Opportunity v FOMO & Raycast for iOS is here

Philipp Temmel -

My name is Philipp and you are reading Creativerly, the internet corner where I unpack my musings, curate and write about noteworthy apps and software, and explore the latest trends in design and tech.

Hey and welcome to Creativerly 324 👋

For this week I have prepared a new post that has been in the works for the past couple of days and weeks. It is probably one of the biggest posts I have ever written. Over 7,700 words on the rising social networks Mastodon and Bluesky and the awesome and lovely third-party tools which extent their feature sets, improve their experiences, and make them more accessible. No matter if you are on the look-out for a third-party Mastodon or Bluesky client, a tool to cross-post to both social networks, an Instagram or TikTok alternative built on top of Bluesky, or an app to decide which Mastodon server you should join, this post got you covered.

As with most post I write in this realm, this post will live one and I will revisit it frequently whenever I discover new tools and apps (I have already some in the pipeline). My post about privacy-friendly Google Analytics alternatives is still to this day one of the most popular posts I have ever written. People are still getting value from it, so I want to make sure to keep it up-to-date.

And the very same applies to my newest post The tools for decentralized social networks, which you can find down below. If you are aware of or using any specific apps and tools for Mastodon or Bluesky that could be valuable for others too, let me know, and I happily add them to the post.

Now, enjoy this week's newsletter and Creativerly's newest post.

The tools for decentralized social networks – How to interact with Mastodon and Bluesky

While the once huge social networks like X, and other platforms like Threads continue to fragment and proof why they are among the darkest places on the internet right now, decentralized media and networks continue to grow, proofing why they are here to stay. What used to be niche platforms and especially Mastodon entitled as „nerd network“, now serves millions of users. As those platforms further grow, it is important to build a strong ecosystem of third party tools that support those platforms and extend their functionalities. The open web and decentralized networks are currently experiencing a boom, an increasing number of makers are entering the space, building apps and tools on top of it. At the current speed of development, it can become hard to keep up with the rapidly evolving landscape of decentralized social networks.

I left X and Meta’s platforms already a while ago for multiple reasons, and based on recent actions by Mark Zuckerberg like ending Meta’s fact-checking program or dropping rules protecting LGTBQ+ communities, as well as Elon Musk blatantly throwing a Nazi salute to the public at Trump’s inauguration, I urge everyone to leave those platforms behind, and stop supporting their growth and business by posting and being active. Musk turned X into a white supremacist website. It is devastating to see how all those tech billionaires pretty much destroyed platforms that used to be networks that fueled insightful conversations, collaborations, and staying informed and up-to-date with news and media.

My personal experience with networks like Mastodon and Bluesky is what I used to experience with the above mentioned, now abandoned, social networks.

In this post, I gathered a bunch of apps and tools to interact with decentralized social networks. This is by far not a complete list of the apps and services available out there, but the ones I stumbled across since I have been active on Mastodon and Bluesky. Based on that, I am planning to keep this a lively post by updating it whenever I find a new tool supporting the decentralized web. When I am talking about decentralized networks, I am mostly talking about ActivityPub and the AT Protocol, as those are the networks powering the apps and tools I am using and interacting with. It is amazing to see how an increasing number of companies, apps, and makers are joining forces to build ethical, powerful, secure, as well as niche and cozy alternatives to the big tech social networks.

Quick disclaimer: there has been a lot of ongoing discussions about the topic whether Bluesky or the AT Protocol are actually decentralized, and recent news about Bluesky adding verification checks as well as bowing down to censorship demands in Turkey flared the discussions once again. While those are important discussions, this post only focuses on the apps and tools to interact with the social networks, and therefore, I will not try to answer the question if Bluesky or the AT Protocol are actually decentralized, as this probably needs its very own post and exploration.

