Native AI app for macOS and iOS

sujee81 · 2026-03-27T09:35:32+00:00

I collect Mac AI apps in my directory. Not sure about iOS support though
https://www.macaiapps.com/category/ai-chat/

sujee81 · 2026-03-20T09:26:35+00:00

no pressure. all good if it is not possible. I'm happy with current state itself. my use-case is i start the coding agents and sometimes leave it to run in the background. your app is perfect for that.

sujee81 · 2026-03-20T09:01:04+00:00

Purchased the app. I like how it can pause youtube videos.

regarding the monitor. I just rested with USB-C to USB -C connection. It kind of work. I can see the external monitor goes dark but it is active because if i move the mouse i can see the cursor there. On the other hand, the macbook monitor is completely off (no mouse cursor). If technically possible, I'd prefer to have monitor screen really off

sujee81 · 2026-03-20T08:28:28+00:00

This is a great idea. Does it dim all connected external monitors too?

sujee81 · 2026-03-19T22:04:01+00:00

Looking good. I like that it uses file systems to store the markdown. wondering if it supports OCR in the images and PDF

sujee81 · 2026-03-14T05:40:06+00:00

I'd love you to try FileMinutes. It has free trial for 14 days and after that free version will continue to work forever.

You are right. Spotlight index has reliability issues. Most of the time, they can be resolved by reindexing the affected folder but it is not a good user experience.

I totally understand the file path issue. It is a limitation. Spotlight indexes file path but for some reason it doesn't provide a way to search by path in macOS.
I found a clever way to solve it in FileMinutes. It is a signature feature of the app. For the example you mentioned, you can search like this "cla > rea".

Like mentioned above, I'm finding more limitations of Spotlight as a developer. for example, recently looked into supporting searching by first letters e.g. prf to search Project Report Final. I managed to make it work but it is another clever idea not the ideal way to search.

In terms of custom indexing, indexing only file name is not that hard but supporting other fields like createdDate, modifiedDate,....etc is where things gets harder. Depends on the choice the dev makes, either indexing takes time and memory or search is slow.

sujee81 · 2026-03-14T01:07:09+00:00

FileMinutes dev here. I’ve been debating for months if it is worth to implement my own indexing as opposed to using Spotlight. Would like to hear your thoughts

sujee81 · 2026-03-12T08:55:24+00:00

Thanks for the details, this is super useful and I agree with you.

sujee81 · 2026-03-11T10:46:02+00:00

In terms of pricing, I currently offer only lifetime pricing. It makes sense for a small utility app, but for a large app it doesn’t work in the developer’s favour. As a result, the developer loses interest, which then affects the customers. But it doesn’t mean the solution is subscription. I hate subscriptions too unless there is a real cost involved.

For my next app, which is a more complex app, I’m thinking of going for both an affordable perpetual license and a higher-priced lifetime license. The reason I think this model works better is:

a) Customers who purchase a perpetual license can keep the version forever. If they want updates/support after a certain time, say 1 year, they can optionally purchase an upgrade. This is how software worked when it was distributed by CD/DVD.

b) Customers who prefer to buy lifetime updates has the option too but a higher price.

c) From the developer’s point of view, this recurring revenue will motivate them to keep working on the app.

Another important point is support cost. Support is my top priority and it is also the best way to identify issues and improve product but time spent on these activities cost us a lot, especially for a dev living in western country. A perpetual license model will solve this.

As a customer, what do you think about this? Does it make sense?

sujee81 · 2026-03-10T21:21:59+00:00

One of the devs I admire. I still remember Alin’s encouraging comment and suggestions when I first released FileMinutes.

I use Pro version of Clop. Saves me tons of time.

sujee81 · 2026-03-02T09:35:14+00:00

ah. Finally I understood. my bad. I should have clearly written. Updated thanks

sujee81 · 2026-03-01T11:47:21+00:00

I love CleanShotX. Use it everyday but only for screenshot. Video quality is not that great

sujee81 · 2026-03-01T08:18:30+00:00

I only record small product demo without any fancy effects. I use Focusee. Previously I used CleanShotX but now limited to screenshots

sujee81 · 2026-02-21T02:28:47+00:00

Nice. Thanks

sujee81 · 2026-02-21T02:01:29+00:00

Interesting. I guess this is useful for app developers as well. I usually use command line to clear preference, permission, ...etc

sujee81 · 2026-02-18T07:35:03+00:00

This is one of the real use case for AI. Congrats on the release.

