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Unread

The Best RSS App for iPhone and iPad

Unread

Unread offers the best experience for reading RSS feeds on the iPhone and iPad.
Keep It

The Best Evernote Replacement App for Long-Term Research

Keep It

Keep It is a powerful and feature-rich research app that offers feature parity between both iOS and macOS platforms.
Banktivity 7

The Best App for Managing Personal Finances and Budgets

Banktivity 7

Banktivity is our favorite budgeting app because it's easy to use, offers plenty of features and, most importantly, makes managing your finances easy and relatively hassle-free.
MindNode

The Best Mind Mapping App

MindNode

MindNode is our favorite mind mapping app because it features an easy, beautiful design, solid syncing, and plenty of import and export options for your workflow.
Affinity Photo

The Best Pixel Editor for macOS

Affinity Photo

Affinity Photo represents the best balance of features, price, and accessibility for the majority of users, even professional ones.
Spark

The Best Email App for iPhone and iPad

Spark

Spark is a beautifully-designed mail app for iOS that makes email a quick task on your iPhone or iPad with plenty of service integrations, the ability to send emails to other apps, and more.
Reeder

The Best RSS Reader for Mac

Reeder

Reeder is the best RSS client for macOS because it syncs with lots of third-party services, looks good, and makes it easy to share content with others.
Headspace

The Best Meditation App

Headspace

Headspace is the best meditation app for most people. It offers clean user interface that is easy to navigate and highlights a new daily meditation each day, gives you a large library of guided meditations to choose from, and feels at home on Apple devices by integrating with Apple Health and Shortcuts.
Timery

The Best Time Tracking App

Timery

Timery is best time tracking app on any platform because it gives you powerful iOS widgets and virtually limitless automation possibilities with phenomenal Shortcuts support.
Fantastical 3

The Best Calendar App for iPad

Fantastical 3

A calendar app with delightful design, superior natural language text entry, and support for iCloud reminders.
Lightroom for iPad

The Best App for Editing Photos on the iPad

Lightroom for iPad

For photographers on the general photography journey — from smartphone photography through to point-and-shoot, mirrorless, and DSLR photography — Adobe Lightroom for iPad is likely to be the last photo editing app you ever need.
TunnelBear

The best VPN solution for iOS and macOS

TunnelBear

TunnelBear is our favorite VPN solution because it's easy to use, automatically connects, and provides a stable, hassle-free connection.
Swarm

The best location-logging app for iPhone

Swarm

The familiar design, pin-point accuracy, social aspects, and gamification of Swarm make it the best app for sharing locations with your friends.
Nuzzel

The best news aggregation service

Nuzzel

Nuzzel is the best news aggregation service because it's easy to set up, intuitive in use, and well-designed.
Apollo

The best Reddit app for iOS

Apollo

Apollo is easy to navigate, the interface makes sense in every way, and it actually feels enjoyable to use.


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Overwhelmed? Try this…

Have you ever looked up the dictionary definition of “overwhelm”? It’s pretty intense, actually. bury or drown beneath a huge mass defeat completely give too much of a thing to someone If you’re feeling overwhelmed, then perhaps you feel as though you’ve been given too much. In fact, you’ve been given so much that you’re […] »

This only happens 2x per year…

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In Praise of Habit Trackers

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Four Failures of Productivity (and how to solve them)

After teaching more than 15,000 people about productivity and time management, we’ve identified four failures to productivity (and the solutions to each). These four failures are easy to avoid. And that matters a lot because, as you can see from the image below, the four failures work together in a flywheel. A failure of one […] »

Your bonus for joining Focus Academy today

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Create Quick macOS Reminders with Gestimer

Task managers are great for helping you to remember to take action on your important projects, but what about the little reminders that pop throughout the day? Often creating a task for something you have to do later in the day feels cumbersome. So often, we skip capturing that thought when we have it — and then forget to do it later. »

Simple Mindfulness Meditation with Center

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See How Chloe Revamped Her iPhone Home Screen with Widgets

I have loved slowly fidgeting with my iPhone Home Screen, especially with the new updates to iOS over the years. But I think it’s time for a total revamp. My Lock Screen image has been the same for at least five years. Some of my apps have been in the same place since I got my first iPhone, almost 10 years ago. So, I decided it was time to change it up. »

