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

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

Ulysses is great for keeping track of notes, thoughts, quotes, and other bits of text as you embark on a long-term research project. »

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 […] »

Catch up on what we published this week, including an update to our Learn Ulysses course, and much more. »

The more you use Ulysses, the better it gets. Here are my seven favorite Ulysses superpowers. »

We can’t say thank you enough to everyone who has supported our work and helped to spread the word about Learn Ulysses. Here are some answers to a few common questions we’ve been getting over the past few days… »

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. »

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

Catch up on what we published this week, including a big update to our review of Ulysses, some great links, and more. »

Feed Hawk lets you subscribe to a site’s RSS feed from the share sheet of Mobile Safari. »

Learn Ulysses launches in a week. Here are some fun and nerdy details about the work we’re doing behind the scenes to get things ready for you… »

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

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. »

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

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

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. »

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

The latest version of Ulysses brings more powerful features to iOS and closes the feature parity gap even further. »

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

Earlier today, the team at Ulysses announced that their writing app is moving to a subscription pricing model. Here are all the details. »

If you're looking to do more writing as we begin 2019, I’d like to humbly suggest that you check out Ulysses. To help you get off to a great start, here are seven links to the best articles, tips, tricks, resources, and other how-tos that we have put together. »

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. »

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. »

Ulysses for iOS received its biggest updates last week with the launch of Ulysses 12. »

Recently, quite a few folks have asked me how Ulysses and Day One compare and if one could replace the other. I think it will be easiest to answer this question by explaining how and why I use each of these apps. »

Ulysses has become the central spot for where I store all my notes, research, and other tidbits of inspiration. It's also where I toss all my writing ideas, and it’s where I actually do all my writing. Here's what it looks like... »

Since I frequently highlight passages in Instapaper, I wanted a way to automatically add those highlights directly into a folder within Ulysses for easier searching, tagging, and referencing. Good news… this is extremely easy to set up. »

We’ve begun work on an update to Learn Ulysses. This is one of our most popular courses, and it’s definitely my favorite here on TSS. I personally use Ulysses for so much, and I spend hours a day with it. So it’s a topic that I can very easily get nerdy about. »

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

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. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including our updated Learn Ulysses course, a detailed look at Cardhop for iOS, some awesome tips, and more. »

For the past few weeks I have been experimenting with a Productivity Dashboard inside of Ulysses. Here's a look at what is good, and what's not good, about this setup. »

In this video I show you the five most valuable features of Ulysses that really help improve my usage of this app every day. »

Ulysses 20 is a significant release, bringing both a grammar checking system and a major sidebar redesign to our favorite writing app. »

Ulysses version 18 is out today with support for the new iOS 13 Dark Mode as well as the new system Split View on iPad. »

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. »

The Learn Ulysses course is here, some frequently asked questions on the Learn Ulysses course, a tip on creating note links in Bear, and more. »

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

There are two ways to overcome writer’s procrastination, and one of them is knowing what to write next. Jeff Goins writing system helps with that. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a perspective on using Things 3 for writing, an upcoming Ulysses webinar, and more. »

Today you can get our all-new video course, Learn Ulysses, and take your notes, ideas, and writing from scattered to structured. »

Our brand-new course, Learn Ulysses, is now available. It sells for just $29. But right now to celebrate the launch week, you can get it for $23. Find Out More… Or click here to buy it now. Here’s what a few folks are saying: “This is so good! There is tons of useful information in […] »

You can create a personal podcast feed using Dropbox and JustCast. »

In this guide, we’ll show you how to get Ulysses set up for collaboration with others using a version control system known as Git, as well as a companion app for working with Git on iOS/iPadOS called Working Copy. »

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. »

Ulysses relies on iCloud for storing your documents and preferences, but you can also add Dropbox folders to your Library. »

This is how I’ve set up my Ulysses app to fit my various writing adventures. I’ve worked to keep it simple and dumbed-down. This ensures it doesn’t require a lot of mental overhead to keep organized, and it ensures my brain is on the writing rather than the meta. »

Behind the scenes of Learn Ulysses, a reader's Mac and iOS setup, a workflow on automating photo backups, a tip about one-time passwords, and more »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a great tutorial on using the Complete Calendar method to plan your week, big updates to Ulysses and 1Password, a tip on using your AirPods, and more. »

As any long-time reader of this site will know, I am a huge fan of the app, Day One. A few years ago we had written a pretty great guide to Day One, and right now we’re wrapping up some HUGE updates to that guide. (More on that in a bit.) As part of our […] »

With Ulysses for Mac, you can export your text to many formats with a simple menu. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at Josh's Ulysses writing workflow, setting up Obsidian as a full-blown writing app, installing fonts to iOS, and more. »

Ulysses is one of the best writing and notes apps out there. And it keeps getting better and better. Watch the replay of our mini-masterclass webinar. »

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. »

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

Last fall I committed to give a webinar presentation. And that presentation was yesterday (Tuesday, Feb 11). And, believe it or not, I didn’t actually put the presentation together until yesterday morning — just a few hours before it was due. But! It was not my fault… On Monday of this week, I was finally […] »

