By applying the atomic notes concept to Shortcuts, you can use common shortcut actions in other shortcuts so you don't have to copy and recreate these common actions manually. Running a shortcut from within a shortcut is a fantastic way of streamlining your shortcuts collection while also making it easier to maintain. »

A mini-guide to our favorite and most-used iPad keyboard shortcuts, to help you save time and be more productive. »

Shortcuts debuted in Monterey after a few years of baking in iOS and iPadOS. Automator workflows will be convertible to operate inside Shortcuts, and iOS and iPadOS shortcuts will be operable on a Mac. »

Shortcuts is a wonderful app, but it can also be overwhelming. Today, I'm going to show you 15 one-action Shortcuts you can create, and let's be honest — with one action, there's not a lot of work for you to do! »

Shortcuts is now available in the iOS beta program, and we take our first look at what this new automation app offers in this early stage. »

Elgato's Stream Deck has really taken off in the past few years, and at it's core, it's simply a programmable keyboard that you can use to do whatever you want on your Mac or PC. Originally designed for streamers to do things like switch cameras, play sound effects, and bring up graphics on screen, it's drawn the eye of regular office workers as well. »

For a lot of us, searching the web for information to support research, decision-making, or writing is a common task. I'm sure everyone has their own preferred method for collecting URLs for stuff they want to reference later or share, but I've been really happy with the two shortcuts that I put together for this purpose. »

Last week, Josh showed us how he uses DataJar to temporarily store images before uploading them to our CMS online. In that post, he alluded to a separate part of the shortcut that handles the renaming, resizing, and compression of these images. Today, we'll look at the steps to do this with your own shortcut. »

Data Jar is one of those geeky apps that I have no business using. If you use the word “dictionary” in relation to Apple’s Shortcuts app, my eyes glaze over and I hit a mental roadblock. »

Drag and drop on iOS is a much-appreciated feature, but it becomes increidly powerful on iPad when coupled with Shortcuts. »

I'm a big fan of digital journaling for personal growth, but I'm not a big fan of most journaling prompts that tend to focus on what you accomplished during the day. So for years, I've been using a different type of journaling in Obsidian called Daily Questions. In this post, I'll walk you through setting up the Shortcut I use to streamline my daily journaling process at the end of my day. »

In this Mindfulness Monday post, we look at how to reinforce positive technology habits through automation using Streaks and Shortcuts. There is no shortage of high-quality habit trackers for iOS. Whatever you’re looking for, you can find it. There are options for tracking your habits across multiple platforms, options for ramifying your habit tracking, and […] »

In version 3.7 of Cultured Code’s task management app, Things has added support for deep Shortcuts capabilities alongside the release of Siri Shortcuts with iOS 12, as well as landscape support for the iPhone app. »

The new version of Shortcuts in iOS 13 iPadOS will be publicly released in September, and we are incredibly excited for that milestone based on what we've seen so far! »

What appears to be a relatively simple workflow to capture ideas and publish blog posts is actually a super in-depth, super geeky way of using Shortcuts, Ulysses, and Working Copy — one that brings out the power of automation on iOS. »

With Shortcuts coming in iOS 12, we've taken a look at the various iOS apps we've recommended over the years to determine how compatible they are with Shortcuts. »

There are certainly an endless supply of powerful and impressive Shortcuts out there for iOS, but that doesn't mean they all have to be that large or ambitious in scope. Shortcuts is just as useful for small, tedious tasks that only cut out a few taps from a workflow. One of the shortcuts I use every day is a simple Email link to spouse flow that simply formats the current webpage link into a pre-addressed email for me to send. »

The combination of Reminders and the Apple Watch is one of the easiest ways to capture text on almost any Apple device, and with the right shortcuts, you can send that information anywhere you want. »

The Shortcuts app is full of hundreds of native actions with customizable parameters and advanced functionality — these are unique capabilities beyond what's possible with the Siri Shortcuts developed by third-party apps. »

With Ulysses at the center of your writing workflow, these example Shortcuts are sure to improve your efficiency and focus. »

The Globe key is going to get a workout in iPadOS 15. If you really want to take advantage of all the iPad’s greatest features, an external keyboard and the Globe key are going to unlock a new level of ease. »

The all new Fantastical 3 offers a huge number of new features and a whole host of new actions for Shortcuts. These make doing some actions that would otherwise require you to fine tune the native calendar shortcuts much easier, and easier to integrate into your workflows. »

Chris Gonzales shows us some useful ideas for creating and using text shortcuts in iOS. »

With a recent update, CARROT Weather now support Shortcuts and Siri, meaning you can create a Shortcut that enables your favorite robot to dictate the latest forecast to you. »

Using the Shortcuts beta, you can keep a master playlist of all the Apple Music recommendations in your curated Music Mixes. This will give you a wider range of music you're almost certainly more likely to enjoy. »

I love me some Obsidian, but one of Obsidian's weak spots has always been it's Shortcuts support (or lack thereof). That's where Actions for Obsidian comes in. »

This post is a video lesson from the Time Tracking module of our Simplified Time Management course. In this video, Rosemary Orchard shows you how to set up lists of options in Shortcuts to start and stop specific timers in Timery. »

The latest iteration of Ulysses includes a macOS Mojave Dark Mode, a new sheet list with a fresh design, and an all new share extension for sending your work across macOS, plus Siri Shortcuts support on iOS. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including an update to our Day One review, a tip on embedding shortcuts in shortcuts, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including some tips on using Notion's new Button shortcuts, a Shortcuts app for Obsidian, lots of WWDC news, and more. »

The new and improved Universal Search in iPadOS 14 is possibly one of the biggest power user improvements for the iPad in recent memory. Coupled with an external keyboard, iPadOS 14's new Universal Search can open notes, documents, folders, and webpages; it can start a FaceTime call or send a text message; it can help you play music in a flash; and with the power of Shortcuts, Universal Search brings automation to the iPad's Command + Space keyboard shortcut. Command + Space on an iPad with iPadOS 14 has a whole new meaning. »

Building up new systems and habits can be really hard work — especially when there are so many other things to do that we enjoy! But a little bit of automation and a few apps can really go a long way to helping you set yourself up for success. »

Right now, in your pocket (or perhaps in your hand), you have access to the best-kept secret on your iOS device: An app called Shortcuts. The iOS Shortcuts app originally began as a third-party app, Workflow. Then, Apple bought it and re-released it in 2018 as Shortcuts — headlining it as a significant part of […] »

David Sparks just released a major update of his already phenomenal Shortcuts Field Guide. »

The latest version of Fantastical debuts iOS 12, Siri Shortcuts, and watchOS 5 support to ensure everything works properly on the latest iPhones and Apple Watches. »

Packed full with Screen Time data features for better tracking of how you use your device, speed improvements for older iPhones dating back to the iPhone 5s generation, grouped notifications, Siri Shortcuts, and more. »

Setting up a keyboard shortcut to archive messages in Mail.app is an easy way to speed up your email processing. »

MindNode released an update that provides some powerful automation possibilities that include Siri Shortcuts. »

With version 3.1, OmniFocus for iOS brings iOS 12 and Siri Shortcuts support, along with a few other improvements. »

Since iOS 14 released we’ve seen more and more people try customizing their Home Screens. Whether they take a more widget based approach or replace individual app icons (or a combination of the two), it seems the world has gone custom Home Screen mad. With a custom Home Screen, you can change the icon for […] »

MindNode (our pick for the best mind mapping app) just received an update to version 7.1. It’s a small update that adds a couple of new node customization options and one important Shortcuts action for exporting tasks into your task manager. New Node Shapes If you like to customize the look and feel of your […] »

Catch up on what we published this week, including some ideas on shortcuts, using GoodNotes for learning music, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at how Microsoft PowerPoint performs on the iPad, a big update to GoodNotes, and more. »

Halide 1.9 can now be used on the new iPhone Xs, Xs Max, and Xr, and the new Siri Shortcuts support will be great for shooting when your iPhone is mounted to a tripod. »

This latest update includes support for iOS 12 and Siri Shortcuts, performance improvements, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including some tips on boosting your productivity, some interesting links about recent Apple announcements, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a shortcut for resizing, renaming, and compressing images, a look at New Year's resolutions, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a workflow on using Prizmo Go for storing research, a look at using Scrivener or Ulysses during NaNoWriMo, and more. »

With version 4.12, CARROT Weather introduces a bunch of great iPad enhancements, bringing the iPad app back to par with its iPhone and Apple Watch brethren. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including an in-depth look at the new iPadOS, the newest Shortcuts app, Brydge keyboards for iPad Pro, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a review of the best email app for iPads, some great iPad keyboard shortcuts, a tip on using custom actions in Airmail for macOS, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including some tips on time blocking, using Shortcuts with Timery, and more. »

Using Shortcuts, you can quickly share photos that you took today or between any custom timeframe, making it incredibly easy to share albums with friends and family after events. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at some of the apps that work with Apple's new Shortcuts app, a tip on using Zones in the Home app, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a deep dive on Ulysses URL schemes, our July Focus Digest, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at how to run shortcuts from your menu bar, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a great workflow on using Shortcuts and app launchers to automagically track your time, an update to our review of the best time tracking app, an upcoming webinar, and more. »

Scotty works at a large Canadian telecom and technology solution provider as part of corporate communications and co-hosts the Nested Folders podcast alongside Rosemary Orchard. »

There is a new Take Control book available today on Shortcuts, and it’s written by our own Rosemary Orchard! If you’re looking to take your iOS automation game to the next level, Rosemary is definitely qualified to help you. She’s written several automation posts here at The Sweet Setup on automation, like how to start […] »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a review of the reMarkable writing tablet, a look at setting defaults for Windows 11 in Parallels on macOS, and more. »

Writing is one of those things that many people wish they were better at — myself included! Writer’s block happens to everyone though, and building a writing habit can be challenging. There are lots of good ways to build and maintain habits, but adding some automation to simplify your workflow is a great way to […] »

Catch up on what we published this week, including an update to our review of the best habit tracker for iOS, a roundup of our reviews, tips, and tricks for using Ulysses, and more. »

The Apple Watch Ultra’s Action Button is one of the biggest departures from standard Apple Watch design in, well, ever. Ever since the introduction of the original Series 1 Apple Watch, we’ve only had access to the Digital Crown and the Watch’s side button. The Action Button increases the onboard physical buttons by a full 50%! »

