ZeroHz – One-click lofi + ambient sounds from your Mac menu bar

Short demo showing how ZeroHz works from the macOS menu bar.

Hey everyone,

I built ZeroHz because I kept losing 20+ minutes every morning just trying to find the “right” focus music on Spotify or YouTube.


By the time I settled on something, my flow was already broken.
I wanted something that lets me start a focused work session instantly,
without opening tabs or making decisions.


ZeroHz lives in your Mac menu bar.

With one click, you get lofi music, ambient sounds, and a simple focus timer
all without leaving what you’re working on.


What it does:

• Menu bar access for instant start
• Lofi + ambient sound combinations (rain, waves, forest, etc.)
• Simple focus timer to stay in flow


I designed it specifically for macOS users who value minimal UI and staying in context.
The goal was to make something that feels native and stays out of the way.
I’m actively improving it based on feedback.


If you work remotely or study on a Mac and struggle with context switching, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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

Anyone else daily driving Orion on macOS lately?

After the latest update (Version 1.0.0 (139) - macOS 26.2 (25C56)

I’ve been daily driving Orion Browser and honestly… it’s been amazing.

UI is gorgeous, speed is unreal, and RAM usage is way lower than Firefox/Zen and other browsers I’ve tried.

I’ve compiled a list of bugs (mostly small, nothing fatal) that I’m planning to submit, but overall this has been the best browsing experience I’ve had on macOS so far. Would love to see the community grow so updates and polish come faster.

If you haven’t tried it yet, give it a shot.

Curious what everyone’s current daily browser on Mac is! For me, vertical tabs and focus mode are non-negotiable.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

Minor bugs I’ve noticed so far (nothing deal-breaking):

Vertical tabs edge detection: In vertical tab mode when not fullscreen, if the window is even slightly misaligned from the left edge of the screen, the tabs won’t appear. Your cursor has to be able to reach the absolute leftmost edge for them to show, so the window basically needs to be perfectly flush with the screen edge.

Fullscreen keyboard shortcuts: In fullscreen mode, some shortcuts (e.g. Ctrl + L for URL/search) occasionally stop working. Exiting fullscreen and re-entering fixes it.

https://redd.it/1pnpgn3
@macappsbackup

Found a clean little project planning app that works great across Apple devices

It’s called **Projectholic**, and what stood out to me is how differently it behaves across Mac / iPad / iPhone — in a good way.
The Mac and iPad version feels like a desktop planner, and the iPhone one works nicely for quick check-ins or adding tasks on the go.

*Processing img u65givatoi4g1...*

*Processing img 3y1t7o1voi4g1...*

Some things I liked so far:

* Simple project calendar that actually makes sense
* Multi-day tasks flow naturally
* Timeline view on Mac/iPad is surprisingly useful
* Doesn’t feel bloated like most “project management” apps
* Works well if you’re handling stuff solo or juggling side projects

Nothing groundbreaking, just a solid, well-designed tool that clicked for me.
Sharing in case someone else is looking for something lightweight across Apple devices.

Link if you want to check it out:
[https://apps.apple.com/app/id6745497754](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6745497754)

Also open to recommendations — always curious what others use to keep projects organized.

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

YouTube AI Summary Mac App?

So I've been keeping an eye out on an app that can summarise YouTube videos but I'm yet to come across one that is a one-time payment (or allows own API key/local LLM) and works as either a Mac app or a Firefox extension.

Most existing services are random websites that you are tied to subnoscription payment models which I'm not here for.

Does anyone have any suggestions on some potential candidates? I know there's new apps coming out weekly but they can take months for Google to index them or even for users to discover them.

Thanks!

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

Just got my macOS app approved for TestFlight - Looking for early testers

Hi Reddit 👋
This is my first time actually posting after lurking here, so go easy on me!

**A bit if background**: I went back to university in my 40s to get my bachelor's in Digital Forensics in Norway. During my studies, I stumble upon a pain point: **Contemporaneous Notes.** *Yes I know, not another* ***Notes*** *app* 😓. I promise you, it is not 😌.


I realize that Digital Forensics isn't just about carving out evidence or analyzing hex code, it's about documenting *everything* you do, exactly when you do it. I couldn't find a tool that offers what I need. I use Words, Obsidian, Apple Notes and even other Note taking app, but in the end, it was not what I was looking for and it was time consuming. So, beside my bachelor, I decide to learn Swift and build it myself.