Come watch the live stream as Shawn migrates from Ulysses to Obsidian. »

Curtis McHale is a self-employed freelance writer and web developer from Canada. »

At our next TSS webinar come to discover examples for better organization, faster idea capture, and even how to use Ulysses for improving your productivity. RSVP to get your link. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at the new Logitech MX Master 3S mouse, organizing your writing with Ulysses, and more. »

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. »

With a nifty workflow, you can pair Alfred with Ulysses to pull of some helpful actions from your keyboard in macOS. »

Our weekly link roundup to the things we published this week, as well as some other great and interesting material. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a detailed review of the newest iteration of Apple News, a tip on customizing your Mac lock screen, and more. »

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. »

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. »

This week, we updated the review for the best music streaming service, wrote about Ulysses 12 for iOS, and published some great tips. »

Use a text editor to discover the feed address of an iTunes-only podcast. »

A great universal app for note-taking, a reader's Mac setup, a look at Shawn Blanc's Ulysses setup, and more. »

A new series on apps we love, featuring TextExpander, a reader's Mac setup, a tip on saving Instapaper highlights to Ulysses, and more. »

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. »

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 […] »

If you’d like to get the updated version of Learn Ulysses then this is your last chance to get it at the best price. If you snag it now then you can still get access at the discounted launch price of just $79. But after today (Monday, July 20) the price will be going up […] »

Regardless of your level of RSS usage, we have an app recommendation for you. »

The best app for annotating images in iOS, a reader's Mac and iOS setup, a tip on optimizing storage in macOS Sierra, and more. »

The best markup app for iOS, a Tools & Toys editor's setup, a tip on creating PDFs with macOS, and more. »

The best iOS app for annotating images, a reader's Mac and iOS setup, some tips on getting the most out of Scanbot, and more. »

The best iOS Music app replacement, a reader's Mac, iOS, and watchOS setup, a tip on using Google Docs, and more. »

Ease of input and powerful search are two important factors in a good notes / research app. While many apps excel at one or the other, few excel at both. »

There are many apps that grace the Mac and iOS App Stores that simply don’t get enough attention or admiration. Sometimes an app is so good at what it does, it becomes the default app for the task and is rarely questioned. Sometimes a new app debuts in a given category and, while it shows […] »

Josh Ginter describes his workflows and uses for Day One, and how that sometimes means that Bear steps in to fill certain gaps. »

For those of you with new Macs, here is a list of recommended apps for jump-starting your macOS experience. »

Inbox Addiction is an urge to continuously check our news feeds, social feeds, and message inboxes despite undesirable and even negative consequences or a desire to stop. »

Ulysses 15 was released yesterday, and we've updated our review to include all the new features and updates. »

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

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. »

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. »

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

A detailed look at how Shawn Blanc captures ideas and links and what the process looks like for moving those from the starting line of an idea to the finished product of a published article. »

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. »

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. »

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. »

We recently hosted a Focused Writer webinar for our Sweet Setup community. It was an hour-long call and it was jam-packed golden nuggets of writing wisdom. So much so, we decided to split up the replay into a couple different segments and share them here on the TSS blog for everyone who wasn’t able to […] »

Catch up on what we published this week and last, including new versions of Things, OmniFocus, and Ulysses, our new Day One in Depth video course, and more. »

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. »

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 […] »

Here's an inside look at my entire writing process: How I take things from idea to written draft to final published article. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including using NotePlan as a digital Bullet Journal, some great links, and more. »

iA Writer has an exquisite writing and editing environment, it has an extra-customizable keyboard that you can tailor to your writing and editing needs, and it has great exporting options to send your Markdown wherever you need it to go. »

A comparison of the best GTD apps, a reader's setup, some exciting news about our Things course, and more. »

A distraction-free writing environment, so you can focus on what you want to say. »

A round-up of the Apple Special Event announcements, a workflow on using Pinboard to ensure you never lose a good article, and more. »

Here are the things we published this week and last, 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 […] »

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

A couple of years ago, Shawn created a productivity dashboard in Ulysses. As you can read more about in that original article, Shawn was working to build a central spot to hold everything he was working on that week: his schedule and most important tasks as well as a place to easily access and work on his notes, ideas, and writing. Anyway — Shawn challenged me to create something similar in Notion that could include the functionality he was looking for. »

Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) is all the rage. Here's what you need to know to make the most of your PKM and do your best creative work. »

When it comes building a daily writing habit — or any sort of endeavor for that matter — one of the biggest challenges is to keep showing up every day. »

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. »

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 a workflow on using Prizmo Go for storing research, a look at using Scrivener or Ulysses during NaNoWriMo, 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! »

An update to our review of the best note-taking app for iOS, a reader's Mac and iOS setup, some insight into how writers use Ulysses, and more. »

The best pomodoro app for Mac and iOS, a reader's Mac, iOS, and Watch setup, a workflow post on using Markdown and HTML with Byword and Ulysses, and more. »

