Alfred for MacOS is an instant productivity boost

The features I actually use every day

Alfred is a Spotlight replacement for Mac that is faster, more customizable, and that IMO, should be the Spotlight experience out of the box.

You can download Alfred straight from the developer’s website: https://www.alfredapp.com

There are so many things you can do with Alfred, it’s wild. I only scratch the surface of what is possible, but everything I use Alfred for is a quality-of-life improvement for me.

Time Saving Features & Workflows I Actually Use

Most of these are things that seem small or insignificant - but I use or do them all the time, so those little seconds saved really add up.

I have some other Alfred stuff that is less common or frequent; I’m focusing on the little things that add up here.

These are not in any particular order.

Simple 2FA Paste

https://alfred.app/workflows/thebitguru/simple-2fa-paste/

I said these were in no particular order, but I lied. This is by far the most time-saving workflow I use, and it should be #1 on the list.

Whenever you get those two-factor authentication codes via text, it can be a hassle to open the Messages app on the Mac to then copy and paste the code. Or look at the message on your phone and type it in.

With this workflow, I simply type 2fa into my Alfred search bar, and it pulls up a list of codes I can copy.

1Password Integration

https://alfred.app/workflows/alfredapp/1password/

I love this one. It allows me to bring up the Alfred bar and with “1p”, you can search for passwords and logins, then copy the username or password to paste wherever you want.

I have long ago adopted a password manager and use ultra-hard, unique passwords for each website / login I have, so it is safe to say it is impossible for me to know my passwords.

Sometimes the autofill button isn’t working on a certain website, or sometimes I need to copy the password.

Sometimes I want to quickly copy something other than a password, like the number of a document (my passport for example). I can do that with this workflow.

I end up using this every day.

ChatGPT Automation

This is a custom workflow I made myself.

Basically, I type “gpt” in Alfred and whatever question or prompt I want, and Alfred will open the ChatGPT app (or bring it to the front), paste my prompt and run it.

I do this instead of adding a workflow with an API because I don’t want to pay the API costs since I already have a paid subscription that I can use.

Open Conference URL

https://alfred.app/workflows/caleb531/open-conference-url/

I regularly have a lot of calls. What this workflow does is pull up the link to the next conference call I have and opens it, so I don’t have to go to my calendar.

Web Searches

This is a default feature, so no link.

Instead of having to open a browser to do a Google search, or search for something on Wikipedia, Youtube, etc. I just type the name of the website (e.g., Google, YouTube) and what I’m searching for, then hit enter, and Alfred opens the website with that search.

Unit Converter

https://alfred.app/workflows/alfredapp/unit-converter/

This converts measurements into any unit you would probably need. I convert things from metric to imperial and vice versa a lot.

Raindrop.io

https://github.com/westerlind/alfred-raindrop-search

I use Raindrop.io to manage my bookmarks across browsers and computers, so being able to access my unified bookmarks via Alfred is handy.

Clipboard History

This is a default feature, so no link.

At the moment, I don’t really use an app specifically for clipboard management because I don’t really need one. Alfred solves my clipboard management needs, which is to be able to access my history quickly.

Quick Calculations

This is a default feature, so no link.

I use the Alfred bar to make some quick calculations whenever I need. It’s faster than opening a calculator, but great for manipulating more complex calculations.

Alfred vs Raycast

Some people are diehard Alfred fans, some diehard Raycast fans. Which is actually better and more useful? At the end of the day, it’s personal preference. I really haven’t used Raycast yet because Alfred solves for everything I need, and I haven’t felt the desire to try something else. Raycast does look more slick, and seems to have a native AI experience integrated into it (although there is a subscription involved to use some of the AI features). I just use and enjoy Alfred and don’t really care or want to debate which is better.

- Conrado