Free Lifetime Took your feedback and rebuilt my Mac talk-to-text app: oto

https://reddit.com/link/1pee01h/video/1w72n2ipk95g1/player

Hey everyone, I’m back with some big updates to oto, my 100% local talk-to-text app for macOS.

App Store Link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/oto-talk-to-text/id6749171372

Website Link: https://oto-transcribe.github.io/

I posted here a couple months ago and got a ton of helpful feedback. I took a lot of it to heart, and this new version is a huge improvement across the board. Made it free as a thank you.

Here’s what makes it stand out now:

- Free until Jan 1: If you download it now, it stays free forever for you. No subnoscriptions, no hidden charges, no tiers. You’ll keep getting all the same updates as everyone else. Starting in January, new users will see a one-time purchase instead.

\- Apple Silicon and Intel support, runs smoothly on both.

\- The cleanest UI in the talk-to-text space. I’ve spent a lot of time making it feel native, minimal, and invisible until you need it.

\- Feature-complete with the big names: global hotkey, history, auto-paste, 100+ languages, translation to English, and more.

\- Fully offline. Your voice never leaves your Mac unless you explicitly send it somewhere.

\- Actively developed. I’m shipping updates constantly and listening closely to feedback.

For context, I’ve been using oto daily while building it. I’m already at 11 hours of recorded audio, and it has saved me roughly 25 hours of typing. It has become a real workflow booster for me, which is exactly what I want for other Mac users.

If you tried the early version, this one is much better. And if you’re currently paying monthly for trannoscription, this might be an easy switch.

Would love any feedback, good, bad, or brutal.

https://redd.it/1pee01h
@macappsbackup

Speech to Text Apps

I've noticed a lot of clamor for, and development of, speech to text apps.

What I want to know is, why?

What are the major use cases? What is the utility? What problem are they solving?

I can understand meeting trannoscription use cases, and having that done locally.

But otherwise?

I'm not a developer/programmer, so maybe it is a part of that workflow?

Or am I missing a use for it that would change the way I do things?

Just genuinely curious as to what y'all use them for and am looking forward to being enlightened.

Thanks!

https://redd.it/1pehvw2
@macappsbackup

App Review: Meru

This won't be a large review, but I wanted to give a shout out to Meru. I spend my free time looking for little known apps, and this one missed my radar. I was using Kiwi for gmail, but they've recently changed their subnoscription. This is a onetime purchase all the features of kiwi, and then some.

If you use gmail and want some seperation from your browser and use multiple accounts, great program.

https://meru.so/

*I am in no way affiliated with this program.

https://redd.it/1pej8er
@macappsbackup

I built SpaceCommand, an open source app that lets you name, search, and jump between your virtual desktops.

https://redd.it/1pek345
@macappsbackup

The Cotypist app is fantastic

I came across the Cotypist app in this subreddit a day or two ago. It is fantastic. It took my brain just a few minutes to get used to it, and now I am using it all the time.

If I'm typing, I'm using Cotypist. If I'm dictating, I'm using Superwhisper.

For now, Cotypist is free during the beta. I'm leaning towards buying it when it's released, assuming the price is reasonable. I was a bit leery of downloading an unknown app, but after learning the developer is the same guy as the creator of the Timing app (which I used in the past for a while), I felt better about giving it a try.

Check it out here: https://cotypist.app

https://redd.it/1pekwz6
@macappsbackup

Please suggest some macOS alternatives to these windows apps

I just bought M4 Pro MacBook pro 14-inch 24GB, 512 GB yesterday. I am coming from windows 11. What macOS counterparts exists for these windows apps ? Please suggest, preferably something FOSS.

PowerToys (Command Pelette and other tools)
TwinkleTray to control the brightness of my dual monitors
Windows Advanced Copy handler (Win+V)
Tera copy
FancyWM
AB download manager
UnigetUI (Update Manager)
Nanazip (Modern, Good UI 7zip/WinRAR alternative)
Yt-dlp
EarTrumpet

Thanks.


https://redd.it/1pehm3z
@macappsbackup

Hiding desktops / separating work and personal desktops

This might be a weird question. I use my mac for both work and personal stuff, and I use many full screen apps for both, which means I often have many desktops and only need about half of those at any given time. I could un-fullscreen and re-fullscreen apps every time. But is there an app that allows hiding some desktops and showing others ? Kind of how tab groups work for web browsers

https://redd.it/1pen2ra
@macappsbackup

Wins can make no sense, compared to...