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One of the good things about modern operating systems, whether you're on iOS, macOS, Windows, or Android, is that the default browser is actually pretty good in every single case. Most people will be well-served by Safari, Edge, or Chrome, and that's great! If you've been following tech for several decades, you know this is very much not a given (looks intensely at Internet Explorer), so it's nice that we're currently in a pretty good place. »

A Mindfulness Monday Review of The Light Phone

I had heard of the Light Phone before and was intrigued by the idea, but I write so much about iOS apps that I just couldn’t justify making the switch. But recently, my son turned 13 and we needed a way to stay in contact with him so he could reach us in case of […] »

Exploring Canary Mail’s SecureSend and Other Privacy-Focused Features

I’ve been working with Canary Mail over the last few weeks to better secure my email workflow. Canary recently debuted SecureSend, a smart encryption feature that secures your email and attached files. SecureSend also has revocation features, enabling you to revoke access to an email or attached files after a certain amount of time, or if the email security has been breached. »

Some First Impressions of Apple’s Studio Display

The Studio Display is one of the most giddy-worthy Apple products I’ve played with in a long time. Its design is impeccable, speakers deep and thorough, display bright and crisp, I/O usable and manageable. »

A Mindfulness Monday Review of the reMarkable 2

When I first saw the reMarkable 2, I immediately saw the appeal from a mindfulness perspective. In this Mindfulness Monday post, I consider the pros and cons of "the world's thinnest tablet." »

GoodNotes is Now Free to Try

GoodNotes recently updated its pricing structure to allow new users to get a better grasp of the app before fully committing to the $8 purchase price. Now, you can create your first 3 notebooks inside GoodNotes for free. »

A Workflow Using Hazel, Alfred Snippets, and Automator to Rename PDF Documents

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 […] »

Our First Look at Bento, A New Task Managing App

Bento is technically a task manager, but it's not exactly a replacement for any of the apps listed above. Instead, Bento wants you to think about what you must do today, add those things to a list, and use the Bento appto focus on getting them done today. »

Apps We Love: Irvue

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

A Summary of Apple’s Peek Performance Event

Today's Apple event lived up to its teaser name by showing how Apple is delivering peak performance across their entire product line. Whether it's their more affordable iPhone or their latest desktop machine, speed was a core part of the sales pitch everywhere. »

Obsidian vs. Roam vs. LogSeq: Which PKM App is Right For You?

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. »

Magnet Snaps Windows to Where You Need Them

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. »

Taming Links on macOS with Open In

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. »

Fantastical’s “Duplicate as Event” Has Changed My Time Blocking Routine

The transition from listing out all your tasks to putting them into your calendar has long been an annoyance of mine. Long list of tasks, check. Time blocking habit in a calendar, check. But how do you seamlessly transfer tasks to your calendar without manually inserting each task in its own block? Enter Fantastical. »

How I Track My Habits in a Notion Dashboard

I use Notion almost every day in some capacity. It is the main project management software we use here at Blanc Media, and I also use it for all my side hustles. I also use it as my predominant task list manager, and since it’s one of the apps I use the most, it made sense to start tracking my habits in my personal, customized dashboard. »

Bartender 4 Is a Must-Have App for Any MacBook Pro With a Notch

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. »

Last Call: Black Friday Custom Offer

Today (Monday, Nov 29) is the last chance to get access to the entire Sweet Setup course library at our Black Friday promotion. Course Library by the numbers: 9 In-Depth Courses (See full list here) 175+ Lessons (Screencast walkthroughs, workflow training, and advanced coaching) 50+ Bonus Interviews, Setup Examples, and Articles 23 PDF Templates for […] »

Building a Core Values Widget Using Widgetsmith

The first things we learn about in Focus Course Academy is the importance of values. Our values should guide the decisions we make and be the filter we need to say yes to the right things and no to the wrong things. And so, one of the initial (and, frankly, one of the more difficult) exercises we go through in the Focus Course Academy is to distill our individual values down to just two Core Values. »

How to Use Live Text on Your Mac in macOS Monterey

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. »

