What Did You Buy for Mac This Black Friday?

Hey fellow Mac geeks!

With Black Friday deals everywhere, I’m curious what Mac apps or utilities have you bought this year, or what’s still on your wishlist? Whether it’s a productivity tool, a creative suite, or something niche, I would like to know and possibly you want to share with others.

Personally, I just grabbed Lasso and a creator bundle (three apps) from RamPatra that includes Presentify, KeyScreen, and FaceScreen. All these are super useful for teaching, presenting, and content creation. If you haven’t checked out RamPatra’s Creator Bundle yet, it’s worth a look:Creator Bundle by Ram Patra - App Store. It costed me INR 1000. Lasso also was around INR 1000 for 3 devices.

https://redd.it/1p1x2zu
@macappsbackup

Almighty vs Supercharge

I noticed that they are quite similar, and I am unsure which one to purchase. Which one do you think is better?

https://redd.it/1p2e7nt
@macappsbackup

App Switcher

I have been using the stage manager since it launched thinking it was convenient. Now I just feel like it takes up a lot of space and it is cluttered. Anyone has recommendations for good app switchers that also deal with multiple windows of the same app? The multiple windows thing drives me crazy, having to go to Window option on the menu and choosing one. Especially on full screen. I don't mind a good paid app.

https://redd.it/1p2h7bu
@macappsbackup

I needed this to force myself to go to sleep
https://clemstation.com/auto-shutdown

https://redd.it/1p2iak8
@macappsbackup

Parall - now runs multiple isolated instances of most non sandboxed Mac apps

When I first released Parall on the Mac App Store it was basically a focused launcher for multiple Chrome based browsers with separate profiles. At that point I honestly could not imagine that the same app would later let me run multiple copies of things like Dropbox or Discord on one Mac with cleanly separated data. Now it does exactly that.

The new version adds a HOME redirection feature.

Instead of every instance sharing the same ~/Library tree, Parall can create an isolated directory tree for each shortcut and override the HOME environment only for the child process. For most traditional non sandboxed macOS apps this is enough to make them behave like independent profiles.

Parall - The Parallel App Launcher for macOS

On top of that the update adds support for custom environment variables and command line arguments per shortcut. This lets Parall drive apps that already have profile, workspace or config flags, and you can combine those flags with HOME redirection when needed.

https://preview.redd.it/d9yonzma5i2g1.jpg?width=1319&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f7de0fe3a2336c06d62319898cf465df83f0ab5b

In practice this now works for

multiple profiles of Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, Vivaldi, Opera, Tor Browser
separate instances of Dropbox, Discord, Slack, Telegram Desktop, Viber
multiple environments for Visual Studio Code, Qt Creator, Arduino IDE, FreeCAD, Blender and other tools
other fully verified apps: FileMaker Pro, Git Tower, OBS, KiCad, Plex, Spotify, Sublime Text, Sublime Merge, LightBurn, Notion, Cursor, Evernote, Zoom, MikroTik WinBox, QQ, and Audacity

Each profile has its own shortcut app, its own icon in the Dock, and its own data.

I keep an up to date compatibility list here https://parall.app/compatibility/

There are limits. Sandboxed apps are still restricted by their system containers, so support there is partial. iOS and iPadOS apps that you can install on Apple silicon Macs are not supported at all. Parall cannot launch them and cannot provide data separation for them.

If you use a Parall shortcut together with the original app, start the original app first, then launch the shortcut. To avoid any launch‑order dependency, create two shortcuts and use those exclusively - they can be started in any order.

If you rely on a specific Mac app that is not listed yet, you can tell me its name and I will test it under Parall and update the table so you know whether it works before you decide to purchase.

If you want to try it Parall is available on the Mac App Store. To learn more, visit the official website: https://parall.app

I prepared a small number of Mac App Store promo codes for this update. To claim one, comment with the Mac app you want to run in parallel with Parall. After you comment, the redeem link https://promodistro.link/claim/ZImp3Yu8Kx will work for you until the codes run out.

https://redd.it/1p2jjil
@macappsbackup

No Magic+ subnoscription?

I'm trying to use this app called Magic, (it's a drawing app that uses the trackpad as a drawing tablet), but for some reason as soon as I launched it, it shows me a pop-up getting me to pay for some subnoscription called Magic+.

This is confusing because I thought the app was free, yet there's no option to close the pop-up.

https://preview.redd.it/bey1j04oai2g1.png?width=923&format=png&auto=webp&s=85f959855dfd5254de75ca24790a4ffe55cfc597

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

https://redd.it/1p2kcgh
@macappsbackup

What's a clipboard manager that can let me copy 10 things and paste them in one go?

This is one thing that I want and I can't seem to get. I currently use BTT's clipboard manager and it's great and has many features but I can't for the life of me get it to let me copy multiple things and join them into one string to paste out, which is driving me up the wall.

I learned that Monarch's clipboard manager can do this, but I just found out it is paid so I don't really feel like investing in it (given that I already have raycast installed and don't use it).

Anyone know of a good (ideally a lightweight one without a thousand extra features!) clipboard manager or a noscriptable one?

https://redd.it/1p2gmyg
@macappsbackup

Soundsource 5.8.x Macos 15 and above

I'm having an issue with "cracky sound" using any Soundsource version out after 5.7.5 when I'm in a game and using the "Game Mode" macOS feature (macos 15.7)

Owning a macbook pro m1 14”, I have the intention to upgrade to the new Tahoe update.