It is called **ChainFlux**.

[Main UI](https://preview.redd.it/moo6kft0cj7g1.png?width=1427&format=png&auto=webp&s=73b39bd96845be16669063bb64faec56f2d0c607)

[Transparency theme with Timeline and Rows](https://preview.redd.it/akerq29acj7g1.png?width=1399&format=png&auto=webp&s=26c3d5d9714f1a9e4d5196fb77ccf0d6564ecbd3)

It's introduced a workflow i call "**The Row.**"

1. 🔒 **100% Local Storage:** All Case Data stored locally. Nothing is sent to the cloud. Your evidence stays yours.
2. **⏱️ Auto-timestamp:** Each Row start with logging the exact Date and Time
3. **📝 Action & Denoscription**: You log what you did
4. **😎 Signature**: It ends with your investigator signature (name of the user)

It also able to add evidence files (attachments) in the **Row**, text snippets for repetitive jargons, and speech-to-text for when your hands are busy.

[The Row, Notch and Sidebar](https://preview.redd.it/hv4ci944cj7g1.png?width=1410&format=png&auto=webp&s=1ef3ee5a66c35869fc1288ddd9fd4a5611b7f7f9)

I am an "Indie Dev" with a Forensics degree, not a CS degree, so i built this to solve a problem I face when working with **Contemporaneous Note**. I build everything myself (app, UI, logo, website).

It is current in **Public Beta (TestFlight)**, and I would love some feedback from this community.

*ChainFlux supports macOS 14.6+, but i am a solo developer developing and testing on my Mac mini M4 basic model with* ***macOS 26+.***


🌐 Website/TestFlight: [www.getchainflux.com](http://www.getchainflux.com)

Happy to answer questions and thanks for letting a lurker finally post 😊.
\**Because of my first post on Reddit, all the text and images could be not in the right place, sorry for this\**


https://redd.it/1pnxw07
@macappsbackup

HiFidelity v1.0.6 released, A native macOS offline audiophile music player (SwiftUI, BASS, TagLib) [Open Source]

[music player](https://preview.redd.it/dcjdkfmx4k7g1.jpg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8e0ec1486da6c53f94f36fad8868cff67befc26f)

# Features:

* Powered by the BASS (un4seen) audio library for professional-grade audio quality and TagLib for meta-data reading
* Support for 10+ audio formats including lossless and high-resolution files
* **Lossless & Hi-Res**: FLAC, OGA, WAV, AIFF, AIF, APE, WV, TTA, DFF, DSF
* **Compressed**: MP3, MP2, AAC, OGG, OPUS, M4A, M4B, M4P, MP4, M4V, MPC
* **Specialized**: CAF, WEBM, SPX
* **Bit-perfect playback** with sample rate synchronization and Obtain Exclusive Access of audio device **(Hog mode)**
* **Gapless Playback**: Seamless transitions between tracks with no silence or interruption
* Built-in equalizer with customizable presets
* Browse by tracks, albums, artists, or genres
* **Smart Recommendations**: Auto play functionality, you don't have to think what to play next
* **Lyrics Support**:
* Download lyrics directly within the app from lrclib
* Real-time line-by-line lyrics highlighting
* **Mini Player**: Compact floating window with integrated queue and lyrics panels
* **Audio device change** option within UI
* **Advanced Search**: Find tracks instantly across your entire library with FTS5
* **Playback History**: Keep track of what you've listened to
* **Favorites**: Mark and organize your favorite tracks
* Menu bar controls and Now Playing info

GitHub: [https://github.com/rvarunrathod/HiFidelity](https://github.com/rvarunrathod/HiFidelity)
Website: [https://rvarunrathod.github.io/HiFidelity/](https://rvarunrathod.github.io/HiFidelity/)

https://redd.it/1po0bzu
@macappsbackup

Opensource Live Wallpaper for MacOS 26+

https://redd.it/1po1dq3
@macappsbackup

I built a macOS app that shares only the window you hover during Zoom or Teams or Meet calls

Hi everyone,


I do a lot of screen sharing for demos, presentations, and teaching, and I kept running into the same problem.

Sharing the whole screen feels risky, especially on an ultrawide display, and manually switching windows during a call breaks the flow.