Wins make no sense, compared to Dockdoor(free), Supercharge(worthy paid), Raycast(free)

wins

1. Edge Snap and Floating window- make no sense after new mac update

2. Aero Shake- windows os feature, never used (I'm using swish and Raycast)

3. Dock Preview- way laggy, dev is trying for a while to fix it

4. Mission Control Plus- worth if you not have supercharge ( middle click and ⌘ W, ⌘ M, ⌘ Q)

5. Flick Dock- supercharge have it

6. Command Tab- dock door shines on it, they support ⌘ ` to go back, which wins lack at the moment and also dock door have ⌘ A to cycle inside window of app, which is way better than arrow and ⌘ 1..3 navigation as a set of key for navigation

7. Window management- Raycast is way better and even the native mac os one is good and you can customise in keyboard shortcuts

>What I like in DockDoor?

1. Music control + calendar schedule on hovering over app- support Spotify and this can be pinned to screen

2. ⌘ A goes to windows only part of app to cycle into it and come out of it and ⌘ `(its ⌘ ⇧ tab alternative on mac) support in command tab window switcher

(I use Dock Door not for its app window switcher as ⌘ tab is quite sufficient for my use case)

Honestly, wins can make you feel cheated if use DockDoor

DockDoor



https://redd.it/1peoj70
@macappsbackup

Helping my kids memorize their multiplication tables

My father put together an Excel program that I (and my siblings) had to use each day that helped us gradually memorize up to 12x12. Fast forward a generation and I wanted to do something similar for my kids (albeit, without Excel).

My kids helped with a lot of the early usability concerns I had. They also revealed many issues I'd never have considered (as kids can do). MeteorMath makes what is essentially just a memorization process as enjoyable as possible, kid friendly, and certainly more visually interesting than Excel.

MeteorMath is developed as a native Mac app (and for the iPad as well). There's a demo video on the website and you can find it in the App Store.

With a "clean room" project like this, I went ahead and did Swift 6 + SwiftUI + SwiftData (pulling out all the stops). The learning curve was not quite as awful as I had anticipated. I still have mixed feelings on SwiftUI. It does an amazing job of some things....

My kids have happily been using MeteorMath most days, but I've actually been using it quite a bit as well -- I'm finally breaking out beyond my childhood 12x12 limitations (see my progress chart, below).

Hit me up with your thoughts (particularly if your kids get a chance to try it out).

https://preview.redd.it/91mh0jndsd5g1.png?width=1136&format=png&auto=webp&s=6e440258a61fc04872b89587a57450e67e11749c

https://preview.redd.it/q5u7zindsd5g1.png?width=1136&format=png&auto=webp&s=4f41936a349ebf77961dc69b876f454509019aeb

https://preview.redd.it/0fsjrjndsd5g1.png?width=1136&format=png&auto=webp&s=8b9f4f55997648a4faecbab01871d188290bf3f2



https://redd.it/1peu5nb
@macappsbackup

.env files made me nervous, so I built a local secret manager for developers

Hello,

I'm a solo developer, and I've always been concerned about .env file security.
After reading security research about how AI coding agents can be manipulated through prompt injection to leak credentials, I decided to build my own solution.

So I created LocalKeys — a local-based secret manager for Mac (and Windows).

Key Features:
- Stores API keys and secrets in an AES-256-GCM encrypted vault
- Works completely offline — secrets never leave your machine
- Requires user approval for any other process to access secrets
- Supports both GUI and CLI, works with any IDE

What sets it apart:
- No subnoscriptions, no cloud sync
- One-time purchase of $7.99, lifetime updates included
- Designed for indie developers and small teams, not big corporations

I'd love to get feedback from Mac users.
Feel free to ask any questions!

Website: https://localkeys.privatestater.com

https://redd.it/1peugp9
@macappsbackup

How long does the battery on Aldente Pro Sailing mode take to fall and rise?

I just installed Aldente Pro and my macbook is currently charged to its limit of 75% and has Sailing Mode enabled with 5% range setting. I have been using it like that for an hour but the battery stays at 75%. Is it working? Or is it taking so long because the laptop is pulling power from the adapter directly.

https://redd.it/1peu3lw
@macappsbackup

Share your FOSS apps that you use/have until now

As we‘re nearing the end of 2025, I am trying to collect free, open-source softwares (FOSS) to use in ‘26 and limit my subnoscriptions. I‘m not against one-time paid apps (I even bought few ones this Black Friday) if it brings value to you.

