App Defaults in 2024

I wanted to join in the fun of listing my default apps as of the end of 2024. Thanks to Robb Knight for collecting everyone’s articles on their default apps!

Default list

• 📨 Mail Client: Fastmail
• 📮 Mail Server: Fastmail
• 📝 Notes: Bear (plus Drafts and Obsidian)
• ✅ To-Do: Todoist (plus Things and Apple Reminders)
• 📷 iPhone Photo Shooting: iOS Camera
• 🟦 Photo Management: Apple Photos
• 📆 Calendar: Fastmail (server) and Fantastical (client on MacOS and iOS)
• 📁 Cloud File Storage: iCloud
• 📖 RSS: Unread app with Unread Cloud
• 📑 Read It Later: GoodLinks
• 🔖 Bookmarks: None (after ending Pinboard subscription)
• 🙍🏻‍♂️ Contacts: Apple Contacts
• 🌐 Browser: Arc and Safari
• 💬 Chat: Signal, iMessage, SMS
• 📜 Word Processing: Apple Pages and Microsoft Word
• 📈 Spreadsheets: Microsoft Excel
• 📊 Presentations: Microsoft Powerpoint
• 🛒 Shopping Lists: Todoist
• 🍴 Meal Planning: Paprika
• 💰 Budgeting and Personal Finance: Microsoft Excel
• 📰 News: ABC News (Australia), plus The Guardian and New York Times
• 🎵 Music: YouTube Music
• 🎤 Podcasts: Overcast
• 🔐 Password Management: 1Password

Additional apps

• 🧮 Code Editor: VS Code
• 🖥️ Terminal: iTerm
• 🔎 Search: DuckDuckGo
• 🌦️ Weather: BOM Weather (Australia), Rain Parrot
• 📖 Reading: Apple Books and Audible
• 🎒 Backup: Arq (MacOS)
• 🚀 Launcher: Raycast (MacOS)

Key changes this year were moving my calendars from Apple to Fastmail to reduce my reliance on Apple, moving from Drafts to Bear as my primary notes app, moving from Drafts to Todoist as my primary tasks app, and ending my Pinboard bookmarking subscription.

In the near future, I intend to add a photo editing app for my RAW photos.