So I built a small macOS app called HoverFlow. It mirrors only the app window you hover over and works instantly with Zoom, Teams and Google Meet. This lets you present or demo without accidentally showing emails, files, or other private windows.


It has been especially useful for presentations, live demos, and teaching scenarios where focus and privacy matter.


The app is already live on the Mac App Store. I am still actively improving it and would genuinely appreciate feedback from Mac users who screen share a lot.


Happy to answer any questions.


Mac App Store link:

https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/hoverflow/id6751885292

\- Kevin

https://redd.it/1po5wcq
@macappsbackup

Z-Image-Turbo Local AI Image Gen on Mac App Store with xCreate

Took a while to get it through the App Store review team, but the first version is out and lets you run Z-Image-Turbo a super-quality AI image generation model on your Mac.

App: https://xcreate.com

Explainer video: https://youtu.be/RG5aSqRxAws

This is just a first version, will add improvements, any requests let me know.

It's free to use and download, all generations are local and private.

There is a small watermark which can easily be cropped out, subnoscription is there mainly to support further development.

https://redd.it/1po7m2m
@macappsbackup

My Markdown Rabbit Hole

I stumbled upon Markdown some years back when I discovered and began using Drafts. It was simple and easy for me to capture little ideas. Back in the old days I just carried index cards and a Sharpie. I was trying to move more and more of my tools to digital. On my Mac it kept my fingers on the keyboard, on my iPad and iPhone it was easy to flip back and forth.

I became interested in Markdown because it kept me from fiddling with formatting. Chasing perfect formatting and having pages "just so" was really distracting me. Markdown solved that problem by preventing me from fiddling with a bunch of things that weren't words on a screen. On most of these editors you can barely change the font, and yes that's hyperbole.

I used to write a bit, and I have been trying to get back into the habit regularly. Since moving from Windows, Android, and Chrome to iPhone macOS and iPad I have been on the hunt for apps that make my life easier. I saw Markdown as part of the solution, but I was fighting it.

Of course, I am all about changing apps and supporting new projects. Some might even say I have a problem. I donate or buy licenses for new software all the time. Either because I think the product is interesting or I like using them. Part of the issues is that I am addicted a little bit to software and different ways of doing things. I falsely believe that the next app will make everything better, but I digress.

Drafts allowed me to capture text ideas very quickly and move them to everything from text messages to separate files. I liked the flexibility of Markdown and I was starting to get the hang of it. In the past I had always struggled with coding parameters because they didn't make sense in my head. I do not code, and this is important to my story. Whether is is just that Markdown is designed for people like me, or the system just fits better in my brain I don't know. Markdown definitely works for me. Drafts is great in terms of features, but I dislike subnoscriptions. There is a "free" version, but it lacks some features that most users would demand on macOS. Aside from that, if you are just jotting down the occasional note and you want to always have a new note ready then this an option but not one I can recommend because I dislike subnoscriptions.

Typora is macOS only, which really frustrates me personally. Not having an iOS version is really difficult for me. In the last ten years since my visual impairment became permanent I have written as many words on my iPhone and iPad as I have on my MacBook Air. That being said, if you only use a computer, and want Windows and Ubuntu capability as well this is a great option. Especially for $15.

ByWord is great to look through, but the app hasn't been updated for a long time. The last update I am seeing on the web is late 2023. $12 for the macOS app and $6 for the iOS version. Not expensive by any means, but I would like a developer who at least updates the users and regularly adds additional features. Nothing, not even a dark icon, or hearty handshake.

My latest find is uFocus is what I am using to write this today. It's free and as they say on their website, no internet connection is required for use. It's fairly full featured. There is an iOS and macOS version, and they are stable and good.

Bear and Craft are often mentioned, and they aren't bad. It is just that the cost and capabilities doesn't seem to compete with UpNote which is my notes application for cross-platform use. Honestly, had I originally realized the Markdown capabilities of UpNote I might not have gone down this rabbit hole. Honestly I probably would have anyway but I degree.

There are also others, Joplin which is free, Standard Notes has a free version,

MacDown is free. There are too many to list now.

The 800 pound gorilla in the room is Obsidian which I personally despise. I know some people are upset at that statement, but hear me out. It's too much, too configurable, too featured, and too extensible. It's like learning French just because you want a croissant. Sure it works, but it's entirely too much work for me.

We all have our favorites, and honestly mine is iA Writer. It is a one-time license, fully featured, actively supported with regular updates, iOS and macOS clients, and more. Great support and documentation as well.