Apps We Love: Affirmations

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

Help Us Raise Funds for St. Jude During National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

This isn’t the kind of thing you’d normally find on The Sweet Setup, but we ask that you please take a moment to read this brief post about a cause we wholeheartedly believe in. September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and once again The Sweet Setup is happy to promote the Relay FM partnership […] »

Automating my video lighting with HomeControl + Stream Deck

I wrote previously about my video setup and mentioned that I had a couple of LED lights I used to improve the background lighting and eliminate shadows for my video. They're pretty basic, but you can adjust the color with an included remote. I used it initially to set the color where I wanted it, and now just use it to turn the lights on and off individually. But I've always been slightly bothered that I didn't have a way to control them all with the press of a single button from my Stream Deck »

Things 3.14 Debuts Markdown Note Formatting

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 […] »

A Look at Big Widgets and Focused Home Screens in iPadOS 15

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. »

The Obsidian iOS App is Now Available

We’ve written quite a bit about using Obsidian to manage notes and ideas over the last couple of months. We’re even hosting a workshop on getting up and running with it TOMORROW. But today the Obsidian team released the Obsidian mobile app, giving you all the power of the desktop application on your iOS or […] »

Automating Drafts to Create Custom Documents in Seconds

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. »

Asier G. Morato’s Mac and iOS Setup

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. »

Halide Mark II for iPad

An all-new app with an interface made from scratch to take advantage of the iPad's larger form factor. »

Timery is Now on the Mac, and It’s Awesome

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 […] »

Ian’s Awesome Counter

David Smith (of Widgetsmith fame) just publicly released a great mindfulness app with an incredible backstory. It’s called Ian’s Awesome Counter, and was originally developed for and with his son to help manage his attention. The app is pretty genius in its simplicity. You just respond to a simple prompt at each time interval and […] »

Richard Seidl’s Mac and iOS Setup

Richard Seidl is based out of Germany and helps companies write better software by combining humanity and technology to overcome the challenges of this world. »

A Big Update to Our Best Habit Tracking App Article

Today we updated our best habit tracking app pick for 2021, and it’s a doozy. The updated article now has over 6,000 words in an increased effort to help you find the perfect habit tracker for you. It’s only been a year, but a lot has happened. First, we’ve gotten the addition of widgets in […] »

Using Craft Notes for Study and Preserving Long-Term Knowledge

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. »

Mike’s iOS 14 Widgety Home Screen

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, […] »

What Apple’s M1 Chip Means for Creatives

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. »

How to be Productive

Get clear on what you value and where you're going. Use systems to help you stay on track. Optimize and refine. »

iPhone 12 Pro First Impressions

Though the iPhone 12 Pro is the most premium iPhone I've ever held, it's also clear this iPhone is meant to be used. It's been a fun weekend watching my wife discover new ways to use her iPhone. »

Nate Dunn’s Mac and iOS Setup

Nate Dunn runs a cycling coaching company from Sacramento, CA where he works with cyclists to analyze and improve their training to reach their goals. »

A Close Look at TickTick

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. »

Answers to Your Calm Inbox Questions

One of the questions that has come up during launch week has been around how the Calm Inbox approach can also help with the other inboxes in your life, so we put together a short list of answers to your most common questions. »

Command + Space on iPad: App Launching, Productivity, and More with the New Universal Search Feature in iPadOS 14

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. »

A Review of the Artifact Uprising Photo Printing Service

As summer draws ever nearer to a close, it comes high time to review a bunch of the photos you shot over the summer. Whether you choose to edit, share, or publish the photos will be up to you, but I often find myself printing off my favorites each September, and I've been very pleased with how Artifact Uprising makes the intangible tangible on each print run. »

Apps We’re Trying: Meeter Pro

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. »

Review: The New Due for Mac

No matter how good your task management system is, there will always be things that need to be done at a specific time or as soon thereafter as possible, and for that I outsource my needs to Due. »

App’s We’re Trying: Food Noms

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. »

Using NotePlan 2 as a Digital Bullet Journal

NotePlan 2 combines your tasks and your calendar, so if you love time blocking like I do, you're going to be excited about this application. It does all this in a system that any Bullet Journaller will recognize. »

HEY Email: How It Has Disrupted My Email Workflow

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. »

The iPadification of macOS: What Does it Mean for Developers of Productivity Software?

