To be very clear this is not another post of "Breaking news malware exists on the internet" (or it may be depending on how you want to look at it) but I feel like it's important that I leave a small PSA as I have recently seen an influx of seemingly convincing GitHub repo replicas for decently popular Mac apps. They are so similar that they almost fooled me. Thankfully I quickly spotted some anomalies and I nearly avoided getting infected. Unfortunately these are the sort of red flags I don't expect an average Joe to know about. Which is why I'm explaining what the malware is, and how to spot it.
First of all to give you an idea of how convincing these repos can be i'll show you some examples:
As you can see, they are strikingly similar
Even URLs may look incredibly similar but in this specific case the bad actor exchanged the lower case lls(L) in the name for upercase IIs(i) which made the URL look legit.
Now this may look scary and almost undetectable but with some common sense and slowing down you can very easily avoid these scams.
By far the easiest way to avoid this is to simply look for the app online and track down the original developer. This will let you kill 2 birds with one stone by A: Looking for the original source of the app and avoid impostors and B: See if the App or the developer had any previous reputation to begin with
Either way It's still a good idea to understand how to spot common malware apps on macOS and how to deal with them if you get infected.
The first red flag is that the GitHub profile that hosted the fake file was only 3 days old and completely different from the name of the original developer.
The second discrepancy is that the size of the fake app is ridiculously small. For instance the original app is 13mb in size while the fake one is less than 2mb. Now this is not necessarily a red flag (For example some viruses do the opposite and fill their dmg with a lot of useless data to make the file larger than what VirusTotal can handle.) but it's still important to raise an eye brow for installers with suspiciously small sizes.
The third and MOST IMPORTANT red flag is if the installer asks you to drag the "app" to the terminal that is not a good sign at all. NO LEGITIMATE APP WILL EVER ASK YOU TO DRAG IT TO THE TERMINAL. As you can see the installer is a solid giveaway you are encountering malware and not the real deal.
In fact the file they ask you to drag is not even an app, it's a script.
When you drag the script on the Terminal and execute it, the hidden file is immediately copied to your temp system folder, then the script removes extended attributes to bypass gatekeeper and it finally executes. But from the user's perspective all they get is a blank terminal window as if nothing had happened. (At least in theory, in practice this malware wasn't very well done and gatekeeper was thankfully still able to spot it)
Now if you unfortunately got tricked into running the script, you have some straight forward solutions to verify if macOS was effective at stopping the attack or not. For instance, KnockKnock is a great and simple way to verify for malicious persistency files using VirusTotal's robust detection engine. Malwarebytes is also a good Mac AV which can be quickly installed if you suspect you were affected, it is a bit more tricky to uninstall completely but it does a good job.
Ultimately here's a small recap so you can hopefully avoid getting infected:
Look up the original source of the software to prevent copy cat websites and verify if the software and or the developer has built a reputation in the past.
If you download the installer, scan it with VirustTotal to check if it has been flagged as malware already.
Check the size, while not necessarily a red flag, a small size (for instance less than 2mb), or a size that is "conveniently" larger than what VirusTotal can handle are decent indicators of possible malware.
If the DMG asks you to drag an "App" to the Terminal IMMEDIATELY STOP AND DELETE THE DMG.
If you accidentally ran it, look for a "This app could not be verified" or "This App was removed because it contained malware" message from macOS which could indicate Gatekeeper or Xprotect stopped the attack. Additionally make sure to DENY any permissions the malware may have requested, macOS is very robust in that regard and it can dramatically limit the impact of the attack.
If you are in doubt of whether or not you were infected run the aforementioned tools to verify for the persistency of the malware.
Another app I can recommend is Apparency, it allows you to very quickly see if an app is properly signed by the developer and notarized by apple, and it can even allow you to dissect the contents of an app without running it which is a great way to quickly verify you have a valid untampered app.
This is optional but if you can, report the app to the original developer so they can take action and warn others when the fake app is spread around. Additionally report the Reddit post/GitHub repository if possible.
Thank you for reading this, I hope this helps others be more weary of online threats and stay more vigilant of what they download.
A little demo of AirSync with Android features gained from the initial beta. Love to see the continuous support and feedback helping to make it even better and also the contributions made by the community!
