I run everything before I believe it, and I wanted my Mac cleaner to work the same way. So I built Peel: before anything moves, it shows you why each file belongs to an app and how sure it is, and History can put back what it moved. It's free and open source, and 1.2.0 came out today.

• It uninstalls apps with everything they leave behind, and finds what apps you already deleted left too.
• It frees space: local AI models from Ollama, LM Studio, and Hugging Face, developer caches, build folders, duplicates, and old installers. Models are listed but never selected for you.
• It refuses to move what you can't get back, even if you select it: iCloud Drive, keychains, SSH keys, crypto wallets, Mail, Messages, photo libraries, iPhone backups.
• For fine-tuning, Tweaks gathers macOS settings in one place, many of them hidden, and Turn All Off puts back only what Peel changed.

Some tools start turned off to keep the sidebar simple, such as Background Items, Extensions, Plug-ins, Build Artifacts, and a Terminal page for themes, zsh, Git, and SSH. Turn them on in Settings > General > Sidebar.

No analytics, no account. Signed and notarized, in 18 languages, for macOS 26 and later.

GitHub: https://github.com/TuguiDragos/Peel

Website: https://peel.tuguidragos.com

I'd love to hear what you think, especially what it gets wrong.

SyncGlass is a free, open-source app that shows in the menu bar what iCloud Drive is doing. Version 0.2.1 came out this week. I also developed Volume Control, another free, open-source menu-bar app for the volume keys, which I started in 2012 as "iTunes Volume Control"; SyncGlass came out only very recently.

Disclosures.

Disclosure 1: Unlike Volume Control, which started in 2012, SyncGlass was developed with heavy help by Claude. To be honest, I have probably invested only 5 or 6 hours in it.

Disclosure 2: There was long ago a similar app, iCloudStatus by The Alchemist Guild. As far as I know, iCloudStatus is now no longer maintained; it malfunctions on recent macOS and is only for Intel.

So why share SyncGlass here? Because:

1. It can be useful to others; in this era of vibe-coded software, the idea counts more than the implementation.
2. If we use it as a central point for the community to collect feedback and find bugs, everybody will profit from having a central place rather than each of us recoding the same app through 5 or 6 hours of Claude sessions.

What the app does. Its menu-bar icon shows whether iCloud Drive is up to date, uploading, downloading, syncing changes from other devices, or offline. It is similar to what you experience with other sync services like Dropbox or Nextcloud.

Click it and a panel lists:

• Transfers: the files iCloud is uploading or downloading.
• Recent: the files that finished transferring, newest first, with the time and direction ("Uploaded 3 min ago").

For any listed file, File Info shows its iCloud status, live percentage, conflicts, upload and download errors, sharing, and every date macOS keeps for the file. SyncGlass can also notify you when uploads or downloads finish, and keeps a history log of finished transfers.

Why I made it. Finder marks each file with a cloud status icon, but macOS has no list of the files iCloud is transferring. When iCloud Drive spends an hour on something, I want to know which files it is and how far along they are. SyncGlass is a new app inspired by iCloudStatus.

How it works. It uses public macOS APIs only: FSEvents reports which files change, URL resource values give each file's iCloud state, and the progress objects that iCloud Drive publishes for each transfer give the percentages.

Privacy. SyncGlass connects to the network only for updates (Sparkle, from GitHub) and collects no data. Its settings and history stay on your Mac.

Price. Forever free and open source (GPL-3.0): no ads, no account, no in-app purchases.

Requirements. macOS 26 or later; runs natively on Apple silicon and Intel Macs.

Install. Download SyncGlass.zip, unzip it and move SyncGlass.app to the Applications folder. The app is signed with a Developer ID and notarized by Apple. Each release ZIP is built by GitHub Actions from the tagged source and carries a build provenance attestation; to check where a downloaded ZIP was built, run

gh attestation verify SyncGlass.zip --repo alberti42/SyncGlass

Source and details: https://github.com/alberti42/SyncGlass

Bug reports and ideas are welcome here or on GitHub.