Last week, Apple announced a ton of stuff during their Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC). And even though they used a slide at the beginning that showed the major platforms (iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and macOS), many of the announcements felt app-specific instead of platform-specific. For example, new features in Maps (i.e. cycling directions) are available everywhere. I lost count of the number of times I heard some version of the statement "this is also available on the (fill in the platform blank)." As a causal observer (I'm not a developer), it seems like there's a lot of focus on features being brought first into the Apple ecosystem, then extended to all the available platforms. »

Shawn Blanc’s iPhone Home Screen, Summer 2020 Edition

Several months ago, I took all the apps on my Home screen and moved them over by one so that my first Home screen was blank. Now I’m trying something similar but different. I’ve placed just a few apps on the first Home screen, none of which have inboxes or infinity pools. »

How to Watch Today’s WWDC 2020 Keynote Presentation

For the first time, Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) will be completely virtual. Like other years though, the conference kicks off with the much-anticipated keynote presentation on the first day of the conference. Traditionally, the keynote offers a look at some of the new products that will be coming in the near future and gives […] »

Jonathan Pulley’s Mac and iPhone Setup

Jonathan Pulley is a Senior Consultant for a software company specializing in data analytics, data warehousing, and business intelligence, and he also dabbles in photography and gaming. »

How I’ve Set up iA Writer After Moving from Ulysses

Once every couple years, I find myself doing a deep clean of the apps on my iPhone and iPad. 2020 drew the short straw — in so many ways — and I've spent the better part of the last three months questioning each app on my home screen. »

Using Apple Watch Faces to Simplify Your Day

The Apple Watch is a wonderful device that literally goes almost everywhere with us. It allows us to track our workouts, control our music, keep on top of our task management, remember meetings, and much more. But all of that on a screen that's at most 44mm? That's a challenge. »

How to Sustain Long-Term Habits

This Mindfulness Monday post is a video from Shawn Blanc, founder and editor-in-chief of The Sweet Setup In this short video, Shawn talks about: Maintaining momentum and motivation after the “honeymoon” period is over The role of automation in creating sustainable habits The balance of goals and habits in creating positive outcomes If you want […] »

Using Shortcuts & Streaks to Build Systems and Habits

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. »

We’ve Updated Our Review of the Best Photo Editor for iPad

This may amount to being one of our smaller updates on record, but we wanted to give credit where credit is due. Since we published our review of the best photo editor for iPad, each of our favorite apps have received some substantial updates worthy of being included in the review. Some of these new […] »

How to Build a Journaling Habit (TSS Webinar)

This week my friend Matt Ragland and I are hosting a webinar to talk about building a journaling habit. As I shared about in my story this morning, this is something that I have personally doubled down on over the past 60 days of life under quarantine, and it has helped me tremendously to deal […] »

Magic Keyboard: Turning the iPad Into Something New

Our accounting office is right next to a Telus store full of Android and Windows fanatics. I haven’t been able to get any person in the store to even consider an iPhone or Mac for themselves, let alone convince them the iPad is a great business device. The Magic Keyboard is the first accessory that […] »

MindNode gets an update with new export Shortcut, new node options

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 […] »

GoodNotes 5 Now a Universal Purchase for Mac, iPad, and iPhone

Perhaps caught in the weeds of worldwide news, Apple began offering universal purchases for Mac, iPad, and iPhone apps back on March 23. We haven’t seen too many apps jump aboard the new pricing structure just yet, but one of our favorites is making the conversion this week: GoodNotes. »

Apps We’re Trying: AnyDesk

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. »

Working From Home Linked List: Some of Our Favorite Things Right Now

If you're struggling to figure out how to effectively work from home, you're not alone. It can be difficult enough under normal circumstances when you've had time to prepare, but millions of people are having to figure this out on the fly. Fortunately, there's a lot of great advice out there that can help ease the transition. We've put together a collection of resources from around the web that can help you get off to a good start if you find yourself suddenly needing to figure out how to work from home. »