Wojtek Pietrusiewicz is a publisher, writer, photographer, and human based out of Poland where he runs iMagazine with his friends. »

Minimal Reader is a lightweight and minimal RSS feed reading web service that you'll want to use everyday. »

App categories seem to go through rainy seasons and dry seasons — an entire category will go years without any major update, any major splash, or any major new competitor, then suddenly the entire category is uplifted from its roots and the cobwebs get shaken out. It’s quite the phenomenon to observe. »

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. »

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

In this Mindfulness Monday post, we share some tips on how to set yourself up for NaNoWriMo success. »

The latest version of Day One includes an Instgram importer feature that automates the process of adding your Instagram posts to Day One. »

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 first look at the new Finder and App Store in Mojave, several app updates, and more. »

With support for password-protected feeds, 24-hour delete logic, and Smart Resume, our favorite podcast client keeps getting better. »

Jeff Perry writes the Tablet Habit, co-hosts the Getting Caught Up podcast, and works as an audio engineer. »

Thord D. Hedengren is a writer of fiction and technical literature, an entrepreneur, and CEO of a digital agency. »

Graham Hind works for EP Books, a Christian book publisher based in the UK. »

Sean O'Sullivan is an IT Manager by day, but away from the office he's working on a novel and his next iMessage sticker pack. »

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 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. »

How to stop the “just checks” and keep your bias toward action. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a quick review of the Apple Watch Ultra, and announcement about the upcoming Plan Your Year workshop, and more. »

Matter is a Read-It-Later service that integrates really well into Obsidian. So if you like to collect your newsletters, RSS feeds, and even Twitter threads into Matter, you can sync your digital highlights and notes into Obsidian using the official Matter Obsidian plugin. »

We recently switched from Basecamp to Notion for managing our content calendar. After two weeks, here are some of our initial thoughts and experiences. »

This is part two from our Focused Writer webinar we hosted for The Sweet Setup community a while back. If you missed part one you'll want to go back and watch that first as the principles in this video build upon those laid out in the first part. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at Shawn's minimal iPhone screen, our thoughts on HEY email, and more. »

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. »

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. »

If you’re going to be coming to Macstock this weekend (July 27-28) in Woodstock, IL, be sure to stop by and say hi! Myself and Rosemary Orchard will be speaking from The Sweet Setup team, along with David Sparks, Brett Terpstra, Chuck Joiner, and a lot of other really smart people eager to teach you […] »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a comparison of GoodNotes and Notability, a tip for adding custom paper types to GoodNotes 5, and more. »

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. »

Today marks the introduction of Day One V3 for iPhone and iPad. As expected, Day One continues to evolve and expand its feature set, enabling you to capture more of those treasured moments. »

Rather than subscribe to your apps one at a time, Setapp is designed to allow you to pay one subscription price that gives you access to many different apps. Like Netflix, Apple Music, or Spotify, but for Mac apps. »

A few reasons why we love Transmit for FTP transfers, a reader's Mac and iOS setup, a tip about HomeKit, and more »

Loren Stephens is a Senior Account Executive for a commercial equipment finance company in Orange County, California »

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. »

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

Use Tweetbot and Twitter to keep track of news instead of an RSS reader. »

For the past month I have been waking up at 6am to spend the first hour of my day writing without distraction. »

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. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at Josh's must-have apps for productivity, some apps for using ChatGPT on macOS and iOS, and more. »

I can point to a sequence of events that led directly to my current hybrid productivity setup. It started last year when I attended Focus Course Academy. One of the mini-lessons nestled in the middle of the academy was a crash course in time-blocking. In hindsight, time-blocking is so obvious. If you want to ensure you get something done, it needs to be part of your calendar. But actually time-blocking isn’t all that obvious. Do you do the time-blocking in your digital calendar? Do you buy a physical notebook and sketch out each day? »

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. »

RSS has been an important part of information workflows for many years, but read-it-later apps (and the RSS services many of them are based on) desperately need some inspiration and innovation. Enter Readwise Reader, an app that attempts to combine your RSS, newsletters, web highlights, and more into a single location. »

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. »

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. »

In the past year, you’ve probably spent a lot of time you spend in virtual meetings. Even if you aren’t live streaming on Twitch, hosting a YouTube channel, or presenting webinars very often, improving your video can go a long way in making your online communication more effective. And if you already have a nice […] »

It’s my education experience that has led me to believe the iPad is the world’s greatest learning tool. Ever. In the history of humanity. The iPad is humankind’s greatest educational achievement. »

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. »

ig news today from the team at MacPaw, who just launched support for iOS apps inside of their popular Mac software subscription service, SetApp. »

This coming Wednesday, July 15, we are hosting our next TSS Webinar. This one is all about being a more productive and focused writer. The are a handful of common challenges that face just about anyone who does any sort of writing or note taking. But the good news is that they are surprisingly easy […] »

