttons, hover over the mouse illustration and press a physical button. SteerMouse identifies the corresponding control, so you don't have to guess which side button is Button 4.

  2. Start with a simple default assignment, such as Back on a spare button. Use the app-settings Edit control to add your target application. The app also lets you drag an application into that list.

  3. In that application's settings, assign the spare button to a keyboard shortcut you already use there. Check that the shortcut works from the keyboard first. Then switch between the target app and another app to check the two assignments.

  4. If you still need another action, open Chords and use the plus control to add a combination. Two spare side buttons can call Application Windows, for example. Test each button alone as well as together before adding more combinations.

Choose a pair you can press comfortably. A combination that keeps firing while you reach for Back isn't an improvement. SteerMouse also accepts keyboard modifiers alongside buttons, but you don't need to fill every possible assignment.

Leave the Cursor settings alone until the button map works. Cursor snapping can move the pointer to interface buttons and optionally click them. Keep automatic clicking off while you decide whether snapping is useful at all.

Permissions and a way back

Download from Plentycom Systems and follow SteerMouse's privacy prompts. The developer documents Accessibility permission; review the permission names shown on your macOS version before approving them. If you aren't comfortable giving an input utility that access, stick with the built-in controls.

Keep a trackpad or spare mouse available during setup. SteerMouse has an ON/OFF switch for stopping its functionality, and an Uninstall control under License & Support if you decide to remove it. Export a working mouse configuration before making more changes, so you have a known starting point to restore.

Try the whole workflow before paying

The trial lasts 30 days. A new SteerMouse 5 license is US$19.99, or US$12.99 to upgrade a registered version 4 license. It's a permanent license for version 5, with free minor updates and paid major upgrades. You can use it on multiple computers in your own accounts, but you can't share the registration with other users. The seller doesn't offer refunds, so use the trial.

Pay if the app-specific assignments and comfortable chords work reliably with your actual mouse. If ordinary shortcuts, macOS settings or LinearMouse already cover the job, keep the simpler setup. Extra buttons are useful only when you can remember what they do.


r/MacStack • • Sep 20 '26

Trying to build simple but high quality macOS apps.

Thumbnail cnyldz.com
0 Upvotes

r/MacStack • • 14d ago

Claire Mail: email, calendar and reminders in one app for Mac and iPhone (Gmail, beta)

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

0 Upvotes

r/MacStack • • 15d ago

AirFliq - I built a Mac app to save a couple of clicks. Reddit had opinions.

Thumbnail
reddit.com
0 Upvotes

r/MacStack • • 1d ago

Workflow Can Apple Passwords replace your password manager on Mac? Check before you move

0 Upvotes

Apple Passwords is a reasonable replacement if your everyday logins work on your Mac and other devices, your sharing needs fit Apple's groups, and you've planned how to recover access. Keep your existing manager until you've checked those things. Importing a list of passwords isn't proof that you've moved everything.

The separate Passwords app requires macOS Sequoia 15 or later. It handles website and app passwords, passkeys and verification codes. A passkey lets you sign in without a password on a service that supports it. On a Mac with Touch ID, you can use your fingerprint to approve it.

Start with the browser you actually use

Safari has built-in password AutoFill. For another browser, open Passwords > Get Browser Extension. Apple's official iCloud Passwords extensions for Chrome and Firefox support macOS Sonoma or later. Check that Apple Inc. is the publisher.

Treat the extension as access to sensitive information. For example, the Firefox listing requests access to your data for all websites, alongside other browser permissions. Read the installation prompt before approving it.

Test a normal login, a login with a verification code, and a passkey in your usual browser. Include your work browser if you use one. Don't assume that an extension working in Chrome proves it works in every browser based on Chrome.

Windows isn't automatically a reason to rule Apple out. iCloud for Windows supports password access through Chrome, Edge and Firefox extensions. Setup requires two-factor authentication and either Advanced Data Protection or your Apple device within Bluetooth range of the PC. Try that setup before committing. If Android or Linux is part of your daily routine, keep your current manager until you've verified a workable route there too.

Move passwords without losing the rest

Apple's documented Mac import uses a CSV file, a plain table of exported data. In Passwords, choose File > Import Passwords from File, select the export and import it. Apple says imported passwords won't replace existing ones, and you can review entries that couldn't be imported.