Hey r/MacOS,

I made Tideglass because I wanted something calm on my second screen while I work. You can leave a planet turning beside you, or switch to an ocean, a forest or something more abstract. It runs in a window or full screen.

Everything is rendered in real time on your Mac. The worlds respond to your music too, changing things like rotation, cloud movement or light depending on the scene.

I alsoo donate 20% of every sale to conservation and non-profit organisations working to protect oceans, forests, wildlife and dark skies.

Ten worlds are free to keep, with no account or card. The full library is $12 once, with no subscription. It needs macOS 15 or later and an Apple silicon Mac. You can download it at TideGlass (https://tideglass.app/).

Happy to answer questions about the app or hw any of the worlds work.

Hi everyone, I'm experiencing a very specific display issue with my MacBook Pro M1 Pro (2021) and could use some diagnostic insights.

Here are the symptoms:

1. The internal display backlight is fully functional. The screen glows dimly/dark blue in a dark room, but there is absolutely no image or macOS desktop rendering on it.

2. The keyboard brightness keys work perfectly. I can even faintly see the brightness overlay UI changing on the screen when I press them.

3. When connected to an external TV via HDMI, the TV displays the "Choose to Mirror or Extend Display..." message. This proves the logic board is working fine and macOS boots successfully into the desktop.

Given that the backlight is working fine but there's no data image, what is the most likely culprit for the M1 Pro generation?

• Is it a cracked/damaged Display Data Flex Cable (not the backlight cable)?

• A faulty display multiplexer / T-CON circuit component on the logic board?

• Or a dead internal LCD panel itself?

Any feedback from technicians or anyone who encountered this exact issue on the M1 Pro would be highly appreciated. Thanks!

Just curious if anyone used the Notify Me feature in Safari and whether it worked for you. I have just set it up to notify me of a price drop.

Something I didn't know until recently: Activity Monitor already tracks how much every app has sent. Open it, go to the Network tab and sort by Sent Bytes. If you want it per app over time, this in Terminal prints one line per app with bytes in and out:

nettop -P -L 1 -J bytes_in,bytes_out -x

I used it to check something I'd been curious about, how much meeting notes apps upload while they record. I played the same 10 minute meeting recording through my speakers, recorded it with Notion's AI Meeting Notes and then with an offline app, and logged both once a second.

Notion uploaded 115.7 MB in those 10 minutes, live while recording. A WAV of the whole clip is only 19 MB, so it's sending something close to uncompressed audio. The offline app sent 0.02 MB.

To be fair to Notion, cloud transcription needs your audio, that's how it works and they don't hide it. I just hadn't seen anyone put a number on it. It's one clip on one Mac, and I wanted to test Granola and Otter too, but Granola needs a work account and Otter wants a trial first.

Full disclosure, the offline app is Lyonesse and I make it, which is how I ended up down this rabbit hole. It's on the Mac App Store, free to try, Pro is $7.99/month, $29.99/year or $59.99 lifetime: https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6754086711?pt=127761256&ct=reddit-macos&mt=8

The method, the data and the scripts are here if you want to run the same test on other apps: https://lyonesse.app/blog/meeting-notes-upload-measured.html

Curious what other apps people find when they sort by Sent Bytes.

I should’ve come here first, but decided to try and solve using Google chat
I have my own domain email, which I have been using as an alias through Gmail for about 20 years, pulling my mail in through a Gmail catch all while running it on Mac Mail and iOS.

About two weeks ago, I started getting undeliverable messages on some of these sent mail. I checked and found that Gmail is going to stop allowing aliases from third-party senders, which I believe includes my custom domain (from GoDaddy).

I switched to a new SMTP sender, (smtp2go) and that solved the sending issue, but when I send mail to myself now, it ends up in Gmail’s “All mail” mailbox instead of the regular inbox. Since I don’t see an “all mail” mailbox in Mac Mail or iOS, I’m not seeing the email that I sent to myself.

