My Default Apps as of mid 2024

2024-06-19

Last year, we all shared our default apps. Robb compiled a list of all responses. Thank you. This helped a lot.

Today, roughly seven months later, I wanted to give an update. What apps did I exchange and why?

📨 Mail Client: Mail.app This hasn’t changed. I am happy with Apples build in mail app, although it could get a facelift and a new feature or two. However, not the ones promoted by Apple on this years keynote.¹

📮 Mail Server: uberspace.de No update on this one. Scrolling through the other responses, I thought about trying Fastmail or Migadu but was too lazy to do so until today.

📝 Notes: Obsidian Obsidian has replaced Apple Notes. I like the markdown syntax and theming. It allows me to focus more on writing. Need to improve sticking to my journaling.

✅ To-Do: Reminders.app No update. I don’t like paying for a todo-app. This should come out of the box. And reminders is ok-ish.

📷 iPhone Photo Shooting: Camera.app No update. Looked at the camera app from Leica once, saw the price and was healed immediately.

🟦 Photo Management: Synology Photos No change, although I was thinking about upgrading the NAS under the desk to a more powerful version.

📆 Calendar: Calendar.App & ? I used Calendars 5 as my main calendar app but it will become end of support in a few days. I didn’t find a replacement yet. What Apple showed at the WWDC may be enough for me, but not sure. Coloring events (one calendar, multiple colors) is a must and I don’t saw that in Apple’s presentation.

📁 Cloud File Storage: Synology Drive No update, but maybe new machine.

📖 RSS: Reeder + iCloud Reeder stayed. Still the best RSS reading app from my perspective, but miniflux has been replaced with iCloud. It has more hiccups, for sure, but I don’t need to maintain it.

🙍🏻‍♂️ Contacts: Contacts.app No update.

🌐 Browser: Arc Last year, Safari was my default browser. This event introduced me to Arc. And while I needed a couple of trials - I am now convinced that Arc is my new standard, once two things are shipped: an iPad app and the Noir extension.

[Update - 2024-06-20]:Arc has a dedicated iPad version now ✅

💬 Chat: Signal, WhatsApp No change. I have Telegram Threema, and Matrix - but barely use them.

🔖 Bookmarks: currently everywhere. Need help 🫠 Unfortunately no update. May need to investigate more.

📑 Read It Later: Omnivore Omnivore replaced Pocket. It comes without ads. Nothing else to add.

🛒 Shopping Lists: Reminders.app No change. Reminders works perfectly for us. No need to load another app.

🍴 Meal Planning: no app Still, no dedicated app. I tried Mela for recipes. It has a planning function. We may try it one day.

💰 Budgeting and Personal Finance: python + Excel Currently, trying to come up with a new standard. Probably a Python or R script populating an Excel or Dashboard.

📰 News: Sueddeutsche Zeitung No change but smaller subscription.

🎵 Music: Spotify To save costs, I am back on the Spotify Family Plan. I miss Apple Music.

🎤 Podcasts: Castro No change. Love the app.

🔐 Password Management: Enpass No change - but I like that Apple is building a dedicated app for this. I will try it out once released.

Anything changed on your defaults?