Introducing the WFH Course Bundle

Yesterday, my 3-year-old took an entire roll of blue ribbon and cut it up into about 10,000 tiny little strips and while walking all around the house. (At least it wasn’t the toilet paper.) Needless to say, for the past few weeks, I’ve been using even Day One more than I usually do. As far […] »

How Rosemary Orchard Uses Automation to Stay Focused

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! »

iThoughts vs. MindNode: A Comparison of the Two Best Mind Mapping Apps

When it comes to mind mapping on Apple hardware, there are lots of great options available. But two apps rise above the others as the true cream of the crop: MindNode, with a stunningly beautiful user interface, and iThoughts, with powerful features and impressive flexibility. Both of these apps are great, but they take very […] »

Apps We’re Trying: Tot

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

Tony Lindkold’s Mac Pro Setup

Tony lives in Copenhagen and operates a company that specializes in shooting and editing drone videos for commercials, feature films, corporations, and everything in between. »

First Impressions of the Canon EOS R

After spending the better part of a month with the EOS R and the RF 35mm ƒ/1.8 IS STM Macro lens, I have some impressions on what it’s like to move from 2016 camera technology to 2018 camera technology, as well as some thoughts on the significant mindset change when flipping from the Fuji X-T2 to the EOS R. »

The Best Notes App for iPad

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

How to Use Microsoft To Do as a Cross Platform GTD Solution

As it turns out, Microsoft To Do may end up being the single biggest surprise in our jump to Office 365. Having all your tasks in one place, scattered in from Windows, iOS, iPadOS, and macOS — and being able to nicely integrate your dreaded email list with your task list — could be a game changer for anyone wanting to use a Mac yet required to use a PC. »

How Isaac Smith Fights the Urge to Stay Connected

In this Mindfulness Monday post, we talk to Blanc Media Production Manager Isaac Smith about his intentional limitations, fighting the urge to stay connected, and his 6-month "dumb-phone" experiment. »

Doing a Digital Declutter

In this Mindfulness Monday post, we look at how to to maximize our intentional technology use by doing a digital declutter. This post originally appeared on our sister site, The Focus Course. If you want to join in by doing your own digital declutter, check out the 30-Day Digital Declutter Kickoff. I’ve long been a […] »

A First Look at the Doppler 2 Music App

Doppler 2 features a refreshed interface, improved controls for liking and adding songs to playlists, and a very effective WiFi transfer function for importing songs. »

Essential iOS Apps for Musicians

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. »

How to Take Great Holiday Photos

To take great holiday photos, it's all about mood. Here are eight tips to getting the most out of your holiday photos this year. »

Take Control of Shortcuts for iOS with Rosemary Orchard’s New Book

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 […] »

Turning Ideas Into Action

In this Mindfulness Monday post, we talk about how to use your technology to develop your ideas and turn them into action. »

Introducing The 2020 Focus Course Digital Planner

The 2020 Focus Course Digital Planner is an interactive, digital planner meant to be used on a daily basis. And it is available now! Get Your Planner » The system in the planner is based on the proven ideas from our sister site’s flagship productivity course, The Focus Course. All you need to do is […] »

A Review of the 16-inch MacBook Pro

As the 16-inch MacBook Pro stands, this is basically a perfect professional laptop. A big, wide color P3 display. Four extra-powerful Thunderbolt 3 ports. The best trackpad in the business. And finally, a physical escape key. »

Spark Version 2.5 for iOS Brings New Design, Dark Mode, and Customizable Email Actions

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 […] »

Apps We Love: Sleep Cycle

In this Mindfulness Monday post, we share how using Sleep Cycle can help you wake up well-rested. When I was 18, I had a seizure while standing in line at a McDonald’s. Fortunately, there was a nurse nearby and she kept me safe until the ambulance arrived and I was rushed to the hospital. When […] »

15 One-Action Shortcuts to Make Your Life Easier

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! »

Using Prizmo Go In a Long-Term Research Workflow

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. »

Apps We Love: Brain.fm

Brain.fm is a special kind of music service designed for the brain to enhance focus and relaxation within only 10 to 15 minutes of use. »

Automating Habit Tracking with Streaks & Shortcuts

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 […] »