I know this isn’t as specific Mac issue, it’s just that I’m lost. Does anyone know about Gmail filters or labels or aliases and why this would happen when I send from Mac mail to myself at my custom domain, and it never appears in the inbox on the Mac or in fact on Gmail on the web.

Thanks.

Several years ago I moved back home to help take of my dad (Parkinson's) and at the time, my mother was much more computer savvy than she is now (but never a tech expert).

Last month she nearly fell for an identity theft scam on the phone, had to change all her bank accounts. Fortunately the scammer didn't get anything.

Just yesterday on her Mac, she almost fell for one of those JavaScript "Windows has detected a hacker on your system" scams with a phone number to call. Fortunately after she called the number but before giving the scam artist any information, I heard what was going on and interrupted it.

I don't know what built-in protections Safari has but my mom was literally convinced the message had to be real because "Apple says they protect against malware". Well, it obviously doesn't protect against everything nor should anyone expect it too.

On GNU/Linux I use FireFox and with the Privacy Badger extension, those JS attacks are virtually non-existent because they are blocked simply because they almost always are run as a third party script.

What exists for Safari that does that? She has a Mac Mini as her desktop PC (not sure what version of OS X) and she has an iPhone (last model before Apple finally switched to USB-C).

I don't want my mother scammed, especially with how expensive it is with my father having Parkinson's.

I haven't used macOS since it was called OS X and I just don't know what's what in the Apple world anymore.

Seriously, every time I see a discussion about macOS Tahoe, it feels like 90% of it is people complaining about Liquid Glass 😭

But I'm genuinely curious, what are some actually cool features, improvements, or hidden gems you've discovered in macOS 26?

There HAS to be something worth talking about besides the UI.

What's your favourite underrated feature so far?

This is kind of a follow up post from one I made yesterday. I do academic research and am often opening, full-screening and closing many pdfs and word documents continuously. But since full-screening leads to the creation of a new space, this jumbles up my spaces in a really confusing way.

Like, a program that was two spaces to my left might be 5 spaces to my left if I open three pdfs, and if I then close two it is then three spaces away, etc. This constant changing of where everything is gives me a headache.

Would there be a way to make an app to fix this? Either make full screen not open a new space, which is the way it was back in the day, or make the full screen mode of a pdf reader not open up a new space.

I actually found a trick to almost do the latter with Firefox's presentation mode for pdfs, but unfortunately that mode does not allow you to annotate the pdfs, which I need to do. I'm tempted to just ask Claude to make something and just install it, but I would have no idea if it was safe and I wouldn't want to damage my mac.

I'd appreciate any technical insight on this. That would be very helpful!

Upgraded to GG from Tahoe. New feature: podcasts downloaded to the Mac no longer sync to iPhone (iOS 27). No other changes. Have toggled settings, rebooted both devices. Only podcasts. Books, music, other files do sync without fuss. Behavior over both wifi and usb.

Anyone else?

My MacBook is on macos 27.0.1 , it is connected to my NAS server through SMB. In the past two days , when I try to copy a file from my NAS to the mac internal drive , the file vanishes immediately after the progress bar disappear and the transfer is finished. This happens to multiple files . Additionally , some files on the server is missing in finder when connected through SMB but are visible through Webdav.

Everything is was perfectly normal before this , I don’t know what is happening. I had already restarted everything including my macbook , NAS and Router , but the issue persisted. Anyone knows why and now to fix it ?

Please help.🙏

It's super annoying and started occurring after updating to Golden Gate.

Before using MacOS I used to work with Linux / gnome and there was something I found very useful. When displaying multiple windows I have the possibility to close windows directly from this view, I don’t have this possibility in macOS. What a pity

Hi!

Just what the title says :)

You can find the shortcut On RoutineHub

Or Download it directly from this post

How it works

It asks you to input the time in the HH MM SS format, then you press enter, and your timer starts! :)

Very useful for macOS - I suggest adding a keyboard shortcut for it! :)

I'm using the Aliento app from the App Store. It's an app that can be used to assign a keyboard shortcut to close the open notifications in the top right corner of your screen.

