6 Underrated Macbook Apps for Productivity!
About this video
Jeff Su recommends six underrated Mac apps for productivity. First, Shottr, a screenshot app with annotation tools plus five standout features: blurring or erasing only text without blurring the background, hovering over a color and pressing Tab to copy its hex code, navigation including holding the right mouse button to pan and Command+2 to zoom into a selection, holding 1 or 2 to measure pixel height or width, and built-in OCR with Command+Option+Control+O to copy selected text or a QR code link to the clipboard; he notes he still uses the paid CleanShot X more for cloud sharing and responsiveness. Second, Mac Mouse Fix lets an affordable mouse trigger actions — holding the middle button can run a screenshot shortcut such as Shift+Command+9 or OCR, double-click and triple-click can move between spaces — though he says Logi Options+ does this better for an MX Master mouse. Third, TempBox generates real disposable email addresses so sign-ups and newsletter downloads do not spam a personal inbox; addresses persist unless deleted, and links inside must be right-click copied because opening them in TempBox does not work well. Fourth, Latest centralizes update checks for apps not downloaded from the App Store, so he disables per-app auto-checks and reviews updates weekly. Fifth, Hovrly, which replaced There, shows times in other locations in the menu bar and lets you scrub through the day to see what time it will be elsewhere when planning meetings. Sixth is the built-in Stickies app: Command+Option+T makes a note transparent, Command+Option+F pins it on top, Command+M collapses it, and Command plus/minus changes font size — useful as presenter notes in Google Slides Presenter View and as a cheat sheet near the webcam in virtual interviews.
Key takeaways
- Shottr goes beyond basic screenshots: blur/erase text only, press Tab to copy a color’s hex code, measure pixels with 1/2, and use Command+Option+Control+O for OCR of text and QR codes
- Mac Mouse Fix maps mouse buttons — e.g. hold middle button for a screenshot, double/triple-click to move between spaces — a budget alternative to Logi Options+ on an MX Master
- Use TempBox disposable inboxes for free-guide and app sign-ups, including a dedicated newsletter inbox, to keep spam out of your personal email
- Use Latest to check all non-App Store apps for updates in one weekly pass instead of random per-app update prompts
- Float notes with the built-in Stickies app: Command+Option+T for transparency and Command+Option+F to pin on top for presenting or virtual interviews; use Hovrly to scrub times across time zones
Episode details: published November 1, 2022 · 8:09 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are Jeff Su’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.
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