The MacBook Pro's Touch Bar is a fascinating feature that allows you to interact with your MacBook like never before. You'll be able to use it for all manner of built-in apps, but there will be a ton of third-party apps with Touch Bar support as well! Index of My Answer 1. Alfred with powerback 2. Better Touch Tool 3. Z (for command line user) 4. Some useful shortcuts 1. Alfred App - Powerpack This is the most productivity App in the mac. We’ve compiled a list of some of the best software available for Apple’s Mac, from email and shortcut apps to window organizers and multimedia players. Airmail 3, Alfred, Bear, LastPass.
Best Apps for Touch Bar: Get the most out of your MacBook Pro
It’s been nearly a year since Apple released the MacBook Pro with its most forward-thinking hardware innovation in a long time: the Touch Bar. It got a pretty bad rap straight out the gate, with claims of being gimmicky or just a cop-out for not giving the MacBook a touch screen.
One year in, we’ve actually had a lot of fun getting to know the Touch Bar and found plenty of apps that integrated the new technology well. If you’ve recently picked up a new MacBook Pro , check out our list of the best Touch Bar-compatible apps!
Spark
[Price: Free]
Spark has landed a spot on many of our best app lists, including Best Email Apps for iPhone and iPad, and Mac. This is for a couple of reasons. First, it’s free. Second, it’s just an overall solid email client, which is a breath of fresh air if you’re used to staring at something like Gmail all day. The design is great, and it simplifies your email workflow by grouping together all of your accounts in one place – even one inbox if you prefer.
Not only that, but there are a handful of features that come in handy throughout the day. You can create custom smart folders, customize your swipe actions, snooze emails for viewing later, and also pin emails that you want to remember.
Spark also has great integration with the Touch Bar on the MacBook Pros. From the Touch Bar, you have a range of controls. While browsing through your emails you can mark them as read or unread, pin them, snooze them for later, delete them, and more. If you want to respond to the email, the reply key in the Touch Bar will expand a menu so you can choose to reply to the sender only, reply all, or forward the email.
You can also start an email draft with the Touch Bar and touch the nice blue paper airplane button to send it off.
Keynote
[Price: Free]
If you have any experience at all with Keynote, you’ll know that once you learn your way around, it makes creating awesome presentations a breeze. Unlike other presentation software (looking at you, Powerpoint) Keynote is responsive, has minimal lag time— if any— and has premium features like more professional-looking transitions and effects. In fact, with a little bit of time, you can create simple and very professional animated videos.
This is an Apple product, so you can pretty much bank on it having excellent Touch Bar integration. With the limited time that I’ve used the Touch Bar with Keynote, I can easily see how this will make building presentations even easier. Now, instead of hunting around in menus, the Touch Bar will provide you with contextually-relevant tools the moment you click on an object on your slide. For instance, when you’re editing text or shapes, the Touch Bar will present you with color sliders galore. You can manually adjust your RGB, CMYK, or HSB levels with a slider, or you can select pre-made colors. You’re also able to quickly adjust opacity. When editing shapes specifically, you can adjust the stroke color with the same RGB, CMYK, or HSB sliders. You can also select from 10 different stroke types and use another slider to set your preferred weight.
This is by far one of my favorite Touch Bar integrations. It’s simple, easy to understand, and actually makes the program easier to use.
1Password
[Price: Free]
[Price: Free]
If you still aren’t using a password manager, maybe it’s time to start. 1Password is among the best password managers around, and it’s even better on a MacBook Pro with a Touch Bar. With the Touchbar, you have quick access to accomplish many of the same tasks you would with your mouse. You can select new items to add to your vault, create passwords, etc. You can even unlock 1Password with your fingerprint, use a slider to adjust the strength of a new password, and more. This is definitely a welcome addition, as password managers generally aren’t that easy to navigate, especially when you have them loaded up.