The 2020 iPad Pro marked the opportunity for me to try out the smaller of the two iPad Pros. I’ve been using the 12.9-inch iPad Pro since debut day in 2018, and I know how that shoe fits after a few years. Throw that large iPad into a dock on a desk, connect a Smart Keyboard Folio or external keyboard, and hammer away to your heart’s content. With iPadOS 13.4, an external mouse or trackpad make the 12.9-inch iPad Pro really feel like a MacBook replacement. »

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

Creativity is not based on your artistic ability. It has nothing to do with your natural talent. It depends entirely on your perspective, and is vital to embracing an intentional approach to technology. We must all learn to flip the switch from mindless consumption to conscious creation if we want to reach our full potential. »

Are you thinking of evaluating your task management system for the New Year? Here are a few quick tips for staying productive and focused. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a guide on using Day One for gratitude posts, app updates and news, and other notable links. »

It’s 6:34 am. The sound of your smartphone alarm startles you awake. (Actually, it’s the sound of the fifth alarm you’ve set because you’ve gotten so used to snoozing them that it now takes several to finally get you out of bed.) You instinctively reach to grab your phone from the nightstand and perform your […] »

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

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

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. »

With the bevy of RSS app updates over the last few months, it was high time we gave our review of the best RSS app for the iPhone and iPad some polish. Over the last few months, we’ve seen some major updates to all the main competitors in this category: Unread has constantly been refined, […] »

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

Jackson Hayes is a 17-year-old cinematographer, photographer, and sometimes front-end web developer who makes videos about technology on his YouTube channel. »

This week, we're trying lire, a Microsoft Surface Ergonomic keyboard with Karabiner for key mapping, and Obscura. »

Combining the power of Zapier with Things opens up limitless input possibilities for automating new tasks in Things. »

Workflow and Things just got a lot more powerful and efficient with the latest version of Workflow. »

Our pick for the best RSS reader for iPhone and iPad was updated last week, bringing with it new RSS client support, improved iPhone X features, and new Safari Reader options. »

Josh Ginter is a husband, father, public practice accountant, editor-in-chief of The Sweet Setup, and also writes his own blog and produces a podcast. »

Kris Rojas is a Media Producer for a company headquartered in Virginia, and is also a Star Wars enthusiast, horror film aficionado, freelance cinematographer, and an online student enrolled in the Digital Cinematography program at Full Sail University. »

David Koonce is an attorney who runs Traffic Counsel, LLC. »

Matthew Guay is a content marketer at Zapier, works from Bangkok, Thailand, and also writes his own tech blog. »

Tiffany White is a student at the University of Pittsburgh where she studies Computer Science by day and works as a freelance developer by night. »

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

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. »

Chris Powell is a professional technologist and IT Manager for the College of Business and Economics at Western Washington University, and also spends his time on several freelance endeavors. »

Our favorite pro writing app, a Mac and iOS reader setup, a tip on using Alfred, and more. »

The best calendar app for Mac, a Mac and iPhone setup, a quick tip on podcasts, and more. »

Sebastian Green runs a small division of an IT Support company in Manchester (UK) that mainly focuses on web-based systems. »

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. »

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. »

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. »

When I say the word “inbox,” what comes to your mind? For most people, it’s email, right? Email is the thing we think about when we think of checking our inbox. But the truth is that we all have multiple inboxes. An inbox is just anything that collects incoming bits of information that need to […] »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at Matt Birchler's top productivity app picks, some tips on using Hazel to organize your Mac, and more. »

A while back, I reviewed the reMarkable e-ink tablet. There's a lot to like about this incredibly thin tablet: it's thin and light, has incredible battery life, and offers a great writing experience for a digital tablet. But the software was lacking, and I found myself consistently bumping up against the limitations of the device in frustrating ways. »

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. »

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 […] »

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. »

We can imagine you may be on the fence about Obsidian and about the new course. There are a LOT of apps out there fore note taking, researching, writing, etc. Will this course be helpful to you? Is Obsidian the right app for you? »

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

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 workflow for automatically adding Kindle book highlights to Obsidian, a look at Timery on the Mac, and more. »

Save links privately, share knowledge with your team »

When I sit down at my desk in the morning, it’s time to write. I’ve had this writing habit for more than a decade. It has certainly taken various forms, locations, and devices over the years. (Last year, when quarantine life kicked in, I began a 6am iPad writing habit.) Sometimes I’m in my office, […] »

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. »

I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with email (and Twitter, too, for that matter). I love how they’ve allowed me to connect with folks, build friendships, and make things over the years, but I hate how email (and Twitter) can be such a draw for my attention and a distraction during my day. »

Unfold’s templates verge on being extra-curated, but there are a range of templates that are simple, elegant, and precise, showcasing your photography in an attractive way. »

Today, our friends at Day One released version 5.0 of their venerable journaling app, which continues to be one of the most important apps on our respective home screens. »

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. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at being productive without relying on computers for everything, a look at a Roam Research, and more. »

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. »

In this Mindfulness Monday post, YouTuber Matt Ragland shares about the boundaries he's established to maintain intentionality with his tech, his bullet journaling practice, and why he starts every project using analog tools. »

