You're on a walk and the idea arrives. You reach for your phone. The right tool turns the next twenty seconds into something your Mac inherits the moment you sit down.
The list below is five tools where the iPhone version actually carries weight. Most companion apps are quiet downgrades you put up with. These are not.
The stack:
iPhone MagSafe Camera Mount · the iPhone becomes the Mac's better camera
mymind · the visual idea that travels home from your pocket
Reference Board · the moodboard that's already waiting when you sit down
Craft · the note that exists on whichever device you happen to be holding
HiRise 3 Deluxe · where the iPhone actually lives when you're at your Mac
1. Turn the iPhone Into the Mac's Better Camera
The webcam built into your Mac does its job. The one in your pocket does it noticeably better. iPhone MagSafe Camera Mount clips the iPhone above your screen, Continuity Camera switches it on, and your video calls get real lens quality, real autofocus, and real low-light handling without any new software or new gear beyond the mount itself.
It is the kind of upgrade that costs almost nothing and changes how you show up. Worth it on the first call of the morning.
iPhone MagSafe Camera MountTransform your iPhone into a high-quality webcam.Visit WebsiteThe Belkin iPhone MagSafe Camera Mount is a hardware accessory that attaches an iPhone to a MacBook. This mount allows users to leverage the iPhone's rear camera for high-quality video calls and content creation. It is designed for individuals who frequently engage in virtual meetings or content production, providing a stable and hands-free solution that enhances the overall video experience.
- Compatible with multiple iPhone models and MacBook devices for seamless integration.
- Provides a hands-free setup for video calls and virtual meetings.
- Functions as a phone grip or kickstand for added versatility.
- Designed to enhance video quality by utilizing the iPhone's rear camera.
- Easily attaches to MacBook for quick setup and removal.
The Belkin iPhone MagSafe Camera Mount is designed for seamless integration with MacBook devices, allowing users to utilize their iPhone as a high-quality webcam. Its versatile design supports various functions, including video calls and content creation, enhancing the overall user experience.Visit Website
2. Capture On the Phone, Browse On the Mac
mymind is one of the few apps where the iPhone version is the front door and the Mac version is the living room. Snap a photo, save a tweet, copy a link, and it all lands in the same private place. By the time you sit down at your desk, the things you noticed on the train are already organised into the kind of mood you did not know you were building.
This is what an iPhone capture tool is meant to feel like. Two devices, one memory.
mymindA creatives best kept secret.Visit Websitemymind is YOUR PRIVATE place to keep everything you want to remember. Think of it as your digital garden, a peaceful place away from the noise to cultivate your inspiration, research and ideas. We’re a small & independent team that originally built mymind for ourselves. We were tired of feeling constantly distracted and overwhelmed with overly complicated tools that promised to help us stay organized. We just wanted something simple: one place to put everything, and one place to find it. We didn’t want to curate anything, manage folders or learn yet another system we would ultimately abandon. Which is why mymind asks nothing from you: NO social features NO vanity metrics NO algorithms NO social pressure NO collaboration NO manual organization NO noise
- Save anything with a single click: a bookmark, note, image, screenshot, website, article, video, highlight, quote, meme, product, song. Before, these little pieces of inspiration were forgotten or buried somewhere in your bookmarks or desktop or some complex platform. Now they're all in one place, where they may eventually connect and become useful later.
- All your inspiration and ideas are organized for you. Folders are dead. We believe manual organization is another distraction, a decoy for productivity that pulls you from what you want to do. You may not even know why you're saving something in the moment, meaning it could fit in many folders or no folder at all. Your mind understands this, revealing meaning and allowing you to make connections between what you've saved. You don't have to stop to analyze or organize anything you save. Your new mind magically categorizes, analyzes, summarizes and tags it for you, so you can just search whatever you remember to find it later. No going back to clear a queue or manage your folders. You're constantly moving forward.
- Most importantly, your mind is 100% private. No one can see what you've saved. There's no social feed or collaboration features to distract you. No ads interrupting your focus. When you have an audience watching, you operate differently. You restrain yourself in an attempt to curate a vibe, stay on trend or be accepted. Who are you when no one's watching? When can you save anything or explore any idea without fear of how it's being perceived?
- It’s your secret creative repertoire and private garden of inspiration. Every great mind has one, a central place to collect all the little things that make you stop and think or feel something. Think of it like a garden: You're enriching the soil, planting and watering seeds you trust will bloom into something bigger later. Your mind is meant to grow through all your interests and creative phases. It continues to evolve with you.