BetterTouchTool
[Price: $5.99]
[Price: $5.99]
BetterTouchTool has been around for a little while and has been allowing Mac users to create custom actions using whatever touch input hardware they’ve got at their disposal. There’s even an iOS companion app that allows you to control your Mac in new ways. With the release of the MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, BetterTouchTool has a new means of allowing you to have full control.
After installing BetterTouchTool, you’ll be able to customize your Touch Bar far beyond what you could before. You can create actions to live on the TouchBar now, too, whether they’re system-wide or app-specific.
A system-wide shortcut could be a button for screenshot, or a button to bring up the force quit applications window. The same goes for app-specific shortcuts. If in your favorite app there are keyboard shortcuts that elevate your productivity, there’s a good chance you can turn those into a Touch Bar button.
TouchPong
[Price: $1.99]
[Price: $1.99]
The above picture pretty much says it all. You remember that mildly popular game Pong that was released by Atari back in the 1970s? Well, you might not remember it first hand, but you’ve surely heard of it and have played some form of it. Now, you can play it with your Touch Bar! By simply sliding your finger horizontally from one side to the other on the Touch Bar, you will compete against a computer-controlled player that supposedly gets better as you play. There are also three different difficulty modes for you to choose from.
TouchPong also touts the ability to play multiplayer. One person gets to use the Touch Bar, while the other uses the trackpad. It’s a little clumsy, but hey, why not?
Notes
[Price: Free]
[Price: Free]
In my opinion, Notes is probably one of the most underrated Apple apps; it comes with every Mac; it’s simple; it’s clean; it’s easy-to-use; and it syncs across all of your Apple devices without hesitation. With Touch Bar, the Notes app becomes even more useful.
Whether you’re furiously taking notes in class, at work, or even if you’re using the app to write up an article, the Touch Bar can really increase your speed. Instead of using your cursor to hunt around for certain functions such as bullet lists, type treatments, or checklist buttons, you can find them all on the Touch Bar. With a simple tap, you can get your bullet lists started and keep on typing. This makes me love using the app even more than I already did.
Wrap Up
The MacBook with Touch Bar, though ridiculed by many, has proven to bring a new level of productivity when used with the right apps. Whether you just want to add a bit more functionality to the Touch Bar, or you’re looking for ways to have fun with it, hopefully, this lists sets you in the right direction!
Do you own a MacBook Pro with Touch Bar? If so, what are your favorite apps with Touch Bar integration? Let us know in the comments below!
Best car mounts for iPad
For those that are thinking of using their iPad as a driving aid in their vehicle, come check out our list of some of the best iPad car mounts.
Jul—05—2020 12:00AM EDTHow to authorize a computer on iTunes
Our guide shows you how to authorize a computer on iTunes and de-authorize those you no longer use.
Jun—19—2020 12:00AM EDTApple Watch vs Fitbit Blaze – which is right for your lifestyle?
Which device is the right fit for your wrist? In this article we aim to highlight the pros and cons for the Apple Watch vs Fitbit Blaze.
May—27—2020 12:00AM EDTHow to pair wireless headphones to the iPhone 7 / 7 Plus
With the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus doing away with the headphone jack, we walk you through how to pair wireless headphones to the iPhone 7.
May—22—2020 12:00AM EDTApple iPad Air 2 vs iPad Mini 4 (2020)
Apple summarized the iPad Mini 4 as being the iPad Air 2 in a compact size, we put that to the test in our iPad Air 2 vs iPad Mini 4 comparison.
May—07—2020 12:00AM EDTWe’ve put together a list of some of the best Mac apps anywhere: if you’re looking for a new utility, web browser, or photo app, you’ll probably find what you need on this list.
Whether you’ve been using a Mac for a very long time, or you’re unboxing your very first MacBook, it’s always nice to see the sort of software and tools that other people use.
While we don’t include them in our official best Mac apps list, since they’re free and from Apple, new users should always check out Apple’s apps that come with every Mac purchase.