GoodNotes 5.3 for iPadOS Adds Multiple Window Support, OCR Scanning, and Dark Mode

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 […] »

Dark Noise: An Delightful White Noise App for iOS

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. »

David Smith’s “Moon++” for Apple Watch

Developer David Smith has added another great app to his “plus-plus” lineup: It’s called Moon++ and it’s available only for the Apple Watch and the new watchOS 6. In a blog post, he explains what it does and why he made it (bold emphasis mine): Moon++ seeks to provide a highly accurate, visually pleasing indication […] »

How Shahid Ahmad Stays Focused on His Phone

In this Mindfulness Monday post, we talk to video game developer and podcaster Shahid Kamal Ahmad about the steps he takes to stay out of the Infinity Pools and stay focused on what's important. »

Moving Back to Apple’s Stock Apps

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. »

A Roundup of Apple’s September 2019 iPhone Keynote

This morning’s Apple keynote was one of the more well-paced keynotes in recent memory. In case you weren’t able to catch the keynote live, or if you’re just looking for a healthy roundup of what Apple announced today, we’ve got you covered. »

The Intentional iPhone Web Browsing Experience

A look at how a constrained browsing experience on your iPhone can keep you focused on what's important without losing any of the fleeting thoughts and questions that come up during the day. »

A Few of Our Favorite Keyboards

From iPad keyboards, Microsoft keyboards, and mechanical keyboards with nothing more than the necessary QWERTY keys, you’re bound to find a great writing/mathematical/development/email-specializing keyboard in this bunch. »

How to Make Fancy Screenshots with Picsew

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. »

Apps We Love: Moodnotes

Moodnotes is a simple iOS app that helps you track and understand your emotional state. »

Magnet Brings Windows 10-Style Window Management to macOS

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. »

Jour: A Guided Journaling App for the iPhone

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. »

Start Your Day Automatically with Keyboard Maestro

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. »

Bumpr 1.2 adds Custom Browser Rules, Browser Plugins, and More

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 […] »

Day One 4.0 Brings Video Support, Apple Health Integration, and More

Day One (our favorite journaling app) just received a major update to version 4.0. There’s a couple big features in this release, but the big one is support for videos in your Day One entries. The ability to add video to Day One is a game changer for parents like myself who record small video […] »

We’ve Updated our Review of Our Favorite iOS Podcast Client

We love the new innovations Overcast has pioneered like the Clip Sharing feature that allows you to create and share your favorite moments from your podcast episodes, and Castro has also made several large advances, making the decision even more difficult. »

Due 3.0 Is My New App for Concurrent Timers

It’s summer time, which means it’s grilling season. Due is a great reminders and timers app that allows you to set multiple concurrent timers for keeping track of your grilling times and so much more. »

Alex Tai’s Mac and iPhone setup

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

A Few of our Favorite Things

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

Marty Day’s Mac, iOS, and Watch setup

Marty Day is an Integrations Engineer for Partnerize by day, and an on-stage co-host and producer for Super Art Fight, co-host of The Rough House Podcast, and owner of blast-o-rama. »

What’s In My Day One

When we launched this website in the fall of 2013, we had just a handful of app reviews written: weather, calculator, calendar, and a few others. Of those first reviews, there was one in particular that I wanted to write myself: the pick for best journaling app. The pick was — and still is, of […] »

Justin Hamilton’s Mac and iPhone setup

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

Automations and Workflows for Things on iOS: The Complete Guide

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. »

Chris Gonzales’ 2017 iPad setup

Chris Gonzales is a writer and editor (Tools & Toys, The Spark Journal, and Stellar Edits) from Oklahoma City, but currently lives full-time with his wife and son in an RV. »

Jacob Terry’s Mac, iOS, and Watch setup

Jacob Terry is a graduate student studying for his master's degree in civil engineering at the University of Waterloo, where he works in the transport economics research group. »

Jowanza Joseph’s Mac and iOS setup

Jowanza Joseph is a software engineer at OneClickRetail in Salt Lake City, and also writes his own site about technology, photography, and other cool internet content. »

Matt McManus’ Mac and iPhone setup

Matt McManus is a Senior Software Engineer at Yapp where he works with Ember.js and Rails, and he is also the co-founder of OwnersUp. »