- We believe beauty is a function. We do everything we can to make your mind as beautiful and distraction-free as possible, stripping out the clunky features and filters you find in typical organization tools. If it works well, you don't think about it. It's a tool in the true sense of the word: there when you need it, and out of the way when you don't. We call it personal software.- Save everything that matters to you effortlessly.
For too long, we've been serving algorithms and tools, passively scrolling and reacting and engaging and performing and curating and brain rotting. Unlike most of the internet, mymind gives back to you rather than draining you. It's an external way to feed the beauty and depth and meaning we need internally. Your mental bank of inspiration to feed your real mind.Visit Website
3. Photograph Inspiration, Arrange It On the Desktop
Reference scattered across photo rolls and screenshot folders is reference you have lost. Reference Board lets you shoot inspiration with your phone, drop it into a board, and watch it appear on your Mac in the layout you want it. The iPhone is the camera. The Mac is the canvas.
For anyone who works visually, this is the cleanest version of the photo-to-pinboard loop you can run. Inspiration captured on Tuesday is already a mood by Friday.
Reference BoardLet your inspiration ripple.Visit WebsiteReference Board is a moodboard application available for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It allows users to collect, organize, and sync visual inspiration across their devices. With features like automatic organization, powerful search capabilities, and support for various media types, Reference Board helps creatives streamline their workflow and maintain a cohesive collection of ideas.
- Create multiple moodboards on an infinite canvas, allowing for unrestricted creativity and exploration.
- Utilize powerful search capabilities, including color, style, scene, and text, with optical character recognition (OCR) for text within images.
- Automatically generate tags and descriptions for saved references, ensuring organized and structured libraries.
- Support various media types, including images, videos, quotes, and sticky notes, to consolidate all forms of inspiration in one space.
- Sync moodboards seamlessly across iPhone, iPad, and Mac using iCloud for a cohesive experience.
Reference syncs user data across Apple devices via iCloud, ensuring privacy by not tracking user activity or selling data. This approach allows for a seamless and secure experience while managing and organizing creative inspirations across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.Visit Website
4. The Note That Exists Wherever You Happen to Be
Most cross-device note apps make you pick a side: phone-shaped or computer-shaped. Craft refuses the choice. The same document opens with the right tools for the device in your hand, fingers on the iPhone, keyboard and pointer on the Mac, and nothing gets lost in the round trip.
Use it for the morning note, the meeting note, the page you swore you would come back to. Both versions are good. Both being good is what makes the daily loop fast.
CraftYour space for notes, tasks, and big ideasVisit WebsiteCraft is a software platform designed for organizing notes, tasks, and documents. It enables users to capture and connect their ideas seamlessly across devices, transforming quick notes into well-structured documents. With features like templates, writing tools, and API integrations, Craft supports a variety of users, including creators, educators, and professionals, enhancing their productivity a
- Whether it's documents, tasks, calendars, or daily notes, Craft allows you to organize and enhance your work with the power of interconnected spaces.
- Capture ideas instantly across all your devices and transform quick notes into beautifully crafted documents.
- With a variety of templates, writing tools, and API integrations, Craft adapts to how you think and work, making it an ideal tool for creators, educators, and professionals alike.
Craft provides a versatile platform for organizing notes, tasks, and documents across devices. With features like templates, writing tools, and API integrations, it supports various workflows for creators, educators, and professionals. Its interconnected spaces enhance productivity and idea management.Visit Website
5. Give the iPhone a Place to Live on the Mac Desk
The iPhone is going to be on your desk regardless. HiRise 3 Deluxe gives it a proper place to live: upright, charging, glanceable, close enough to the Mac that Continuity feels like one machine instead of two.
Without a stand, the phone migrates around the desk and ends up in the wrong pocket. With one, it stays exactly where you would put it if you cared about the setup. Quietly, you start caring.