So that's my rabbit hole, and I wrote 837 words today...

https://redd.it/1poca6d
@macappsbackup

Looking for an app that will see what a font looks like before I choose it.

A long time ago Apple had a widget or mini app that you could open on the side so you could see all of the letters of each font type.

Is there anything like that nowadays?

I hope i explained it well enough.

https://redd.it/1poi1ui
@macappsbackup

Drafts Wins App of the Year at Mac Stories

[Drafts](https://itunes.apple.com/app/id1435957248?mt=12&at=11l4Cf&ct=site), an app by Agile Tortoise (AKA Greg Pierce), remarkably won [App of the Year for 2025 at Mac Stories](https://www.macstories.net/stories/macstories-selects-2025-recognizing-the-best-apps-of-the-year//#app-of-the-year), a full thirteen years after its release. Three years ago, Drafts was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the same crew. I think it's a real testament to the developer's commitment to continued development and support. The app is currently at version 49, with new features added regularly. Originally solely for iOS, today Drafts is a Universal App with multiple use cases on mobile and desktop/laptops. It's been in the dock of my iPhone for 11 years and on my Mac since its release. It's just about the only place I enter text on my phone because its huge automation catalog enables me to send what I type to other apps with ease.

Drafts has a robust and long-lived community with a lot of smart people generously helping newcomers on the regular. Every single time I have ever had a question about Drafts, either Greg himself or one of the other community regulars has given me the answer.

# My Favorite Features

* Drafts makes a good scratch pad for any temporary text or notes, and it's super useful to have it sync between my Macs and my iOS/iPadOS devices.
* While not a full-fledged notes app, it does have tags and workspaces for organizational purposes, making it a great repository for any frequently used boilerplate text or frequently pasted information such as API keys.
* The ability to copy text from a web page and paste it into drafts, where it's instantly formatted into Markdown, helps me write Reddit and blog posts with a lot less friction.
* My favorite notes app, Obsidian, has a well-deserved reputation for being slow on the draw on iOS. Drafts is the solution to that issue.

# Apps I use With Drafts

* Obsidian
* Things3
* Fantastical
* DayOne
* Shortcuts
* Dropbox
* Fastmail
* Apple Notes
* ChatGPT
* Ulysses
* Mastodon
* BlueSky
* Micro.Blog

In the past, I've also used it with OmniFocus, Bear, ToDoist, TickTick, Gmail, Google Docs, OneNote, Spark email, DevonThink, IAwriter, Notion, Roam Research, Evernote, Twitter, and Facebook.

There are [hundreds of free workflows](https://directory.getdrafts.com/) available in the Drafts actions directory for a long, long list of situations and apps.

# Specific Use Cases

***The Things 3, Fantastical, Day One Combo***

The [Quick Journaling Action Group](https://directory.getdrafts.com/g/1Sd) lets me keep one running note that I can process at day's end to send the individual lines as entries into [Fantastical,](https://flexibits.com/fantastical) [Things 3](https://culturedcode.com/things/) and [Day One](https://dayoneapp.com/). The appropriate parts of one draft get sent to three separate apps with one command.

* Lines starting with "-" are collected and sent to Day One as a journal entry.
* Lines starting with "⁎" are sent to Things inbox.
* Lines starting with "@" are sent to Fantastical.

***Things Parser***

Using [TaskPaper syntax](https://guide.taskpaper.com/getting-started/), I can create a note in Drafts complete with due dates, areas, projects, and tags that get correctly imported into the Things 3 task manager using the [Things Parser.](https://directory.getdrafts.com/a/1DV) I use this with a Drafts template to create daily and weekly checklists for recurring tasks. I also use the action group, Things for Things, which includes actions for:

* Inbox
* Today
* This Evening
* Tomorrow
* Pick date
* Work
* House
* Personal
* Pick a Project
* Make a Project
* Selection to Things
* Bunch of todos
* Process notes from
* Prompt for new task

***Copy to Obsidian Inbox***

I am all in on [Obsidian](https://obsidian.md/), the massively popular notes app with a robust 2000+ plugin architecture. It does a lot of things amazingly well, but mobile quick capture is not one of them. To solve that, I use [this Drafts

action](https://directory.getdrafts.com/a/1qB) which saves the text to the default save location in my vault and uses the first line of the text as the note noscript/file name. I use a couple of other Drafts to Obsidian actions, including [Add to Obsidian Daily Note](https://directory.getdrafts.com/a/2EO) and [Add to Daily Note Plus](https://directory.getdrafts.com/a/2Fc), which add text to my daily note in different ways using a time stamp and a geolocation.