Time tracking is something that yields really useful results, but it can be a pain to do accurately. I tried to do it manually for a long time, but after spending three consecutive days "reading" due to a stopped timer, and realizing how much of the rest of my data was completely inaccurate, I could see I needed a better approach. »

This week we're trying Tabs to Links, Revere, and a shortcut for recording meeting minutes into Bear and Things 3. »

Using Safari's built-in keyboard shortcuts can make firing Javascript bookmarklets much easier. »

The updates of iPadOS 14 feel like updates done by people who actually use their iPad, for people who use their iPad. There are a lot of thoughtful and exciting new features and refinements which not only improve the iPad experience right now, but continue to set the stage for future innovation as well. »

Widgets and custom app icons... »

iOS 13 brought many things — including automations in Shortcuts. These automations allow us to do lots of things, but they also added the ability to seriously enhance our home automations. »

Obscura received a handy update this past week introducing histogram support, major tweaks to the image metadata viewer, and more. »

Widgets can be a gateway into a more productive life, without the overhead of building new habits and routines. For me, they have significantly improved my life, and without much work beyond the setup and deciding where on my iPhone they should live. »

The more you use Ulysses, the better it gets. And because all your documents are plain text, Ulysses is wildly fast at searching and filtering through everything. It does’t get “database bloat.” Here are eight of our favorite superpowers of Ulysses: 1. Keywords Ulysses calls them keywords, but they’re the same thing as tags. You […] »

A few tips and tricks for improving the way you use the default email app on your iPhone and iPad. »

One Switch lives in your menu bar and provides — you guessed it — one click access to a variety of settings. The app is customizable and even comes with hot key customization, ensuring you don’t even need to click to toggle certain system settings. »

This week we're trying Edison Mail, Kodex, and a Shortcut for extracting image URLs. »

If you're like me, you probably love using keyboard shortcuts to speed things up on your Mac using automation tools, but you probably also have trouble creating keyboard shortcuts that don't conflict with the built-in ones that ship with macOS. This is where the concept of a hyper key comes in. »

Obsidian is great for Mac nerds like me who like to do everything from their keyboard. In this video, we’ll show you how to access commands from the Command Palette and set custom hotkeys for triggering commands using keyboard shortcuts. And if you prefer the step-by-step written version, read on. The Command Palette There are […] »

There are millions of apps to try out on any given day, and this week we're trying out Books, Shortcuts, and Wealthsimple. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at Chloe's Notion setup for habits, a tip for collecting and sending links, an upcoming Obsidian workshop, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a quick tip on using Shortcuts to send emails to a specific person with minimal effort, some details on an upcoming webinar on planning your year. »

There are millions of apps to try out on any given day, and this week we're trying Pixelmator Photo, a shortcut for daily Day One entries, and OliveTree. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a new course, lots of app updates for iOS 12, a camera bag review, and more. »

Here's a list of our most anticipated features coming in iOS 12 this fall which were announced on Monday at Apple's WWDC Keynote. »

Mimestream is a native Mac app built by Neil Jhaveri, who worked on Apple Mail at Apple for several years, and it shows in this new project. Gmail in Apple Mail just isn’t that great, and Mimestream feels like the answer to the question, what if you took all the good things about Apple Mail and then made it sync quickly & reliably, made it work with all of Gmail's proprietary features, and wrapped it in the fasted app on your Mac? »

Timery (our pick for the best time tracking app) was just updated to version 1.2. The iOS version received some nice additions, like time entry suggestions, global keyboard shortcuts to start and stop timers, multi-window support, duration rounding, and a sidebar on the iPad. But the real star of the show in our opinion is […] »

Each year, the tech experts advise all bleeding edge iPhone and iPad users to stay away from beta software. Developer betas — especially iOS 13 — were particularly buggy, and the iOS 13 public beta wasn't notably better. Of all years to put a bad beta taste in your mouth, 2019 should have done the trick. »

There aren’t too many features that Windows 10 sports that I miss on macOS, but more than anything, I wish default Windows 10 windows management was more explicitly available in macOS. Thanks to Magnet, this is possible. »

Josh Ginter is the Editor-in-Chief here at The Sweet Setup and also works as an accountant at a small accounting firm and is constantly working away at completing his CPA designation in the evenings. »

Darkroom 3.7 brings support for the latest iPhones, new hashtag sets, new Siri Shortcuts, new portrait HD features, and much more. »

Interest in Artificial Intelligence (AI) has exploded in recent months, due in large part to the popularity of ChatGPT. While the technology is still evolving, there's no denying the impact that it's already having on the world around us. In this article, we're going to look at how to leverage AI to boost both productivity and creativity. »

If you want Windows 11-level window management on macOS, you’ll need a third-party app. Many folks like Moom or BetterSnapTool, but I use Magnet for window management on macOS. Best of all, Magnet goes far beyond what you find as default in Windows 11. »

Like many of you, I’ve been working from home for the past two years, and I’d be lying if I said that I’ve been 100% focused on my work the entire time I’ve been here. Don’t get me wrong — I’ve done my job, but I’d be lying if I said I spend all of my working hours on, well, work. There are just so many distractions at home, and without some strong discipline, it’s easy to get sucked into all sorts of things around the house that are way more fun than work. »

If you had any inclination to think Apple’s pace of product development was slowing down during the global pandemic, today’s 2021 WWDC keynote event should knock you back into reality. At 1.75 hours, this was one of Apple’s longer pandemic-keynotes, but in the end we were left with a dizzying array of features destined for […] »

I've tried to "quit" Twitter a number of times over the last few years. The experiment generally lasted a week (often shorter) and resulted in my return. That return often led me to dig my heels in even deeper. A month ago, I tried again. In the month since, I haven't yet scrolled through my Twitter timeline. Something is different this time around. »

Prizmo Go is a powerful app that instantly converts pictures of physical book pages into digital text, and combined with a research app like Keep It creates a magical workflow for managing your notes and research. »

iPads and pointing devices have never coexisted before, so we've taken a close look at how this new input works on the latest public beta of iPadOS. »

Using the Text Replacements functionality in iOS, you can set up easy shortcuts for emoji and rare special characters instead of hunting them down on a different keyboard or looking for examples online. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including an update to our review of the best recipe manager app for iOS and Mac, a review of the new iPhone XS camera, a tip on using CARROT Weather, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including the three waves of productivity, tweaking your productivity systems for busy seasons of life, and more. »

No matter who you are, a password manager should be the first tool installed on your device. Each day that goes by, a new insidious hack is devised to trick a vulnerable person into a scam. One of the best ways to combat these hacking attempts is to use strong passwords. »

The Mac has long had a built-in emoji picker that you could access using a keyboard shortcut, but Rocket is a macOS emoji picker that makes typing emoji faster and easier by using Slack-style shortcuts. »

If you want to customize the look of the home screen on your iOS 14 device here are our top picks for the best home screen widgets. »

Like many of you, I’ve been in and out of many task management systems over the years. I’ve used and loved all of the major players for macOS and iOS at different times as my needs have changed. But no task management system is ever perfect, which leads me to regularly try new things. »

GoodLinks is a relatively new app in the read-it-later space, developed by the same folks behind 1Writer. We're giving it a try and comparing against the popular apps in this category like Pocket and Instapaper. »

A list of apps we consider absolutely essential for every iPhone, as well as a range of apps that are simply better than their first-party counterparts made by Apple. »

URL Schemes sound complex, but if you know how they work, you'll find they're not too hard to understand. »

Losing your iPad can shine some light on just how much you depend on the device, which is just what happened to me recently. »

According to recent statistics, the average American checks their phone 344 times per day (about once every four minutes). And before you say, “other people may struggle with this, but I've got it under control,” I dare you to go into your Settings and look at your Screen Time stats. The truth is, we all struggle with this stuff. And the deck is kind of stacked against us. »

Do Not Disturb is a life saver. You can set it up on all your devices and it silences all your notifications. You can set it to turn on a set schedule, turn it on for meetings, or when you need to go “heads down” on an important project. »

There is no shortage of productivity software on the Mac, and we do our best job to cover as many of them as possible here. It's a rich and vibrant ecosystem unique to the Mac, and we're lucky to have it. But few apps elevate themselves to "all time great" status, to the point where they feel almost like they're a core part of macOS. »

A colleague on The Sweet Setup team recently asked me a profound question related to Windows on the Mac — a question wherein I completely dropped the ball in answering. The question was simple: Why would a regular Mac user choose to work in Windows on a Mac instead of macOS?" Tough question. In short, compatibility. »

For as long as I can remember, TextExpander has been the de facto solution for magically expanding text shortcuts into longer snippets on macOS and Windows (and even iOS). The service has grown and become more popular among individuals and teams, and that brought with it the dreaded subscription pricing model. Whether you're trying to cut down on subscription costs or you're interested in trying alternatives, allow me to introduce Espanso. »

Here’s a roundup of our favorite implementations of trackpad and cursor support so far, along with a few we’re hoping see an update sooner rather than later. »

Brian McCabe is based in Manchester, UK and works as a technology Consulting Director at a global professional services firm. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at the latest update to Things, a new book on using Shortcuts, taking great holiday photos, and more. »

This time of year is always fun — the leaves are changing colors, sweaters are busting out of the closet, and apps are being updated for the latest version of iOS. This year, Things 3, our favorite todo app, has been updated to include a wide variety of improvements to take advantage of all the new […] »

While Ulysses is a great place to do your writing, it’s not necessarily great for managing your writing tasks. For that, we recommend a dedicated task manager. Here's how to combine Things 3 and Ulysses to manage your writing tasks. »

This week we're trying Working Copy, Baby's Musical Hands, and Text Case. »

Instapaper received a big update this past week, introducing support for the newest iPad Pros, a new true black theme for OLED iPhones, and support for keyboard shortcuts. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at Josh's photo workflow, a reader's Mac and iPhone setup, a tip on using Siri Shortcuts with MindNode, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a new app review, a new time management course, a look at Shortcuts, and more. »

Catch up on what we published recently, including our August Focus Digest, instructions on running your own personal retreat, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including our August Focus Digest, some great information on getting the most out of Ulysses, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including an update to our review of the best professional writing app for macOS and iOS, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at Shawn's Ulysses setup, using Ulysses to achieve your writing goals, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at an upcoming workshop, a workflow for creating pseudo-user profiles, some interesting links, and more. »

Here are my first impressions of time blocking, some app and workflow anecdotes, and how I think I can create a cool productivity cycle in my life. »