Best Mac Apps: Utilities
1Password
Price: $49.99 | Link
1Password is the gold standard of password managers. With people cracking online accounts left and right these days, it’s more important than ever to use secure, complicated passwords – and never the same one twice. 1Password can keep track of all your passwords for you, and automatically enter them into your browser. The latest versions also keep track of sensitive data like insurance numbers, bank accounts, and credit card numbers, making it an important resource if your wallet or purse gets stolen. Apps are available for iPhone, iPad, and Android, making your data available wherever you are.
Caffeine
Price: free | Link
Have you ever started uploading a video to YouTube, walked away, and returned only to find your computer had gone to sleep (and thus corrupted the upload)?
While OS X is supposed to be smart enough to not do that, it doesn’t always work – and now, Caffeine will guarantee it.
Duet Display
Price: Free (on OS X, but requires a $16 iOS app) | Link
Built by a cadre of ex-Apple engineers, Duet Display lets you increase your screen space by taking advantage of your iPhone or iPad. Free basic cad software for mac. With support for touch tracking and the full Retina display of your mobile device, Duet Display can be a godsend if you’re stuck editing on a cramped coffeeshop table.
There are a number of wireless iPad display options, but Duet Display is our top pick.
Dropbox
Price: Free (various premium service levels) | Link
By now, you’re probably familiar with Dropbox, but if you aren’t, this is the company that made cloud storage famous. These guys make sharing and storing files easier than ever, and helps make all your data accessible on each of your devices.
Viscosity
Price: Free 30-day trial, then $9 | Link
Viscosity is a great replacement for the built-in VPN tool in OS X. Designed to let you log on with just a couple of clicks, Viscosity will work with a number of VPN clients, whether you need to log into work, protect yourself at coffeeshops, or simply evade regional lockouts on media.
Chrome Remote Desktop
Price: Free | Link
There have been a number of tools over the years that let you log into your computer when you’re not at home, and one-by-one, they’ve all turned to a non-free model. Not so with the Chrome Remote Desktop. As long as both your home and away PCs are on, you’ll be able to log in and control the remote PC without paying a dime.
Note: both PCs will also need to have the Chrome web browser installed and allowed to run in the background.
Crashplan
Price: Free to external drives, 30-day cloud storage; $60 per year for backing up one computer; $150 per year for backing up between 2 – 10 computers | Link
Crashplan is backup made simple. If you don’t want to pay, the company will offer you free use of their backup software (if Time Machine is not to your liking) as well as 30 days worth of online backups.
Their paid plans are really compelling, however: $60 a year gets you unlimited online backups of your entire computer and network attached storage. You can retrieve individual files or, should emergency strike, pay to have a new hard drive with your backup overnighted to your house.
TextExpander
Price: Free trial, then $45 | Link
TextExpander is kind of like autocorrect, but for your Mac. You can program snippets of text into the TE interface, and when you type them into nearly any program, TextExpander replaces them with your pre-chosen macro.
For example, you could type ‘soon5’ in a meeting email, and TextExpander would replace it with “I’m running late, but I should be there in five minutes.” The new version is easier than ever, and TE includes a fun chart that will show you how many hours you save, based on a specific typing speed.
Airfoil
Price: Free trial, then $29 | Link
Airfoil lets you send any audio from your Mac to any Airplay source – speakers, Airports, AppleTVs, you name it. It offers granular, per-app control that the system option sorely lacks, and lets you send audio out to multiple sets of speakers.
Rogue Amoeba, developers of Airfoil, include a free copy of Airfoil Speakers with each purchase, which lets you receiveAirplay audio on your Mac (or iPhone / Android device).
One fun way to use both of these is to set up Airfoil and Airfoil Speakers on your Mac, then Airplay your iPhone audio to your Mac – this way you can send one phone’s audio out over multiple sets of Airplay speakers, something that is otherwise impossible to do.
F.Lux
Price: Free | Link
F.lux is based on the idea that seeing blue light late at night is bad for your eyes, and impairs your quality of sleep. The app works by changing the color temperature of your display (computer displays are typically pretty “blue”) as the sun sets; by the time you’re ready to call it a night, things can be looking pretty orange.