This topic is not quite new to our subreddit, here are the few posts around this topic:

[share your best oss(open source software) mac apps, that you can't, live without](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1l1k8qw/share_your_best_ossopen_source_software_mac_apps/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Open Source Doesn't Mean What You Think It Means

Even though after these discussions, I made this post just to include any recent, infamous apps that recently caught attention and love.

You can find the apps I found so far here. I will update the link with the suggested app from the discussion.

https://redd.it/1pezep0
@macappsbackup

Last Day To Get emClient at 50% off.

Their Black Friday deal ends today.

This is the link I got in my email:

https://www.emclient.com/pricing?campaign=318&newsletterid=ac3e5f7f-55dc-4197-8fc2-f2742199edaa&coupon=BLACKFRIDAY2025

emClient has an option for a yearly subnoscription, a one-time purchase, or a one-time purchase with lifetime upgrades. The subnoscription and one-time purchase is 50% off. It looks like the lifetime upgrade is only discounted $30 with this coupon.

Not affiliated with the company. Just informing everyone of the deal.

https://redd.it/1pf1ry1
@macappsbackup

A Deep Dive on EagleFiler

[EagleFiler](https://preview.redd.it/426fsrmkzf5g1.png?width=788&format=png&auto=webp&s=27d5672604ee1cfa0d3fef2e4e926ebeaaa6530c)

I've built what amounts to a database of my entire digital life stretching back to the early 90s, using the super powers of [EagleFiler from C-Command Software](https://c-command.com/eaglefiler/) and the highly respected, veteran developer, Michael Tsai. EagleFiler is the ultimate everything bucket for my needs. With it I can quickly locate any email, social media post, blog article or work document that I have ever created, plus more. EagleFiler is much faster than Spotlight at finding what I am looking for. It provides a very scalable way to organize, annotate and expand any project.

# What's in My EagleFiler

* Nearly 160K emails stretching back to 2005
* Web archives with the original link, and formatting for thousands of web pages imported from my bookmarks and added with convenient system wide tools over the past couple of years.
* I've been blogging off and on since the days of GeoCities, not just on software but a whole gamut of topics. Using tags, folders (including smart folders) and full text searches I can find just about anything I can remember creating. I can add current notes to clarify or highlight any document.
* I made my living as a technical writer and editor during the original dot com bubble and all of my professional work is appropriately tagged and organized in several different formats, including PDF, Word, PowerPoint and text files.
* When I quit using Facebook and Twitter, I got archives of all my posts from those services and imported them into EagleFiler. That's tens of thousands of entries.
* Themed collections of PDFs which include manuals for hardware and software and hundreds of converted ebooks from my various non-technical interests like baseball and US history.
* I was an avid Evernote user back when it was good. I imported every important note rinto EagleFiler, from software registration keys to recipes to accumulated notes on Mac OS X back to version 10.0.

# Adding to the Base I Built

EagleFiler isn't just a repository for historical data, it's a great app for organizing projects on an ongoing basis. Using hotkeys, it's easy to quickly add web archives or new blog posts and other documents. If using tags and folders isn't granular enough, you can have multiple libraries. More than one library can be open at the time and multiple pages can be open per library.

EagleFiler uses the finder for the documents you have. There is no duplication caused by importing the very same info into a different database. EagleFiler's own data consists of its index of what you've added, your tags and notes. If you use Finder tags, they remain with the original document. One benefits of using EagleFiler search s that you can skip folders and tags if you aren't inclined to use them and just search for the information you want.

Once you have data in EagleFiler, there's a three-pane interface where you can view and edit files directly, without having to open, close and save in separate apps. You can also quickly create new files of different types in the current folder or tag where you're working.

Exporting your emails from practically any client or service makes gives you a leaner daily driver and can speed up searches in Outlook, Gmail etc. I've encountered more than one person whose sole use of EagleFiler is for email archiving. Rob Griffiths (of the late, great OS X Hints website) said "Import from Mail is ridiculously easy--select a mailbox or a number of messages and press Option-F1 in Mail."

The list of apps that integrate with EagleFiler is long and comprehensive. It includes text editors like Bbedit, browsers including Arc, Brave (and Chrome and other Chromium based browsers), utilities like PopClip and Hookmark, just about the whole gamut of Microsoft and Apple productivity suites, task managers like Omnifocus and even RSS readers like NetNewsWire and Reeder.