We've been testing time tracking apps for the last several months, and are finally ready to declare a winner. There are a lot of options to consider and lots of different approaches, but Timery is the best time tracking app on any platform because it makes starting and stopping your timers a breeze and supports modern iOS features like Shortcuts and widgets better than any other app we tested. »

Darkroom for iOS 13 and iPadOS continues the app’s assault up the list of photo editors for Apple’s mobile devices. »

NetNewsWire 5 debuts as one of the simplest and speediest RSS readers available for the Mac and has a classic, recognizably-Mac design that fits right at home in all versions of macOS. »

There are a plethora of ways to create a task in the best GTD app for iPhone and iPad, and if you need to complete a task, you can bet there’s a quick and easy way to add the task to your Things inbox. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a first look at the new Finder and App Store in Mojave, several app updates, and more. »

Brian Renshaw is a doctoral studies candidate, an instructional designer, and also runs a couple of his own websites. »

I've been a heavy user of Do Not Disturb as a way of eliminating distractions on my Mac and iOS devices for a long time. But if you don't want to completely block the outside world, the Focus modes feature built into macOS & iOS is surprisingly powerful. »

Alfred version 5 is the first major update to Alfred since May of 2019. And while on the surface it may not look like there's a whole lot new, the Workflow editor has been completely rewritten from the ground up. This improves on the flagship feature of Alfred (the custom workflows) in almost every way, making them faster, more efficient, and (most importantly) more user-friendly. »

I’ve used the built-in macOS keyboard shortcuts to take screenshots for years, but cleaning up screenshots can be a pain — especially if you have a messy desktop. Enter CleanShot X — a simple utility that offers several tools to make taking screenshots on the Mac easier than ever. The Quick Access Overlay Once you […] »

Catch up on what we published this week, as well as tips on automating home lights, using the new iPad Globe key in iPadOS 15, and more. »

Capturing notes and ideas when you have them is important so that they don't fall through the cracks, but sometimes having to type out your note takes too long. You need something quick — a way to just offload what is currently on your mind so you can focus on what's in front of you. Voice memos are great for this, allowing you to speak your thoughts faster than you could ever type them. »

After two full months with the new email service, I’ve found myself settling into new email habits I never expected to form. Some of these habits are great (like checking The Feed only once or twice a week) while others are still forming, evolving, and restarting (such as how to handle emails I want to read, don’t want to miss, yet don’t need to keep for later or reply later). HEY’s consistent updates since debut have been met with much acclaim in my book. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including some workflows on using Shortcuts and Automations to streamline your writing workflow, a sweet iPad-only setup, and more. »

You've probably seen screenshots all over the web with an iPad or iPhone frame around them, and you may even have a Shortcut that can do that, but there's a new app in town that can tidy up your screenshots for you, and it's called Picsew. »

Highland 2 is a *screenwriting* app first, and a novel or blog post writing app second. From this lens, Highland 2 can quickly become a catch-all text editor for a large swath of people. »

Keyboard Maestro is one of the most powerful and awesome apps available for the Mac. One thing you can use Keyboard Maestro for is to apply global keyboard shortcuts that can then be used to trigger just about any sort of macro, action, or script that you want. For example, I have a hotkey set […] »

Catch up on what we published this week and last, such as some tips on shooting steam, a list of a few of our favorite things from 2018, a great workflow on using Shortcuts to organize photos, and more. »

We put together a list of some of our favorite gadgets, apps, tools, and toys that we've enjoyed using over the last year. »

The new iPad Pro seems to have struck a touchy chord since its debut three weeks ago, and the reason is probably twofold. First, Apple’s marketing campaign comparing it against standard PCs invites unnecessary criticisms and unrelated comparisons. And second, there seems to be a wide range of unrealistic expectations. I really like how Jason […] »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a tip on using Apollo for multireddits, using Shortcuts with Apple Music Mixes, and more. »

Catch up on the things we published throughout the week, including the best text editor for macOS, a new version of Drafts and Things, and a tip on using keyboard shortcuts. »

The newest update to Pushpin, our pick for best Pinboard client, received a slew of awesome updates, such as keyboard shortcuts and custom feeds. »

Over the past couple of months we have explored how to get the most out of the Apple stock apps. Apple has stepped up their game with the newest iterations of their stock apps (Notes, Calendar, Mail, Reminders…). In this article we are going to focus on the Apple Reminders app (with the updates from iOS 17). »

If you’ve been around here at all or are a fan of the Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) world, you’re no stranger to the term “Quick-Capture”. Quick Capture is an essential component of a good PKM system. Since Notion is my go-to app for pretty much everything, I’ve worked out a few ways to create a good system for quick capture in Notion. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at a tool for tracking your library, some options for using Notion as a Christmas list tracker, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at how to set Focus modes with one click on your Apple Watch Ultra, our new 2023 digital planner, and more. »

We love Alfred here at The Sweet Setup. It’s been our go-to app launcher for the Mac for years, and it’s hard to believe, but it’s been 11 full years since Alfred 1.0 hit the scene and took over as the app launcher of choice for nerds like us. »

With so many excellent task management apps to choose from, it can be difficult to know which one is the best fit. We've compared the top three productivity apps to help you decide. »

The Elgato Stream Deck is a USB peripheral that gives you a grid of customizable buttons that you can assign to actions on your computer, like controlling Hue lights or muting your audio in Zoom. You can assign individual actions to physical buttons, and an LCD display allows you to customize the appearance of each button with an icon or text that you specify. So instead of trying to perform finger gymnastics to hit the right keyboard shortcut in the middle of a video call, you can just press a physical button instead. »

Web browsers have felt pretty stable for quite a while now. Most people use Chrome or Safari these days, and with good reason! After decades of competing web browsers, a lot of the interactions and design elements have normalized around basically the same thing everywhere. Arc is here to make some changes. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including an in-depth look at how to set up your own productivity dashboard in Notion, some interesting links, and more. »

Autumn means new iPhones, but it also means new iOS and iPadOS drops. With a push of a button in Cupertino, your year-old iPhone and iPad can feel brand new again. And though many are touting this year’s iOS and iPadOS updates as relatively iterative, there are certain features that are sure to be daily-use features in the months to come. »

Whether or not you set New Years resolutions for yourself, keeping track of habits is something we could all stand to be a little bit better at. Streaks is our favourite app for this—available on all Apple platforms—so let’s take a quick look at how easy it is to get started. Creating a Basic Habit […] »

iOS 14 introduced Widgets to the iPhone, which has allowed for some very creative home screens to be created to suit an individual’s preferences and personality. Here’s a look at my current iOS 14 Widgety Home Screen, and the thought process that went into designing it. Remember Why You Came I don’t know about you, […] »

iOS 14 has brought us many changes, from folders in Shortcuts to widgets on the home screen. But one of the features that has long been asked for is the ability to change the default app used for email. »

My first impression of Roam Research was that it was a perfect solution for long-term research, providing a large, traceable solution for tracking thoughts, topics, and connections between topics. »

When I am writing an article for my website or newsletter list, I try to focus on just that: writing. But the problem is that as I am writing, I am also thinking about what links, photos, or screenshots I want to add to the article. And there is usually at least a specific section that I know needs more writing or more research before it’s ready to go. »

HEY has disrupted nearly every element of my email workflow. HEY has allowed me to experience a new level of email productivity, and it has even created a new sense of zen-like Inbox Zero in my Imbox, without archiving, deleting, or snoozing. »

Yesterday, Apple kicked off their annual Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) with an impressive keynote presentation. We put together a convenient summary of everything that was announced. »

Our review of the best remote access solution for macOS and iOS may be a bit dated right now, but the pick likely hasn’t changed: Screens VNC is still as rock solid and as beautiful as ever before. In fact, Screens for iOS was just updated to properly support the new cursor support on the iPad, making for what should be an excellent experience zipping around on your Mac through your iPad. »

Rosemary is a tech lover and frequent contributer here at The Sweet Setup who lives in Vienna, Austria. During the day, she works as a web developer, but she can also be found at RosemaryOrchard.com and hosting Automators, a podcast about automation, and Nested Folders, a podcast about productivity. She loves to experiment with new apps and workflows, and the more automation included, the better! »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a reader's MacBook Pro setup, some tips on taking really tall portrait photos with your iPhone, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, along with some great reviews on iOS and iPadOS 13 and the new iPhone 11 Pro cameras. »

On your Mac, when you right-click files in the Finder you may well have seen an entry on the shortcut menu called Services, which contain some helpful actions that you can perform on the file. But, did you know you can create your own Services that can show up in this menu? Today, I'm going to show you how to create four services that will help you get the most out of your Mac. »

This week, we're looking at a couple of tiling window managers for macOS, how they compare to each other, and a little background on window managers in general. »

For this week's Mindfulness Monday post, reader Nick Sweetman shares how he keeps his iPhone home screen free from distractions. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including some tips on getting started with URL schemes, a tip on getting directions on your Apple Watch, and a look at a new journaling app. »

Autocorrect and Text Replacement settings can easily be overlooked, but they provide a lot of power to iOS that you shouldn't ignore. »

Soulver 3 a compelling calculator for off-the-cuff and brainstorming-style math. »

With version 6, MindNode debuts a slew of new features and improvements for your mind mapping needs. »

Catch up on what published this week, including a tip on using your iPhone to measure distance, a reader's Mac and iPhone setup, and more. »

iPads and cameras — it seems to be the name of the game these days. With the Fuji and the profoundly capable iPad Pro in hand, there’s little that gets in the way of making wonderful photographs. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a quick look at an app for sharing Live Photos with non-iOS users, an example of using and iPad and Digital Ocean for web development, some great link material, and more. »

You can easily paste text in OS X without any formatting by using a quick keyboard shortcut. »

Koen Adams works and lives in Belgium as a freelance cartographer and graphic designer, and also runs One Stop Map. »

Fantastical released version 2.1 today, which includes new snooze functionality, keyboard shortcuts, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at automatically tracking your time spent on your Mac, using Blank Space to declutter your iPhone, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at Mike's method for creating a minimal iPhone Home Screen, some of Notion's latest updates, and more. »

Here are the things we published this week and last. You can also stay up-to-date by following us on Twitter and RSS. Also, we have a weekly email newsletter that sums up all the new and cool things published to the site. If you like to stay up-to-date via email, then you should sign up […] »

It’s time we compare Apple Notes and Bear once again. Apple Notes vs. the new and improved Bear has made for some interesting experiments over the last few weeks. Perhaps our findings below will help others dial in their note-taking app choice once more. »