In this Mindfulness Monday post, Executive Editor Mike Schmitz shares his moment of clarity with intentional technology use and how he continues the fight to shift expectations around email. I’m Mike Schmitz, Executive Editor here at The Sweet Setup and co-host of the Focused and Bookworm podcasts. I’ve asked quite a few people to share […] »

Catch up on what we published this past week, as well as a couple of interesting posts and announcements that some of our friends made this week. »

In this Mindfulness Monday post, Mike shares part 3 in his series on capturing and developing ideas using mind maps. »

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. »

Nothing is more frustrating than having a great thought and losing it. »

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 […] »

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

Catch up on what we published this week, including a new course on our sister site, The Focus Course, a look at the top note-taking apps available for iPad today, and more. »

iOS 13 appears to have finally solved the difficulty of travel research planning. Maps has been dramatically improved in the iOS 13 and iPadOS public betas and promises next-level features when the new iOS goes live in the fall. »

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. »

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. »

With the recent update to Day One for macOS, we've updated our review for Day One to keep up with the features and competition. »

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. »

I’ve gone all in with Apple Photos. And I’m going to tell you why... »

Roger Sherwood is based in the Bay Area and works at Cisco Systems in the sales group as a global industry lead. »

Nathan Snelgrove is a freelance designer and front-end developer, a recovering pro photographer, and a hobbyist guitarist. »

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

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. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including an updated Day One review, some awesome Day One tips leading up to our updated course, a tip on optimizing macOS, and more. »

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 […] »

Catch up on the things we published throughout the week, including an update to MindNode, some advice on dealing with email, and more. »

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. »

Roger Ogden is a software engineer living in Boise, Idaho. »

If you unboxed a new Mac this year, it's easier than ever to get started on it. »

How to use Day One as a central commonplace book for all your ideas, things to read, quotes, thoughts, and highlights from your favorite eBooks. »

Craig Camp is the general manager at Troon Vineyard in Southern Oregon, and also publishes The Wine Camp Blog. »

Dan Leech is a systems designer for a healthcare research company based in Bath, UK where he performs research and creates new software and processes that make delivery of medicines to patients safer, more efficient, and more affordable. »

Rishi Mohan works at BigBinary as a UI Engineer, founded ZINX, and is also a photographer. »

Asier G. Morato is the chief editor of El Imperdible, a lifestyle website from Spain that talks about shopping, culture, travel, and gastronomy. »

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. »

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. »

Andy Young runs a site called Country Digest — an educational website that provides information about different countries around the world. »

Rupesh R. Mahalle is a 25-year-old Portfolio Manager and start-up investor who manages capital for investors in the stock market. »

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. »

The best news aggregation service for iOS, a reader's mobile Mac and iOS setup, a tip on using Google Photos, and more. »

Stefan Elf is a passionate media and UI designer, programmer, lecturer, and photographer who runs his own web design agency. »

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

Nadeem Vaidya practices medicine as an ophthalmologist specializing in surgeries of the retina and vitreous, and operates his own practice in Irvine, California. »

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

A reader's Mac and iOS setup, a tip on Dropbox and podcast listening, and more. »

Chris Brakebill is a web and mobile developer who is currently working on an app called Outshape, and also sends the Three Things Weekly newsletter. »

Brandon Jones works primarily in eastern Africa training, coaching, and mentoring local leaders for missions through an organization called All Nations. »

Dr. Terry Portis is a college director, psychology professor, reader and technology enthusiast. »

Today, there's a significant update to Day One, our favorite journaling and logging app. The update is a new feature called Publish, and it lets you selectively share your Day One entries to the Web. »

David Sparks is the editor, writer, and janitor at MacSparky and also writes for Macworld and co-hosts the Mac Power Users podcast. »

Over the past 6 months, Notion have added several major features to the app and its functionality, and they also launched a Calendar app. In this article, I will be reviewing some of the newer updates that have hit the internet. »

Trying to use a single app for PKM is destined for failure. In this article, I'll explain why and share a simple framework for thinking about personal knowledge management that can help you get more out of the notes and ideas that you put into your PKM system. »

Toward the end of last year, I started a new early morning habit of writing every day. I used a few “habit building” tricks I’ve learned over the years. And, as a result, I was able to go from a blank page to a strong outline and nearly 40,000 words written. All in about 6 […] »

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. »

How to use an idea development system to prime the creative pump and set yourself up for success when it's time to create. »

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. »

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. »

This is the most affordable way to access every resource we have for living a more focused, productive life. »

Now through Monday only, you can get an all-access pass to every course, workshop, and resource we’ve ever released. »

This Black Friday, we’ve got something special for you. »

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 […] »

We share our best tips and templates for getting started with Notion and also cover the basic elements and common use cases for getting the most out of it. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including some links from the September Wanderlust Apple event from earlier this week. »

