OS appi18n – Lightweight CLI tool to convert between .xcstrings ↔ .lproj for better i18n collaboration & AI translation

I created a small CLI tool called appi18n to solve the pain points of using String Catalogs (.xcstrings) in team + AI translation workflows.

Why?

- Single .xcstrings file → frequent git conflicts
- Hard to split translation work among people
- Too large for feeding entire file to AI models (token limits, interruptions)

What it does

- Bidirectional conversion: .xcstrings ⇄ well-structured .lproj folders
- Much friendlier for Git collaboration and batch AI translation
- Still lets you enjoy Xcode's auto-extraction + visual translation status
- Also includes preview HTML generation, status check, clean-up, etc.

Repo & Homebrew install:
👉 https://github.com/jaywcjlove/appi18n

brew install jaywcjlove/tap/appi18n

The following shows example commands for adding internationalization files of a new app to the current repository's maintenance, including operations like importing files and adding new languages.

# 1️⃣ Extract .xcstrings localization file
$ appi18n extract ~/git/IconedApp/Iconed
# 2️⃣ Convert .xcstrings to .lproj for maintenance
$ appi18n to-lproj
# 3️⃣ Add French (fr) language to Iconed app
$ appi18n langs iconed fr
# 4️⃣ Update all .lproj content back to .xcstrings
$ appi18n to-xcstrings
# 5️⃣ Also update when language matches base language
$ appi18n to-xcstrings --no-skip-default-value
# ✅ 💯 Replace .xcstrings files in Xcode with the updated ones

This is a preview of my app localizations generated using appi18n:
👉 https://wangchujiang.com/app-i18n/index.html

Happy to hear feedback, especially from other indie macOS/iOS devs who maintain multiple apps or use AI for localization.


https://redd.it/1rhrgyk
@macappsbackup

AraMultiVideoPlayer A video player that allows infinite playback of multiple videos simultaneously.

https://reddit.com/link/1rhrckh/video/7f79a1tfzdmg1/player

Hi everyone,

A few years ago, I made a mobile app called MultiVideoPlayer for iOS and Android that lets you play multiple videos at the same time.

Recently, I released a macOS version and added some key features like multi AB repeat and layout save/load.

The app itself does not include any videos. You can load your own video files and arrange them however you like.

Key features:

Infinite loop playback
AB repeat (including multiple AB sections)
Save and load custom layouts
Videos are muted by default when loaded
Play/pause all videos at once
Control videos individually

The macOS app includes a free tier with limited points.
If you need more, you can unlock them via in-app purchase.
I initially planned to support the free version with ads, but I haven’t found a suitable macOS ad solution yet.

If my app is useful to you, I’d love to hear your feedback or suggestions for improvement.

Mac Free : https://apps.apple.com/us/app/aramultivideoplayer/id6752670863?l=ko&mt=12
Mac Paid : https://apps.apple.com/us/app/aramultivideoplayerpro/id6752816898?l=ko&mt=12
Website(for mobile) : https://dalnim.github.io/multivideoplayer/

https://redd.it/1rhrckh
@macappsbackup

Prevent Mail.app from displaying images in the body of an email

Can we prevent Mail.app from automatically displaying email images?

This opens the door to easy attacks. Most email clients offer this option; why doesn't Apple integrate it?

EDIT: I'm talking here about email attachments, which are not blocked by the option "Block all remote content"

https://redd.it/1rht7ta
@macappsbackup

[OS] Pixley Reader - Read the markdown files your AI tools generate - Free

https://redd.it/1rhwmmz
@macappsbackup

LaunchMe - Launchpad replacement for macOS 26. Big post about huge next update that will bring many new features to LaunchMe.

https://redd.it/1rhyk1u
@macappsbackup

macOS Clamper — The app that "clamps" your precious menu bar

Problem: macOS offers no way to adjust the spacing between menu bar icons, so crowded menu bars waste space or feel cramped.

Compare: Menu Bar Spacing does not handle the padding properly, and TighterMenubar does not show the actual pixel values while changing the padding and spacing. That's why I created my solution there.