Hey all! I’m the maker of a new notch app we just launched called NotchFlow.
With so many AI tools out there, I’ve found it harder than ever to stay focused. At the same time, I couldn’t find a Pomodoro timer that looked cool and enjoyable to use. That’s why we decided to design this little notch app that helps you stay focused, control your music, and enjoy smooth, thoughtfully designed interactions and animations.
👉 You can check it out here: notchflow.app (official site)
Any suggestions, feature ideas, or first impressions are very welcome!
[Resolved: I had not realized that Raycast, which I love and use constantly, can do this. So, I won't buy this app after all.]
https://amicoapps.com/app/quitall/
The question is in the title. This little menu bar app is nice but it's not free.
Are there better choices? Ones that are more functional and/or free?
I don’t usually write posts like this, but I just had to share this discovery because it feels like a hidden gem: Swift Publisher.
Before I get into it, I must say that I think a good layout is not just for journalists or marketers, but for everyone. When Microsoft announced to discontinue Publisher and I moved from Windows to Mac, I went down the rabbit hole of searching for a replacement. I tried Pages (too limited), Word (clunky for layouts), and even Affinity Publisher (brilliant, but complete overkill and complicated for my needs). None of them felt like the natural replacement for Publisher and I really don’t like subscription fees.
Swift Publisher, on the other hand, hit the sweet spot:
-The interface is super clean, intuitive, and easy to get into. No endless menus like Affinity, no awkward hacks like in Word and it gives you way more freedom than Pages.
-It is focused on publishing, not word processing. Pages is great for documents, but for newsletters, flyers, brochures, and posters it feels like forcing a square peg into a round hole. Swift Publisher was clearly built for this.
-For about $20, it’s kind of ridiculous how much you get. Affinity Publisher is awesome, but way more complex (and more expensive) if you just want to do day-to-day desktop publishing.
-Also, it doesn’t feel like a port or an afterthought, it feels like a proper native Mac app. Because it is.
Honestly, it’s rare to find an app that nails the balance between usability and features so well. I think Swift Publisher deserves way more attention than it gets. If you’ve been missing MS Publisher on Mac, or if you’ve been struggling with Pages/Word/Affinity for simple layout work, you might want to give this one a try.
I am not affiliated with this App in any way. I just wanted to share it, because I think it’s awesome.
I do screen recording for a living (tutorials) and I'm looking for an app that will let me use part of my screen as a self contained monitor for an application to be captured. IOW - It could be in full screen mode and only use up the 1920 X 1080 I use for an application to be captured while using the rest of the monitor set to 2560 X 1440 to be used for other things. This means that any menus used in the application stay in that reduced area. They can't pop out any further than their self contained size. Thanks.
Hi. I’m trying to find a way to use the custom search feature provided in Chrome at the URL box using @… shortcuts, but in other browsers. I sarched in Safari, Brave, Firefox but didn’t found this feature in any plugin or added app.
If you can provide some hint or recommendation, I’d appreciate.
120 AI Chat just got a big upgrade with full multimodal AI. Now you can see and discuss AI-generated images inline, access models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Grok, Vercel, Hugging Face, and generate visuals with DALL·E, GPT Image, Gemini — all in one native app.
If you are interested in a free license for 120 AI Chat app, feel free to let me know! We are currently looking for active users who can give feedbacks to make the app more useful.
There has been an increase in people asking about Dock customisation, and at the same time, there has been a big surge in Mac Dock replacements. As a Dock customisation enthusiast, I decided to wait until Tahoe was released before rewriting this post. However it seems that new apps are now released so quickly that the ever increasing list of choices no longer fit on page
Even though macOS Tahoe introduces some impressive features, the Dock remains limited in the customisations it allows. There’s no denying that the new glass dock looks quite appealing, but all other dock settings remain the same.
CDock, which was the only remaining true macOS dock replacement, has, for now, lost the battle.With macOS’s monthly updates, users started complaining about CDock a few months ago, and even I eventually moved away from my go-to app.
Apps That Are Not Strictly Dock Replacements
Dockflow is one such app. It successfully alters the default Dock layout without changing any macOS security settings. I don’t fully understand how it functions, but if it does what it claims, that’s true.