It’s no secret that Notion is one of my favorite tools for managing ideas and notes. It’s also no secret that figuring out your own ideal Notion setup is… kind of a lot. You can spend so much time working ON your Notion workflows, that you end up never creating and working IN Notion. It’s […] »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at what Raycast Pro has to offer, what it takes to use Notion as a Personal Knowledge Manager, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including an update to our PKM primer, a look at the all new properties in Obsidian, and more. »

Announcement time! Today, we are opening the doors for enrollment in our all-new Focus Booster: Ideas-to-Action. Ideas-to-Action is a series of LIVE online workshops happening inside our membership community. You will double your creative output with a simple system for organizing — and acting on — your ideas. If you’re brimming with ideas but struggle […] »

The world of Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) has evolved since we first published our PKM Intro for Creatives, so we went back and made sure everything was up to date and included some of the new app updates in the PKM space. »

Have you ever sat down to do some writing and you’re just staring at the blank page? You’re stuck trying to come up with the idea, or you're ready to do the work and you’re just lost. It’s the worst. »

As someone who basically writes for a living, I find it very important to have undistracted time to actually do the work — the writing. This may seem obvious, but just because the time itself is set aside in my schedule or during my day, that doesn’t always mean that it’s going to be productive time. Being able to focus for an extended period of time without any distractions is actually becoming a very rare skill. This means that if it’s something you can figure out how to do, it actually can be to your competitive advantage. »

Do Not Disturb is a 3-part live online workshop that gives you a system for unlocking creative momentum and shutting out the distractions that derail your most important work. »

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. »

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. »

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. »

When it comes to a lack of clarity, the solution is to take the time to get clear on what matters so you can stop spending valuable time spinning your wheels. One of the ways to help you get clarity is to understand how information flows into and out of your productivity system. So in this post, we're going talk about crafting your productivity workflow so that you can handle anything life throws at you. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at using AI for real-world tasks, some great productivity apps, and more. »

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 […] »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at how digital and analog tools compliment each other for a productive workflow, and more. »

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

This week, we are kicking off our next Focus Booster inside the community. And it’s a Complete Guide to Margin. How to go from busy and overwhelmed to…. not busy There are only two ways you can restore margin to your life. And they’re actually quite simple… As part of our upcoming Margin Reset — […] »

Catch up on what we published this week, including an upcoming webinar on freeing yourself from overwhelm, a roundup of several popular infinite canvas apps, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at Readwise's new RSS tool, simplifying your apps, 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. »

If you’ve ever tried to learn something new or up-level in an area of your life, but fizzled out… then we’ve got just the thing for you. 🚀  This week we are starting something new inside the Focus community membership: Focus Boosters Focus Boosters are community-led, themed challenges to help you up-level in a specific […] »

Introducing Focus Accelerator: Your all-access pass to every course, workflow, and recourse in our library. This all-new program is launching with a special promotion for Black Friday. »

Here are a few ways our team and colleagues of ours use Loom to save time each day and add some flair to their communication. »

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. »

Just under a year ago, Glass launched on iPhone, offering a genuine photo sharing alternative to Instagram. Glass launched to much fanfare — many folks (including myself) vowed to kick Instagram to the curb in favor of a fresh new start on a new and stylish platform. »

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 […] »

When you develop a system, it helps you to create and enforce the habit you need to actually get stuff done. When I create a new system or habit, I want to automate as much as possible so I can spend more time actually doing stuff... In this case: writing. »

We made the transition to Notion as a team in August 2020 and we've never looked back (mostly). We use it for all of our projects, dashboards, and most, importantly our editorial calendar. »

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. »

Version 3.6 introduces Fantastical Scheduling, which is a fantastic implementation of two powerful scheduling tools: Openings and Proposals. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at building habits, a nifty Fantastical feature, some insight into using Notion to track habits, and more. »

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. »

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. »

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. »

It was January 2020. I hit the New Year with ambition. I wanted to read more, write more, and most importantly, exercise more. We had a dusty old exercise bike adopted from a family member in the corner of the basement. It hadn’t been used in years. »

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. »

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

In 2020, when quarantine hit, I bought myself a row machine. And when I do my workouts, I like to learn new things by watching videos. »

Right now you can get the entire TSS course library, bundled together, with a generous discount. »

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. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including apps and gear for the holidays, creativity freewheel, and 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 get you through the holiday season in one piece. This handy list has a little bit of everything, whether you’re looking for some neat gift ideas or you’re simply in need of […] »

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. »

This is the first year that my entire photography workflow can be handled by my iPhone on its own, which has been quite empowering. »

The fourth core element of Craft — and one that sets it apart from most other note-taking apps available — is the ability to collaborate with others. »

Our first impressions after 24 hours using the new photo sharing app, Glass. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a workflow on how to connect and transclude notes in Obsidian, a detailed look at how Quick Notes work in today's betas of iPadOS 15 and macOS Monterey, plus some extra goodies. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a workflow for splitting notes apart in Obsidian, automating custom document creation with Drafts, and lots of great links. »

Back in December, I outlined how I studied course material for a major exam using Craft Notes. There were many positives, a couple negatives, and a whole bunch of naivety at that time. Craft Notes is still one of my favorite new apps of the last four or five years, but it didn’t end up sticking as well as I thought when the real studying began. »

