55 Mac tips, tricks, troubleshooters and time-savers

Published:Dec 6, 202306:14
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We love our Macs, and we additionally love discovering new issues to do with them. Whether it’s utilizing your iPad as a second display, AirDropping humorous issues to relations, or discovering sooner methods to do on a regular basis issues, we’ve by no means met a Mac tip we didn’t like. And on this information, we’re going to share our favorites with you.Although the screenshots right here had been taken in macOS Monterey, all of our suggestions work on a number of variations of macOS – so if you happen to’re utilizing a comparatively current mannequin, your Mac’s coated too.

1. Do conversions in Spotlight

Since High Sierra, Spotlight has been in a position to do unit conversions corresponding to changing greenback values into British kilos, or kilograms into kilos. For instance, sort ‘$1,000 in GBP’ to transform {dollars} to Sterling.

Spotlight currency conversion dialog

(Image credit score: Future)

2. Summon Siri

Press and maintain Command+Space bar or click on the Siri button within the Dock or menu bar and you've the identical Siri service you’re used to in your iPhone. In addition to acquainted duties corresponding to telling you the climate forecast, you can even ask Siri to find particular information, toggle system features or launch apps.

3. Run Windows

Intel Macs can run Windows natively through Boot Camp, however you can even use a virtualization app corresponding to VMWare Fusion, VirtualBox or Parallels Desktop to run Windows apps in your Mac desktop – and now you are able to do it on M1 Macs too. 

4. Use shortcuts for screenshots

Need a screengrab? Command+Shift+3 takes a full display (or in case you have a number of displays, a number of full screens), whereas Command+Shift+4 allows you to seize a range or, if you happen to hit the spacebar, the window you click on on. To seize the Touch Bar hit Command+Shift+6.

5. Show or disguise the menu bar

You can auto-hide the menu bar simply as you'll be able to with the Dock. The choices dwell in System Preferences > Dock & menu bar. 

Mac System Preferences dialog

(Image credit score: Future)

6. Use unique characters

In addition to the accent keyboard shortcut (Option+E earlier than OS X 10.7 or press and maintain the letter on later macOS variations) you'll be able to convey up a menu of emoji and different characters. In the latest macOS variations you’ll often discover it inside an app’s Edit menu, labeled Emoji & Symbols; on older Macs, it’s referred to as Special Characters. 

Screen shot showing a selection of macOS emoji

(Image credit score: Future)

7. Sign PDFs in Mail

If you’re emailed a PDF to signal, you don't have to fret about printing it, signing it and scanning it again in: you'll be able to signal it proper in Mail. Drag a PDF into the e-mail you’re sending and hover over it – on the top-right you’ll see somewhat button seem. Click it and you get a variety of Markup choices, together with one for signing paperwork. You can add your signature by both holding up a signed piece of paper to the webcam in your Mac (it does a unbelievable job of chopping it out of the background) or by drawing it on the trackpad.

8. Annotate PDFs and pictures

Preview is an extremely highly effective instrument. Beyond letting you, effectively, preview PDFs and pictures, Preview permits for a ton of annotations which might be appropriate with Adobe Acrobat – extensively utilized by Windows customers and many firms  – making it straightforward to share annotated paperwork with colleagues, whatever the platform they use.Make certain the Edit Toolbar is seen (below the View menu) and you'll see choices for drawing shapes, arrows, speech and thought bubbles, and more.

Screen shot showing options for annotating PDFs in Preview

(Image credit score: Future)

9. Crop, resize and tweak pictures

To crop a picture in Preview, draw a range with the common Rectangular Selection instrument then both hit Command+Okay or received to Tools > Crop. Alternatively, present the Edit Toolbar and make a more advanced choice both with the Instant Alpha instrument or the Smart Lasso.

10. Batch-rename information

In Yosemite onwards, you'll be able to merely choose a gaggle of information and select ‘Rename’ from the right-click contextual menu or the drop-down button marked with a cog icon in Finder home windows. Once you hit ‘Rename,’ you get the choice of including textual content, changing textual content, or making use of a format corresponding to a reputation and an mechanically incrementing counter.

Screenshot showing Batch Rename options

(Image credit score: Future)

11. Use Split Screen view

If you’re nonetheless on macOS Mojave or older, you'll be able to maintain down a left-click on an app's inexperienced maximize button on the top-left nook, then drag it to your most popular place on the left-hand or right-hand facet of the show.If you've macOS Catalina or later, left-click and maintain on the app window’s inexperienced maximize button to see a drop-down menu with the choices ‘Enter Full Screen,’ ‘Tile Window to Left of Screen,’ or ‘Tile Window to Right of Screen.’ If you've a secondary display this menu may also provide the possibility to maneuver the energetic window to that display.