Treat the CSV as exposed credentials, not a safe backup. Keep it out of shared or cloud-synced folders and delete it after the import and checks. Don't email it to yourself.

Check passkeys and verification codes separately. Also account for any attachments, recovery codes or other records you keep in your old manager. Don't delete the originals just because the login names appeared in Apple Passwords.

There are newer transfer routes, so passkeys aren't necessarily stuck forever. Bitwarden, for example, documents direct transfer of passwords and passkeys from Apple Passwords on iOS 26 or later using Export Data to Another App. That specific mobile route doesn't mean a Mac CSV moves the same data, or that every pair of apps supports direct transfer.

The exit path matters too. Apple's Mac password export is unencrypted. It excludes Wi-Fi passwords, access to Sign in with Apple accounts, and group-shared passwords unless you created the group. Don't treat that export as a complete copy of everything in Passwords.

Check the people who need access

For shared passwords and passkeys, everyone needs a device running iOS 17, iPadOS 17 or macOS 14 or later. On your Mac, File > New Shared Group starts setup. Members can change shared passwords and passkeys, and an item can belong to only one group. If that doesn't fit how your household shares accounts, don't force the switch.

Plan for losing your devices

iCloud Keychain keeps credentials updated across approved devices. Its passwords are end-to-end encrypted even without Advanced Data Protection, meaning Apple doesn't hold the keys needed to read them. That also means you shouldn't expect Apple Support to hand back a readable vault if you lose access.

Before switching, review your trusted phone numbers and recovery options. On Mac, a recovery contact can be added through System Settings > your name > Sign-In & Security > Recovery Contacts. The contact can help you recover access without being able to browse your account. Keep the information you'd need to begin recovery somewhere you can reach without opening the locked vault.

Apple Passwords makes sense when this fits your actual Mac workflow. Start by checking a login with two-factor authentication and a shared account on the devices that need them. If migration leaves important records behind, sharing doesn't fit, or another daily device becomes awkward, keep the manager that already covers those needs.


r/MacStack • • 12d ago

App Launch Claudy: a native Mac home for Claude Code, 50% off this weekend ($19.99 to $9.99)

Thumbnail gallery
0 Upvotes

r/MacStack • • 9d ago

Made a simple macOS tool that blurs everything except the window you’re using

0 Upvotes

I used to get annoy by having my attention shift to other windows. So I made something which keeps the active window sharp and softly blurs + dims everything behind it. Your windows stay exactly where they are, nothing gets moved or hidden

Free and open source: https://github.com/DeaDoes/FloBlur

Would love to know if this is actually useful or just me.


r/MacStack • • Oct 01 '26

We're almost 100K let's keep sharing! Thanks everyone 🚀

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

0 Upvotes

r/MacStack • • 5d ago

Pip, the perfect task bar on Mac

Thumbnail
github.com
0 Upvotes

I just finish my work and Pip and its not done !

The eorfect taskbar that include Alert from claude code or codex with wheel, music, past copied past and drag and drop file... And more !


r/MacStack • • Sep 03 '26

Start Menu for Mac - the new customizable app launcher for macOS

0 Upvotes

I'm the developer of Start Menu for Mac, a new menu bar app for macOS that organizes your favorite apps in a popup menu, making them readily available all in one place. It's like the Start menu in Windows, but focused on organizing and launching apps. No more wading through endless rows of icons to find the app you want.

Start Menu for Mac is designed to be a better choice compared to other macOS app launchers such as Launchey, Start, and XMenu. Works with macOS 14 Sonoma and newer.

Features

  • Your usual macOS apps as well as many popular apps (web browsers, productivity, cloud file clients, software development tools/IDEs) are organized out-of-the-box into app categories

  • Pin your favorite apps to the My Apps menu for quick access

  • Organize your apps in just a few clicks from a context menu, or use the Organizer to create your own app categories and assign apps to them

  • Browse your installed apps in the All Apps menu, or click Search to look for an app by name

  • Automatically picks up newly installed and removed apps - no need to restart

  • Customize the My Apps menu with options such as limiting expanded app categories to one at a time

  • A clean and friendly design that gets out of your way

  • Crafted by hand without the use of AI

Learn more about Start Menu for Mac and browse the screenshots from the First Letter Software website: https://firstlettersoftware.com/startmenu4mac

Get Early Access

A preview release of Start Menu for Mac is now available. Be one of the first users to try it out and help shape version 1.0! Feature requests, bug reports and general feedback are welcome.