# The Bottom Line

Yes, Drafts Pro is a subnoscription app, and if you want to create custom actions, you are going to have to pony up 1.99M/19.99Y. I would sell plasma to pay for Drafts if I had to. Drafts is also a text-only app. There are no images or file embeds available. You don't have to be a tech writer or a blogger to use it, though. In my former life in IT support, I used it all the time for email, closing tickets, and documentation. You can do an amazing amount of work with Drafts, but you aren't going to master it in a day. There is a learning curve, but in my experience, it's always been fun to see what new things I can do with the app.

https://redd.it/1polhj4
@macappsbackup

NotiSprite Got Its Travel Visa 🎉

I am happy to share that NotiSprite has officially been approved by Apple. Your beloved sprite can now travel from macOS to iPhone and iPad.

The same philosophy applies everywhere. No login, no ads, no data collection. It just works.

If you have already purchased sprites on macOS, they can travel freely to iOS and iPadOS. No extra steps are needed. Just tap Restore Purchases in Settings and all your sprites will appear on your mobile devices.

iOS development is very different from macOS. Apps can be suspended or killed by the OS, and there is no desktop space for a sprite to wander around. This made the implementation challenging. Instead of copying the macOS experience, I designed NotiSprite for iOS around what the platform does best, using Live Activities, Widgets, and Notifications to keep the sprite present and useful.

Pro Tip: If you are using the same Apple ID login into your Mac and iOS or iPadOS, you can add Widgets on your Mac.

Widget on Mac from iOS

With iOS and iPadOS now live, the NotiSprite suite is well underway. The next major piece is NotiSprite Creator, where artists and creators will be able to play with their own sprites on Mac, iPhone, and iPad. If creators choose to, they can also team up with us to distribute their sprites worldwide, reaching 174 countries and supporting 12 languages.

There is still a long way to go, but every dream starts with a first step.

Here is the App Store Link.

Enjoy your sprite on your mobile devices.

This release is a small gift to you all.
Merry Christmas 🎄

https://redd.it/1pota0h
@macappsbackup

Which calendar app are you using right now?

Hey guys,


It's the end of the year, and I'm reviewing the app I'm using.

Which calendar app are you using right now? I really like FantastiCal, but it's a little bit overkill for me...

I'd love to know about you!

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

In search of a rock solid workflow for Spaces/Virtual Desktops

All I want for Christmas is a way to have apps and Spaces consistently do what I want. I have two, 27 inch displays. On each display, I have enabled four spaces. Ideally, I'd like to be able to link the spaces as pairs so that what's on screen changes on both monitors simultaneously.

## Preferred Layout

Space 1 - Email / Space 5 - Mona, Things3, Messages Space 2 - Obsidian / Space 6 - Firefox, Drafts Space 3 - Calibre / Space 7 - Qspace, <App for downloading Linux ISOs> Space 4 - Vivaldi / Space 8 - Vivaldi, ChatGPT

I want to be able to launch the apps and have the windows open in the same location in the same space every time.

## What I've Tried

In System settings, I have Displays have separate spaces turned on. I also have Automatically arrange spaces turned off. I do not use Stage Manager.

I have tried [Moom\]( https://manytricks.com/moom/) because it has a feature to create layouts involving multiple displays, but it does not consistently open apps in the correct space or even move apps already opened to the correct space.

I have also tried [Spencer\](https://macspencer.app), which claims to open and move apps to the spaces you designate. It consistently gives me error messages.

I tried [Stay\]( https://apps.apple.com/us/app/stay/id435410196?mt=12 ) which is supposed to let you designate a location for specific apps. It is not dependably consistent.

I just found the FOSS app, [Flashspace,\](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/s/uOg1Bk5KBb) which promises to replace Spaces, but I have not tested it yet.

# Any Ideas or Tips?

I’m also looking for a way, any way, to stop random Finder windows from opening on Desktop clicks or space changes. I’ve tried Hammerspoon and BetterTouchTool with no luck.

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

Weavelyn to visualize your documents

https://redd.it/1powrh5
@macappsbackup