Default apps: 2025

Default apps. Inspired by Hemispheric Views, and catalogued by Robb Knight.

I’m not a fan of trying to stick with the default apps that come with your OS. Your device should be personalised, optimised. Use apps that work best, for you. Customise apps, create your own automations, make it your own. It’s personal computing.

Bonus points if other people struggle using your device, as it’s sooo you.

That being said, let’s give it a shot.

• 📨 Mail Client: Apple Mail (I hate it, it’s buggy, and switch clients every couple of months)
• 📮 Mail Server: iCloud (only because I’m already paying for storage anyway)
• 📝 Notes: Obsidian
• ✅ To-Do: Things3
• 📷 Photo Shooting: iPhone 13 mini
• 🎨 Photo Management: Photos
• 📆 Calendar: Fantastical
• 📁 Cloud File Storage: iCloud
• 📖 RSS: NetNewsWire
• 🚀 Launcher: Alfred
• 🙍🏻‍♂️ Contacts: Apple Contacts
• 🌐 Browser: Firefox (Firefox Focus on iOS)
• 💬 Chat: iMessage, WhatsApp, Signal
• 🔖 Bookmarks: Firefox
• 📑 Read It Later: Instapaper, but also Pocket. I should probably pick one and merge, it’s a bit of a mess now.
• 📜 Word Processing: Pages, unless iA Writer counts
• 📈 Spreadsheets: Numbers
• 📊 Presentations: Keynote
• 🛒 Shopping Lists: Pen & Paper
• 🍴 Meal Planning: Numbers
• 💰 Budgeting and Personal Finance: None 🚫
• 📰 News: None 🚫
• 🎵 Music: Brain.fm
• 🎤 Podcasts: Overcast
• 🔐 Password Management: Apple Passwords
• 🌤️ Weather: Apple Weather
• 🔎 Search: DuckDuckGo
• 🧭 Maps: Apple Maps
• 🧑‍💻 Code Editor: VSCodium
• ✈️ VPN: None 🚫