Unfortunately, 5.7.5 does not seem to be supported using Tahoe, so I'm a bit at a dead end here as I need Soundsource for work, and I'm afraid Soundsource will not be working in game mode (Game Mode is obviously not related to my work, but it's still nice to have game audio going through the app. I also know I can exclude applications).

I tried what the official website said, removing all caches/settings folders and uninstalling ACE/the app multiple times. The ACE driver does not seem to be the issue as I can also use the latest ACE version on my previous 5.7.5 fine with no audio issue.

For those having a m1 pro, Do any of you have an audio issue in Game Mode ? Do any of you have perfectly working audio in Game Mode using 5.8.x ?

Thank you

https://redd.it/1p2n754
@macappsbackup

Any macOS apps with insanely good first-run onboarding like Dia?
https://youtu.be/ZdIiN9coS_A?si=_u1NhvxlmDJ3Y2Zn

https://redd.it/1p2ppxh
@macappsbackup

Convert Win cursor packs to Mousecape capes

As you all know customization is not really great in MacOS so almost %90 of custom cursors are made for windows, to save people from this i made this tool called Capeify

https://github.com/mmemoo/capeify

it converts your favorite windows cursor pack to a cape file

its pretty new and all feedback are 'preciated

https://redd.it/1p2qp3h
@macappsbackup

Homy turns your Mac into a smart security camera
https://redd.it/1p2w5wa
@macappsbackup

One year of Name Changer - now 50% off for Black Friday
https://redd.it/1p2xuku
@macappsbackup

I created a Raindrop, YABA alternative App with clipboard Manager as Student

https://redd.it/1p2y4yz
@macappsbackup

Do you offer Black Friday Deals? Submit a PR to our Github repo.

Hey r/macapps 👋

Do you offer Black Friday Deals? Submit yours to our Github repo at https://github.com/mRs-/Black-Friday-Deals

I'm one of the maintainers and I will prioritize merging yours in the next couple of hours.

Unlike other repositories, ours is specifically for macOS & iOS apps. It currently ranks #3 in Github Search.

Don't forget to star the repo so it becomes trending on Github.

Thank you

https://preview.redd.it/e2im4l2f1l2g1.jpg?width=978&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aa3e1123b68837e9e921fcf50db886555edd2931



https://redd.it/1p2umdu
@macappsbackup

MacPacker v0.12 released - Open Source Archive Previewer (November 25 update)
https://redd.it/1p334de
@macappsbackup

Focusmo went up 40$ from 39$ (30% off) to 79$ (50% off) for BF Sale?
https://redd.it/1p35u1d
@macappsbackup

Power Tool for Mac-based iPhone Management

A few years back, I had an iPhone that just stopped backing up to iCloud. I went through every troubleshooter I could find, and nothing worked. At the time, I had a MacBook with a small hard drive (256 GB), and using Finder to back it up resulted in a file of over 90 GB, taking up a significant chunk of space. Not only that, it took about 30 minutes to complete. I had to hack together a way, using symlinks, to move the backup to an external drive. It was a huge PIA.

That's when I started using DearMob iPhone Manager. Its backup capabilities beat Apple's by a mile. You can choose your backup location. You still get encryption, and you can use Wi-Fi (which is slow but acceptable). It works all the way back to Mac OS X 10.9 but doesn't require Rosetta on Apple silicon.

I also recently used it to recover 80 GB of music from my dad's old iPod Classic with just a few clicks.

## Useful Features

- Selective Control - Pull just the data off a phone that you want, in a usable format, without having to back up the whole phone. Very useful for specific groups of photos. You can transfer, backup, transcode, and restore photos easily.
- Wide File Type Support - Works with HEIC photos, RAW formats, 4K video, and more, and can do conversions on the fly.
- Speedy - Standard photo copies happen at the rate of 5,000 images a minute via a USB connection.
- Security - You can encrypt anything you export, including photo albums.
- Supports Cloning and Migration - Whether you're getting a new phone or doing a nuke and pave on your current model, DearMob has you covered with more flexibility than what Apple offers.
- Two Way Management - Supports messages, contacts, podcasts, files, apps, books, calendars, and more. You can add apps that are no longer in the App Store without jailbreaking your phone. You can also use your phone as a mountable drive for times when you need to Sneaker Net files around.

## Pain Point

The main drawback with an app like DearMob is that you are always at Apple's mercy, and future changes to iOS and macOS may affect functionality.

## The Good News

A lifetime license normally goes for $39.95, which lets you install it on one Mac and use it with unlimited phones. It's currently on sale for $3. At that price, it's hard to resist. Its main competitor is iMazing, which is subnoscription only ($49.95 a year) and limits the number of devices you can use.

The developer, 5K Player, has more info on DearMob.

https://redd.it/1p362g3
@macappsbackup

Spokenly: what’s the best speech-to-text API and model right now?

I’ve been using an app called Spokenly lately and it’s made me curious about what everyone thinks is the best speech-to-text API and model available right now.

There are so many options. For example, Cartesia has Ink Whisperer, Deepgram has Nova 3, Soniox has their own system, and then there are models like Parakeet, Whisper variants, etc. Some apps seem to mix different APIs together and I’m trying to figure out what gives the best combination of accuracy, speed, and low latency for real-time dictation.

If you’ve tested different providers, which one has worked best for you and why? I’m especially interested in:

• Accuracy with normal everyday speech

• Speed and responsiveness

• Latency during dictation

• How well it handles punctuation and capitalization

• Pricing or free tier experiences

• Any issues with reliability


Feel free to share your setup or any comparisons you’ve done. I want to see what people think is the best choice

https://redd.it/1p3ka0d
@macappsbackup