Apple’s macOS desktop operating system has been around for decades, and, in that time, it has amassed a large ecosystem of third-party apps, utilities, and programs. I have a number of personal favorite Mac apps, most of which lean heavily into the Apple aesthetic, but I also have an equal appreciation for apps that endow the Mac with some PC DNA.
In the same vein as making your Windows 11 computer run more like a macOS machine, the opposite can be achieved with the help of a few choice programs. Here are five Mac apps in particular that I use to give my MacBook Air a Windows-esque UI flair, all without losing touch of the Mac’s unique identity.
AltTab
Customize the behavior of the Alt+Tab shortcut
AltTab is a free and open-source (FOSS) macOS app that provides advanced customization options for the Alt+Tab keyboard shortcut. Across both macOS and Windows, this native shortcut allows you to quickly switch between running apps, but only the latter provides full window previews within its interface. With AltTab, you can port over the PC’s Alt+Tab experience to the Mac without hassle.
Additionally, AltTab can be used for a variety of power-user purposes, with custom trigger shortcuts, app blacklisting, accessibility options, drag-and-drop functionality, and more. There are customization options, too, relating to the look and feel of the Alt+Tab user interface itself and how it presents itself on screen.
DockDoor
Preview your windows before you click into them
DockDoor is similar to AltTab in that it introduces PC-style window previewing to the Mac, but the former does so in the Dock. Analogous to window previews on the Windows 11 taskbar, hovering over an app icon with DockDoor activated will surface a live preview of the contents within the app in question, along with traffic light window control buttons, multimedia playback toggles, and more.
DockDoor is FOSS, which is great to see, and, in my experience, the added visual effects don’t impact performance to any perceived degree. The app can also add previews to both Alt+Tab and Cmd+Tab keyboard shortcuts, and it also has built-in shortcuts of its own for navigating, gesturing, previewing, and other useful additions.
Dato
Stay on top of your day the agenda way
If you’re running a macOS machine and miss Windows’ quick-access System Tray calendar, then Dato is by far the best one-to-one replacement. The app, which can be purchased from the Apple App Store for a one-time fee of $18, adds a Menu Bar item to the top of your Mac, which can then be clicked to expand both a calendar and an agenda. You can synchronize your events from various service providers, and all appear instantly on-screen once set up.
Naturally, Dato isn’t the only calendar-in-Menu-Bar-style application available for macOS, and it’s also far from the cheapest solution. However, if you value clean visuals, a native looking and feeling interface design, and a no-nonsense approach to monetization, then Data is incredibly easy to recommend.
Magnet
Bolster window snapping on your Mac
After years of neglect, Apple finally went ahead and copied Microsoft’s 2009-era Windows Snap feature in 2024’s macOS 15 Sequoia release. While it’s certainly nice to be able to natively maneuver application windows into tiles on the Mac, the feature is still pretty rudimentary, all things considered. That’s where the $5 Magnet app comes into play: it brings with it many advanced options, keyboard shortcuts, trigger areas, custom commands, and more.
Magnet isn’t the only window snapping enhancer app for macOS — BetterSnapTool and Rectangle are both excellent apps in their own right — however, it’s the one I’ve been using for the longest, and so I’m most comfortable with its set of functions and commands. That being said, BetterSnapTool is only $3, and Rectangle is entirely FOSS, which is worth keeping in mind.
Ice
Banish that Menu Bar clutter once and for all
For the longest time on Windows, you’ve been able to obfuscate lesser-used System Tray applets behind a small, unobtrusive arrow in the taskbar. This is perfect, as they’re still readily accessible at a moment’s notice, while avoiding the pitfall of taking up space and cluttering the desktop when dormant. On the Mac, which houses similar applets within its Menu Bar, there’s simply no native method to hide active icons, which is why third-party alternatives have sprouted onto the scene.
Aside from Ice, another popular and well-received Menu Bar declutterer is the FOSS Hidden Bar application, which offers similar functionality and is worth checking out.
Ice is a FOSS solution for tidying up your Mac’s Menu Bar, and it does its job in superb fashion. A customizable arrow icon allows you to show and hide icons with ease, and there’s a drag-and-drop interface to help organize icon placement. The app also throws a ton of advanced features into the mix, such as the option to adjust icon spacing, the ability to add a secondary bar below the main one, auto-collapsing of the bar’s expanded state, and so on.
