I use these apps to get Windows 11 features on my Mac

When I switched from Windows to Mac, I was frustrated by the lack of basic features that I had become accustomed to. But after months of testing, I found these apps that filled those gaps perfectly, and now my Mac works exactly the way I want it to.

1 AltTab

Instead of using the Dock, I prefer to switch between apps in macOS by pressing Command + Tabwhich I find much more convenient because I don’t have to take my hands off the keyboard. However, if you’ve ever used the Windows equivalent of pressing Alt + Tabyou’ve probably noticed how much more limited Apple’s implementation is.

First, macOS only displays app icons without a preview of what’s going on in each app. Another big annoyance is that if I have two separate windows of the same application open, I can’t choose which particular window I want to switch to.

AltTab fixes all these problems on macOS by introducing an app switcher that looks a lot like the one on Windows, but with even more customization options. You can adjust the thumbnail size and tweak other settings to perfectly suit your workflow.

It even lets you assign a custom shortcut to launch AltTab. My favorite feature, however, is the ability to drag and drop files onto window thumbnails – a small but incredibly convenient addition that I now can’t imagine working without.

Download:AltTab (Free)

2 Macy

One of the most frustrating aspects of both macOS and iOS is the lack of a built-in clipboard manager. Fortunately, you can use Maccy to get this feature on your Mac. You can access it either from the menu bar or by pressing Command + Shift + Cwhich will open a popup with a history of everything you’ve copied recently.

Maccy doesn’t just handle text – it works for files too, showing the file paths of all copied items. You can even pin frequently used items for quick access, and Maccy lets you search your entire clipboard history simply by typing in what you’re looking for.

Best of all, Maccy works entirely on the device, so it doesn’t send any data to third-party servers. This keeps everything you copy on your Mac, so you don’t have to worry about your privacy.

Download:Maccy (Free)

In Windows, I like to use Task Manager to monitor important system metrics like CPU and GPU usage, how much RAM I’m using, or even system temperatures. Now, if you’re using a Mac, you can check similar stats with Activity Monitor, but it’s not as robust.

That’s why I use iStat Menus. It gives me a detailed breakdown of everything – CPU, GPU, memory, battery usage – and even shows me the temperature of each component.

One thing I love about iStat Menus is how it lets me see which apps are hogging resources and puts all that information right in the menu bar. It’s perfect for a quick glance when I don’t want to open another app to monitor my system.

That said, I have one caveat. Sometimes it’s a bit bloated due to other features like calendar integration and weather information that don’t really serve the main purpose of the app. While you can disable these features, I wish they weren’t enabled by default.

Download:iStat Menu ($11.99, free trial)

4 Background music

Windows has allowed users to adjust the volume of individual applications for years, so I’m always confused when I use my Mac and find it’s missing this essential feature. In macOS, you can only control the overall system volume, which can be frustrating, especially since I often listen to music while gaming.

This is where Background Music comes in. This handy app adds the ability to manage the volume of each app separately in macOS. You can easily adjust the volume for different applications and even control the balance between the left and right speakers directly from the menu bar.

The app even lets you switch your audio output device and even enables an auto-pause feature for your music streaming app. This means your music will automatically pause when it detects audio from another app.

Download:Background music (free)

5 CrossOver

Mac gaming certainly doesn’t compare to Windows, but that doesn’t mean you’re completely out of options if the game isn’t available on macOS. One great solution is to use CrossOver, which allows you to install and play Windows games on your Mac.

The best part? Unlike running a virtual machine to access Windows, CrossOver takes full advantage of your Mac’s hardware. This means that you don’t have to dedicate some of your system resources to it, allowing for better overall performance.

While CrossOver’s performance is great, it’s important to note that game compatibility can be a bit hit or miss. Most single player titles that don’t have invasive DRM work fine. However, multiplayer games like Valorant are a different story. These games often have strict anti-cheat that CrossOver can’t bypass, so you won’t be able to play them on your Mac.

Still, if you’re primarily interested in single-player games, CrossOver can be a great way to expand your game library on macOS.

Download:CrossOver ($24, free trial available)

It’s definitely frustrating to have to install so many apps just to get basic features that have been on Windows PCs for years. However, MacOS has its advantages that make it difficult for me to switch to Windows. Fortunately, these third-party apps allow me to customize the experience to my needs.