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. »

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

Catch up on what we published this week, including a post about increasing focus by reducing inputs, a reader's setup, and more. »

When the group at The Sweet Setup suggested we'd be talking about knowledge and idea workflows in the early part of 2021, I couldn't pass up the chance to talk about my analog adventures that live alongside all the apps I use each day. We can't do everything on our iPhones, after all. »

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 […] »

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

We've updated our review of the best journaling app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. »

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, […] »

Right now you can get ALL of our courses, bundled together, for only $197. The total value of the bundle is $536, which makes this is a discount of 63%. BUY NOW $536  $197 This Complete Training Bundle is your chance to get instant access to every one of our training courses, for the price of […] »

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. »

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 […] »

Things makes it trivial to delete, move, and put off ideas that either don't excite me or don't make me a better writer/contributor. »

Widgets and custom app icons... »

Ten of the top app (and cloud service) subscriptions as voted on by TSS readers. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at how our Notion workflow is working so far as an editorial calendar, a look at a great app for launching all the various web conferences you have to join throughout the day, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at a creative Instagram app for building beautiful stories, a look at using an iPhone under water, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a look at how Josh Ginter uses Roam Research for his own studies, a new version of Day One, and more. »

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. »

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. »

We’ll be giving ideas for how you can wrangle the clutter and messiness of your unorganized ideas, notes, and articles, and we'll also be sharing some tips for how you can be more focused and productive during your writing time. »

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. »

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 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. »

It's fun for me to find new and better ways to do things - especially if it involves Apple-branded technology. I love trying new apps and making my devices dance. But with everything going on in the world the last couple of months, I've also found it to be especially difficult to navigate emotionally, which is a big reason why I’ve started doing a lot more with pen and paper. »

There’s a lot of buzz recently around a new app called Roam Research. Roam brands itself as “a note-taking tool for networked thought,” which naturally raises the question: Do we really need another note-taking app? »

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

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. »

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 […] »

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. […] »

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

Just a friendly reminder that our Complete Training Bundle is about to go away. If you are wanting to get instant access to every single one of our courses, and take advantage of our Black Friday / Cyber Monday bundle, then this is your last chance. The promotional discount ends today: Monday, December 2 at […] »

Right now you can get ALL of our courses, bundled together, for only $99. The total value of the bundle is $270, which makde this is a discount of 63%. BUY NOW $270  $99 This Complete Training Bundle is your chance to get instant access to every one of our training courses, for the price of […] »

The Twelve South HiRise Pro and BackPack are great accessories for cleaning up the desk around your iMac and for pushing your iMac to new ergonomic heights. »

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. »

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. »

This is just a slick-as-all-get-out accessory you'll love having on your desk. »

In this Mindfulness Monday post, we take a look at Duolingo and why you might want to use it to apply intentionality to your downtime on your iPhone. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a mindfulness post on changing your defaults, using new gestures in iPadOS, and more. »

One of the things I enjoy doing is writing books. Sometimes, I even start a blog post and realize after 20,000 words or so that it's really a book and a series of blog posts. This is the nature of creative writing, and I really enjoy the process of taking an idea to a fully fledged body of work. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a mindfulness post on using your browser intentionally, some great news regarding our new GoodNotes course, and more. »

GoodNotes is a powerful analog note-taking app for iOS that really shines on an iPad with an Apple Pencil. »

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. »

Over the next several weeks, we’ll be looking at apps that help facilitate a mindful approach to your technology. »

Flighty is a brand new app designed to take at least some of the stress out of the airport. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including an in-depth look at using a mouse with iPadOS, a reader's Mac and iOS setup, some tips on keeping your Mac desktop clean with Hazel, and more. »

The team behind Day One recently released a new version that allows you to email an entry directly to one of your Day One journals. »

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. »

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. »

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

Apple always knocks it out of the park with under-the-radar photo features, and it appears that the iOS 13 Photos and Camera apps are no exception. »

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. »

While there are specific read-it-later services, DEVONthink can be a great alternative for cataloging research and comments for later. »

Our new review of the best RSS app for the Mac spans the new Reeder 4 update. »

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

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

Catch up on what we published this week, including a review of Twelve South's iconic MacBook stand, some great tips on using Drafts, customizing your Mac's time settings, and more. »

The tool that lets creators stay in their workflow. »

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

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

From a fresh design, to a new toolbar, improvement range management, and new pop out entries, Day One 3.0 for macOS continues to improve on what we love so much about Day One. »

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. »

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. »

Day One hit version 3.4 last week, introducing new Hoefler fonts for the typographically-inclined, new drawing capabilities for the iPad Pro’s new Apple Pencil, new dynamic photo layouts, and improvements to the Apple Watch app. »

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

This week, we're trying NHL, Pica, and Picsew »

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. »

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. »

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. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including several great app updates, a look at ImageOptim for compressing images, and more. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including a setup interview, a tip on using CARROT Weather notifications, and more. »

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. »

