I Built a macOS App on a 9.5-Hour Flight to Clean Up My Downloads Folder
Tired of a desktop graveyard of random screenshots and untitled documents, a developer coded Waypost, an offline macOS app powered by Apple Intelligence.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- A developer built Waypost during a 9.5-hour after-work flight to tackle messy download folders.
- The app reads actual file contents to rename, sort, and tag documents automatically.
- Runs entirely on-device via Apple Intelligence with zero cloud uploads for privacy.
- Priced at a one-time fee of $7 with no ongoing subscriptions.
A cluttered desktop buried under a graveyard of automated screenshots, generic image names, and untitled documents is a universal annoyance. Opening every single file just to figure out what it is and rename it manually is a tedious chore most people simply ignore.
Refusing to rename files by hand any longer, one developer used the duration of an after-work flight lasting nine and a half hours to build a dedicated macOS application designed to automate the entire cleanup process.
Named Waypost, the application reads what is actually inside a file—ranging from plain text and scanned documents to PDFs and images—and assigns it a sensible filename, sorts it into the appropriate folder, and applies relevant tags.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Processing files entirely on-device using Apple Intelligence highlights a growing shift toward privacy-first desktop software. Handling sensitive files like lease agreements and tax documents locally ensures personal data never leaves the user's machine, eliminating the privacy concerns associated with cloud-based AI processing.
Recognizing that trust is critical when software modifies local files, the creator implemented comprehensive user controls. These include a toggle switch for every file type, custom naming conventions, folder-specific configurations, and an approval mode that suggests a filename and waits for user confirmation before making any changes.
Under the hood, the app is built with Swift for macOS, utilizing Next.js on Vercel for authentication and Stripe for payment processing. It costs seven dollars as a one-time purchase with no subscription required, made possible because there are no ongoing server maintenance costs. Additionally, built-in templates allow users to quickly answer frequently asked questions or store reusable text snippets.
Source: Dev.to
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