Single Purpose Apps

Complex, multi-purpose apps with a zillion functions can be fun to learn, even if you never quite feel like you’ve mastered them. Every time I tinker with my Raycast setup or my collection of Keyboard Maestro macros, I get the nagging feeling that I’m not making the best use of those apps. To remedy that feeling, it’s refreshing to discover a few simple apps that do one thing well–and that’s all. Here are a few I’ve been tinkering with lately.

• Clean Links (Free) – Although there’s a useful Raycast extension to strip tracking info from links on your clipboard, Clean Links–a universal app that also works on iPhones and iPads–offers a bit more functionality. It can show you the URL embedded in any QR code, and it can also generate QR codes you can share or print. It works with Apple Shortcuts for anyone who enjoys a little automation, and it has a robust privacy policy: no ads, no trackers, no telemetry.
• Photo Sort ($4.99) – Try this: open Apple Photos on your Mac. Select an album–or your entire library–and try to sort by file size. I’ll wait… As you’ve probably discovered, that’s not a feature Apple offers, for some strange reason. I had some huge (100MB+) TIFF files and a lot of RAW images in my library, and while finding them was possible, it wasn’t simple. With Photo Sort, it’s as easy as clicking a button to identify the biggest files and start saving iCloud storage. Photo Sort can also identify high-quality images, helping you spot the keepers (in focus, properly exposed, good white balance) and ditch the blurry, dark, out-of-focus junk.
• Russet (Free) – If you want to use agentic AI tools for your calendar and contacts, or extract data from PDFs without having to search manually, check out Russet. It’s a well-designed front end for Apple Intelligence (Apple Silicon only) that requires no API keys and no accounts with third-party AI companies. Russet also has a few whimsical touches that are fun to explore in your downtime, including a feature that collaborates with you to create text-based adventures and immersive stories. You can also take advantage of Apple Intelligence writing tools for proofreading and revision, with an additional option to use a biometric lock to keep your work private. Everything Russet does stays on your device. It doesn’t require an internet connection.
• Float Tube ($2.99) – If you use Safari with YouTube, you can’t natively scroll through comments and watch the video at the same time. Scroll down, and the video disappears. With Float Tube, a Safari extension, a floating picture-in-picture window appears as you scroll, allowing you to keep watching while reading comments and notes. Float Tube will also display the video’s subtitles.
• Floxtop ($19.99) – For years, I’ve used the same organizing structure for my ~/Documents folder. I created a Hazel rule that sorts files by extension, and while I’ve made it work, I’d never claim it’s the most efficient approach. When I’m looking for an image, I don’t always know whether it’s a JPG or a JPEG. If someone sends me a Word document, I’d better hope I gave it a descriptive name, because otherwise I’m scanning files until something looks familiar. Floxtop offers a better solution. It uses on-device AI to analyze files and group them into related subfolders. I had dozens of PDF receipts, and it sorted them instantly–without my having to create manual rules like I would with Hazel. It recognizes text and images, and it gives you a chance to review everything before applying changes. Sorting a folder with 100 documents goes from 100 tiny decisions to a single step. And I have to say, I really enjoyed interacting with the developer.