When it comes to Apple’s platforms, there are a few specific features that users have been eagerly clamoring for over the years. Touchscreen Macs are high on that list, along with the ability to download apps from third-party app stores. One feature that seems to have been near the top of people’s wish lists for...
Handheld Game Simulations, Freeform Note-Taking, and Ghostty
Among the highlights on the Club MacStories+ Discord: jspencer recommended a cool website featuring simulations of classic handheld games. (Link) Sid kicked off a great discussion with John and other members on freeform note-taking versus a more structured approach and which apps are the best at each, including what Google’s NotebookLM does well. (Link) Ben...
BusyCal
A couple of weeks ago, blogger, YouTuber, and Comfort Zone host Matt Birchler posted a video about BusyCal, a feature-rich, highly customizable calendar app. It bears a strong resemblance to Apple’s Calendar app, but as I watched Matt’s run-through, it became clear to me that this could be the solution to some specific gripes I’ve...
DefaultSMS Lets You Choose Your Default Messaging App
In iOS 18.2, Apple introduced the ability for users to set their default apps for messaging, calling, call filtering, passwords, contactless payments, and keyboards. Previously, it was only possible to specify default apps for mail and browsing, so this was a big step forward.
While apps like 1Password quickly took advantage of these new changes, there have been few to no takers in the calling, contactless payments, and messaging categories. Enter DefaultSMS, a new app that, as far as I can tell, seems to be the first to make use of the default messaging app setting.
Default SMS is not a messaging app. What it does is use this new setting to effectively bounce the user into the messaging app of their choice when they tap on a phone number elsewhere within iOS. Telegram, WhatsApp, and Signal are the options currently supported in the app.
Initial setup is quick. First, you select the messaging app you would like to use within DefaultSMS. Then, you head to Settings → Apps → Default Apps → Messaging and select DefaultSMS instead of Messages.
When you tap on a phone number, DefaultSMS will launch your chosen messaging app to start a conversation.
Now, whenever you tap on a phone number from a website, email, note, or other source within iOS, the system will recognize the sms:// link and open a new message to that number in your default messaging app, now specified as DefaultSMS. The app will then bounce you into your messaging app of choice to start the conversation. The developer says the process is 100% private, with DefaultSMS retaining none of this information.
It’s worth pointing out a few things about the app:
- You can only message someone who already has the app you are messaging from.
- If someone sends you an SMS, it will still be delivered to the Messages app.
- Once you start a conversation, you will be messaging from the app you have chosen (such as WhatsApp), not via SMS.
So why does this app exist? I put this question to the developer, Vincent Neo, who said, “The focus of the app is more towards countries where a significant part of the population already prefers a specific platform very frequently, such that users are very likely to prefer that over other platforms (including SMS), similar to your case, where everyone you know has WhatsApp.”
Quite simply, DefaultSMS allows you to choose which app you want to use to start a conversation when you tap a phone number, rather than always reverting to Messages. The app also highlights a flaw in the phrase “default messaging app”: there are still no APIs for apps to receive SMS messages. Until those are added, we will have to rely on clever third-party utilities like DefaultSMS to get us halfway there.
DefaultSMS is available on the App Store for $0.99.
The Hyper Key Is My New Best Friend
This week, I learned about something new: the Hyper key. (I also learned that TIL means “today I learned”, but I digress.) The Hyper key is a modifier key that originates from the Space-Cadet keyboard used on MIT Lisp machines – “the holy grail of keyboards”, according to the Deskauthority Wiki. You don’t find it...
Timeline Apps, a Game-Changing Shortcut, and Research Workflows
Among the highlights on the Club MacStories+ Discord: Members had thoughts about Apple’s “cancelled” AR glasses. (Link) Upon the release of Tapestry, members had a wide-ranging discussion about timeline apps, which ones they like, and how they’re using them. (Link) Members got excited about connecting their streaming services directly to Trakt via the media tracking...
Spaces, Bookcase Mods, and an Arc Exit?
Among the highlights on the Club MacStories+ Discord: macOS Spaces have entered the chat… (Link) Is Arc on the way out? Members had thoughts. (Link) spicysuya shared a really interesting mod for the Astropad Bookcase! (Link) Want to join the Club MacStories+ Discord?Upgrade toClub MacStories+ or Club Premier, then visit theAccount page....
Brute-Force Myself Into Focusing with ScreenTime+
While working on my column for last week, I discovered how bad my muscle memory was for picking up my iPhone during work. I’m certainly a creature of habit, so I knew that curbing this behavior would be far more complicated than just deciding to use my phone less. I needed something more tangible –...
Day Planning, Photographic Styles, and Alternative App Decisions
Among the highlights on the Club MacStories+ Discord: t3chn3ric kicked off a conversation about day planning apps, including lesser-discussed ones like Motion and Morgen. (Link) Zereta linked to an excellent video explaining Photographic Styles. (Link) Members had a great discussion on browser alternatives that morphed into a conversation about why and when they choose to...