Catch up on what we published this week, including our new Day One course, a detailed look at how we use Day One, and more. »

We updated our review for the best journaling app for Mac, iPhone, and iPad, and it's still Day One. Day One first debuted in 2011 and has been the best journaling app ever since. »

Stefan Elf is a freelance web developer, designer, and lecturer working in Sweden. »

Drafts 5 introduces a range of new features and scripting functionality designed to process text, boost automations, and speed up workflows on iOS. »

Sharing your entire photo library with someone is incredibly easy in Google Photos on iOS. »

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

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

Collection is a crucial part of the GTD process, but one that we easily overlook when life gets hectic. »

How and why to keep a commonplace book and with which tools to do the job. »

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. »

With Pinboard and a few other tools, you can make sure you never lose something you've read before. »

Simon Severino is the founder of strategy sprints, who also loves problems, productivity, his family, and triathlons. »

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

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. »

Stephen Biggerstaff is a freelance iOS developer based out of Glasgow, Scotland. »

Steve Cholette is a full-time fire fighter and paramedic near Detroit, Michigan. »

The best WordPress client for macOS, a reader's Mac, iOS, and Watch setup, a tip on using Alfred as a clipboard manager, and more. »

The future of Mac apps is here. »

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. »

You can easily mute notifications for individual friends in the Activity app with a simple settings change. »

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. »

Danny Henke is a freelance web and graphic designer at Beardy Guy Creative, an avid science fan and amateur astronomer, and writes at Beardy Star Stuff. »

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

Brian Baggett is a cloud management architect for Sovereign Systems in Norcross, Georgia where he helps companies build hybrid clouds and embrace automation at the enterprise level. »

Our review from last week of the best GIF keyboard for iPhone, a reader's college setup, a tip for using iTunes, and more. »

A review we published last week, a tip on using Narwhal, a reader's setup, and more. »

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

Andrew Meyers is an Assistant Director of Admissions at Hope College, where he recruits students and also works on the office email and social marketing efforts, as well as the Admissions section of Hope’s website. »

If your favorite sites aren't listed in Apple News, you can easily add them from the Safari share sheet. »

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. »

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

Our favorite note-taking app for iOS, a setup interview of an Apple Consulting team, a tip on using Fantastical, and more. »

​Magic Number — The most intuitive calculator. Exclusively for Mac. »

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. »

Our favorite mail app for OS X, a tip on keeping iTunes from launching from Safari, and more. »

In an incredibly elegant and simple manner, timeshel helps create a monthly rhythm of printing photos — reconnecting us to the special experience of seeing our lives unfold in tangible form. »

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

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

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. »

Our favorite Wikipedia app for iPhone, a reader's iOS setup, a tip about Pinboard, and more. »

A reader's Mac and iOS setup, a tip on using Wunderlist, OS X El Capitan, Tweetbot 4, and more. »

Illya Starikov is a full-time Computer Science student by day, and (still) a full-time Computer Science student by night. »

Our favorite time zone calculator app for iPhone, a reader's Mac and iOS setup, a tip about using Wunderlist, and more. »

If you deal with lots of tasks, files, notes, projects and clients, then you need to try Pagico. Pagico is elegant, powerful, easy-to-use and cross-platform. Try for free, and save 20% by the end of September. »

The best flight tracker app for iPhone, a Mac and iOS setup, a tip about Instapaper, and lots more. »

The Smart SYSTM iPhone 6 case is the first in a series of premium solutions that keeps your device and content safe -- offering real protection through good design »

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

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. »

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

A reader's iOS setup from Moscow, a tip about your Health.app data, and more. »

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

Dean Sherwood is a filmmaker and photographer working in the music industry for a UK band called The Vamps. »

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. »

Blake Cloutier is a fourth year Civil Engineering student, a Player Support Representative with Disney Interactive, and also works remotely for an animal supply company. »

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

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. »

Brad Dowdy is a husband and father, and a pen addict and business owner that specializes in high-quality pen cases. »

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

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. »

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

Rdio was updated with new features and a new free version that make it significantly better service for both paying and non-paying subscribers alike. »

A quick tip, interesting setup, a new podcast network, and more. »

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

Oliver Haslam is a part-time writer of words, full-time tinkerer of tech, and father. »

A new podcast app, a quick tip, an awesome setup, and more. »

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

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

Jago Silver is an illustrator living in Cornwall, UK who has illustrated more than 40 children's books, along with magazines, album covers and logos. »

Joe spends his days repairing Apple products, and writes for his blog and other publications by night. »

Our pick for the best list-making app for iOS and Mac, a quick tip, an awesome link, and more. »

JetPens is a web store that offers unique, high-quality writing instruments and office toys. Spend $25 and get a free Signo 0.38 fine-tip gel ink pen (Shawn's favorite pen). »

A sweet iPhone setup, a quick tip about Find my iPhone, some great articles, and more. »

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

Preshit Deorukhkar is the founder and editor-in-chief of Beautiful Pixels, and also founded Homescreen.me and Smoking Apples. »

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

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

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 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. »

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

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