Let me build a macOS app for you

Hi everyone!

I’m seeking suggestions for building a simple macOS app that you use daily but is overpriced. If it’s simple enough, I’m willing to build it for free and publish it here. I’m a software engineer by profession and am trying to build more macOS apps to learn and also help others. Please let me know what you’d like, and I’ll choose the most popular one and build it in the next two weeks and give it away :)

PS : I am the creator of FluidVoice :D https://github.com/altic-dev/Fluid-oss

Thanks!

My top pick for now : a ScreenStudio alternative.

https://redd.it/1ovony9
@macappsbackup

Roast the UI of our text expander app “PhraseExpress”

TL;DR: What parts of our UI look not Mac-like to you?

https://preview.redd.it/1k8crenhkz0g1.png?width=1980&format=png&auto=webp&s=6be211a7ebf4872c7c9d528a3f8b9dff53b21746

We launched PhraseExpress for Windows back in 2002, and the macOS version followed about 9 years ago. It’s a text expander with a generous free tier for personal use and paid editions for pro/power users. People generally love the features – but every now and then we hear that the UI looks “dated” or “not Mac-like.”

Here’s the thing: the Mac version is 100% native, fully rewritten using Apple’s development frameworks. So now we’re genuinely curious: which specific details feel “un-Mac-like” to you? Icons? Layout? Menu behavior? Window structure? Something else?

When building the app, we noticed there’s no single, consistent UI pattern across Mac apps – especially compared to Windows, where the Ribbon paradigm dominates. On macOS, every developer seems to create their own flavor.

So we’d love your help: What exact parts of the PhraseExpress UI break your expectations of how a Mac app should look or behave?

https://redd.it/1ovvyq0
@macappsbackup

KloudUtils - a collection of developer tools that includes AWS and K8s features, plus a web version.

Hi everyone 👋

I am Austin, a developer behind KloudUtils.

I would like to introduce KloudUtils, which is like a collection of developer tools but also for AWS, K8s, and cloud operations.

I built KloudUtils because I was tired of constantly logging into multiple AWS accounts just to check VPC subnets, EC2 IPs, SG IPs, and other AWS resources and checking the Kubernetes YAML structure (health probes, configMapRef, secretRef, etc)

I needed a desktop app that could archive AWS data locally, remind me of K8s yaml structure and CLI commands, and also provide developer tools to help me work faster offline.

KloudUtils’s key features:

AWS offline access: Archive and search VPC data, EC2 instances, security groups, and Route53 across multiple accounts without logging in repeatedly. Generate CSV reports quickly.
Kubernetes YAML builder: Quickly create K8s YAML configs with a UI instead of memorizing syntax for deployments, pods, services, and secrets. Includes CLI command references.
Developer utilities: JSON/XML/YAML formatters, Markdown viewer, SMTP checker, IP tools, Web header analysis, Process & port manager, and more.
Shareable links: Create a shareable link in the Mac app that opens directly in the web version to share with teammates.



KloudUtils supports macOS Tahoe, Sequoia and older:

Free Mac trial with formatters, process manager, Markdown viewer, OG checker, etc.
Plus free web app with many tools and render results for shareable links.
Paid Mac app with lifetime license & 50% OFF (applied already) - \***$19.5 one-time purchase.

You can download the free Mac trial version with plenty of free utils for better performance and privacy or try the web version at https://kloudutils.com.

I am still working on more features and improvements, would love your feedback.

Thanks everyone!

https://redd.it/1ow0pq7
@macappsbackup

Custom Microsoft Teams & Slack Notification Sounds (per channel, per person, per keyword)

Slack & Teams only lets you pick one notification sound for everything — no way to customize it per channel, DM, or keyword.

I went down the rabbit hole:

\- No option to change it in the settings

\- You can’t add custom sounds

\- On macOS, you can replace the default sound file, but you have to disable SIP (System Integrity Protection) — just to overwrite one sound globally

Even then, everything still sounds the same

So I built a tiny macOS menu bar app to fix it properly.

It lets you:

\- Set different notification sounds per channel, DM, or keyword

\- Upload your own audio or pick from 70+ curated ones

\- Control volume for each rule

No Slack/Teams token or login needed — it just runs in the background

So if you want #prod-alerts to go bing and #random to have another sound... this does exactly that. Any feedback is welcome.

🖥️ macOS only for now: chirpy.pro
ℹ️ It's 3 day free trial, then $9.99 for lifetime access

https://redd.it/1ow0bvc
@macappsbackup

KloudUtils - a collection of developer tools that includes AWS and K8s features, plus a web version.

Hi everyone 👋

I am Austin, a developer behind KloudUtils.

I would like to introduce KloudUtils, which is like a collection of developer tools but also for AWS, K8s, and cloud operations.

I built KloudUtils because I was tired of constantly logging into multiple AWS accounts just to check VPC subnets, EC2 IPs, SG IPs, and other AWS resources and checking the Kubernetes YAML structure (health probes, configMapRef, secretRef, etc)

I needed a desktop app that could archive AWS data locally, remind me of K8s yaml structure and CLI commands, and also provide developer tools to help me work faster offline.

KloudUtils’s key features:

AWS offline access: Archive and search VPC data, EC2 instances, security groups, and Route53 across multiple accounts without logging in repeatedly. Generate CSV reports quickly.
Kubernetes YAML builder: Quickly create K8s YAML configs with a UI instead of memorizing syntax for deployments, pods, services, and secrets. Includes CLI command references.
Developer utilities: JSON/XML/YAML formatters, Markdown viewer, SMTP checker, IP tools, Web header analysis, Process & port manager, and more.
Shareable links: Create a shareable link in the Mac app that opens directly in the web version to share with teammates.

