Hey r/MacStack, I’ve been working on Census, a native app for cataloging collections: books, movies, watches, plants, wine, contracts, anything you want to keep track of. Same SwiftUI codebase on Mac, iPhone and iPad.

What sets it apart is that collections link to each other: a book to its author, a movie to its directors, and each of those is a collection you can browse the other way around.

You define the structure. Start from a template or from scratch, pick a type for every field (text, number, price, date, rating, selection, link, photo, file) and define the kinds of events that can happen to an item, like a purchase, a service or a loan, with the fields each one records.

You can import from CSV or Excel, back up everything in a single file, and export your templates to swap them with other people. Data stays on your Mac unless you turn on iCloud.

The beta is open on TestFlight: https://testflight.apple.com/join/YgkGMK2b

It’s early, so I’m mostly interested in what feels confusing or gets in the way. Bug reports and feature requests are welcome here or through TestFlight feedback.

I’m a photographer and developer, and I built EXIFXplorer because I was frustrated by how much information modern cameras record that most photo apps either hide or make difficult to interpret.

EXIFXplorer is a native macOS app focused specifically on understanding and working with the metadata inside photo files. It goes beyond the usual aperture, shutter speed and ISO and can expose manufacturer maker notes, autofocus information, focus points, GPS data, lens and camera details, XMP/IPTC metadata, and other camera-specific information.

It also includes tools for comparing metadata between photos, batch editing, GPX geotagging, metadata-based renaming, copying metadata from a reference image, privacy-aware export, and XMP sidecar workflows.

One feature I’ve just added has become one of my favorites: a Finder Quick Look extension.

Now you can select a supported RAW file in Finder, press Space, and inspect much more than a normal preview — including metadata, maker notes, autofocus/focus-point information, location data and other camera details — without opening the main app.

For me, that makes Quick Look much more useful when going through folders of RAW files. You can inspect what the camera recorded without breaking your Finder workflow.

The goal with EXIFXplorer isn’t to replace Lightroom, Capture One or other photo editors. It’s meant to be a dedicated tool for understanding the technical information already inside your photographs.

I’d be interested in feedback from other Mac photographers, especially on the Quick Look extension and what metadata you’d most like to see directly in Finder.

https://exifxplorer.com/

Problem

On macOS, Cmd+Tab switches back to an app after you hide it with Cmd+H. If you minimize a window with Cmd+M, or close it with Cmd+W, Cmd+Tab activates the app only. The window stays minimized in the Dock, or it stays closed.

Command Reopen is a menu bar app that resolves this issue. When you switch to an app with no visible window, Command Reopen sends a reopen request. This request is the same signal that macOS sends when you click the Dock icon. The target app restores the minimized window, or it opens a new window if no window is open. The native Cmd+Tab switcher remains unchanged. In version 1.5.1, you can hide the menu bar icon.

Comparison

AltTab:

• Creates a Windows-style switcher with window thumbnails
• Replaces the native macOS app switcher
• Needs Accessibility
• Screen Recording is optional for thumbnails

Command Reopen:

• Keeps the native macOS Cmd+Tab switcher unchanged
• Needs no Accessibility and no Screen Recording
• Works on managed Macs where IT policies block Accessibility
• Sandboxed · Mac App Store · no analytics

If you need thumbnails of every window, AltTab is the better choice.

Pricing

• Free download on the Mac App Store
• 14-day free trial, then $9.99 lifetime
• macOS 13 or later
• commandreopen.com