My Default Apps (2026)
My go-to applications, updated for 2026
The new year seems like a good time to review and update my app defaults, the apps I normally use for this or that, as inspired by Hemispheric Views 097 - Duel of the Defaults!. Not much has changed since last year.
| Purpose | My (Primary) App | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 📨 Mail Client | Fastmail (web and iOS) | Perfect |
| 📮 Mail Server | Fastmail | Collaboration for the whole family |
| 📝 Notes | Bear Pro | I tried Apple Notes and Obsidian but came back to Bear. |
| 📝 Journal | Day One | I use this way more than I ever thought I would. |
| ✅ To-Do | Apple Reminders | Kanban-like view not as fully featured as others, but it works |
| 📷 Photos | Apple Camera | I was a heavy user of Halide Camera Mark II, but I’ve come back. |
| 🟦 Photo Management | Apple Photos | Since ditching Adobe Creative Cloud, I’m still searching for a solution to handle my huge archive. |
| 📆 Calendar | Fastmail | Shared calendars, birthday reminders, nothing fancy it just works |
| 📁 Cloud File Storage | Apple iCloud (mostly) | I pretty much abandoned Microsoft OneDrive. I use AWS Glacier Deep Archive for long term backups. |
| 📖 RSS | Tapestry | Works well, and brings a lot of things together in one place |
| 🙍🏻♂️ Contacts | Apple Contacts | It’s everywhere and it just works |
| 🌐 Browser | Firefox | I have a love/hate relationship with Firefox |
| 💬 Chat | Apple Messages | Also use WhatsApp and Signal in a few specific situations |
| 🔖 Bookmarks | Firefox | Nothing fancy here |
| 📑 Read It Later | Folio | |
| 📜 Word Processing | Microsoft Word | |
| 📈 Spreadsheets | Microsoft Excel | |
| 📊 Presentations | Microsoft PowerPoint | |
| 🛒 Shopping Lists | AnyList | |
| 🍴 Meal Planning | N/A | |
| 💰 Budgeting and Personal Finance | GnuCash | |
| 📰 News | Apple News | But it’s really terrible |
| 🎵 Music | Apple Music | |
| 🎤 Podcasts | Apple Podcasts | |
| 🔐 Password Management | 1Password |