Let's dive into what makes Notes so good. We’ll provide a few simple quick tips of things that make any Notes experience that much better, as well as the latest features coming to Notes in iOS 17. »

Today, we’re going to look at a few apps that I find absolutely essential to my work, but we’re not going to dwell too much on the typical apps that everyone mentions, or that you’ve heard us talk about at length on The Sweet Setup already. »

I recently came across an app called Book Tracker that helps you catalog your library and manage your reading list. As a Bookworm myself, I had to give it a try. »

This time, the Watch is here to stay. I think, at least. I’m simply too happy with the impact the Watch has had on my focused periods each day. »

In addition to giving you a distraction-free writing interface to help you get your words out onto the page, Ulysses also gives you several tools that will help you keep your writing organized. »

Earlier this year, I attended the Macstock Conference & Expo where I saw Mike Rose share about a few tools to give better live software demos. One of the apps he mentioned was an app called Mouseposé, a simple macOS utility by Boinx software that I had somehow never come across before. »

Obsidian ships with some basic support for task management, making it a great option for creating a digital bullet journal. But in this video, we're going to show you how to take those task management capabilities to the next level with a couple of additional plugins. »

I've been reading news sites and blogs voraciously for as long as I've had the internet, and sadly, I've lost most of that reading to time since I never captured it properly. What really resonated with me back in 2013? I have no idea, but I sure would love to go back and see that today. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at Mike's workflow for taking notes on books, using Rocket for searching for emoji on macOS, and more. »

The iPhone is a much more popular product than the MacBook Pro, so naturally the discussion around the iPhone X’s notch was much larger than the discussion around the MacBook Pro’s notch. If we were discuss them relative to one another, I think more words have been spilled on the MacBook Pro’s notch. »

Our resident full-time RVer shares how he gets his writing work done while traveling across the US. »

Catch up on what we published this month, including a review of the iPhone 13 Pro camera system, a look at how the new iPad mini fits in to Mike's workflow a month in, and more. »

There is a plethora of note-taking and research-tracking apps available for the iPhone, iPad, and the Mac. Currently popular ones, like Obsidian and Roam Research, are tremendous for storing research and making connections between your discoveries. Others, like Apple Notes and Bear, excel at collecting all sorts of media types, including text, photos, URLs, and handwritten snippets. And still others, like Drafts, whip text and automations together to form ultra-fast workflows on your devices. »

For ages, I insisted on using native Microsoft Office apps on the Mac. I put up with the native app shortcomings and accepted native Mac apps were always going to be afterthoughts to Office apps for Windows. And for ages, I resisted the urge to load up Parallels on the Mac and play in the Frankenstein-Windows-on-a-Mac playground. »

It’s been awhile since our pick for the best productivity app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac received a notable update. Over the past year or more, Things 3 has slowly evolved under-the-hood, becoming one of the most stable and reliable apps available on the App Store. But Things 3.14, though a small update in relation […] »

Color me geeky, but the feature I’ve been most excited for after Apple’s 2021 WWDC keynote has been Quick Notes. I’m not even a Notes user (or at least I wasn’t). Nor has the Notes feature-set ever been one that feels fulfilling to me. »

Guess what? It’s mid-week for WWDC 2021. It’s new beta time for iOS and MacOS. And we promise ourselves every year we won’t make the download and risk losing our precious digital lives to the ether. (So far, nobody on The Sweet Setup team has downloaded the betas just yet (except for Rose) and so […] »

This is a video lesson from the new Time Tracking module in our Simple Time Management course. It’s 20% off during launch week. On iOS, we can easily create an automation that allows us to start a timer anytime we open an app. This is one of many tricks I use to help me track […] »

Here’s a roundup of a few apps, services, playlists, and products we recommend after a year of COVID working-from-home. »

If you work with large mind maps frequently, you’ve probably already experienced how overwhelming things can become as your mind map continues to grow. Fortunately, MindNode has a couple of features which make it a lot easier to focus on only the sections you want to see. Folding Nodes Folding a node hides all the […] »

Tiffany White a software engineer from Swatara Township, PA. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a clever shortcut for using Twitter without seeing your timeline, a nerdy look at Mike's iOS 14 widgets layout, and more. »

Roam Research is a new note-taking tool that's re-imagining the way that we capture information, and it takes many of its cues from the pre-internet era. Doing away with the traditional file and folder structure that most note-taking tools have stuck with since the dawn of the PC, Roam has more in common with Wikipedia than it does with a traditional notes app. »

The big update to our writing course, Learn Ulysses, is now live. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a reader's YouTube production setup (with only an iPad!), a collection of iPad apps that feature fantastic trackpad support, and more. »

Tot is a simple text scratchpad app from Iconfactory that does one thing: capture and edit small bits of text. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including all new reviews of the best calendar apps for Mac, iPhone, and Apple Watch, some tips on automating your calendar, and more. »

The Things team may be one of the hallmark reasons for a wide swath of iPad-focused keyboard features over the last year to year-and-a-half. Ever since that huge Things 3.6 update back in late May 2018, the team at Cultured Code has always put iPad keyboard support at the top of the feature list. One […] »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a detailed look at the new iPhone 11 Pro, a novel app for using your phone less, an update to Postbox, and more. »

Apple has made health a commitment over the last few years. In the latest iOS and watchOS there are a whole host of features which you can use to keep on top of your health, including several things new in watchOS 6 and iOS 13. »

I’ve spent the last week or so switching things back to Apple’s stock apps from the best third-party apps in the industry, and I’m going to give them a shot for as long as I can. Here are a range of initial impressions and frustrations in making the switch. »

One of the ways I like to use Keyboard Maestro is to start different parts of my day, such as making sure all of the applications I use every day are started and ready as soon as I get to work. »

Whether we like it or not, Microsoft's Office suite of apps is going to work its way into most of our lives at some point or another. Matt Birchler takes a look at how Word differs between the iOS and desktop platforms. »

Version 16 of Ulysses introduces some great new features for iPad users, plus several other goodies to note and try out. »

In this tutorial, we’ll walk through all the different ways you can export your text from Ulysses on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. »

Drafts is a powerful text editor for macOS and iOS, and Rose takes us through her customized workflow to offer some insight on how to get the most from this great tool. »

This week we're looking at the Reeder 4 Beta, Drafts for Mac, and MLB at Bat. »

Are all the details about our brand-new Learn Ulysses course. »

These days I do just about everything from the iPad. iOS and the iPad have helped me to slow down, simplify, and focus more on the task at hand — especially when that task is writing. »

With only an iPad, a microphone, and Ferrite Recording Studio, you can produce a podcast from start to finish. »

macOS Mojave contains some really powerful screenshot and screen recording tools that you can access with an easy keyboard shortcut. »

Shawn Blanc provides initial thoughts and feedback on the new 12.9" iPad Pro as it relates to his personal workflows for writing and photo editing, and he also answers some questions from readers about the switch to the new iPad Pro. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including some great automation ideas for Reminders, Siri, and Apple Watch, a tip on getting the most out of Airmail for macOS, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including some great workflows for using 1Password with your Apple Watch, a tip on customizing Airmail, and more. »

With macOS Mojave, the Finder gets an update with several new features that make life easier and more powerful for Mac users. »

Things 3.7 for macOS Mojave introduces a beautiful new dark mode that's delightful to use. »

This week we're trying Linky, CleanShot, and Apple's Lightning to SD card reader. »

Michael Wandl is a student at the Vienna University of Business and Economics, an amateur photographer, an Apple enthusiast, and a sneakerhead. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including an updated review of Tweetbot 3 for macOS, a tip on using Things 3 with Zapier, and more. »

Things 3 has kick-started an entirely new development paradigm from Cultured Code, and we couldn’t be more delighted to see the results of constant improvements and developments. »

How to use third-party apps to manage your workspace and resize windows on macOS. »

Justin Hamilton is a first-year student at the University of Delaware where he studies computer engineering, writes music, and also takes pictures. »

Flexibits, the makers of our favorite calendar app, Fantastical, launched Cardhop today, a brand new app designed to manage and interact with your contacts in a whole new way. »

You can quickly share posts and links from Narwhal with this simple shortcut. »

iOS 9 is available today, and we've covered nine of our favorite new features of the new version. »

Several fantastic apps are sale for the next few days, and these are a few that we heartily recommend, even when they're not on sale. »

One of the things that makes Obsidian unique is the ability to extend its capabilities with third-party plugins. In this post, we share a bunch of our favorite Obsidian plugins to help you take your personal knowledge management game to the next level. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including some tips on using Smart Folders in Notes, the latest version of Reminders, and more. »

Habits change. Inspiration comes and goes. Workflows spring up and taper off. But for me, time blocking never changes. Time blocking has become fundamental to my work day, ensuring I have chunks of time to complete tasks and ensuring my colleagues know what I’m up to. Time blocking structures my day. Time blocking blocks out extra meetings. Time blocking pushes me forward. »

As Matt so wisely put last week, we’ll quickly run the risk here of replicating each The Sweet Setup contributor’s must-have productivity apps. By the end of this little series, you’re likely to see a few commonalities, such as Notion, Fantastical, Ulysses, 1Password and perhaps Things. Each of these apps rock in their own right. And we as a group have a great taste in productivity apps. »

When you create a productivity system or find a new app, the goal needs to always be the same. Does this system or app serve me and my goals? I am definitely guilty of spending time perfecting my system to the point that it becomes so rigid that it’s unusable. Or I just end up […] »

While Notion is unquestionably powerful and customizable, it's not always the snappiest app, especially on mobile devices, so navigating from one project to another in Notion can be a little painful. Today, we're going to look at a few ways to navigate to the Notion board you want as quickly as possible. »

If I had written about using web apps in Arc a month or two ago, I would have discussed how this was a failed experiment. Instead of using the native Notion, Hey, and Slack apps for macOS, I opted to create spaces and tabs inside the new Arc browser. The apps behaved super quickly in Arc and all the latest and greatest features were present from the start. »

When I first started using Obsidian, I expected it would help me make connections between my notes and inspire new ideas. But over the last 12 months I've been using the app, I have also fallen in love with it as a writing tool. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at a helpful utility for making your software demos stand out, several interesting links to the new Apple devices announced this week, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at outlining with Obsidian, using BetterTouchTool to customize your Stream Deck, and more. »