It definitely reduces stress on your eyes; if you don’t believe us, try quitting F.lux after you’ve used it for an hour – you’ll be scrambling to re-enable it.
GrandPerspective
![Mac apps Mac apps](https://www.macheat.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Connect-to-windows-10.jpg)
Price: Free | Link
One of the most frustrating things about the Mac to this day (not that the PC is all that much better, frankly) is the inability to see your disk space. How much free space do you have, what folders and files are using it all, etc.
GrandPerspective is a free utility that gets rid of all that storage uncertainty by displaying information in an easy-to-read, blocky interface.
Little Snitch
Price: $35 | Link
This is the best firewall you didn’t know you needed. Little Snitch not only monitors for inbound connections, but also outbound connections. It’s a great program for finding out what apps on your computer are calling home and transmitting information; you can block any of them at any time, just by tapping a button.
The devs recently released a companion product known as Micro Snitch; Micro Snitch has a similar philosophy to Little Snitch, except it explicitly monitors your webcam and microphone, so you can be sure nobody is using them to record you.
Malwarebytes
Best Apps For Your Macbook Pro Case
Price: Free | Link
Worried about whether your Mac can catch a virus or worm? With the platform’s growing popularity, you probably should be.
Marlwarebytes is a trusted name in PC security, and with a recent acquisition, they’re bringing expertise over to the Mac.
The software itself is free, but you can sign up for premium service and support at a rate of just $25/year.
Capture Gif
Price: Free, or $6 | Link
It may seem like a strange addition, but the ability to quickly record your screen and make GIFs can come in handy. You can keep it simple with basic text GIFs, or record yourself doing full-screen actions (take a look at our El Capitan Split View overview for an idea).
Best Apps Mac
Capture Gif offers a free version with limited settings, but the $6 full copy is cheap and offers you the ability to change the framerate of the GIF as well as innovative mouse tracking features.
Best Mac Apps: Internet
GoogleChrome
Price: Free | Link
Google’s internet browser has become the world’s most browser, and for good reason. Unfortunately, those reasons don’t really exist on the Mac – not only is Chrome slower than Safari, but it’s also a power hog and can drop your battery life by up to an hour!
Still, it has its uses. Chrome comes bundled with an always-updated version of Adobe Flash, so you’ll never need to worry about updating a version for the Mac. Need to check out a Flash-enabled site? Just spin up Chrome, check it out, and shut it down. Given how many vulnerabilities Flash tends to introduce, it’s worth keeping exposure as limited as possible.
Skype
Price: Free | Link
You’re probably aware of Microsoft’s VoIP product by this point, but it’s worth pointing out. Despite competing alternatives, Skype’s sheer cross-platform connectivity and pervasiveness means that it’s always handy to have around if someone wants to call you.
Transmission
Price: Free | Link
When it comes to BitTorrent, the cat is out of the bag, and it isn’t going back in. We like Transmission for an OS X torrent client, because it’s cross platform and open source, and also because it isn’t constantly trying to get you to download things you don’t want (ahem, μTorrent).
Best Mac Apps: Music and Video
![Best apps for your macbook pro case Best apps for your macbook pro case](https://www.imore.com/sites/imore.com/files/styles/large/public/field/image/2015/10/rose-gold-apple-watch-sport-midnight-blue-band-wrist-hero.jpg?itok=a4qvrda7)
Spotify
Price: Free, or $10/month Premium tier | Link
Spotify is one of the world’s largest music streaming services, with over 75 million users accessing either its free or pay tiers. The software itself is completely free, supporting your listening with advertising inserted into the streams.
If you don’t mind ponying up, however, you can snag unlimited ad-free music streaming for just $10/ month, with the ability to skip around to whatever music you like, and cache songs to your device for offline listening.
iOS and Android apps round out the experience.