HiRise 3 DeluxeWireless Charging Stand for Apple DevicesVisit WebsiteThe Twelve South HiRise 3 Deluxe is the ultimate solution for charging your Apple devices. This elegant, compact charging station allows you to simultaneously charge your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods, helping you eliminate clutter on your desk or nightstand. The 15W MagSafe Charger features an adjustable angle for optimal viewing and is designed with vegan leather for a sophisticated touch. Along with fast charging for your Apple Watch, it also offers versatility with a third charging spot. With international plug adapters included, the HiRise 3 Deluxe is travel-ready, making it perfect for use anywhere in the world. Its space-saving design fits well in any small area, creating an organized and stylish charging solution for all your Apple devices.Visit Website
The iPhone has always been a second screen. These five make that deal explicit, and the Mac feels twice as big once they do.
Shotbase is a comprehensive tool designed to capture and manage all your screen-based content effortlessly. With features like stunning screenshot capabilities, recording options that include cinematic effects, and an intuitive organizational structure powered by local AI, you can easily keep your multimedia assets organized and accessible. Shotbase not only allows you to capture specific areas, windows, or full screens on your Mac but also enables you to edit and enhance your captures with backgrounds, frames, and annotations. The integrated AI ensures your captures are automatically named and tagged for easy searching, making it an excellent choice for anyone looking to enhance their productivity and creativity in one seamless workspace.
SoftwaremacOS
DeskMinder
For Easily Distracted Minds
Freemium
DeskMinder is a productivity software application designed for Mac users who struggle with distractions. It provides a straightforward interface for creating desktop pop-up reminders and tasks, helping users manage urgent to-dos, short breaks, and fleeting ideas. With features like full-screen notifications and Apple Reminders integration, DeskMinder aims to enhance focus and time management for i
- With features like easy-to-create desktop pop-ups for reminders and tasks, it simplifies the process of staying on top of urgent to-dos, short breaks, or fleeting ideas.
- Users can benefit from full-screen notifications, Apple Reminders integration, and flexible widget placement, making it ideal for anyone requiring a little extra help to maintain focus.
- The app includes additional shortcuts for quick reminder setups and customizable widget options, along with a history tracking feature to monitor daily progress.
Designed specifically for Mac users, DeskMinder aims to facilitate better time management and productivity for those with attention challenges, providing a seamless user experience without unnecessary complexity.
SoftwareProductivitymacOS
Klack
Satisfying sound with every keystroke
Paid
Klack is a macOS application designed to enhance the typing experience through high-fidelity sound for each keystroke. It provides features such as immersive spatial audio, instant feedback, and customizable sound options, making it suitable for writers, developers, and anyone who values an engaging typing environment. The app is easily accessible from the menubar and offers extensive configuratio
- Provides immersive spatial audio for enhanced typing feedback.
- Allows customization of keystroke sounds, pitch variations, and volume settings.
- Features a menubar interface for quick access to configuration options.
- Supports instant feedback with each keystroke for a more engaging experience.
- Designed for writers and developers seeking auditory feedback while typing.
Klack enhances the typing experience on Mac by providing high-fidelity sound for each keystroke.
SoftwaremacOS
TypoTab
TypoTab, the ultimate AI writing assistant for
Paid
TypoTab is a macOS application that functions as an AI-driven writing assistant. It enhances writing efficiency by providing tools for grammar correction, text rephrasing, and content generation, all accessible from the menu bar without needing to switch applications. This tool is designed for writers, students, and professionals looking to streamline their writing process and improve productivity
- Provides grammar correction and text rephrasing directly from the menu bar.
- Allows text refinement in any application without switching contexts.
- Offers customizable actions to meet individual writing needs.
- Streamlines repetitive writing tasks for improved efficiency.
- Supports a wide range of applications, enhancing workflow across platforms.
TypoTab is a macOS application that enhances writing efficiency by providing grammar correction, text rephrasing, and content generation directly from the menu bar. It allows users to refine text in any application without switching contexts, offering customizable actions to suit individual writing needs.
SoftwareWritingmacOS
Opal C1 Camera
DSLR quality on a webcam for the
HardwareUtilitiesmacOS
Vinaa
All your AI chats. One Mac app.
One-time
Vinaa is a native Mac app for chatting with cloud and local AI models.
- Native Mac app for seamless interaction with both cloud and local AI models.
- Supports integration with OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google using user-provided API keys.
- Organizes chats into projects and folders for efficient workflow management.
- Allows switching between AI models mid-conversation without losing context.
- Stores conversations locally, ensuring privacy and control over data.
Bring your own API keys, organize conversations into projects and folders, switch models without starting over, import ChatGPT and Claude history, and keep every chat stored locally on your Mac.