Another powerful use of Obsidian is as an outlining tool, but if you’re used to other outlining tools like Workflowy, or even Roam Research, outlining in Obsidian may feel a bit limited. However, there are a couple of plugins that will allow you to enhance the outline capabilities of Obsidian, and in this article, we’re going to show you how to set those up. And if you prefer to watch a short video instead, we’ve got you covered. »

I had my first taste of text snippet expansion way, way back when everyone could use TextExpander without the subscription cost. There was a little bit of magic every time one of those snippets expanded. It was even cooler when you triggered a little dialog box that let you type in a custom bit of text to be added into the text expansion. »

Recording your screen and sharing it with others is something that's always been useful, but it's only accelerated as so many of us have been physically separated from our teammates over the past few years. There are dozens of options out there for recording your screen, but two of the best and most interesting options for Mac users are Loom and CleanShot X. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a new tool for assessing your own productivity, some great links from our friends, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at using Matter in a browser, a review of the new Studio Display, and more. »

Matter is a relatively new read-it-later service that's been getting a good amount of attention, including several features here on The Sweet Setup. It may be simplifying history a bit, but the very broad strokes version of this market is that Instapaper popularized it, Pocket took it really mainstream, and Matter wants to do right by those of us who loved Instapaper but never really clicked with Pocket. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including some great tips on staying focused while working from home, a look at an open-source text expansion app called Espanso, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at Josh's new M1-based portable accounting setup, a nifty PopClip extension, some interesting links, and more. »

If you have a Mac, iPad, or iPhone, 2022 is going to be fun. Here are a few apps we recommend installing on your Mac, iPad, and iPhone to kick off the 2022 year with the best foot forward. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a great deal on all of our courses, a photo essay centered around the new MacBook Pro, and more. »

Affirmations is a simple app with a singular purpose — to provide compliments and reminders to help make self-care a little easier. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at collaboration methods in Craft, using Drafts to quickly capture things for Obsidian, and some interesting links. »

Blocks are the very core of Craft. They provide countless ways to format, structure, and build out your documents. They can take numerous forms, from text, audio, video, PDFs, sketches — there is very little Craft can’t handle thanks to its block-based system. »

With big displays come big widgets in iPadOS 15. Though we had a glimpse of the “larger” widgets with iOS 14’s News widget (sort of), the larger horizontal widgets in iPadOS 15 mostly came out of left field. iPadOS 15 widgets are even larger than the vertical News widget in iOS 14, taking up three columns in the app spring board and displaying content in bold new ways. Apple touted these extra large widgets as being great for media apps like Music, TV, and Photos, where the media inside the app can shine brightly. »

You can technically write an entire novel inside of Apple Notes or compose your blog posts in Notepad on your Windows computer. The basic concept of letting users type text into an app is not special, and yet writing apps are one of those things that everyone is very particular about. It’s all about the little things, and what feels right for each person. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a review of the Planck keyboard, some tips on customizing keyboard hotkeys in Obsidian, some interesting links, and more. »

I’ve bounced around daily note-taking apps for the last 18 months or so. The search started with Roam Research, then moved over to NotePlan 3, and now rests in Craft. Each has its own intricate set of features and shortcomings, and I’m still not perfectly jumping for joy with any option. »

Catch up on what we published this week, as well as some of our favorite WWDC coverage from the week. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a workflow for automatically adding Kindle book highlights to Obsidian, a look at Timery on the Mac, and more. »

Drafts is one of my most frequently used apps. It was designed for capturing text so you can do something with it. Over the years it's evolved, becoming more powerful and more flexible. This has lead me to use it more and more because it's incredibly easy to capture my data, and the processing options are endless. »

In our productivity flywheel, the fourth stage is to celebrate your progress. But sometimes this feels counterintuitive or inconvenient. Because when we want to be super duper productive, we often think that speed and efficiency are what matter most. Thus we get stuck in a loop of doing, doing, doing... without ever pausing to celebrate. »

Drafts has long been the place that text starts on my iOS device. But lately I've been doing a lot more in Obsidian, and was looking for a way to get that text into Obsidian easily when I was done. While this is pretty straightforward using a cloud service like Dropbox to sync your vault, I then began wondering if I could do something more than just dump my text files into a synced folder. »

Time blocking is something that took a while to click for me. I understand the concept of dependent tasks, and time restrictions well, and once the pieces fell into place it really became a game changer for me. »

I've been going to school for 10 years. It's been a long, long road, full of all sorts of amazing lessons, few of which have anything to do with the actual content I'm studying. These 10 years of school have been a testament to the "The journey is the destination" mentality. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at what Apple's new M1 chip means for creatives, some excellent custom widget ideas, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including our new email course, a look at iOS 14's Universal Search feature, and more. »

I've resisted calorie tracking for years, mostly because the apps that were available for this sort of thing seemed way too complex for me. Every couple of years I'll get inspired to pay attention to what I'm putting in my body and try all the apps again, but none of them have come even remotely close to working for me. I need something simple. I don't want to weigh my food in grams before I eat it; I just want to be a little bit more intentional about my eating habits. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including some tips on keeping your phone from taking too much of your time, a look at the new Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro, and more. »

As Apple’s new Magic Keyboard accessory for the iPad Pro makes its way to customers, CulturedCode is rolling out robust support for mouse and trackpad use in the latest version of their acclaimed task management app, Things 3. Things 3.12.2 brings full support for the new iOS cursor subsystem, including contextual menus, swipe gestures, and […] »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at our isolation workspaces, a look at planning your day on paper, some great MindNode updates, and more. »

Kyle Bauman is the Associate Pastor of Discipleship & Students at Bear Valley Community Church in Colleyville, TX where his main responsibility is teaching and leading ministries for middle school, high school, and college students. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including lists of great apps for your new iPhone, iPad, and Mac, as well as some great tips on improving your Alfred skills and efficiency. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a guide to taking great holiday photos, staying intentional with your technology, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look back at the Apple stock app experiment, news about the latest MacBook Pro model, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a mindful look at how we sleep and wake up, an automation post on using Workspaces in Drafts for iOS, and more. »

Update: Thanks to everyone who joined us live. It was a blast. We had around 400 folks join us live for the call. We went through quite a bit of tips and tricks and also answered a whole bunch of questions around GoodNotes, iOS Shortcuts, productivity workflows, and more. During the webinar I got this […] »

iA Writer received a major update with version 5.3 that adds a bunch of new features that makes an already powerful writing app even better. »

When it comes to creating new habits and keeping track of your progress, there's no other app that makes this a simple and delightful task. »

GoodNotes (our pick for The Best App for Taking Handwritten Notes) was recently updated to version 5.3. This is a pretty major update, adding support for multiple windows, OCR scanning, and Dark Mode. Here’s a breakdown of what’s new. Multiple Windows There are lots of ways you can open multiple windows in GoodNotes: With GoodNotes […] »

We love Soulver 3 for text-based mathematical equations, but Alfred 4 can take your impromptu calculation game a few steps further across macOS. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a tip on using Keyboard Maestro to automate your workday, a tip on using your iPhone to control your Apple TV, a big update to Day One, and more. »

iPadOS provides some more robust tools for taking screenshots, providing annotations, and deciding where to send them, and today we look at how these new features work. »

While there are a ton of features that factor into us selecting Alfred as our favorite app launcher for the Mac, one of our more whimsical favorites is the ability to change the appearance by creating a custom theme. This is a paid feature that is part of the Alfred Powerpack, a worthwhile upgrade that […] »

Here is how Day One helps you capture text, images, and audio snippets quickly and easily on all your devices. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at the latest TwelveSouth desk accessory, a roundup of fitness apps, and more. »

Ulysses has a vast selection of themes to choose from. They also easy to install on both iOS and macOS alike. »

The renowned Flexibits natural language parser is now available in Cardhop for iOS, making finding, editing, and creating new contacts a breeze. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a detailed workflow on automating Ulysses in iOS, a review of the new HyperDrive USB-C hub for iPad Pro, and more. »

Alex Tai is a student at Santa Clara University where he studies Computer Engineering and collaborates with others on ideas and new technologies. »

Ulysses received a large update today, and it brings along plenty of exciting new features to enhance your writing and research workflows. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a tip on using systems to accomplish goals, some functionality updates to Obscura, and more. »

Jeffrey Abbott is the Senior Editor at The Sweet Setup, but works as a project manager by day and contributes to The Pen Addict as well. »

This week, we're trying Lookup, Catan Universe, and Grocery. »

In Airmail for macOS, there are many customizations you can make to make your email workflows more fluid. »

1Password on the Apple Watch is a fantastic tool for your security toolbox – it helps ease the friction of 2-factor authentication, can be opened and updated quickly, and sometimes it’s just nice to put some text on your wrist to reference in the moment. »

A deeper look into the power of having 1Password on your wrist at all times. »

We take a look at a few Alfred workflows that we use, from weather info, movie reviews, and iTunes controls. »

An effective way to ensure that any time you hit your hotkey to bring up the Quick Entry pane, you are guaranteed to get it even if Things is not running. (Also works with OmniFocus and Todoist.) »

The best simple list-making app for iOS and Mac, a reader's Mac and iOS setup, a tip on using stickers, and more. »

Tired of using Trello in your browser? Get Paws for Trello for Mac and Windows. »

A review of the new 15-inch MacBook Pro, a reader's Mac and iOS setup, a tip on using Activity alerts, and more. »

Belle B. Cooper is co-founder of Hello Code, a Melbourne-based software company that develops iOS apps, and she is also a freelance writer. »

Adrian Thomas is a Brit living in Munich, Germany where he works as a product manager at equinux making apps and gadgets for Mac, iOS, Apple TV, and Apple Watch. »

Dan Mitu is a philosophy and computer science student who is interested in Machine Learning and has recently started experimenting with iOS development. »

With the newest version of Bartender, you can set your own hot key for showing and hiding the Bartender Bar. »

Tweetbot 4 brings a much-anticipated new look to the best Twitter client for iPad users. »

Matt is a video editor living in Austin, TX and is known for creating a feature film, "Wild In The Streets," and a short film called "Saved By The Belding," which recreates an episode of Saved By The Bell. »

Here is a running list of our personal favorite apps on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The are the apps we, The Sweet Setup staff, use day in and day out for work and play. »

A quick tip about 1Password, a non-tech focused setup, and a couple of awesome links. »

Many great app updates are shipping this week. We are collecting a list of the most notable updates and the best new apps for iOS 8. »

A fascinating setup, a quick tip, a deal on a great app, a few of our favorite summer apps, and more. »

WWDC made us happy, a sweet Mac and iPhone setup, a Quick Tip, and more. »