VLC
Price: Free | Link
If you keep any quantity of your own media, VLC will be well known. For everyone else, this app is the gold standard for watching videos from the internet. No nonsense codec downloads, nothing else to install, just download it, open, and play.
Best Mac Apps: Productivity
AirMail
Price: $10 | Link
Running just $10 in the Mac App Store, AirMail builds upon the basic functionality in the Mail app and adds some pretty nice integration and power user features (superior keyboard shortcuts, snoozing an email like Gmail’s Inbox does). You can import files directly from services like Dropbox or Google Drive, or send attachments that are too large to email by using Droplr. One of the best features over Mail, however, is how AirMail has worked to integrate itself into the best known third-party productivity apps – so if you use software like Wunderlist, Fantastical, and Evernote, you should take a look at AirMail.
Clear
Price: $10 | Link
Clear, like Mailbox, made waves for introducing powerful features paired with an extremely simple and intuitive user interface. Mailbox was for, well, email, but Clear is for keeping you focused at the tasks on hand. It works best when you pair it with the iPhone and iPad apps (which together cost a $5 one-time fee); there’s also an app for the Apple Watch
Fantastical
Price: $40 | Link
OS X’s Calendar isn’t bad, but it’s also not very useful if you need to track more than the very occasional event. Fantastical (now actually Fantastical 2) is extremely powerful, with a natural language engine that lets you remember events just by typing them out. It comes with a free trial if you don’t feel the need to shell out $40 quite just yet.
Microsoft Office
Price: $70 / year for 1 PC or Mac, $100/yr for 5 PCs or Macs, $150 one-time purchase for 1 computer | Link
There may be the free Google Docs and Apple iWork suites, but nothing can beat the powerhouse that is Microsoft Office. Aside from the fact that its omnipresence nearly requires you to use it (so that your files can all be shared between jobs), new versions for iOS and Android make it very easy to work on your projects on the go. While Microsoft’s attempts to send Office into the cloud with a monthly or yearly subscription, they do still offer standalone installations.
Best Mac Apps: Graphics and Photo Editing
Pixelmator
Price: Free 30-day trial, then $30 | Link
Adobe’s Photoshop CC might reign supreme at the top of the image editing heap, but if you’re not a professional, or very serious amateur designer or photographer, it probably doesn’t make much sense to shell out for it. For the price of less than one month of Adobe’s Creative Cloud subscription, you can get a permanent standalone copy of Pixelmator. There are definitely Mac photo editing apps out there that can do more than Pixelmator, but few can match it on a features-per-dollar basis.
Best Mac Apps: Programming
Textmate 2.0 (beta) Home recording software for pc.
Price: Free | Link
If you’re a programmer, you know that your choice of environment not only says a lot about you but can impact your workflow in drastic and unforeseen ways. Should Vim be getting you down, take a look at Textmate’s most recent version, a product of Macromates.
Textmate offers an easy way to work on a project’s many files at once without getting lost, and features powerful plug-in architecture should you need a tool that it lacks.
Best Mac Apps: Emulators
Andy Android Emulator
Price: Free | Link
If you’re on a Mac, chances are you probably prefer to use iOS over Android. Thinking about seeing how things work on the other side? The Andy Android emulator works extremely well to give you a virtual Android tablet. For the most part, this virtual model works exactly like you’d expect.
The only downside is that the most recent release – which came out in November – only goes up to Android 4.2.2, so some apps and features might not work. Hopefully, we’ll see an update to Android M or N before too long. If you just want to try things out, however, it’s more than good enough.
Best Apps For Macbook Air
Disagree with the titles we’ve put on the best Mac apps list? Sound out in the comments with some of your favorite apps or tools that you think are the must-haves for any Mac user.
Related Posts
- Starting with OS X Mountain Lion, Apple introduced Gatekeeper so users couldn't easily install downloaded…
- Like on a PC, most of your Mac's software lives in the same place on…
- If you want to start making your own GIFs and join the ranks of other…