Josh Ginter’s macOS, iPhone, and Watch setup

Josh Ginter is a Deals Editor and Reviews Editor for Tools & Toys, freelance photographer, a podcaster and writer for his site, and is currently working toward his accounting designation. »

Aaron Riddle’s Mac and iPhone setup

Aaron Riddle is a professional cartoonist who runs the Buy a Drawing site, where he draws custom cartoons, illustrates, greeting cards, and more. »

Kramer Wetzel’s Mac and iOS setup

Kramer Wetzel is a writer and a consulting astrologer, now based in San Antonio with deep roots in the Austin area, where he's been doing readings and writing horoscopes for more than 20 years. »

Foojee’s Mac and iOS setups

Foojee is a team of Apple Consultants operating out of Atlanta and Nashville that helps organizations and schools build rock-solid solutions with their Apple IT. »

Apps for the Holidays

The holidays are here, and we've collected some of our favorite apps to help you through this busy but special time. »

How To Filter Your Day One Entries on the Mac

With Day One, there are many ways to view and filter your timeline of entries. We're going to show you how they all work, as well as how you can also mix and match for advanced filtering of your timeline view. »

Rachel Anderson’s iOS and Mac setup

Rachel Anderson is a Web Producer for a specialty publisher focused on medical journalism, and also writes about technology and culture at Sanspoint.com. »

Quick Tip: Manually create a backup of your Health.app data

The data from Health.app used to be something I didn’t think about too much. Once I got Apple Watch, that all changed. I’m feeding a ton of exercise data into it and also calorie data from MyFitnessPal. This data is backed up to iCloud and synced between devices. If you’re not using iCloud, you can […] »

Chad Landman’s Mac and iOS setup

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

What we published, and links of note

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, […] »

Brian Hamilton’s Mac and iOS setup

Brian Hamilton is a film student living in Boston, MA, works as a videographer for a local business school, and also does freelance writing, photography, and podcasts. »

Daniel Würthele’s iPhone setup

Daniel is a student who is fascinated with technology and the convenience it adds to our lives, especially the role smartphones play. »

Álvaro Serrano’s sweet setup

Álvaro Serrano is the author and publisher of Analog Senses, a website about the human side of technology featuring links and articles on design, photography, Apple, and the tech industry in general. »

Jamelle Bouie’s sweet setup

Jamelle Bouie is a staff writer for Slate magazine, where he covers politics and policy, takes photographs, and sometimes goes on TV. »

Shahaf Levi’s sweet iOS setup

Shahaf Levi is a writer and developer on his site, SL Repository, where he builds apps and writes about things he discovers. »

GraphicConverter 9 (Sponsor)

The universal genius for photo editing, batch conversion, metadata editing, image browsing and much more »

We like Overcast

Overcast is a new iOS podcast app by Marco Arment that gives existing apps a run for their money. »

Slim Your Wallet (Sponsor)

No one wants a brick wallet weighing down their back. Here are some easy tips from Bellroy to slim down. »

David Chartier’s sweet setup

David is a content strategist and writer who runs the marketing and PR for AgileBits (1Password), and also runs Finer Things in Tech. »

The VSCO Cam 3.0 update

With the 3.0 update to our favourite photo editing app for the iPhone, VSCO Cam is now better than ever. »

The sweet iPad setup of Federico Viticci

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. »

Matthew Panzarino’s Sweet Mac Setup

Matthew Panzarino is a Senior Editor at TechCrunch where he writes about a lot of stuff like startups, technology trends, and cool new inventions. But mostly about Apple and Twitter. »

The iPad Setup of Chris Gonzales

Chris Gonzales lives in Oklahoma City with his wife and son. He's known for his site, Unretrofied, and is a daily contributor to Tools & Toys, a sister site to The Sweet Setup. »

Matt Gemmell’s Sweet Mac Setup

Matt Gemmell is a consultant user experience designer and software engineer, mostly for iOS apps. He's also a speaker and writer. »

The Dime Tour

Welcome! We're here because we enjoy spending an inordinate amount of time and energy to research, test, and find the very best apps. »