Chris is a Digital Media Specialist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) where he works with a team to produce and deliver high-quality digital content. »

Lots of updates to several of our favorite apps, an excellent setup interview, plus some tips on using synced iCloud browser tabs. »

Quick links to the articles and reviews we published this week. »

Ulysses, one of our favorite apps, has several features that make it ideal for writing and organizing short and long projects. The app has several features that make it a great tool for accomplishing your writing goals. Let’s start by examining the toolbar options above the editor. »

Welcome to July! This monthly digest is for creative professionals and small business owners looking to create a more ideal schedule, get organized, and stay in control of the things that matter. If you are new to the digest… here’s what to look forward to at the start of each month: A short article on a […] »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at how Josh's setup has evolved and changed to support his productivity and creativity, a roundup of awesome Obsidian plugins, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including some tips on finding the right habits, building habits, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a focus digest on showing up every day, a look at how you can use Notion's new calendar feature, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including an interview with James Clear on building better habits, some examples of how we use Notion AI Q&A, and more. »

James Clear is the author of the book Atomic Habits, and we talk about making lasting habits with meaning. »

Omnivore is one of the newest, and probably one of the most underrated read-it-later services out there. Many of us know about Pocket, Instapaper, Matter, and Readwise Reader, but Omnivore deserves to be in the conversation as well, as it does quite a few things very well, and even better than the rest in some cases. And it does all this completely for free. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at how personal retreats work, some ideas for using Notion as a gift list, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at using Notion to organize your Christmas lists, going through a personal retreat organized in Obsidian, the Tools & Toys Christmas Catalog, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including an updated Notion Habit Tracker for 2024, updated reviews of the best calendar apps for Mac and iPhone, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including an update to our review of the best calendar app for macOS, an in-depth comparison of the latest version of Bear and how it stacks up to Apple Notes, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including an update to our review of the best calendar app for iPhone, some great information on picking a planner that fits your style and needs, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including our brand new planner for 2024, some great tips on using Apple Notes, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including some tips for getting the most out of Apple Notes and Reminders, some interesting links from our friends, and more. »

Right alongside the ability to tag your notes in Apple Notes is the ability to create smart folders. Smart folders are tags and folders on steroids — you can build out entirely custom ways to unearth and organize your notes. »

If you don’t believe personal knowledge management (PKM) isn’t in a hayday right now, go check out ToolFinder.co. You’re going to find the very best apps for note-taking, emailing, calendaring, to-doing, and producivitying across the wide internet. The list is long and the pocketbook requirements deep — you can spend a ton of money and a ton of time building out a system that works for you. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at Mimestream for Gmail on macOS, the latest PKM tool on the market, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a list of our favorite books, creating custom planner templates in GoodNotes, and more. »

Apple’s built-in Mail app has become pretty feature complete over the years. Though the latest email features take a year or two to show up in Mail, most have made their way into the app — features like Send Later, Snooze, Undo Send, and more are now all in Apple’s default Mail app and available to all iPhone, iPad, and Mac users. »

It was nearly a year ago that I first wrote about Raycast here on The Sweet Setup, and few apps have seemed to gain as much momentum in recent years in the Mac enthusiast crowd than this new app launcher. In fact, I don't think I've seen this many Mac nerds change their app launcher since 2010 when Alfred first hit the scene. »

Obsidian will be adding the ability to use properties in notes soon, and we look at how they work and compare with Notion. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at how to enumerate and review your various inboxes, some times on protecting your focus, and more. »

Whenever I launch the Mail app on my Mac, I’m presented with a completely blank inbox. This is not because of an Inbox Zero strategy. Rather, I can search for any specific emails I may be wanting to get to, or write a new email completely undistracted by whatever is in my inbox. »

The key is to nail the beginning and the ending, and anything that happens in the middle doesn’t matter so much. »

There’s been a battle brewing over the past year or so between Matter and Readwise Reader over which is the better brand-spanking-new read later service. Here at The Sweet Setup, we try to pick the best apps and services in every category we can, but the TSS crew is split on this one, so today Josh and Matt are going to make their case for why they prefer each of these apps. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a behind-the-scenes look at our Notion resource database, Jeff and Mike's productivity app picks, and more. »

Like Josh, Matt, and Jeff did previously, today I'm going to share a handful of my favorite productivity apps that are essential for how I work. »

We've heard from Matt and Josh on which apps they consider irreplaceable for their workflows and productivity, and now it's my turn to pull back the curtain. These days, a lot of my work happens on a work MacBook Pro that is fairly locked down. The IT-managed operating system presents some challenges when it comes to finding a good productivity balance, and these apps meet my needs on my work device and personal devices too. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at some great lock screen widgets for iPhone 14 Pro (Max), must-have productivity apps from our team, and more. »

Here are some of our favorite Lock Screen widgets thus far. »

Today we're going to look at some more down-to-earth ways that text and image generators can be used today to accomplish useful tasks. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including some tips on quick-capture in Notion, connecting Notion databases, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a reminder on how to use Hazel to auto-file your documents, a deep look at what makes relational databases so great in Notion, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including some guidance on reducing the number of apps you use, a look at the Onyx Boox Tab Ultra, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at a new habit tracker called Polar Habits, some tips on using sub-tasks in Notion, and more. »

Rewind.ai is a pretty incredible new tool for Mac users that bills itself as the search engine for your life, and that's really not a bad way to describe it. »

Quick wins are rarely the elements of a long-term strategy. If you search for quick wins, you’ll find them. But they won’t add up to anything substantial over time. Instead, focus on being consistent with smaller actions you can stick with over a long period of time. Here’s why… The two types of goals (and […] »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at using Sunsama to build new habits, getting away from the "just checks" so you can focus, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at launching specific Notion boards, using web apps in Arc browser instead of native apps, and more. »

It may be the incremental upgrade of all incremental upgrades: The Logitech MX Master 3S — at least on paper — is one of the smallest gadget updates we’ve seen in recent memory. Put them side by side and you wouldn’t be able to see the difference (unless you were comparing to the newest “Pale Grey” Master 3S color), you probably wouldn’t physically feel the difference, and unless you have a trained eye, you probably wouldn’t notice an on-screen difference either. But rest assured, you’d instantly be able to tell the two top-end mouses apart once you’ve clicked them. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at how Notes in iOS 16 stacks up against third-party notes apps, some great links from around the web, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at what's new and improved with Mail in iOS 16, some of our favorite iPhone 14 reviews so far, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at a mindfulness meditation timer app, some great links from our friends, and other stuff we found interesting. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at an exciting new browser that offers plenty of control, a look at the new features of Alfred 5, and some great links. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a review of Grovemade's latest desktop shelf, the final portion of our Elements of a Sweet Setup, and more. »

Today, we're going to walk through the basic things you need to know when shopping for mechanical keyboards. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at new secure email features from Canary Mail, an upcoming webinar on Focus, some interesting links, and more. »

I generate a lot of PDF documents every March and April. Some back of the envelope math would clock in around 3,200 documents generated or so. Each tax return would require between 3 and 6 documents, each with their own unique filename. Our naming convention is pretty simple, but requires each client’s name. And each […] »

Irvue is a lightweight menu bar utility that automatically changes your wallpaper on macOS, using Unsplash as a source for the images. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a non-traditional approach to task management, a nifty wireless numpad, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a summary of our thoughts on Apple's latest announcements, an update to our Obsidian, Roam, and LogSeq comparison article, and more. »

While there are lots of apps doing lots of interesting things with notes right now, by far the two most popular options are Roam Research and Obsidian. In this article, we're going to compare these two connected note-takers and help you choose the right one. »

I recently came across a fantastic little utility called Open In that allows you to modify the default application for browser, email, and call links. Yes, there are other apps that have done this sort of thing in the past, but Open In is built for Apple Silicon and does a whole lot more than any other app like this that I've seen. »

Daily Notes became a hallmark feature in Craft in short order. The quick and easy ability to create a note, specific to a calendar date, that could be linked and back-linked across your entire Craft database made the feature a perfect option for collecting digital paraphernalia. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at some of our favorite, must-have apps for iPhones, iPads, and Macs, sending highlights from Matter to Obsidian, and more. »

How did I find success in turning my 2021 New Year’s resolutions into habits? A combination of resolution adjustments, self forgiveness, stricter scheduling, and a few handy apps for good measure. Here’s how I did it. »

Daily proactively asks what you are working on. No more timers, stopwatches, or note-taking. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including apps and gear for the holidays, creativity freewheel, and more. »

Imagine seeing text somewhere in the real world and being able to easily share it digitally. That's exactly what Live Text allows you to do. Whether it's a handwritten note, writing on a whiteboard, or a printed sign, Live Text allows you to snap a photo and turn the text into a digital version that can be easily pasted into any application. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at Josh Ginter's work setup, using Todoist with Things, and more. »

Once you understand the ins and outs of what makes a block a block and how to link blocks together to both create documents and link your notes, you can begin to dive further into Craft’s more specific features. This week, we’re going to discuss Craft’s new Daily Notes feature. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including some thoughts on running Microsoft Office programs in Parallels instead of the native macOS versions, using Obsidian for timeblocking your day, and lots of great links. »

Alfred recently got an update to version 4.5. This update is a pretty big one, adding a Powerpack feature called Universal Actions which allows you to take text, URLs, or files and perform actions on them directly using a dedicated Alfred Universal Action hotkey. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including the new To Obsidian and Beyond course, some FAQs around the course, Obsidian, and PKM systems, and more. »

The all-new master-course for Obsidian users (new and old alike). Finally organize your notes and ideas to make creative output easy. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including an in-depth comparison between Craft and NotePlan 3, a workflow for visualizing data in Obsidian, a reader's setup interview, and more. »

Asier G. Morato is the co-founder of Chubby Apps — an indie app studio from the north of Spain (Europe) who believes that technology should be easy to use. We make apps with a cute design that don’t need a user manual, are fully accessible, improve people’s lives, and also respect your privacy. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a lot of great information about using Obsidian, some interesting links, and more. »

Templates in Obsidian are a great way to jumpstart creating a new note. In this post, we’re going to show you how to set up and use a couple of different types of templates in Obsidian. If you’d like to see it in action, here’s a short video from our upcoming PKM course: If you […] »

Obsidian is a great application for storing all my notes and documentation about things in my life. One of the things I love about it is the ability to link to notes and even have those links do things when I click them. This means that I can easily jump to a project plan document […] »