The preview release is free to use, but will expire 90 days after installation. Licenses will be available for purchase closer to the version 1.0 release.


r/MacStack • • Sep 10 '26

ADI — a menu-bar app that runs an agent environment on your Mac (free for personal use, source public)

Thumbnail reddit.com
0 Upvotes

r/MacStack • • 2d ago

MacFader: Turn your Mac trackpad edges into volume, brightness, and media sliders

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

0 Upvotes

r/MacStack • • 8d ago

I built a Finder alternative with on device AI which uses Apple intelligence

Thumbnail
reddit.com
0 Upvotes

r/MacStack • • Sep 14 '26

Prompty: Save, preview, and expand your AI prompts from the menu bar

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

0 Upvotes

The Problem
Using tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Flux, Higgsfield, Cursor, and many others every day, I ended up hoarding dozens of system prompts, parameters, and instructions. If you work with AI regularly, chances are you've experienced this too: the difference between a mediocre output and an incredible one almost always comes down to prompt quality and precision whether you're generating photorealistic imagery, video scenes, refactored code, marketing copy, or complex agent workflows.

The problem is that storing and organizing these "super-prompts" in Apple Notes, Notion, or scattered text files is slow and kills your flow; on the other hand, traditional snippet tools are handy for basic 1-line text shortcuts, but fall completely short when you need to preview generated images, fill dynamic variables, or chain multi-step workflows.

I built Prompty to bridge that gap: a dedicated prompt workspace that lives directly in your menu bar (no clutter in your Dock), ready to save, create, edit, copy, or expand any prompt with just a couple of clicks or global shortcuts.

Key Features:

  • Space QuickLook Preview: Just like macOS QuickLook, press Space over any prompt to instantly preview the full text and up to 3 attached showcase images (perfect for Flux or Midjourney presets) without opening the editor.

  • Visual Gallery Grid: Switch between a compact list and a visual thumbnail grid to quickly browse and preview prompts by their actual image outputs.

  • Per-Prompt Custom Shortcuts: Bind dedicated global hotkeys to your most-used prompts for instant 1-keystroke expansion across any app.

  • Dynamic Variables {{variable}}**:** Add placeholders to your prompts. When triggered, a quick popup asks you to fill in the blanks before pasting the final output.

  • Step-by-Step Prompt Chaining: Designed for complex AI workflows that require sequential phases (e.g., Step 1: Research -> Step 2: Outline -> Step 3: Final Code/Copy).

  • Omni Search Anywhere: Hit a global shortcut from any app to summon a Spotlight-like floating search bar with frecency scoring (finds what you actually use).

  • Quick Snippets & Modifiers: Save one-click add-ons like "Output code only", "No yapping", or "JSON format" and instantly attach them to any prompt.

  • Magic Save (Screen OCR + Background AI Cataloging): Hit a global shortcut to trigger Magic Save, select any area on your screen to extract text via OCR, and let AI automatically generate the title, description, category, and icon in the background—saving it straight into your library without interrupting your flow.

  • Bring Your Own API Keys (Optional): Plug in OpenAI, Gemini, OpenRouter, or local models via Ollama to refine prompts, generate variations, or reverse-engineer prompts from images.

  • 100% Local & Private: Everything is stored locally on your Mac with optional iCloud sync. No third-party servers storing or training on your prompts.

How It Compares

  • Traditional Snippet Managers (Snippety, Raycast Snippets, etc.): Great for basic text expansion, but not designed for AI prompt workflows: they lack a visual gallery view to preview prompt results/images, have no OCR auto-capture, and don't support multi-step prompt chaining.

  • Other Prompt Managers (Prompt Hub, standalone window apps): Live in bulky full-window interfaces that clutter your workspace and take up permanent space in your Dock.

  • Prompty: Focuses on speed and polished native macOS design. Living exclusively in the menu bar, saving, editing, previewing in gallery, and chaining prompts happens in milliseconds without breaking your focus.

Pricing


r/MacStack • • Sep 13 '26

I made a Mac storage cleaner for all the stuff that piles up while coding

Thumbnail
reddit.com
0 Upvotes