My App Defaults
Quick Backcheck
I’m in the process of building my own website from scratch, with the goal of creating my personal space on the internet! It’s a journey, and I still have a few things to iron out to properly host my blog and publish the photos I take. In the meantime, I’ve decided to use Pika, which has allowed me to start writing on my site while I continue working on the final version I plan to launch soon.
My App Defaults
Why not start by sharing the apps I use daily? As a huge software enthusiast, I’ve read many posts from my favorite bloggers about their app choices. I’ve wanted to create this post for a while but didn’t have my own blog until now.
I love experimenting with new software but still stick to many of Apple’s default apps because they’ve improved a lot and meet my needs. That said, there are times when you need something more powerful or tailored to your workflow, so I still use third-party software to address those needs.
I’m a big believer in great design, and it plays a huge role in the apps I choose. If the user experience doesn’t meet my expectations, I won’t stick with it. On Mac, I especially love apps that take full advantage of keyboard shortcuts—they help me navigate and work so much faster. I feel like Apple sometimes misses the mark here. A great example is Bear Notes vs. Apple Notes. Navigating in Bear is much faster, and when you compare Things 3 with Apple Reminders, again, there’s a noticeable difference in speed.
Here’s a breakdown of the apps I currently use:
📨 Mail Client: Mail.app
📮 Mail Server: Gmail for personal (trying to switch to iCloud) and a custom server provided by my school for school-related emails.
📝 Notes: I’ve stuck with Apple Notes for a while. Its attachment handling and quick note feature cover my primary needs.
⌨️ Writing: Currently using MarkEdit, and I’m loving it!
✅ To-Do: Things 3. I can’t move away from it. I love opening it up every morning—it’s beautiful, and I’ve gotten really fast at using it.
📷 iPhone Photo Shooting: Camera.app
🟦 Photo Management: iCloud Photos and Photomator for editing
📆 Calendar: Apple Calendar
📁 Cloud File Storage: iCloud Drive
📖 RSS: Reeder 5 + Feedbin for syncing. I’ll switch to the new Reeder once it receives a few more updates that are on the roadmap. I really want to consolidate all my stuff in one app and love that you can have your podcasts in there as well. 👾 Code Editor: Visual Studio Code
👨🎨 Design Work: Sketch
🙍🏻♂️ Contacts: Contacts.app
🌐 Browser: Safari, though I occasionally switch to Arc on the Mac.
💬 Chat: iMessage and Snapchat
🔖 Bookmarks: I stopped saving bookmarks since I rarely revisit them. I use Safari Bookmarks only for a few things I really value and need frequent access to.
📑 Read It Later: I’ve tried a bunch, but GoodLinks has worked best. Currently, I’m using Reeder 5’s built-in “Read Later” feature, which has been great.
📜 Word Processing: Pages.app, and Microsoft Word for collaboration on school assignments.
📊 Presentations: Keynote, and Microsoft PowerPoint for collaboration on school assignments.
🛒 Shopping Lists: Shared list with my family in Apple Reminders.
🍴 Meal Planning: I have Mela installed but rarely use it—I guess I trust my mom and dad to handle that!
💰 Budgeting and Personal Finance: As a student living at home, I don’t have many financial needs, so Apple Notes does the job.
📰 News: RSS, via Reeder 5.
🎵 Music: Apple Music
🎤 Podcasts: Overcast, though I plan to move my podcasts to the new Reeder once I’m ready to switch.
🔐 Password Management: Passwords.app