Read the whole post here:

The tools for decentralized social networks – How to interact with Mastodon and Bluesky
Discover the rise of decentralized social networks like Mastodon and Bluesky as traditional platforms increasingly face criticism. Learn about essential third-party tools enhancing these networks, from clients like Ivory and Ice Cubes to cross-posting apps like Croissant.
CreativerlyPhilipp Temmel

Fresh Updates & News

Kit launches app store to connect your creator tools directly to Kit* →

Kit just introduced its own App Store, which allows you to connect your creator tools directly to Kit. You can not compare this to basic integrations that you have to stitch together, since with Kit's App Store your creator tech stack becomes part of your Kit, which means you get the possibility to create a personalized hub to streamline your business and creative workflows.

Unlike basic integrations you have to stitch together, your creator tech stack becomes part of your Kit—giving you a personalized hub to streamline your business and creative workflows. Kit's App Store features loads of apps that take your creator business onto the next level. No matter if you want to embed beautiful looking podcasts by Transistor.fm in your emails, add your text and video testimonials with Senja, connect Kit with your Circle community, create a private podcast feed with JustCast, and a lot more, Kit and its new App Store got you covered*.

Raycast lands on iOS →

The power of Raycast* just landed on iOS, which means you get to take your Notes, Snippets, and Quicklinks with you wherever you are. The home screen in Raycast is completely your as you can customize it with the content and actions you need most. Besides that, Raycast for iOS gives you full and quick access to the AI Chat and Commands you know from the macOS version already. To sync your snippets and quicklinks across devices you need a Raycast Pro* subscription.

I assume that probably one of the most popular features for the iOS version of Raycast ist Raycast Notes, which quickly became the go-to solution for loads of Raycast users as it allows for super quick and simple note input without leaving your fingers of the keyboard. And now, you can the chance to collect ideas and thoughts fast and easy with Raycast Notes on iOS too.

Raycast iOS is deeply integrated with the operating system, which means you get to enjoy beautifully designed widgets to bring your favorites to your Home Screen for even faster access, you get access to a bunch of Shortcuts, which allow you to get started right away and integrate Raycast features into more complex workflows, you can update your Control Center and Lock Screen with Raycast controls, and you can leverage the iPhone's Action Button to talk to AI instantly or use any other Raycast action.

Mental Wealth

❯ The shape of design to come – “If you’re reading this in 2026 — hello, future me. I’m writing this in spring 2025, at a moment when design is changing fast. Again. This isn’t a prediction carved in stone — it’s a journal entry. A reflection. A snapshot of the patterns I’m seeing in my team’s work, in conversations with product managers, engineers, fellow design leaders — and across the broader tech ecosystem.”

❯ Opportunity v FOMO – “In Christopher Nolan’s The Prestige, we follow the lives of two magicians Robert Angier and Alfred Borden played by Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale respectively. We get introduced to them as two young men who want to make it big in the showbiz of magic until something goes terribly wrong which causes them to become dreadful rivals of each other.”

❯ The creative power of constraints – “One of the most marvelous aspects of the human experience is creativity. Yet, for those in the business of creativity, the creative act can be both the most rewarding and the most frustrating experience in life. Sometimes the mind is drenched in free, flowing ideas. Other times, the mind feels just like a desert, producing nothing.”

❯ How to make your life feel more meaningful – “Everyone seems on edge these days. Turning on the news or scrolling through your social media feed provides a constant stream of things to worry about. Many countries have witnessed rapid growth in rates of anxiety, as well as depression and other psychopathologies. What can we do to help cope with these dark and anxious feelings?”

Do not miss out on this ...

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Appendix

❯ ICYMI

Reading, summarizing, and extracting data from research papers should not be limited to researchers only. As part of my writing processes, I like to dive deep into specific topics, and Elicit is an incredible tool that makes powerful research practices accessible to everyone. It helps you automate time-consuming research tasks like summarizing papers, extracting data, and synthesizing your findings. Learn more about it in my deep dive.

❯ Quick Bits

Till next time! 👋‌‌‌‌

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