Describing it as a dock customisation app doesn’t do it justice. I recommend downloading and trying the demo — it makes a lot of sense. I loved the app immediately. As I use the same computer for work and home, this app made perfect sense to me. I admit I used to stick with the default Dock because DockFlow solved a problem I didn’t realise I had.
EXTRADOCK is another app that doesn’t aim to replace mac OS’s Dock but rather adds more Dock options. You might wonder if it was necessary until you give it a try.
The app was developed because the creator was frustrated by the difficulty of finding the perfect Dock replacement. His website features some lovely posts comparing various mainstream dock replacement apps.
The recent release of version 3 introduced some incredible new features. Although I thought the first version met most needs, V3 brought so many improvements that I suddenly noticed myself once again leaving the app installed.
There are countless other Mac Dock customisations aimed at making the Dock more user-friendly. I will mention as many as I can in my next Dock obsession review. Popular apps like DOCKEY, DOCKMATE, INTELLIDOCK, DOCK DOOR, DOCK PILOT, DOCKFIX, and DOCKFLOW are just some I referred to in my previous post.
Complete Dock Replacement Apps
When talking about complete Dock replacement apps, SIDEBAR and DOCKFIX immediately come to mind.I have reviewed them on several occasions, and once Tahoe has a stable release, I will definitely include them in the next review. However, several interesting developments have indeed occurred.
UBAR, a well-known Setapp program, is more popular for its ability to render windows like navigational systems. It seemed all but forgotten, and my attempts to reach the developer were met with silence. But 2025 brought about some changes, and suddenly Ubar saw a massive update.
As far as Windows navigation replacement apps go, I cannot comment, but it also has the ability to hide and replace the Mac Dock, which I found very impressive. I believe it does not compete directly with the more recognised apps, but it is a step in the right direction.
My benchmark has always been the ability to render an invisible dock, and strangely, the option exists in the app, but it stops when the display reaches 5%. I have no idea what motivated this decision, but I am pleased to see the developer beginning to introduce new customisations.
ACTIVE DOCK, an app that had previously garnered little attention, has also reappeared with its latest update this month. If animated icons and invisible docks are not your main aim, this is an app well worth testing.
INFINIDOCK is another app that is suddenly enjoying frequent major updates. Six months ago, I was pleased to report that some updates were finally happening, and since then, the pace of updates has remained consistent.
It isn’t as feature-rich as some of the main players, but depending on your needs, it is indeed a very interesting app.
MAXIDOCK – This was a surprise that I stumbled across. Very interesting dock replacement app. Easily configured with numerous customisations, including some very necessary dock animations, this app is definitely one to watch.
The developers seem eager to ensure good customer service, and the demo version makes this app feel well worth it.You can place the dock wherever you want, make it invisible, or add a range of customisations. It’s really worth testing, and this is one app I will be keeping an eye on.
For some reason, the app just appealed to me, but unfortunately, there is a catch. I have encountered several strange little problems, some of which I managed to resolve by installing other apps.
The developer has not shied away from releasing one version after another, but I have installed Tahoe and worked my way back to the current operating system. I have genuinely tried to make this app my replacement dock, and based on the developer’s testing, he is not experiencing the same issues.
Which Dock App Am I Using Now? Without a doubt, I have to thank a person named “visualizationexpo”, who one day mentioned:
DOCKSTAR – This app has been a real pleasure to use on my computer. The developer is friendly, responsive, and clearly committed to supporting customers. The generous trial period is also a nice touch.It fits perfectly into the Dock Customisation category, giving you freedom over placement, icon size, colour, and design. Adding apps and folders is straightforward, and everything feels intuitive.Installation is quick and smooth, and once it’s running, you’ll have a completely refreshed dock. I’d recommend taking a moment to read the short user manual on the website—it highlights useful details you might otherwise miss.What I like most is that the app continually surprises me with small yet very handy features I hadn’t noticed before. It’s a thoughtful piece of software that makes customising the Dock both enjoyable and straightforward.
Final Thoughts – This is why I love r/Macapps and often share my top app choices..The apps not mentioned were not forgotten, once Tahoe has been released, all of those apps will indeed be included. But for now, if you are looking for more specific Dock functionality or you are a seasoned Dock modifier, I suggest testing the apps above ir referring back to “An unhealthy Dock Obsession”
Looking at the development of technology and how many sites have become PWA friendly and how application conversion from site to app, is it worth it to continue to have and use Unite to create applications from websites or is the application not worth it?
