★ APPLE-SPECIFIC ★
This page is for recommendations for software or services that are specific to Apple devices, or Apple services (i.e. Apple Music).
SAFARI EXTENSIONS
- AdGuard: An adblocking suite for multiple platforms. Available for free on Safari for macOS and iOS. Paid version is available for a one-time payment.
- 1Blocker: In our experience, generally more proficient than Adguard, but the paid version is available via subscription, and not a one-time payment.
- Vinegar: An extension that makes the YouTube web player on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS significantly better by replacing the typical HTML5 video player with a basic video HTML tag.
- Baking Soda: An extension by the same developer as Vinegar. Does the same thing as Vinegar, but on non-YouTube websites.
- Control Panel for Twitter: An open-source extension that makes Twitter usable, by hiding many elements, disabling the For You feed, makes it easier to identify paid Blue subscribers, and is very customizable.
ALTERNATIVE MAC BROWSERS
- Orion: A browser made to be a drop-in replacement for Safari. Powered by the same WebKit technology and with tight integration with the system to feel like a native app, but setting itself apart by adding support for Firefox and Chrome extensions.
- Arc Browser: A browser with a unique UI layout, designed for customization and easy organization of browser windows and layouts. Powered by Chromium, so battery life may take a hit. This is apparently coming to Windows eventually.
SYSTEM TOOLS
- Retroactive: A tool designed to make it easy to install iTunes, iPhoto, and legacy versions of iLife/iWork on newer machines. Unmaintained for a while, however, and much less reliable on Apple Silicon machines than on Intel ones.
APPLE MUSIC
AMWin-RP: A companion for the new native Apple Music client for Windows, that allows for a Discord Rich Presence status and Last.FM scrobbling. It's a bit janky, but it gets the job done.
- apple-music-discord-rpc: A small, lightweight background app for macOS that adds Discord Rich Presence status support. Incredibly easy to set up and runs entirely silently, making for a near seamless experience.
- NepTunes: A phenomenal free Mac app that integrates with the Music app. Incredibly simple, and the most reliable Last.FM scrobbling on the Mac. For a very cheap yearly price, it has fun extra cosmetic features as well.
- Marvis Pro: An exceptional third-party Apple Music app designed for iOS and iPadOS. Incredibly powerful and customizable, with even more UI features, and the most reliable way to scrobble songs to Last.FM on iOS. Price of admission is a bit steep but is entirely worth it. Also runs on Apple Silicon Macs.
ANTI-RECOMMENDATION: I highly advise against using Cider, the third-party Apple Music client. Although at one point it was a good alternative, that was before the official web app became quite usable, and before the new native Windows app was released. Cider 2 is no longer open-source, instead going the full commercial route, and offers a worse experience than any of the official clients. On top of this, the developers are absolutely reprehensible people. Due to these comments and the commercialization of a once open-source project, I cannot recommend this app to anyone as safe-to-use. Use the web app or official clients with extensions instead.