Core features:

Adjust icon spacing and selection padding
Live preview strip showing changes in real-time
One-click restore to system defaults
Haptic feedback on slider adjustments

Screenshot:

https://preview.redd.it/asurvg7cxgmg1.png?width=1324&format=png&auto=webp&s=4357dc5e9dbacce3812b0be294de802f70d9d338

Changelog: https://github.com/validatedev/Clamper/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md

Pricing: Free and open-source (MIT License)

AI Disclaimer: Human Validated

Link: https://github.com/validatedev/Clamper

https://redd.it/1ri35c9
@macappsbackup

Mac Menu Bar Chaos

Not My laptop

# Where We Are… And Why

macOS 26 (Tahoe) is now months into its lifespan. The UI chaos it caused for menu bar management apps has calmed down a bit, but the situation is still far from stable.

A combination of API limitations, OS-level redesigns, and tighter security controls broke many of the assumptions apps like Bartender, Ice, and Barbee relied on. As a result, behavior that used to be predictable is now anything but.

Common symptoms include:

icons disappearing and reappearing randomly
the OS overriding the order of icons
management apps losing track of icon positions
items reindexing themselves
settings resetting
hidden items suddenly reappearing

Even something as basic as determining whether a menu bar icon is visible has become unreliable. For example, NSStatusItem.isVisible can return true even when the icon is hidden behind the notch or pushed offscreen by menu titles.

The new OS-level menu bar controls are also incomplete. Tahoe will quietly hide items when the bar gets crowded, and apps receive no notification when that happens. From a developer’s perspective, the OS is moving the furniture around without telling anyone.

To work around this, some menu bar managers now request:

Screen Recording permission
Accessibility access
Event monitoring

That understandably makes some users uneasy. Worse, Tahoe’s restrictions on these permissions sometimes cause side effects such as ghost clicks, cursor interference, or other input glitches across the system.

None of this is malicious; it’s just what happens when an ecosystem built on clever workarounds collides with a new security model.

# What the Future Probably Looks Like

Long term, the situation likely resolves in one of three ways:

1. Apple ships a real menu bar overflow manager
2. Apple exposes proper status-item APIs for developers
3. The category slowly fades as launchers replace menu bar workflows

The third possibility is already happening.

Launchers are increasingly taking over tasks that used to live in the menu bar. The bar itself is drifting toward a status display, not an interaction surface. You glance at it to see whether something is syncing or connected. When you actually want to do something, you open a launcher.

# Accepting a Partial Solution

Over the past few months I’ve tested most of the menu bar managers currently available. Like many power users, I ended up choosing the option that annoys me the least. That is not the same thing as finding a solution that makes me happy.

Different setups behave differently. The manager that works well for Power User A might be completely unusable for Power User B depending on hardware, display configuration, and which menu bar apps are installed.

Here’s where things landed for me:

Hidden Bar
Too minimal and largely unmaintained.
Ice / Thaw
Interesting ideas; still plagued by the usual Tahoe bugs.
Barbee
Visually polished but inconsistent in day-to-day use.
Sanebar
Promising; currently suffers from the same underlying instability.
Bartender
Still buggy, but actively maintained and responsive to user feedback.

For now, Bartender still wins in my setup because nothing else matches its feature set:

The Bartender Bar, which shows active but hidden apps
Three icon states: Menu Bar, Bartender Bar, and Hidden
Adjustable menu bar spacing
Icons that appear only when an app changes state (great for cloud sync indicators)
Presets for different icon layouts
Automations triggered by conditions; for example, hiding the battery icon unless charge drops below 50%

To keep things stable, I avoid several features that add extra system hooks:

Mac Menu Bar Chaos

[Not My laptop](https://preview.redd.it/ldvyedtbtung1.png?width=1536&format=png&auto=webp&s=af60325a50b8f0a6c82da94f86c98e2f6c3fdd93)

# Where We Are… And Why

macOS 26 (Tahoe) is now months into its lifespan. The UI chaos it caused for menu bar management apps has calmed down a bit, but the situation is still far from stable.

