Ever found yourself wishing your Mac could do that one little thing your old Windows PC handled with ease? The frustration of missing familiar shortcuts or intuitive features can be a daily annoyance for cross-platform users. Fortunately, this app brings some of those much-loved Windows conveniences directly to macOS, aiming to smooth out the rough edges of Apple's operating system.
Bridging the Feature Gap
For years, users have navigated the distinct ecosystems of Windows and macOS, often appreciating the strengths of each while lamenting the absence of certain functionalities. While Windows has long offered features like advanced file management shortcuts and system-wide text extraction, macOS has sometimes left users wanting more. This is where utility apps step in, acting as digital bridges to connect these experiences. This app brings some of the most requested Windows-like functionalities to Mac users, addressing common pain points and enhancing overall usability.
One of the most significant frustrations for users switching between operating systems is the difference in file management. Windows users are accustomed to the ability to cut and paste files directly using keyboard shortcuts like Cmd+X and Cmd+V. macOS, by default, requires a more convoluted process involving copying (Cmd+C) and then pasting using a modified shortcut (Cmd+Option+V) to achieve a move operation. This discrepancy, while seemingly minor, can disrupt workflows and lead to frequent errors for those accustomed to the Windows method.
Beyond file operations, other subtle yet impactful differences exist. For instance, the behavior of media keys on a keyboard can be a source of irritation. On Windows, pressing the play button typically offers predictable behavior, whereas on macOS, it might unexpectedly launch the Apple Music app, even if another music service is the preferred choice. This app brings some of these overlooked but essential tweaks to the forefront, aiming to make the Mac experience more intuitive and less jarring for long-time PC users.
Introducing Supercharge: Your Menu Bar Companion
Enter Supercharge, a powerful utility developed by Sindre Sorhus, an indie developer known for his high-quality Mac applications. Rather than a standalone application with a singular purpose, Supercharge functions as a versatile toolkit, a veritable Swiss army knife for your menu bar. It's designed to fill specific usability gaps within macOS, many of which have already been addressed in Windows. The app offers an unlimited free trial, with a gentle prompt to upgrade every 12 hours, or it can be purchased outright for $18. For those already subscribed, it's also available as part of the Setapp subscription service.
Supercharge operates on two main fronts: a comprehensive settings menu for deep customization and a sleek menu bar application for quick access to micro-utilities. The real magic lies within the 'Tweaks' section of the settings. Here, users can meticulously customize their Mac's behavior to mirror functionalities they've come to rely on from other platforms.
Enhancing Finder and Mission Control
The Finder application on macOS, while functional, often lacks the intuitive shortcuts that Windows File Explorer users take for granted. Supercharge directly tackles this by reintroducing the familiar cut and paste functionality. With this enabled, you can finally use Cmd+X to cut a file and Cmd+V to paste it, streamlining file management significantly. This simple change alone can drastically improve efficiency for users accustomed to this workflow.
Furthermore, Supercharge introduces other helpful file management tweaks. You can enable a shortcut (Option+N) to instantly create a new text file within your current folder--a feature that feels surprisingly absent in default macOS. Additionally, the app allows you to configure the Enter key to open files instead of initiating a rename action, and you can set hidden files to be visible by default, mirroring Windows Explorer's behavior.
Apple's Mission Control offers a broad overview of open windows, but its interactive capabilities are limited. Supercharge enhances this by integrating window management buttons directly into the Mission Control overlay. This means you can now add dedicated Close, Minimize, and Quit buttons for every window, making it far easier to declutter your workspace visually and efficiently. For example, after a long coding session with multiple terminal windows open, you can quickly close all but your active IDE with a single click within Mission Control.
Dock and App Management Improvements
The macOS Dock, while aesthetically pleasing, can also benefit from more taskbar-like flexibility. Supercharge introduces a 'Click-to-Hide' feature, allowing you to minimize or hide an application simply by clicking its icon in the Dock. This offers a more immediate way to manage open applications. A particularly useful addition is the ability to open folders directly in Finder from the Dock, bypassing potential app-specific folder views.
For users who find themselves accidentally launching applications, Supercharge offers an 'Accidental Quit Prevention' feature. This requires a double-press or a specific key combination (Shift + Cmd + Q) to quit an application, preventing unintentional closures. Perhaps one of the most universally appreciated fixes is the ability to stop Apple Music from launching automatically. This feature prevents the app from hijacking your media playback when you press play on your keyboard or Bluetooth headphones, ensuring your preferred music service remains in control. This alone makes the app a worthwhile investment for many.
Beyond these core features, Supercharge includes several other quality-of-life enhancements. The 'Notification Nuke' feature lets you assign a global hotkey to instantly clear all notifications from Notification Center, acting as a digital reset button for focus. Imagine clearing a barrage of Slack notifications with a single keypress before a crucial meeting.
Menu Bar Utilities for On-the-Fly Actions
The second component of Supercharge is its menu bar application, which provides quick access to a variety of smaller, often-missed functionalities. With over two dozen options available, users can tailor the menu bar to their specific needs. Going to Settings > General > Show Menu Items reveals this extensive list.
Among the valuable menu bar additions are utilities for capturing and copying text directly from images (OCR functionality), a feature reminiscent of Windows PowerToys' Text Extractor. There are also one-click options for hiding all windows, showing the desktop, quitting all applications except the current one, and clearing notifications. A simple 'Keep Awake' feature prevents your Mac from sleeping even when the lid is closed, useful for long downloads or rendering tasks.
This app brings some of the most convenient, albeit niche, features from other platforms directly into the macOS environment. For example, adding a quick option to switch default browsers from the menu bar can save time compared to digging through System Settings. Another new example could be a quick menu item to toggle Bluetooth on/off, a common task for users who frequently connect and disconnect wireless peripherals. Finally, a simple clipboard history manager, accessible from the menu bar, could be a game-changer for anyone who copies and pastes frequently, allowing retrieval of previously copied items.