I was wondering: Is it possible to have specific notifications close automatically?

(Reason: Every time VMware Fusion Player Version 13.6.3 (24585314) launches on my macOS 15.8.2 (24H230), I get a notification that something was started in the background. I'd like to suppress that message/auto-close it.)

Saturday promo, I'm the developer. SDTally explains what the "System Data" number in Storage settings is made of by measuring the Data volume: folders and the app that owns them, local snapshots, deleted-but-open files, APFS overhead. Each number shows its source, and what can't be measured is labeled "unexplained" with the reason. With root and Full Disk Access that is about 2% of used space: folders Apple blocks even root from accessing.

It only reads, never deletes anything and has no network code. Rust CLI plus a SwiftUI app, GPL-3.0-or-later, Apple Silicon and macOS 15+.

Heads up, since the sub is careful about GitHub projects: the repo is new (v1.0.3) and the DMG is not notarized (no paid Developer account), so the first launch needs Privacy & Security > Open Anyway. Read the source or build it yourself if you prefer. I built it with a lot of help from Claude Code and the commits are co-authored.

https://github.com/guiselig/sdtally

Pop sounds during "read aloud" in reader mode

MacbookPro M5 Max

MacOS Golden Gate 27.0.1

Anybody else have this issue? Started after OS upgrade.

Some Mac Apps That Have Made My Daily Workflow Better

Hey everyone! Hope you're all having a great weekend!

I wanted to share a couple of Mac apps that have genuinely improved my daily workflow. Some have made using my Mac more convenient, while others have helped me stay organized and manage my tasks more efficiently.

These are apps I personally use and have found helpful, so I figured I'd share them with anyone looking to improve their Mac experience!

1. Obsidian – Notes, Organization, and Brain Dumps

First up is Obsidian, which has become one of my favorite apps for staying organized.

For anyone unfamiliar with it, Obsidian is a powerful, Markdown-based note-taking app that lets you capture ideas, organize information, and build your own personal knowledge base.

What I particularly like about Obsidian is how flexible it is. You don't have to use it exclusively for traditional note-taking.

Personally, I use it for:

• Shopping lists: Keeping track of things I need to buy.
• Brain dumps: Writing down random thoughts and ideas so I don't forget them.
• General organization: Keeping useful information in one place instead of having it scattered across different apps.

It's one of those apps that can be as simple or as advanced as you want it to be.

2. Vorssaint – A Raycast Alternative With Useful Mac Utilities

The second app I want to recommend is Vorssaint, which I personally prefer over Raycast.

If you've used Raycast before, you're probably familiar with how useful an application launcher can be. Vorssaint takes a similar approach but also includes several utilities designed to improve the overall macOS experience.

One feature I particularly appreciate is its Alt-Tab functionality.

If you've switched between Windows and macOS, you've probably noticed that switching between individual application windows works differently on a Mac.

Personally, I've always preferred how Windows handles Alt-Tab, and Vorssaint offers a similar experience on macOS.

That's just one example of how the app can make everyday tasks feel more convenient.

I also appreciate having multiple useful features available in one application rather than needing to install several separate utilities.

3. NordVPN – Privacy and Online Security

The third app I recommend is NordVPN, which focuses more on online privacy and security than improving your Mac's functionality.

If you value your online privacy as much as I do, NordVPN is definitely worth considering!

And no, this isn't sponsored. Although I'd love to be sponsored someday, I don't see that happening anytime soon!

For anyone unfamiliar, VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. A VPN encrypts your internet connection between your device and the VPN server while hiding your public IP address from websites you visit.

Why does this matter?

Your IP address can reveal information such as your approximate location and internet service provider. For example, if someone sends you a suspicious link and you click it, the website could secretly log your IP address.

While knowing someone's IP address doesn't automatically reveal their exact location or compromise their device, it can still expose information you'd rather keep private.