Obsidian is a phenomenal notes app, but with a few free community plugins installed, it can become pretty much whatever you want it to be. In this article, we're going to show you how to install community plugins if you're not familiar with the process and share some of our favorites. »

Readwise is a (subscription-based) web service that lets you save highlighted text from digital books, web articles, and even Read-It-Later services like Instapaper and Pocket. You can review your notes and highlights inside of the Readwise service, but you can also connect your Readwise account to PKM apps like Roam and Obsidian. »

I've been thinking a lot about Personal Knowledge Management lately and the path information takes as it enters and exits my PKM system, and I've noticed that information tends to fall into one of three buckets »

One of the things I love about Obsidian is that it offers support for callback URLs. For example, you could include a link to a specific note inside of a task in Things or a link to an email message from your Daily Notes in Obsidian. In this article, I'll show you a couple of ways you can connect things in Obsidian to other apps. »

You know that feeling when you're not sure if the apps you are using are the best ones for you? Join us for our next, monthly TSS workshop to go deep into the weeds of productivity apps and workflows. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including our brand new simple time management course, a quick review of the Timeular time tracker, and more. »

The productivity space has been going through a bit of a revitalization recently, and maybe surprisingly, it’s note-taking apps that are causing the bulk of this excitement. Solutions are sprouting all over the place lately, with things like Roam Research, Notion, Obsidian, Bear, Craft, RemNote, Drafts, and oh yeah, Evernote, occupying a considerable amount of […] »

Regardless of the tool you decide to use, journaling is a worthwhile habit to establish as we leave this year and get ready for the next one. »

iPads and iPhones have long had more power housed in their tiny, fanless bodies than most people have been able to truly grasp. In the last few years, Apple’s A-class chips in the iPad have even outpaced the chips found inside Apple’s Intel-based Macs, allowing for a glimpse into the future of what an Apple-chip-enabled Mac could do. »

As a self-proclaimed productivity nut, I’ve been using some version of the Getting Things Done (or GTD) task management methodology for many years. I’ve also been experimenting recently with Roam Research, and am intrigued by the app’s ability to tie everything together. I’ve tried to do this before and it’s failed miserably, so I was […] »

Catch up on what we published this week, especially our all-new Calm Inbox course. Take control of your email inbox so that you can spend more time on what's important to you. »

This is a free sample video from our new course, Calm Inbox. The course will normally sell for $99, but right now you can save 20% during launch week (just $79). The full course has over 50 videos to help you get less email and more focus. It shows you how to handle any message […] »

Built by a team that's spread across London, Berlin, and Zurich, Meeter was created as a direct response to the mass shift of workers to online conferencing tools. They saw a pain-point, and built an awesome tool to make the problem easier to manage. »

Roam is a masterful tool for creating your own rabbit holes. My biggest concern is whether the creation of these rabbit holes is creation for the sake of creation, or if an actual discovery or connection will be found as we go. Only time will tell. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a live reaction webinar with Shawn, Mike, Rosemary, and Josh, some thoughts on the announcements from WWDC 2020, and more. »

One of the things that was announced during this week's WWDC Keynote presentation was sleep tracking for the Apple Watch. The feature has long been rumored, and is finally making its way to the watch in watchOS 7. Let's take a look at how it works and why it's important. »

There was a ton that was announced in the WWDC keynote presentation on Monday. iOS 14, iPadOS, watchOS 7, macOS Big Sur, a bunch of privacy and Home updates, and even a big upgrade for AirPods. But one of the sections that really caught my attention was the announced improvements to the iPad with Apple Pencil. »

I’ve been a “habit nerd” for nearly 20 years. Routines have helped tremendously with my desire to keep areas of my life on track over the years. A few examples include things such as creating every day, a weekly date-night with my wife, an automatic saving and investing, consistent workouts. These certainly ebb and flow […] »

Whether you're a game streamer looking to boost your production quality or someone who wouldn't mind a novel way to up your productivity levels, Elgato's Stream Deck has something to offer. »

As much I love Keynote, I've used Deckset for a long time because it's a simple solution for throwing together quick presentations using Markdown. With Deckset, you actually edit your presentation in plain text in an app like Ulysses and Deckset applies all the styling automatically based on the styling in the currently selected theme. »

Things aren’t perfect yet, but depending on your tolerance for doing things differently, we’re finally at a place where the iPad is a viable companion for the working photographer. »

Ulysses, our favorite writing app for iOS and macOS, takes another step forward in version 19 with full support for the new cursor in iPadOS, along with some important cross-platform refinements. »

The new, 2020 iPad Pros are here. And we've gathered together the best reviews, tips, and resources for you. »

One Switch is one of the handiest menu bar apps I’ve come across in recent years that excels at making quick system setting changes a one-click affair, and takes it a step further by offering additional switches for connecting to your Bluetooth headphones, locking your keyboard, changing screen resolutions (for those nasty screenshots), playing music, hiding desktop icons, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a suggestion on making time in your schedule for thinking, a tip on customizing your Apple Watch message replies, using mind mapping to sharpen your "mental saw," and more. »

If you've been following along, we've covered quite a bit when it comes to capturing and developing your ideas. In this post, we'll delve into why it's important to schedule thinking time for your work. »

No matter your needs, one of the following notes apps are bound to have you covered on Apple’s latest iPads. »

Fantastical just got a HUGE update to version 3. There's a ton that's new here, including a more polished user interface, improved scheduling tools, and an updated pricing model. »

I've been sharing recently about the system I use for capturing and developing ideas, and at the heart of this system is a mind mapping habit. Mind Mapping helps me develop my ideas so that I don't deal with writer's block and saves me a ton of time by making it super easy to get started whenever I sit down to write. »

How a mind map can save you time, energy, and anxiety when it comes to writing, creating, planning, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a peek at our upcoming course on mind mapping, an invitation to join us on a 30-day digital declutter, a look at the AirPods Pro three months later, and more. »

In this Mindfulness Monday post, we consider how to leverage our technology to create intentional habits. Last week, we published an interview with bestselling author James Clear about starting and building better habits. There’s some great insights in the interview about how habits work, and James shares some great tips about how to create them. […] »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a video interview with James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, essential apps for musicians, and more. »

It's a fine time to be an iOS musician. There are a ton of great apps out there that can help you refine your craft and even perform live music in new and interesting ways. »

Many people use Alfred to search for files on their Mac and to launch applications, but these functions barely scratch the surface of this great app! Today we show you how to make the most out of the files integration in Alfred. »

Have a new iPad? Check out our recommendations for unique and essentials apps to get you started. »

Despite the massive year-over-year improvements in battery life of the latest iPhones (all three, the 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max), there are still those who somehow find a way to crush their battery on a daily or semi-daily basis. »

Catch up on what we published this week and last, including a review of the new 16-inch MacBook Pro, our own TSS Awards for the best hardware and apps from 2019, and much more. »

It's that time of year once again when we like to bring you a few of our top app and gear picks to help get you through the holiday season in one piece. From recipe gathering to trip planning, photo editing, and various kinds of audio distraction entertainment, this handy list has a bit of everything. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a Mindfulness Monday interview, an exciting update to the Spark iOS email app, and more. »

Earlier today, the Spark email mobile app got a significant update to version 2.5. The update brings a new design, support for Dark Mode, customizable email actions, and much more. New Design & Avatars Spark has always been a beautiful application, but version 2.5 features a new design which makes it even better. Messages in […] »

In early September, I put myself up to the task of converting all my third-party apps in these categories to Apple’s own stock apps. After a few months, it's time to check in and see what Apple apps made the cut over my favorite third-party apps. »

Regardless of the app you choose to use, we highly encourage you to consider creating a mindfulness meditation habit. There's an abundance of great options to choose from, so you're sure to find something that suits your personal style. »

Drafts is an excellent app for note taking and writing, and workspaces are a very powerful feature that can make it even easier to use. With the release of version 5, it became my preferred writing app for nearly everything. Workspaces are the key to that transformation. »

Catch up on what we published this week and last, including an update to our favorite habit tracking app review, a look at the latest version of iA Writer, a tip on using Siri, and more. »

Aside from what you are actually going to write, the next question to answer is what tool will you use? »

Adam Lee writes his own website, and is also a part-time student and software developer. »

Released just over a month ago, Dark Noise is a simple yet powerful ambient noise app for iPhone and iPad created by first-time iOS developer Charlie Chapman that offers exactly what you'd expect: a collection of high-quality ambient noises (38 in all) to help you sleep, focus, or relax. »

Bear 1.7 introduces some nice improvements and seemingly preps the app for iOS 13 and iPadOS 13. »

iPadOS brings a lot of welcome updates to the gestures we use for copy, paste, selecting text, and much more. »

This excerpt from our Learn GoodNotes course explains the many ways you can efficiently organize your notes and ideas in GoodNotes. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a new version of Ulysses, some automation tips for Mail.app on macOS, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a tip on setting up a distraction-free iPhone, big updates to apps like Keyboard Maestro, Darkroom, and PDF Expert, and more. »

In this Mindfulness Monday post, we deconstruct the concept of a distraction-free phone. »

Excel on the iPad is a competent spreadsheet application, and if your needs are simple or you just plan on making edits to spreadsheets you created on macOS or Windows, then you’ll likely really enjoy this app. »

We've been listening to (and making) podcasts for a long time, and there have never been so many incredible options available to podcast listeners as there are currently today — no matter your interests — which means there are a ton of great tech podcasts out there for Apple enthusiasts like us. »

Journaling is one of the best habits you can create. It allows you to distance yourself from the emotion and business of the day by reflecting on the events that happened so you can achieve clarity on the situation and see things from the proper perspective. »

The Powerbeats Pro headphones are a slightly larger, more secure alternative to Apple's AirPods that provide better noise isolation, bass response, and battery life. »

Bumpr is a Mac App Store utility that allows you to select a browser in which to open links when clicking them. It’s a handy little app that is great for anyone who occasionally has a need to open links in various browsers, and it recently received an upgrade to version 1.2 that adds several […] »

Mike Schmitz is the creator of Faith-Based Productivity, co-hosts the Focused and Bookworm podcasts, and most recently joined The Sweet Setup team as Executive Editor. »

iPadOS isn't ready for prime-time at this point, but it’s already safe to say that September will usher in a new age for the iPad. »

Shelf apps have evolved as a category over the past couple of years, and we look at how to use Gladys to quickly transfer files between iOS and macOS. »