# Is it Like DevonThink?

Yes and no. At a high level, both products are used

to store, search, sort etc. documents in a structured database format. I asked Michael Tsai to give me his stock answer to the inevitable comparison questions and he said "There are many features in common. I know that some people prefer DEVONthink because of one or another feature that it has and EagleFiler lacks. Customers who have used both generally tell me that they prefer EagleFiler because it's easier to use and faster and because of the way it handles e-mail archiving and integration with the Mac file system and other apps." EagleFiler is $69.99 and if you are the sole user of the app, you can install it on two computers. DevonThink pricing is complicated, but at the simplest level it is $99 for the standard version and $199 for the pro version that also includes the companion mobile app.

# What's New

The latest (free) update to EagleFiler was in October, 2025 includes the following enhancements:

* The [capture key](https://c-command.com/eaglefiler/help/capture-key) now works with [DEVONthink 4](https://www.devontechnologies.com/).
* The [share extension](https://c-command.com/eaglefiler/help/share-extension) can now import images with no associated file, e.g. from the Quick Look preview window after taking a screenshot.
* Fixed a bug where [tag searches](https://c-command.com/eaglefiler/help/searching) with [negative conditions](https://c-command.com/eaglefiler/help/search-query-syntax) sometimes didn't find any matches when **Match Partial Words** was unchecked.
* Worked around a Help Viewer bug on macOS 14.
* Updated the documentation for macOS Tahoe 26. The current version works with macOS 13 through Tahoe. Legacy versions of the app are available if you run an older operating system.

# The Road Ahead

When I asked Michael about his plans for the future of EagleFiler her gave me quite a list. "The top priority is making it fully Apple Silicon native and at the same time rewriting it in Swift. Another high priority is adding a widescreen view (i.e. with the preview pane on the side instead of the bottom). Lots more new features, optimizations, and refinements are planned. I love EagleFiler as is (and use it every day to run my life as well as to help develop the app itself), but I think there's so much potential to make it even better."

I asked about the Rosetta issue and he explained, "It's compatible with Apple Silicon Macs, but currently only part of the app (the indexer and web page fetcher) runs natively, so Rosetta is still required." This can be a deal breaker for some folks, so you've been warned.

https://redd.it/1pf57ll
@macappsbackup

Personal Database Apps (similar to Bento)??

Hey all,

I'm on the lookout for a nice little personal database app with a clean, intuitive UI.

Use case is nothing more complex than organizing collections, but I need something customizable - so existing database apps for books, recipes, comics, movies, etc... are not what I'm looking for.

I used to have an app called Bento, but I've come to understand this has been discontinued.

Any leads would be greatly appreciated, thanks.



https://redd.it/1pf68rf
@macappsbackup

I built a Mac copilot thing that reads your screen + your local files and can edit any text field. Not sure what to do with it - looking for ideas

https://reddit.com/link/1pf9r8v/video/4607b67cvg5g1/player

Title says it all. It's an overlay you can pull up anywhere, it reads what's on screen using AX APIs and indexes your files locally. Here's a little demo of me using it to apply to some startup program.

Been building this for a couple of months but honestly struggling to find the killer use case. If you have ideas for what you'd actually use this for, I'm all ears.

https://redd.it/1pf9r8v
@macappsbackup

Thoughts on an AI music-visualizer app for macOS?

I’ve been working on a macOS app that generates AI visuals based on the song you’re listening to (Apple Music, Spotify, MP3). I use it a lot myself, but I’m not sure how it reads to other Mac users.

Does this sound useful or just a fun side tool?

Open to any feedback.

https://redd.it/1pf8t3k
@macappsbackup

Looking for 'Finder' Alternative

Is there any good finder alternative that is easy to use. I tried Nimble Commander but it little weird and I find it difficult to use.

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

Best app… but too expensive

What is an app that you want to buy but feel like it’s just too expensive for what it does or there other programs that may not be as good but they fit in the budget.

Also post what your alternative is.

Mine would be PDF expert. I just really like the interface. I use UPDF instead. UPDF is great but I prefer the flow of PDF expert.

https://redd.it/1pfcb2b
@macappsbackup

Rewind alternative Screenmemory

Just read that with the Meta acquisition of the company, Rewind is going to be discontinued. Looking for alternatives and Screenmemory comes to mind

https://screenmemory.app/

When I had tried it a year ago the recording file size was waaaay larger than Rewind to make it practical to use. Has anyone been using the newer versions? I see the changelog has a new October build release but changes seem minimal so not sure how actively it’s being developed.

Thoughts? Any other viable alternatives?

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