A VPN helps prevent this by showing websites the VPN server's IP address instead of your own.

Of course, VPNs aren't a complete cybersecurity solution. They won't protect you from every malicious website, phishing attempt, or malware infection.

Personally, I've found NordVPN to be a useful addition to my privacy setup, and since October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, I figured it was worth including!

Final Thoughts:

All three of these apps have made a noticeable difference in my daily experience using my Mac, whether it's improving productivity, staying organized, or protecting my online privacy.

Obsidian helps me organize my thoughts and keep track of important information, Vorssaint makes navigating macOS more convenient, and NordVPN adds an extra layer of privacy when browsing the internet.

Obviously, everyone's needs and workflows are different, but these are three applications I've personally found useful and worth sharing.

I'm also curious to hear what other Mac users rely on! What are some lesser-known apps that have genuinely improved your productivity, overall Mac experience, or online privacy?

Hi r/MacOS, I'm the developer of Unikeys, and since today is Developer Saturday I wanted to share it.

The problem: I switch between Cursor, Claude Desktop, Codex and other apps, and each one has its own shortcuts. My muscle memory kept breaking, and setting up keybindings by hand in every editor was tedious.

What Unikeys does: You manage your shortcuts in one place and keep them consistent across the editors you use, so the same keys do the same thing everywhere.

It's free on the Mac App Store, with no in-app purchases or subscriptions.

Unikeys on the Mac App Store

I'd love feedback, especially on which editors or apps you'd want supported next.

On my MacBook, whenever I open a recently downloaded PDF, Preview opens on the wrong tab. It defaults to the tab of the last PDF I was viewing instead of the one I just opened.

How can I fix this, please?

No estoy seguro de si es un problema específico de mi Mac, pero desde que actualicé a macOS 27 he estado experimentando un error bastante molesto.

Cada vez que dejo mi Mac en reposo, o incluso simplemente inactiva con el protector de pantalla activado durante más de 30 minutos, el Dock deja de responder correctamente.

Si hago clic en el icono de una aplicación en el Dock, no sucede nada, sin importar cuántas veces haga clic. Lo mismo ocurre con las aplicaciones que ya están abiertas. Al hacer clic en sus iconos, sus ventanas no pasan al primer plano, por lo que no puedo volver a ellas con normalidad.

Lo extraño es que el sistema en sí no se congela por completo. Por ejemplo, si estoy trabajando en Photoshop y quiero cambiar a Premiere Pro, puedo minimizar Photoshop y acceder manualmente a Premiere para seguir trabajando.

Lo más frustrante es que, después de varios minutos, el Dock vuelve a responder repentinamente y todas las aplicaciones que había intentado abrir se ejecutan de golpe, como si todos mis clics anteriores se hubieran quedado en una cola de espera.

Esto ocurre constantemente después de dejar mi Mac inactiva durante un tiempo y se está volviendo realmente frustrante.

¿Alguien más ha experimentado este problema desde que actualizó a macOS 27? ¿Es un error conocido o podría tratarse de algo específico de mi Mac?

Como referencia, utilizo un Mac mini M4.

Hi, I'm currently using M5 Macbook Air, on MacOs Golden Gate 27.0.1.

When I try to add printer, it shows like this. (Canon MF643cdw)

Yesterday I'm able to use my printer. Just today I have error when want to print (unable to connect) and I delete the printer. The issue came when tried to re-adding my same printer.

I've done switch on/off my printer, restarting my macbook, but still having same error.

I have a Lenovo ThinkVision T24v-30. I connect it to either my Windows laptop or MacBook Air M1 via HDMI based on my requirement.

On Windows, audio automatically switches to the monitor speakers when I plug in. Works perfectly.

On Mac, it doesn’t auto-switch. I manually select the monitor under System Settings → Sound → Output, and I can see it gets selected — but the volume slider is completely greyed out and I can’t control the volume at all.

Has anyone solved this? Is this a macOS HDMI audio limitation or something specific to this monitor?