SoftwareAImacOS
Steps
Pedometer and workout tracker for iPhone
Freemium
Steps is a pedometer and workout tracker software for iPhone and Apple Watch, integrated with Apple Health. It allows users to monitor daily steps, set fitness goals, and track various workout types with real-time metrics. The app features leaderboards, app locking for focus, and an AI Coach for personalized feedback.
- Tracks daily steps and fitness goals with customizable streaks and rest days.
- Competes on Stepboard leaderboards to encourage user engagement.
- Locks distracting apps until fitness goals are achieved.
- Logs over 23 workout types with real-time metrics and GPS tracking.
- Provides personalized workout feedback through on-device AI Coach.
- Offers Home Screen widgets, Apple Watch complications, and GPX export functionality.
Steps offers a comprehensive solution for users looking to monitor their physical activity and achieve fitness goals. With features like personalized feedback from an on-device AI Coach, integration with Apple Health, and the ability to track various workout types, it caters to both casual users and fitness enthusiasts.
SoftwareHealthiOS
Sugar
Chat beyond the bubble
Free
Sugar is a freeform chat app for friends — drop text, images, GIFs, videos, and drawings anywhere on an unlimited canvas instead of stacking generic green and blue bubbles.
- Unlimited canvas for messages, media, and drawings
- Place content anywhere — conversation as a spatial layout
- Text styles as unique as your voice, or classic bubble looks
- Images, GIFs, videos, and freehand drawings in the thread
- Built for colorful, chaotic chats with people you actually know
Free on the App Store. On Sugar, conversation is art.
SoftwareCreativeiOS
Mat
Photo cutouts & widgets for your memories
One-time
Mat is a little space for your memories — cut out people, pets, and moments from your photos, arrange them on a mat, and keep it on your Home Screen.
- Live camera cutouts that remove the background in one step
- Import from your photo library, plus letters and emoji
- Arrange, resize, and layer cutouts freely on mats
- Daily mat with a calendar of your days, plus Postits
- Friend mats you can build together
- Share to Instagram or export as wallpaper
Free to download. Mat Pro is a one-time unlock for unlimited mats, cutouts, and decorations — clocks, polaroids, stamps, and paper letters. Family Sharing supported. No subscription.
SoftwareCreativeiOS
New additions
Vinaa
All your AI chats. One Mac app.
One-time
Vinaa is a native Mac app for chatting with cloud and local AI models.
- Native Mac app for seamless interaction with both cloud and local AI models.
- Supports integration with OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google using user-provided API keys.
- Organizes chats into projects and folders for efficient workflow management.
- Allows switching between AI models mid-conversation without losing context.
- Stores conversations locally, ensuring privacy and control over data.
Bring your own API keys, organize conversations into projects and folders, switch models without starting over, import ChatGPT and Claude history, and keep every chat stored locally on your Mac.
SoftwareAImacOS
Steps
Pedometer and workout tracker for iPhone
Freemium
Steps is a pedometer and workout tracker software for iPhone and Apple Watch, integrated with Apple Health. It allows users to monitor daily steps, set fitness goals, and track various workout types with real-time metrics. The app features leaderboards, app locking for focus, and an AI Coach for personalized feedback.
- Tracks daily steps and fitness goals with customizable streaks and rest days.
- Competes on Stepboard leaderboards to encourage user engagement.
- Locks distracting apps until fitness goals are achieved.
- Logs over 23 workout types with real-time metrics and GPS tracking.
- Provides personalized workout feedback through on-device AI Coach.
- Offers Home Screen widgets, Apple Watch complications, and GPX export functionality.
Steps offers a comprehensive solution for users looking to monitor their physical activity and achieve fitness goals. With features like personalized feedback from an on-device AI Coach, integration with Apple Health, and the ability to track various workout types, it caters to both casual users and fitness enthusiasts.
SoftwareHealthiOS
Shotbase
Capture, edit, organize, and share in one
Freemium
Shotbase is a comprehensive tool designed to capture and manage all your screen-based content effortlessly. With features like stunning screenshot capabilities, recording options that include cinematic effects, and an intuitive organizational structure powered by local AI, you can easily keep your multimedia assets organized and accessible. Shotbase not only allows you to capture specific areas, windows, or full screens on your Mac but also enables you to edit and enhance your captures with backgrounds, frames, and annotations. The integrated AI ensures your captures are automatically named and tagged for easy searching, making it an excellent choice for anyone looking to enhance their productivity and creativity in one seamless workspace.
