1. Coconut Battery
Lithium batteries on your MacBook have a limited life and it would eventually degrade to a point where it needs replacement. You can eliminate that ambiguity with Coconut Battery. It’s a tiny utility app that calculates the life of Mac’s battery and shows important info such as cycle count, remaining battery capacity, etc. You can even check your iPhone’s battery by simply plugging the iPhone into your Mac. Here’s a guide on how to check your MacBook’s Battery Health. Get Coconut Battery (free)
2. HiddenMe
This is one of my most used utility apps on Mac. It simply hides the clutter from my desktop whenever I need to take some screenshots. It sits neatly in the Menu Bar and all you need to do is click a button and poof, everything on the desktop is hidden. Don’t worry, it won’t delete any files. Get HiddenMe (free)
3. Networker Lite
There is no native way to check the current internet speed on your Mac. Fortunately, there are plenty of network speed monitoring apps that we can use. Networker Lite is a tiny app that displays the current upload and download speeds on the Menu Bar. You can adjust the measurement unit from bytes to bits, change the interval refresh rate and make the font bigger. Monitoring the data usage with this Mac utility app is easy and effortless. Networker Lite is free on the App Store. Get Networker Lite (free)
4. Hand Mirror
It’s always a good idea to take one last look in the mirror before a meeting, whether at home or in the office. Hand Mirror uses Mac’s webcam to give you a tiny glimpse of your face for any last-minute spot checks. It’s really handy. Get Hand Mirror (free)
5. Self Control
I have a bad habit of procrastinating and one of the ways I try to fight this is with Self Control Mac utility app. It’s a simple app that would cut off access to certain websites and you won’t be able to access it until the timer expires. It would keep things blocked even if you uninstall the app which is ingenious. Get Self Control (free)
6. Tot
Tot is a handy text companion app for whenever you need to temporarily store texts. It’s a mix between Stickies and Notes but fits really well with my workflow. I can store credentials, copy snippets of texts and retain formatting, highlights of any article, to-do, etc. You can even set a keyboard trigger to summon the app with just a keypress. Get Tot (free)
7. Simple Recorder
The easiest way to take voice notes on your Mac. Simple Recorder adds the functionality of recording the audio from your Mac’s mic with just a click. You can use it to record the minutes of a meeting, take notes, and record conversations. Get Simple Recorder (free)
8. Copyclip
Copyclip is a great extension to the existing clipboard on your Mac. With this Mac utility app installed, you can copy anything and find it right on the MenuBar. Copyclip automatically adds copied information to a list whenever you press CMD+C on a selected text. The only limitation of this app is that it doesn’t copy and store images. Get Copyclip (free)
9. Amphetamine
This next utility app for Mac is a must-have. It is a powerful tool that keeps your computer awake. For instance, you started a large download that may take a few hours to finish. You can ask Amphetamine to keep your Mac awake until the download is complete. It’s customizable to a T and you’d love it. I especially use it to prevent my Mac from going to sleep. Get Amphetamine (free)
10. Draw on My Screen EZ
Whether you wish to highlight a key item on your screen in a meeting or just feel like doodling, this utility Mac app lets you do that. Simply press and hold CMD+ALT key and move your mouse cursor to draw on the screen of your computer. Press CMD+CTRL to erase it all, it’s really convenient. Get Draw on My Screen EZ (free)
11. Krisp.AI
Krisp is more than just a utility app but deserves a place on this list because of how effective it is at removing noise. It uses AI to eliminate background noise from your mic during those super important Zoom meetings. Surprisingly, it works better than you would ever imagine and removes the distracting noises in real-time. Not only it suppresses and removes background noise, but it also eliminates echoes as well. It can even remove noises incoming from the other side. For example, if you’re on a zoom call, Krisp can cancel out the noise coming into your ears. Krisp has a free tier that gives you 240 minutes of free noise cancelation every week but you can upgrade it to unlimited with $5/month. Get Krisp.AI (free)
12. Next Meeting
This next app has one job, to display your next upcoming meeting on the Menu Bar so that you don’t have to worry about missing important events. It automatically fetches meetings from the iCloud Calendar and displays the time before the meeting begins. Get Next Meeting (free)
13. Fuzzy Time
Instead of showing you the exact time in the Menu Bar, this utility spells out the time, literally. It updates every five minutes and tells time like a British butler. Plus, it has a built-in Calendar that you can access from the Menu bar by clicking the time. Along with that, you can customize the font of the displayed time, adjust the font size, and change the color. Fuzzy Time is free to use. Get Fuzzy Time (free)
14. AirBuddy 2
AirPods are great but you don’t get the same seamless connectivity on a Mac as you do on an iPhone. AirBuddy bridges that gap and when you open the AirPods case next to your Mac, it would show a popup similar to the iPhone. You can connect your AirPods with a single click now. Get AirBuddy ($10)
15. Dropover
Dropover is a temporary file storage shelf for your Mac that certainly makes its use case feel essential. When moving a few different files from one place to another, Dropover lets you store the files temporarily while you attend to other important matters. Think of it like a clipboard, but for files because that’s what it is. Moreover, its graphic interface makes that process far more intuitive. Dropover costs $3.99 and comes with a 14-day free trial. Get Dropover (free-trial, $3.99)
Wrap Up: Best Utility Apps for Mac
These were some of the best utility apps for macOS that you may or may not have already known about. The list contains something for everyone, for example, I use HiddenMe, Amphetamine, and Self Control all the time. What about you? Which is your favorite app for Mac, let me know in the comments below? Also Read: 30 Best Utility Apps for iPhone To Boost Your Productivity
