macOS provides a solid foundation for automation and linking. But too many of Apple’s own apps — including Messages, Notes, Music, and Podcasts — still fall short of supporting even basic inter-application linking. This has real consequences for knowledge workers and anyone who wants to work fluidly across their digital tools.
I’ve written a new article on my Substack that dives into this issue:
🔗 Apple’s macOS Apps Are the Weak Link — Hookmark Shows What’s Possible
The post criticizes Apple’s failure to expose persistent IDs and “Copy Link” functionality in many of its apps, despite clearly having the underlying capabilities. It contrasts these limitations with what’s already possible today using macOS automation frameworks — as demonstrated by Hookmark and other apps that do support linking.
I also introduce the concept of omni-links, explain how Hookmark enables them, and call on developers — including Apple — to support the Manifesto for Ubiquitous Linking.
If you care about contextual computing, cognitive productivity, or simply making your Mac work better for you, I think you’ll find this article worthwhile: