zenmushie - zenmushie

PopClip - The quick and the mushie

| What is PopClip?

PopClip allows you to select text and take action on it. It works by putting a small menu above or below your selected text with different options. You can change these options via extensions that you can install from the PopClip website or by creating your own! It also has default options like search, spelling, dictionary, cut, copy, and paste. It’s one of my most used apps.

Animated GIF of the PopClip UI in action.

| Configuration options

Put on top or bottom | Allows you to put the toolbar above or below the text when you select something.

Size | Make the toolbar bigger or smaller.

Light/dark/auto mode | Makes the app dark light, or switch with your system settings.

Create a shortcut | This is cool. If you are a shortcut person like me, you can select text with the keyboard, then hit a hotkey to bring up the toolbar. Focus is automatically in the bar, so you can keyboard to the different options as well.

Install/remove extensions | Install and uninstall extensions. If you click the pencil icon, it will take you to the extensions page where you can download more. Also, you can set the order, and pin-unpin extensions that you want to use.

Exclude apps | Some apps you don’t want to have PopClip when you are selecting the text, you can exclude those apps here.

Main settings options for PopClip

| Extensions

Extensions extend the functionality from just the basics into other apps and useful tools!

You can do things like count characters, convert markdown to HTML, put it into large type in the middle of the screen, add to a variety of notes, to-do, or calendar apps, send text as highlights to Readwise, and so much more.

Accessible through the settings menu on the toolbar at the top and clicking the puzzle piece.

To change the settings for a certain extension, click the cog wheel next to it in the settings menu.

To install an extension, you just download it and double-click on it.

You can create your own with extension snippets (see below) or by reading the full documentation (advanced stuff!).

Some of the extensions I have installed, this is an older screenshot

| Some cool things I have mine set up for are

Send to Readwise | Puts the selected text into Readwise as a highlight.
Add a new reminder | Create an Apple Reminder straight from the selected text.
Translate | Set a destination language, and translate selected text.
Copy as markdown | Copies html and converts to markdown.
Markdown | Converts markdown to HTML (I love markdown!).
Save to AnyBox | Anybox is a bookmarking tool that I use, there is also an extension if you are a raindrop.io user.

| Some other interesting extensions

ChatGPT (It’s all the rage!)
Send to Bear
Formatting (Bold, italicize, and underline text)
Send to Notion
Send to Notes
New todo in Things 3
New todo in Todoist

| Extension snippets

Extension snippets allow you to create your own extensions easily. They shine when you combine them with URL schemes (x-callbacks). By just highlighting a few lines of text, PopClip will recognize that text, and when the app shows its bar, there will be an ‘install’ option. You can include your icon and everything!

I love the way these are implemented, so useful and easy to use. The PopClip forum has a great tutorial, so if you decide to use the app, I suggest you check the snippets out.

| Final thoughts

I love this app and use it every day. I could be wrong, but I believe that it was a little less expensive when I bought it. With that said, would I still buy it today, even at a higher price? For sure.

The extension snippets are a great way to make your extension. Combined with x-callbacks, it’s very adaptable! The pre-made extensions make a lot of daily tasks and quick little annoyances easier. Once you get used to it, it’s hard to go back.