A combination of **API limitations, OS-level redesigns, and tighter security controls** broke many of the assumptions apps like Bartender, Ice, and Barbee relied on. As a result, behavior that used to be predictable is now anything but.

Common symptoms include:

* icons disappearing and reappearing randomly
* the OS overriding the order of icons
* management apps losing track of icon positions
* items reindexing themselves
* settings resetting
* hidden items suddenly reappearing

Even something as basic as determining whether a menu bar icon is visible has become unreliable. For example, `NSStatusItem.isVisible` can return `true` even when the icon is hidden behind the notch or pushed offscreen by menu titles.

The new OS-level menu bar controls are also incomplete. Tahoe will quietly hide items when the bar gets crowded, and apps receive **no notification** when that happens. From a developer’s perspective, the OS is moving the furniture around without telling anyone.

To work around this, some menu bar managers now request:

* Screen Recording permission
* Accessibility access
* Event monitoring

That understandably makes some users uneasy. Worse, Tahoe’s restrictions on these permissions sometimes cause side effects such as ghost clicks, cursor interference, or other input glitches across the system.

None of this is malicious; it’s just what happens when an ecosystem built on clever workarounds collides with a new security model.

# What the Future Probably Looks Like

Long term, the situation likely resolves in one of three ways:

1. Apple ships a real menu bar overflow manager
2. Apple exposes proper status-item APIs for developers
3. The category slowly fades as launchers replace menu bar workflows

The third possibility is already happening.

Launchers are increasingly taking over tasks that used to live in the menu bar. The bar itself is drifting toward a **status display**, not an interaction surface. You glance at it to see whether something is syncing or connected. When you actually want to *do* something, you open a launcher.

# Accepting a Partial Solution

Over the past few months I’ve tested most of the menu bar managers currently available. Like many power users, I ended up choosing the option that annoys me the least. That is not the same thing as finding a solution that makes me happy.

Different setups behave differently. The manager that works well for Power User A might be completely unusable for Power User B depending on hardware, display configuration, and which menu bar apps are installed.

Here’s where things landed for me:

* [Hidden Bar](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hidden-bar/id1452453066?mt=12)
* Too minimal and largely unmaintained.
* [Ice / Thaw](https://macmenubar.com/thaw/)
* Interesting ideas; still plagued by the usual Tahoe bugs.
* [Barbee](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/barbee-hide-menu-bar-items/id1548711022?mt=12)
* Visually polished but inconsistent in day-to-day use.
* [Sanebar](https://sanebar.com)
* Promising; currently suffers from the same underlying instability.
* [Bartender](https://www.macbartender.com)
* Still buggy, but actively maintained and responsive to user feedback.

For now, **Bartender still wins** in my setup because nothing else matches its feature set:

* The **Bartender Bar**, which shows active but hidden apps
* Three icon states: *Menu Bar*, *Bartender Bar*, and *Hidden*
* Adjustable menu bar spacing
* Icons that appear only when an app changes state (great for cloud sync indicators)
* Presets for different icon layouts
* Automations triggered by conditions; for example, hiding the battery icon unless charge drops below 50%

To keep things stable, I avoid several features that add extra system hooks:

*

Appearance customization
* Menu bar search (Raycast handles that better anyway)
* Automatic icon reordering
* Complex trigger rules

# Changing the Workflow

One tactic that has helped a lot is simply **reducing my reliance on menu bar interfaces altogether**.

Many tasks I used to perform through menu bar icons now live elsewhere:

* **Raycast** for launching and quick actions
* **ExtraBar** for custom shortcuts
* **BetterTouchTool** triggers
* **Apple Shortcuts** automations

In some cases I just disable icons entirely using the menu bar controls in System Settings. A few functions have migrated to Control Center as well.

The result is a much quieter menu bar.

Back in August 2024 [I wrote a post about everything living in my menu bar at the time:](https://appaddict.app/post/what-s-in-your-menu-bar)

I had **43 icons**.

Today I have six:

* Alter
* ExtraBar
* Dato
* Bartender
* MountMate
* Ollama

And honestly, that feels about right.

https://redd.it/1roab5t
@macappsbackup