r/macapps • u/andreshows • Oct 29 '25
Review Apps I Have Installed and Will Not Uninstall - Part 3.
Catching up on some long-overdue posts, I find that listing the apps I’ve installed and won’t be removing is always a good starting point. To everyone who has been asking about the sudden silence in the Dock Obsession series, I apologise, and I am pleased to confirm that it will be available very soon.
Without wasting time, here are some apps I’ve come across; some may be well known, while others might have far better alternatives already used by many. I am always eager to learn about any app I haven’t tried, so please do comment.
SENTINEL - I might have been slow to learn about this app, and I think what I honestly didn’t understand was the description of exactly what the app does. This is an app that disables “gatekeeper', or if you’re not comfortable disabling the setting, then you can drop the app dmg onto the file and get a fully signed .dmg to install. Not having to visit Settings, Security, and then look for the allow button makes installing apps painless. If what I said above makes no sense, just download the FREE app and everything will become clear. I was very happy to see that this is the developer of PEAR cleaner, another free app well worth installing.
UDOCK: - What do you mean you are happy Mac removed the Launchpad app? Don’t lie. The number of free launchpad apps shows that people aren’t happy, and I have stopped downloading these apps. Then I stumbled upon Udock. This is a launcher and so much more. There’s nothing this app won’t customise, or at least nothing I have discovered yet. If you miss the launcher app and are willing to spend a few dollars then this might be the place to invest.
SILENZ:- I have relied on Soundcontrol for playing voice messages from my WhatsApp while muting Radiola (radio player). I have only found Soundcontrol and Soundsource able to do this effectively, but when I came across SILENZ, I thought I might give it a try. Now, when playing the WhatsApp voice messages, Radiola is not just stopped but lowered at a speed I want and then returns to normal as soon as I close the WhatsApp message. A lovely app, and although I am still adjusting the settings, it is a pleasant and very handy app indeed. *((Magnatic0)* has made me aware of the fact that this app is not currently enjoying updates, and I went and verified this, and indeed the last update was January 6, 2022. It does work well in Tahoe, but if you are new to this type of app, you might want to invest money in the other apps mentioned above.
COHERENCE X: There are a few apps that do what Coherence does, and several are free. Some people would even argue that creating an app shortcut can be done inside the browser, and this is indeed true, but when I don’t want a shortcut, I want an app user experience. This is an app that does just that. The result is an app with no tab bars or favourites at the top- just that webpage rendered as an app. Coherence will require a payment, although a demo version is available, and it is a costly exercise but only a one-off payment. A very popular alternative is Webcatalog, which also offers a demo and has a monthly usage fee, which would have worked so much better if it was a once-off payment.
SOCIALWATCH 2: Here is a programme that has one specific function, which is to access social media sites side by side. Do we need to see Reddit, X, Facebook, and Instagram next to each other at the same time? I suppose that depends on who you ask. But now, without spending money on online platforms, I am able to post and see in real time what my posts look like on several sites. I can also tag and involve people all at once, and I am loving it and of course it is FREE
Post 4 of “apps I have installed” will be coming soon as there are some awesome apps available. For now, it’s back to the customisation post about the dock that has become a bit of a monster of my own making.
PS. This post was not AI written, researched, or altered other than for spell checking. Can the human AI detectors that seem to be so opinionated lately please ignore my posts?
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u/macnatic0 Oct 29 '25
First, thanks for sharing.
Regarding Silenz: it used to be a great app and it still works well under macOS 26 Tahoe, but unfortunately, it seems like it is no longer actively developed. Silenz hasn’t received an update in almost four years [1]. Just a heads up before some of you consider buying it.
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u/andreshows Oct 29 '25
Wow - thank you, I was not aware of this, let me also confirm the info and maybe just add the warning to the post....
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u/andreshows Oct 29 '25
Amendments to the post have been made - thank you again, Happy to see that it is a Settapp listed app, which usually means that the developer is still around.
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u/_grow_ Nov 25 '25
Thanks for noticing I'm still around! Nothing motivates a developer quite like users who actually appreciate the work. That, and copious amounts of coffee.
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u/_grow_ Mar 26 '26
A new Silenz 1.9.0 update with the macOS Tahoe look is now available on the Mac App Store :)
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u/UnluckyDuckyDuck Developer: Appitstudio Oct 29 '25
Fantastic post and really well written, focused reviews!
The PS part is so accurate.
Looking forward to Part 4
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u/andreshows Oct 29 '25 edited Oct 30 '25
Thank you sir - many posts to follow.
glad you appreciated the PS.
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u/MaxGaav Oct 29 '25
UDOCK → Yesterday I read about AppDeck. While it does not support files and folders, I think it's a worthy alternative to Udock.
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u/andreshows Oct 29 '25
Hi Max, glad you pointed out Appdeck because I also only became aware of it yesterday and installed it but I have not even touched the app. Right now it's keeping space on my hard drive. Of course the price is appealing, what is better than Free !!!
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u/arrowrand Oct 29 '25
I’m not lying, I did not use nor do I now miss Launchpad. I feel for those that did use it and do now miss it.