Jack Bishop is an Aerospace Software Engineer, iOS Developer, and just finished studying part time for a degree in Software Engineering. »

The iPad is no longer seen as just a bigger piece of glass. Apple is making a commitment to bring consistent, device-specific updates to the iPad. »

As I type this, I’m en route to WWDC 2019. Here’s a look at the bag I’m bringing and the gear inside. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a list of apps and services we're trying this week, some great workflows on DEVONthink and Keep It, and more. »

Josh Ginter takes a detailed look at Keep It and how to use it for research, keeping notes, and augmenting your brain as you learn about new subjects. »

Reeder 4 doesn’t rewrite the playbook that made it one of the premier RSS apps for every Apple platform, but it introduces a few niceties, like smoother and more friendly animations, a refreshed and more consistent code base across iOS and macOS, a new native Read Later feature, and Bionic Reading support. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a tip on using screenshot annotation tools, an update to our Mindnode review, a new version of Moment Pro Camera, and more. »

There are so many great choices for note-taking and writing apps available today. Today we’re going to take a look at how each of these apps differ, how they're alike, and see where each shine. »

Just a few years ago, we could have written a review of the best GTD apps for Mac, iPhone, and iPad and updated the review once or twice a year. But thanks to the jump-started development schedules for apps like Things 3 and OmniFocus, we’ve found a need to update this review more than a […] »

Catch up on what we published this week and last, including a tip for using Hot Corners, an update to our review of the best app for using your iPad as an external display, and more. »

Spark continues to evolve at a healthy pace and we’re both impressed with how far the app has come and excited to see where Readdle takes Spark next. »

We rely on certain apps to get us through the mess and come out the other side with a plan. In today's roundup, we've gathered together eight of our favorite apps for outlining, brainstorming, planning, capturing, and tracking it all. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a tip on using Fantastical on your Mac, a review of the Bellroy Work Folio, and more. »

With Fantastical for Mac, you can create different groups of calendars for keeping your various personal and work calendars organized and easy to switch between. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a tip on controlling tabs and windows in macOS, updates to Outlook and Darkroom, and some great apps for your new iPhone and Watch. »

No matter how you use your Apple Watch, there’s always a better third-party app to complete the task at hand. These five Apple Watch apps will really help jump-start your new Apple Watch and get you hooked on the quality and utility of third-party apps. »

Darkroom 4.0 debuts iPad support, bringing the best photo editor for iPhone to Apple's newest full-screen iPad. »

A roundup of great cases for your iPhone XS and XS Max, some updates to some of our favorite apps, and a tip on using the Today screen. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a new pick for the best email client for macOS, a tip on customizing Control Center for iOS, some great apps we're trying, and more. »

CropSize is a single-purpose iOS utility that makes resizing and compressing images a breeze. »

Igor Kulman lives in Prague, Czech Republic and is currently working as the lead iOS developer for a company that builds a secure messaging app for corporate customers. »

The Home app is a useful tool for controlling devices in your home, but the grouping feature allows you to fine-tune your zones for better control. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including announcements around iOS, macOS, and watchOS, a detailed workflow on using Ulysses for research, a tip on prioritizing your network connections, and more. »

Each of the 3 new hallmark features — Screen Time, Notifications, Do Not Disturb — have multiple things you can do with them. Let’s go through each one to see what is going to be possible, and why it’s so awesome. »

Ulysses 13 focuses on updating a few of these core features to bring more of your writing process into the app, as well as a few improvements for technical writers who need to showcase code blocks in their writing. »

Agneev Mukherjee is a connoisseur of fantastic Mac and iOS apps, recently graduated from high school, and lives in India. »

Whereby we take a look at how to better process email and take a look at a workflow to move necessary emails into your GTD system. »

Converting a message or flat text list into a checklist is easy with Apple Notes. »

In a significant update to Things 3, Cultured Code has added deep linking features that allow for new levels of automation and workflows for Things on iPhone and iPad. In this guide we will cover all the ways you can use these Things iOS Workflows to your advantage, plus we've got several examples and downloads for you. »

Toomas Särev is a cardiologist, leader, husband, dad of 5, granddad of 2, first-degree black belt in Traditional Korean Martial Arts (Kuk Sool Won), Harley Davidson motorbike enthusiast, Apple Gadgets lover, and productivity geek. »

Anna Crotty lives in San Diego and works on databases for member-supported news organizations. »

Today, the folks at Cultured Code released an update to Things that allows you to send emails to your Inbox. »

The best mind mapping app for Mac and iOS received a major update this week with the launch of MindNode 5. »

1Password received an update last week that brings support for iPhone X, Face ID, Quick Copy, and more. »

We hosted our first, live workshop for Sweet Setup readers. There were several hundred who joined us for live the workshop, and it was a blast! »

Multitasking has been upgraded with iOS 11, and we have a few tips on how to use it with your iPad. »

Our new course launches in 24 hours. Here are all the details of what’s in the course and how much it costs. »

This short Ulysses workflow video shows how I have my Ulysses set up and how I use it on a day-to-day basis. »

Transmit is a powerful, reliable, and easy to use FTP client that is well worth purchasing if you work with file servers on a regular basis. »

When writing for the web, Byword and Ulysses make it easy to copy or export your text as HTML for publishing. »

Shana Russell is a Campus Technology Specialist for a private school organization in Houston, and also writes her own blogs and dabbles in app development. »

Gordon McLean is a business analyst by day, and a writer, blogger, and novelist by night. »

It shouldn't be surprising that I want to work as efficiently and effectively as possible. Much of that boils down to one thing: working smarter. »

Mail and Airmail both offer methods of copying individual message URLs so you can easily create references in action items, notes, and more. »

A new pick for the best simple to-do list app for iOS and macOS, a tip on restoring files to iCloud Drive, a reader's Mac and iOS setup, and more. »

Wayne Chan is a student at Hangzhou Dianzi University in China, and he also does freelance and records a podcast with his friend occasionally. »

The 2016 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar is a giant progression in the Apple portable line, and there are many exciting new features to consider along with the higher price. »

V.H. Belvadi is a postgraduate student of physics studying an extremely rare breed of variable stars, and also makes photographs and directs short films in his free time. »

Gerry Hayes owns Haze Guitars in Dublin, Ireland, where he builds and repairs guitars, writes books on guitar repair and maintenance, and also runs Sketchy Setups. »

Alok Singh is a senior at UC Berkeley where he studies Mathematics and is also interested in Computer Science, reading, and research. »

A guide to summer apps and gear, a readers setup, a tip on using Ulysses, and more. »

Tim Bornholdt is a co-founder of The Jed Mahonis Group, a mobile app development shop based in Minneapolis, MN, and also films and edits C Tolle Run, a weekly show about running and fitness hosted by Olympian athlete, Carrie Tollefson. »

The best GIF keyboard for iPhone, a reader's iPhone and iPad Pro setup, a tip on using TextExpander, and more. »

Kyle Plattner works as a developer with a team in Central Illinois developing an iPad app that maps real-time field data for farmers called FieldView Cab. »

Danny Ngan is an art producer at Glu Mobile, and also a freelance photographer in the Seattle area. »

Brandon Green is a product manager by day and a songwriter/producer by night, and lives in mellow (but surprisingly fun) Salem, MA »

Chenyang Hsu is a law student living in Beijing who is also fascinated with technology, design, UX, and Apple. »

Many of our favorite iOS and Mac apps are on sale for the holiday. »

David Robert Wright is working toward becoming a pastor, working as a private vocal instructor and performing musician, and also an avid photographer. »

An unordered list of the most noteworthy updates to our favorite apps »

Dispatch is our pick for the best iPhone email app for power users, and today it received a nice update. Primarily, the app is now universal and works on the iPad. »

Jeff Sheldon is the founder and designer of Ugmonk, a design brand that sells products like leather goods, prints, hoodies, and other sweet accessories. »

The iPad is a great device for all sorts of work, but an external keyboard can make it even better. »

Editorial is our favorite writing app for iPad because it contains so many power-features that make us more productive and happy writers. »

Thomas Mathoi is a freelance project manager, creator of software, father, and husband. »

Chad Landman is a youth minister (pastor), independent designer, and podcaster living in the middle Tennessee area with his wife and two sons. »

Steven Wooding is a senior research leader at RAND Europe (Cambridge UK) and the father of two small boys and also co-directs the Policy Research In Science and Medicine unit. »

Here are the things we published this week, as well as some great link material. You can also stay up-to-date by following us on Twitter and RSS. Also, we have a weekly email newsletter that sums up all the new and cool things published to the site. If you like to stay up-to-date via email, […] »

Let others know you're 'In The Zone' with a custom, wireless, LED 'Busy' sign from Wired In. Whether you work at home with kids, in an open office, or any team environment, Wired In protects important moments of focus from distraction. »

Our favorite grocery shopping app, a Mac and iOS setup interview, and much more. »

Christine Chan is a a writer and editor over at AppAdvice.com where she covers reviews and news of iOS and some Mac apps on a daily basis, and also writes her own personal blog. »

Quickly copy passwords from 1Password without opening the login details page. »

Brandon Wentland runs a 14-person digital marketing agency called Optimal, where they help brands make money online by driving lots of traffic to their sites and converting them into buyers, as well as custom website design and development. »

Conor McClure is a student currently living in Western North Carolina, days away from finishing a degree in music business, and writes conormcclure.net, where he talks about photography and technology. »

The best VPN solution for OS X and iOS, a great tip for launching Flash URLs in Chrome from Safari, a standing setup, and more. »

To avoid installing flash on your Mac, use this Alfred script to launch Chrome from within Safari. »

An update to our favorite iPhone calendar app, OS X Yosemite beta, a sweet setup, and more. »

Hot Corners make actions like opening Mission Control or manually starting a screen saver quick and easy. »

Nik Fletcher is a part of the Realmac Software team in Brighton, England who make Clear, Ember, and more. »

Jason Snell is the editorial director at IDG Consumer, which includes Macworld, PCWorld, TechHive, and Greenbot, and also co-hosts The Incomparable podcast. »

Shawn is the editor-in-chief of The Sweet Setup and Tools & Toys. He also does a lot of writing and podcasting on his weblog, shawnblanc.net »

Stephen shows us how to use Dictation and Speech on OS X. »

Federico is the writer behind MacStories.net, the co-host of The Prompt podcast, contributing author to The Sweet Setup, and a casual eater of pasta. »

Here are a few apps that add significant functionality to your Mac that we believe every Mac user would benefit from. »