Better than Apple?

Do you use Apple’s stock Mac apps? If so, Cult of Mac writer Rajesh Pandey wants you to know there might be a better way.

He’s always looking for ways to juice his workflow, and he’s found seven powerful third-party Mac apps that do things Apple’s free alternatives just can’t pull off.

He swears by them, saying each one solves a specific problem or adds a feature he can’t imagine living without. See if they might work wonders for you, too.

Also in this edition of The Weekender:

Apple’s AirDrop is awesome, but do you know all the tricks?
Rumorpalooza! Here’s what to expect from the iPhone 18e and the next MacBook Pro and Mac mini.
This week, our reviewers tackled some interesting products: a tiny iPhone charger that’s “smaller than a credit card,” a clever iPad keyboard that doubles as a stand, and a data-scrubbing service that lets you vanish from the internet.
And finally, AirPods Pro 3 went on sale again at a deep discount this week, and so did Apple Pencil Pro.

Enjoy your weekend!

— Lewis Wallace, managing editor

Feature story

I replaced 7 Apple apps on my Mac. Here's what I use instead.

From Mail to Notes, I replaced these built-in Apple apps and tools on my Mac with third-party options — and I haven't looked back.

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News

M6 MacBook Pro rumor roundup: Faster chip, familiar design

The upcoming M6 MacBook Pro promises enhanced performance in a time-tested design. Here's what to expect ... including the price.

Plus, more Apple rumors:

Does charging your iPhone to 100% really hurt the battery?

Charging your iPhone to 100% won't damage it instantly. Here's what really wears down your battery and how to protect it.

macOS Tahoe 26.6.1 patches nasty Screen Sharing security hole

Apple released macOS Tahoe 26.6.1 with an important fix for a Screen Sharing security flaw. Install it today.

Plus, more on Apple bugs:

Score more money as Apple boosts iPhone and Mac trade-in values

Apple raised trade-in values again. See how much you can get from that older iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple Watch.

Apple will eventually bring iPhone clipboard syncing to Windows PCs

Apple works to bring seamless copy-and-paste between iPhones and Windows PCs, though the feature likely won't arrive until at least 2027.

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Posting everywhere means rewriting one idea six times, so you post to one, or none. SureThing turns one idea into native posts for every platform.

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How-tos

Master AirDrop: Your ultimate guide to seamless file sharing on iPhone, iPad and Mac

If you want to know the fastest and easiest way to send someone photos, videos, files and so, so much more, you should know how to AirDrop.

Let Apple Mail organize your emails for you

With the new automatic mail categorization in Apple Mail, you can organize your emails and keep your inbox less cluttered.

Split View is still in iPadOS 26 — here’s how to use it

Apple kept Split View side-by-side multitasking in iPadOS 26, despite what you might have read. And setting it up is really easy.

Deals

AirPods Pro 3 drop to the lowest price in months

Apple's high-end, noise-canceling earbuds already provide great value, and this AirPods Pro 3 deal makes them more affordable.

Plus: Why it’s a great day to buy an Apple Pencil Pro

Cancel Adobe Acrobat and get this Mac-compatible PDF editor — just $40 for life

Systweak PDF Editor Pro handles editing, converting, signing, and locking down PDFs without touching the cloud.

If you use ChatGPT, you need to see this AI tool

The Undetectable Humanizer transforms your AI-generated text into natural, human-like prose to help it bypass AI-detection systems.

Plus, more AI from Cult of Mac Deals:

New price cut: Get FastestVPN on 10 devices, just $22.50 for life

Keep your personal data private with a FastestVPN lifetime license, on sale now. Supports iOS, macOS, Windows, Android, smart TVs and more.

Stop paying monthly for domain names — get 6 that last for life for just $30

This Hostdeal domain names lifetime subscription gives you six domain credits for one payment of just $29.99 (regularly $120).

Reviews

How a data-scrubber stopped my elderly relative from being scammed [Review]

Successful scammers craft their campaigns using personal information found online. I used Incogni to purge that data for an elderly relative.

Chargeasap Miko is a tiny charger that's always with you [Review]

This gadget nails portability with its clever cable design, but its compact size comes at a cost.

Razer Travel Case Folio cleverly combines keyboard case with tablet stand [Review]

We go hands-on a new iPad case designed for gamers as well as productivity on the go.