SoftwaremacOS
Sugar
Chat beyond the bubble
Free
Sugar is a freeform chat app for friends — drop text, images, GIFs, videos, and drawings anywhere on an unlimited canvas instead of stacking generic green and blue bubbles.
- Unlimited canvas for messages, media, and drawings
- Place content anywhere — conversation as a spatial layout
- Text styles as unique as your voice, or classic bubble looks
- Images, GIFs, videos, and freehand drawings in the thread
- Built for colorful, chaotic chats with people you actually know
Free on the App Store. On Sugar, conversation is art.
SoftwareCreativeiOS
Mat
Photo cutouts & widgets for your memories
One-time
Mat is a little space for your memories — cut out people, pets, and moments from your photos, arrange them on a mat, and keep it on your Home Screen.
- Live camera cutouts that remove the background in one step
- Import from your photo library, plus letters and emoji
- Arrange, resize, and layer cutouts freely on mats
- Daily mat with a calendar of your days, plus Postits
- Friend mats you can build together
- Share to Instagram or export as wallpaper
Free to download. Mat Pro is a one-time unlock for unlimited mats, cutouts, and decorations — clocks, polaroids, stamps, and paper letters. Family Sharing supported. No subscription.
SoftwareCreativeiOS
Clucky
Loud alarm clock with wake-up missions
Freemium
Clucky is a snarky rooster alarm for iPhone that makes waking up a small victory — complete wake-up missions that get your brain and body moving, then build a morning streak.
- Wake-up missions: math, shake, steps, push-ups, memory, phrases, colors, maze, photo, and object hunt
- Stack up to three missions per alarm with adjustable difficulty
- Extra Loud mode that keeps crowing until missions are done
- Flock: share a crow time with friends, nudges, and a weekly Roost Board
- Morning Stats, widgets, Live Activities, and Dynamic Island
- Custom Clucky sounds or import your own
Free to download with Clucky Pro subscription required for the features above (optional free trial). Solo alarms need no account; Flock uses optional Sign in with Apple.
SoftwareUtilitiesiOS
Amble
Step racing with your friends
Freemium
Amble turns your daily steps into a live race with the people you actually know — friends, family, or workmates on one leaderboard that resets at midnight.
- Create an Amble group and invite with a link or QR code
- Steps sync from Apple Health all day — no manual logging
- Head-to-head step races over a day or a week
- Daily goal streaks, plus a Step Wallet that can protect them
- Group chat with photos, reactions, and race challenges
- Record or import walks, runs, rides, and hikes with routes
Free to use with optional Amble Pro (subscription, 7-day trial) for unlimited Ambles, the Step Wallet, and full workout history import. Requires Apple Health.
SoftwareHealthiOS
ThisDay
Tasks, habits and reminders on one day
One-time
ThisDay is a day-first planner for iPhone where tasks, events, notes, voice memos, photos, and habits share one timeline — today, in the order things happen.
- Tasks, events, notes, voice memos, photos, and habits in one day list
- Reminders on anything, including voice memos and notes
- Habits that can tick from Apple Health (read-only, on-device)
- Unfinished work rolls forward so nothing quietly ages away
- Day bar for quick capture, day jumping, and what's running
- Widgets, Live Activities, Shortcuts, and Siri — no account required
Free for 21 days with everything unlocked, then a one-time purchase. Private by design: data stays on your device and syncs over your own iCloud.
SoftwareProductivityiOS
Text Catalyst
Clipboard manager meets text expander.
Freemium
Text Catalyst is a clipboard manager and text expander software designed for macOS. It enhances clipboard functionality by combining clipboard history with text expansion features, allowing users to efficiently manage copied content and frequently used text snippets.
- Stores and manages clipboard history for easy retrieval of copied text.
- Allows users to search and filter clipboard entries by the originating application.
- Enables creation of text shortcuts for quick insertion of frequently used snippets.
- Supports pasting multiple copied items simultaneously to streamline workflows.
- Provides a preview of content before pasting to ensure accuracy.
Text Catalyst is a macOS application that enhances clipboard functionality by combining clipboard history and text expansion features. Users can manage copied items, search through their clipboard history, and preview content before pasting. The app supports quick access to frequently used text snippets and allows for pasting multiple items efficiently.
Dudu
