Must-have Mac utilities: what macOS does by itself, where it stops, and what Tack+ adds

Updated October 29, 2026 · 6 min read

A Mac utility is a small app that fills a gap in macOS: a clipboard history, a place to park files, a system monitor. A new Mac does more than it used to: since macOS 15 it tiles windows, since macOS 26 Spotlight keeps what you copy. Here are ten categories, each starting with what is built in, then where macOS stops, and whether Tack+ covers it.

Published by Pensa Corporation, the publisher of Tack+. For each category this page says first what macOS does for free, and says so when Tack+ does nothing there.

The short version

Try what's built in first: window tiling (macOS 15 and later), Spotlight's clipboard history (macOS 26 and later), ⇧ ⌘ 5 for screenshots, Activity Monitor.
macOS stops short on four points: a clipboard history that doesn't expire, a file shelf, a use for the notch, and an assistant that tidies your files on request.
Tack+ covers six of the ten categories in one panel at the edge of the screen: clipboard, file shelf, monitoring, the notch, dictation and a local AI assistant.
Tack+ does not cover app launching, window management, tidying the menu bar or screenshots.

What makes a utility worth installing?

It does something macOS doesn't, or does it much better. When macOS is enough, keep macOS.
It's alive: a release in the last months, and a version that matches your macOS.
The price is clear: free, one-time or subscription, and what happens to your data if you stop.
It's signed and notarized by Apple, so macOS opens it without a warning.

What does macOS include, category by category?

Category	Built into macOS	Where macOS stops	Tack+
Launcher	Spotlight, `⌘ Space`: apps, files, settings	Custom commands and workflows	No
Clipboard history	Spotlight, macOS 26 and later, off by default	Clears after 7 days at most; nothing on macOS 14 and 15	Yes: text and links, no expiry
Windows	Tiling since macOS 15: drag to an edge, or the green button	Custom layouts and shortcuts	No
Menu bar	`⌘`-drag to reorder; a Menu Bar section in System Settings since macOS 26	Icons hidden behind the notch on older versions	No
Screenshots	`⇧ ⌘ 5`: screen, window, selection, recording	Scrolling capture, heavy annotation	No
File shelf	None; the desktop plays the part	Dragging between hidden windows	Yes: the Stash, 24 items
Monitoring	Activity Monitor, per app	A glance without opening an app	A Monitor widget: CPU, temperature, memory, battery, disk
The notch	Nothing: macOS leaves it empty	Any use of the space	Yes: artwork, equalizer, timer, date and time around it
AI assistant for files	None that tidies folders on request	Acting on your files in plain words	Yes, local, on Apple silicon
Dictation	System Settings › Keyboard › Dictation; the Microphone key or Fn twice	A switch, not a key you hold; stops after 30 s of silence	Yes: hold a key, speak, release

Dictation is the newest of the ten: how to set it up, dictate in another language and fix it when nothing is written is in our guide to voice dictation on Mac.

How do I open anything from the keyboard?

Press ⌘ Space: Spotlight finds apps, files and settings, and it is built in. Since macOS 26 it also keeps a clipboard history. A dedicated launcher adds custom commands and workflows; Tack+ is not a launcher and doesn't try to be one. Its own search (⌥ Space) looks through what the panel holds: the clipboard, the Stash, recent conversations, today's appointments and reminders.

How do I get back what I copied?

Since macOS 26, Spotlight keeps a clipboard history, off by default and time-limited: ⌘ Space, then ⌘ 4. There is nothing on macOS 14 and 15. Tack+ keeps every copied text and link, up to 400 items plus 200 pinned, with no expiry, in a file on the Mac, and skips the copies that password managers mark as concealed. The details are in our clipboard manager guide.

How do I arrange windows on a Mac?

Since macOS 15 Sequoia, window tiling is built in: drag a window to an edge or a corner of the screen, hold ⌥ while dragging to tile faster, or hover over the green button. The same layouts are in Window › Move & Resize in the menu bar. On macOS 14 there is no tiling beyond full screen and Split View. Tack+ does not manage windows.

How do I tidy the menu bar and recover hidden icons?

Hold ⌘ and drag an icon to reorder it, or drag it off the bar to remove it. Since macOS 26, the Menu Bar section of System Settings hides items. On a MacBook with a notch, icons that no longer fit slide behind it: our notch guide explains how to get them back. Tack+ does not manage menu bar icons.

How do I take screenshots and recordings?

Press ⇧ ⌘ 5: Screenshot offers the whole screen, a window, a selection, screen recording, a timer and the choice of where files go. It covers most needs. Tack+ takes no screenshots and makes no screen recordings.

Where do I park files mid-drag?

macOS has no file shelf. A few drag-and-drop tricks help (⌘ Tab mid-drag, spring-loaded folders); see our drag-and-drop guide. Tack+'s Stash holds up to 24 files or folders: drag a file toward the screen edge and the panel opens to take it. Files are referenced, not copied.

How do I watch CPU, memory and temperature?

Activity Monitor (in Applications › Utilities) shows CPU, memory, energy, disk and network use per app. Tack+ has a Monitor widget for a glance: processor load, temperature, memory, swap, battery and disk. It is a card in the panel, not a row of graphs in the menu bar. See our Mac CPU temperature guide.

What can I do with the notch?

macOS leaves the camera notch empty. Placed at the top edge, Tack+ wraps around it: the album artwork and an equalizer or the Focus timer while the panel is closed, the date and the time while it is open. The kinds of notch apps and how to choose one are in our notch apps guide.

Can an AI tidy my files without sending them anywhere?

Yes, if its model runs on the Mac. Tack+ includes an optional assistant whose model (Qwen3.5 4B, a 2.74 GB download) runs locally on Apple silicon: you ask it to tidy a folder by type, find a document, rename or trash files, take a note or open a site. It asks before changing anything, and your requests are sent to no AI service. See our local AI assistant guide.

What does Tack+ gather in one place?

Tack+ is our app, so take this paragraph for what it is. It gathers several of the categories above in a thin line at the bottom or top of the screen: push the pointer against it, or press ⌥ Space, and a panel opens with Spotify or Apple Music, Messages, Calendar, Mail, a clipboard history (text and links), a Stash for files, a search across all of them, an eyedropper, a Focus timer and a notepad. Widgets such as a system monitor, world clocks or a to-do list can be added.

It doesn't replace the specialists: its clipboard keeps no images and doesn't sync, its Stash has no file actions, its monitor is a card, not a menu bar full of graphs. An account is required; the 3-day free trial runs in the app, no card needed. Subscription, $4.99 USD a month, cancel anytime, macOS 14 or later. See Tack+.

Frequently asked questions

What should I set up first on a new Mac?

Start with what's built in: Spotlight (⌘ Space), window tiling on macOS 15 or later, and Screenshot (⇧ ⌘ 5). Add a utility only where macOS stops for you: a permanent clipboard history and a file shelf are the two gaps most people feel first.

Does macOS have a clipboard history?

Since macOS 26, yes, in Spotlight: off by default, and cleared after 30 minutes, 8 hours or 7 days. macOS 14 and 15 keep only the last copied item.

Do I need a menu bar manager on a MacBook with a notch?

Only if icons go missing behind the notch. Start by removing icons you don't use (⌘-drag) and, since macOS 26, hiding items in the Menu Bar section of System Settings.

Which of these does Tack+ replace?

A clipboard history, a file shelf, a system monitor at a glance, a use for the notch, dictation and, on Apple silicon, a local AI assistant for files. It does not launch apps, manage windows, tidy the menu bar or take screenshots.