KloudUtils supports macOS Tahoe, Sequoia and older:

Free Mac trial with formatters, process manager, Markdown viewer, OG checker, etc.
Plus free web app with many tools and render results for shareable links.
Paid Mac app with lifetime license & 50% OFF (applied already) - \***$19.5 one-time purchase.

You can download the free Mac trial version with plenty of free utils for better performance and privacy or try the web version at https://kloudutils.com.

I am still working on more features and improvements, would love your feedback.

Thanks everyone

\---

JSON format and share links

Archive for AWS

Kubernetes Cronjob



https://redd.it/1ow34c2
@macappsbackup

Notepad (not Textedit)

I switched from Windows to Mac \~8 years ago. Not looking back.

The one thing I really haven't found a great replacement for is Notepad. Something where I can just quickly pop something open and have a scratch pad.

For whatever reason Textedit just doesn't do it for me. Maybe the right answer is telling me to get over it 🤣

Notes isn't the right answer, I want a plain text editor (just like Notepad).

Any suggestions? I honestly want 0 features. The fewer features the better.

https://redd.it/1ow7iya
@macappsbackup

Public Domain Slicer Launcher Tool for Mac users (Now Includes Bambu Studio, Elegoo Slicer, and More)
https://redd.it/1owcc8o
@macappsbackup

Stay is a Free and Useful Utility for Multiple Monitor Setups

Stay from Cordless Dog



When it comes to multi-monitor setups, users have wildly different demands. Some people make extensive use of spaces, while others won't; their applications must be tiled the exact same way at all times. My personal use case in the two-monitor setup that I use is that I want apps to open on the same monitor with each use. Although Stay does remember tiled window positions in its profiles, I don't care so much about that, because I tend to use most of my apps in full-screen mode. I absolutely do not want to have to drag windows around from monitor to monitor so that my muscle memory can take over as I work.

# Free Solution

To accomplish this task, I use the free utility Stay from Cordless Dog Software. The core idea is that Stay lets me snapshot window positions (size + location + display) for particular configurations (e.g., laptop display only, laptop + external monitor) and then restore them when my display setup changes. It's not so much a fully featured window management tool as it is a "put my windows where I left them" solution across display changes and reboots.

Stay is free, and it supports Apple Silicon. It does not need Rosetta.

It isn't perfect or bulletproof. Apple Spaces are flaky, and anyone who says they aren't hasn't made extensive use of them. Stay can sometimes get confused, placing a window sized correctly in the correct position on your monitor, but in the wrong space. Apps that use non-standard windows (Steam, X11, Adobe Creative Cloud) don't always work well with Stay. Stay works best with a static setup. If you often open and close various windows and want tiling, automation, and snapping, Stay is not the product for you.

# Caveat

Now, the biggest drawback for some people is that Stay appears to be abandonware. It's abandonware that works, so I'm fine with it, but some people won't invest 30 seconds of setup time in an app that hasn't been updated since 2021.

# Paid Alternative

If you want a top-shelf, well-maintained app to do what Stay does (plus a lot more), my recommendation is Moom from the great team at Many Tricks Software. It's more refined than Stay, featuring window-snapping and custom grid resizing. You can save and recall layouts, but it's less strict about returning windows to exact positions when changing monitors.

There is also a new player in the space, Snaps of Apps, which I have not personally tried yet.

https://redd.it/1owdk3q
@macappsbackup

I used to be able to play YouTube videos inline in Apple Notes, but not anymore. Now I’m getting this message: “This video is unavailable. Error code: 4.” Why is that?



https://redd.it/1owd9ps
@macappsbackup

Anyone want to join the waitlist for my Music Player app (MacTunes) for MacOS?

https://redd.it/1owki4l
@macappsbackup

Are There Apps That alert You If Your MacBook stop Charging?

Is there an app that offers continuous notifications if I forget to plug in my power adapter or if the adapter fails to supply power?

I frequently move my MacBook, and sometimes I forget to plug in the power adapter. A reminder would be very helpful to ensure my macbook remain powered at all times.

Thanks

https://redd.it/1owlj26
@macappsbackup

Setapp Black Friday

Anyone know when this sale drops?

I'm trying to avoid renewing the five apps I've got that are all in there, and thankfully most of them expire this week. But it seems like I will have about two weeks where the apps don't work before the Setapp sale unless it drops early, so I may be stuck renewing NotePlan.

https://redd.it/1owme0q
@macappsbackup

AI Video Generator
https://apps.apple.com/pk/app/ai-video-generator-reel-maker/id6753726277?mt=12

https://redd.it/1owp49k
@macappsbackup

Wispr Flow Stores User Screenshots and is NOT Trustworthy


I'm posting this as a warning to everyone in this community. I did a deep dive into Wispr Flow's network traffic and their privacy policy claims are an absolute lie. I've heard reports that they are storing user screenshots and sending massive amounts of telemetry data back to their servers without proper anonymization.

They claim to be "fully compliant" with all the major privacy regulations, but their backend behavior is incredibly sketchy.
Why does a dictation app need to send a screenshot of my desktop? What are they doing with the raw audio of my private conversations, client calls, and personal notes?

It's a massive security and privacy risk. I immediately uninstalled it and revoked all permissions. I would not trust this company with a grocery list, let alone my professional and personal data. DO NOT USE THIS APP.

https://redd.it/1owpr5h
@macappsbackup

Tiny Brush Colouring App For Kids
https://redd.it/1owpeaa
@macappsbackup