I believe we as a community macos users would really benefit from one app that can record all of our meetings regardless of where they're happening in browser, in Zoom, in FaceTime, etc and save files to my disk not to the cloud.
I've looked through many workarounds and apps that do similar things like this, but nothing was free and satisfied the idea of ease of use that I have in mind. (open to your suggestions thought)
I'm trying to build/vibecode the macOS application that will do one simple job. With a press of a button start recording audio of the system and of the microphone and on stop save the file somewhere on my computer.
I am a back-end software engineer myself but I am struggling with Xcode and Mac OS permissions so hard that I am reaching for help from the community, if you want to help me please DM, we could make a good app for the benefit of all users.
Tech details:
I want app to be in Swift, using CoreAudio taps API, to capture system wide audio recording (hopefully this would be a future proof solution) and MIT license
If you want to improve in your sport, it is super important to actually see how you move. Your feeling is often different from how you actually move. That's why I created an app that allows you to easily analyze your movements. Some highlighted features are:
Compare two videos side by side
Scroll frame by frame to analyze fast moves
View automatic calculated joint angles, trajectories and charts
Record & share your analysis
A golf pro uses this app to record his analysis and send it to his students, so they can watch it and improve. A bike fitter uses the app to find the best position and show the customer the differences. And I personally use it to record and analyze my golf swing.
Hey all I'm looking for an app that overlays a transparent keyboard on the screen as a reference when I switch to a different language. I don't have the second language's layout memorized, so this would be immensely helpful. I made an image of the type of thing I'm looking for:
We just released Osaurus, a new open-source AI server built natively for Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3…). It’s designed to be fast, minimal, and privacy-first — perfect for anyone interested in running AI locally on their Mac.
Key details:
⚡ Performance: About ~20% faster than Ollama (built in Swift + Metal, no Electron or Python overhead).
🖥 Minimal GUI: Fetch models from Hugging Face, load chat templates, start/stop with one click, plus simple CPU & memory usage display.
🔌 OpenAI API compatible: Works with Dinoki, Cline, Claude Code, and other tools expecting /v1/chat/completions.
🛠 CLI coming soon: For devs who prefer scripting + automation.
📜 MIT Licensed: Free to use, open to contribute.
📦 Tiny app size: Just 7MB.
Our goal with Osaurus is to push forward what’s possible with on-device AI on Macs — combining privacy, speed, and openness in a way that feels future-proof.
Just switched over my phone from iphone to android, but I still have a Mac. Here are my requirements:
Must be on Mac app store and android app
Must sync between both platforms
Must be free to use(atleast upto 500 notes)
Must not be online only
Must be privacy focused
I feel like these would be core requirements for building a notes app but I haven't found any that have all.
Looked into a few like notion(online only), obsidian(not free), simplenote(privacy concerns and data leaks) but there's nothing that I've found.
Hi Everyone! I’ve developed an iPhone app called Lil Artist: Kids Learning App that focuses on fun learning and education for kids, and I’m considering expanding to a Mac app. My question is do parents typically hand over MacBooks to their kids for learning and play, or do they mainly stick to iPads and iPhones? I’m curious if a Mac version would be useful or if it’s mostly unnecessary. Any feedback or insights would be really appreciated!
Preface:
I have a Windows 11 Pro computer. I used BitLocker to encrypt multiple external SSDs. Unfortunately, BitLocker doesn't want to work on this PC anymore.
Question:
While using Parallels, in the Windows environment, will I be able to use BitLocker to unlock the drives? It's an interesting question I've been thinking about. I don't own a Mac currently, but will probably be purchasing one in the near future. The ability to use Windows and MacOS makes me wonder of the capabilities of Windows partition.
“Web Serve” is a lightweight tool for quickly setting up a local static server, allowing you to easily view, edit, and share website content. It’s ideal for developers to preview front-end projects in real time, as well as for managing team collaboration or personal documents. It also supports simulating different domains to handle cross-origin issues, improving both development and workflow efficiency.