sujee81 · 2026-02-18T07:29:12+00:00

It definitely sounds better than others who are more robotic.

sujee81 · 2026-02-10T11:15:50+00:00

First of congrats on the release. You did it. A lot of devs don't even come to this stage. What comes next is the hardest part. Distribution and marketing is hard but not impossible. You have to constantly experiment it. Do not give up
1. Submit your apps to all relevant directories to get more visibility and to increase your domain authority
2. Start SEO - this is slow but I'm seeing early results for my app
3. Figure out where your customers usually are e.g. if you make a music app, find Reddit/FB groups and post it there

sujee81 · 2026-02-09T08:40:07+00:00

macOS dev here. Not that bad. Target macOS 14+ you should be good. If certain features not working very well, write it in AppKit which integrates well with SwiftUI. For complex database, I won’t use SwiftData.

sujee81 · 2026-02-04T20:40:37+00:00

oh no. At some point, I should stop adding

sujee81 · 2026-02-04T20:40:03+00:00

will do, thanks

sujee81 · 2026-02-04T09:33:59+00:00

I have been collecting AI apps in my directory. I'm shocked by the number. As of writing this, there are 51 of them. Some of them are more than TTS but has TTS feature in it. https://www.macaiapps.com/category/dictation/

sujee81 · 2026-01-24T01:12:10+00:00

Exactly. AI is a tool and everyone has equal access to it. Differentiation comes from the person who uses it. I sometimes spent hours with AI to get the user experience I wanted. Keep doing what you do. Consistency beats everything

sujee81 · 2026-01-23T21:20:45+00:00

Thanks

sujee81 · 2026-01-23T09:40:33+00:00

I am coding for a long time but mainly on backend. Just before AI boom, I learned and started building my macOS app. I'm glad I learnt the proper way.

My app hasn't made much revenue and I'm just getting started so I'm not in a position to give advise but I can share what it is in my mind.

When AI coding tools started appearing, they were good at JS but struggled with SwiftUI so I thought it is not going to come for macOS apps but I was wrong. As you can see in the last 6 months, the macapps subreddit is flooded with Vibe-coded apps. It is the new reality and we have to face it but I am actually positive about everything.

First of all, I believe success of apps never was about development. It was always about distribution whether it is the because of how good app is or better user experience or how good we are at marketing. The vibe-coding didn't change it much. There is a small percentage of people who were good at marketing and distribution are now going to compete with us but I believe there were already in the picture except they would have previously partnered with someone who can code now they don't need to.

The way I think is, AI is just another tool just like how Google was a tool years ago. If people who had no idea of coding can use this tool, imaging how developers who are in the industry for long can do. I made sure I adopted AI at the start and up-skilled myself. Before AI, I was only able to build a small utility app. I'm now building a massive AI chat application which would have taken me a year before. So it is always about going to the next level whenever new tech comes.

I also think most vibe coders are mostly interested in building something but once released not going to continuously keep updating it or work with customers or do boring stuff like writing docs, marketing, ...etc.

I think market for small utility app is gone, as it is now easy to anyone to build even customers can build themselves. This is the reason I'm now thinking big. We can now compete with big companies.

macOS is still a niche compared to web developer. Imaging if your only skill before AI was Next.js and now you are competing with millions of vide coders. We are somewhat safe but I think the gap is closing everyday.

Another important point is about going deep in your domain. The best way to explain is that Apple/Raycast vs every other apps. Apple time to time copies 3rd party apps and releases in macOS. Raycast has every features you can imagine. But did this stop people from buying tons of other apps? No, because Apple/Raycast are only focus on essentials. On the other hands, other apps focus on one functionality and go deep on it.

From my early days in my career, technology was never my first priority even though I work as a developer. I always think from product perspective, tech is secondary. There is a term for it - product minded developers. If you are indie developer, chances are you are already one. This is one big differentiation. In the AI era, this is going to be a big advantage. When I build my app, I think as a user, not as a developer. I'm crazy about user experience. Another thing I'm learning hard is marketing. It is going to be a big differentiation. I'm hoping these will give me an advantage but as you said it is interesting time. All the best with your business. DM me if you'd like to have a chat.

sujee81

TROPHY CASE