12. Connect a digicam with Image Capture

Image Capture allows you to import your entire digicam’s images directly to the folder of your selecting, or higher but, you'll be able to decide and select which images to retailer in your Mac whereas deciding whether or not to maintain or delete the originals one after the other.What’s more, you'll be able to join wirelessly to a scanner to import scanned paperwork or images to your most popular listing. You also can {link} your digicam to any macOS software that you really want. So if you'd like Photoshop to open each time you join your iPhone, Image Capture could be configured to make that occur.

Your Mac, your method

13. Change file and folder icons

Right-click the file or folder whose icon you wish to copy, choose ‘Get Info’ and copy the preview picture. Now, right-click the file or folder whose icon you wish to change, choose ‘Get Info,’ click on on its icon and press Control+V to stick it.

14. Use Shortcuts for velocity

Apple introduced Shortcuts to the Mac in macOS Monterey, and it’s a good way of automating widespread duties. You can construct your individual from the Starter Shortcuts included, plus there’s a terrific gallery of shortcuts you'll be able to download.

15. Make keyboard macros 

In System Preferences > Keyboard > Text you'll be able to create shortcuts that insert complete blocks of textual content and emoji. We use this characteristic for signatures, emoji strings and even doc skeleton buildings.

Screen shot showing macOS Keyboard text options

(Image credit score: Future)

16. Tame notifications with Focus

The new macOS Focus (System Preferences > Notifications & Focus) allows you to create totally different eventualities and change what, and who, can ship you notifications whenever you’re in it. So, for instance, you may need a piece focus and a private focus, with totally different settings for every.

17. Change the default format for screenshots

If you wish to save your screenshots as JPEGs, open Terminal and sort ‘defaults write com.apple.screencapture type JPG’ then hit Enter. The change will go into impact when you restart your Mac.

18. Edit the sidebar

You can customise the Finder sidebar by dragging folders onto it. You also can toggle objects by opening Finder’s preferences and clicking the Sidebar tab.

Screen shot showing macOS sidebar options

(Image credit score: Future)

19. Change your Mac’s identify

You can change the identify that seems on different linked units, and different folks’s AirDrop, in System Preferences > Sharing > Computer Name.

20. Open apps mechanically at login

Right-click an app within the Dock and choose Options > Open At Login.

Sharing is caring

21. Add a visitor account to your Mac

If you wish to let others use your Mac with out seeing any of your stuff, create a Guest account in System Preferences > Users & Groups. When your visitor logs out, all data and information of their account are erased.

Screen shot showing macOS Guest User options

(Image credit score: Future)

22. Get Wi-Fi passwords you'll be able to’t bear in mind

If you ever end up in an unfamiliar place, otherwise you’ve simply forgotten your Wi-Fi password, you should utilize Keychain Access in your Mac to seek out it. The course of is easy: open Keychain Access by trying to find it in Spotlight, search the identify of the connection, and double-click the iCloud Keychain equivalent to the SSID you’re in search of. Tap ‘Show Password’ and enter your Keychain passcode.

23. Share something with anybody

The Share Sheet in Finder home windows, Safari and apps corresponding to Maps and Notes is customizable: go to System Preferences > Extensions > Share Menu to personalize yours.

Screen shot showing Share menu options for extensions

(Image credit score: Future)

24. View somebody’s display remotely

One straightforward strategy to view another person’s display or management their Mac over the web – which is invaluable if you happen to’re attempting to assist a relative troubleshoot their pc issues – is to launch Screen Sharing by trying to find it with Spotlight then getting into the Apple ID of the individual you’re attempting to contact. If you or they don’t understand it, simply have them look within the iCloud pane of System Preferences. And, when you’re in that display, be certain they've ‘Screen Sharing’ enabled within the Sharing pane of System Preferences.

25. Share your media with different units

Go to System Preferences > Sharing > Media Sharing and allow ‘Home Sharing.’ This allows you to share your media library with all units signed in along with your Apple ID.

26. Send SMS messages and more out of your Mac

The Messages app can entry your iPhone SMS texts so you can even ship and obtain SMS texts out of your Mac. Simply go into your iPhone’s Settings > Messages and choose your Mac in Text Message Forwarding.

27. Share purchases with your loved ones

Up to 6 folks in the identical household can share purchases by means of the macOS Family Sharing characteristic.

Screen shot showing macOS Family sharing options

(Image credit score: Future)

28. Use your iPad as a secondary Mac show

In Big Sur or later, go to Control Center > Display and select your iPad from the ‘Connect To’ part; in Catalina, you’ll use the AirPlay icon as a substitute. Your iPad will then act as a separate show. To change to display mirroring return into Display or AirPlay and select the mirror possibility.

29. Throw information out of your Mac

Provided AirDrop is turned on on the vacation spot machine, you'll be able to AirDrop a file to it by right-clicking in your Mac and selecting Share > AirDrop.

Screen shot showing macOS share menu with Airdrop selected

(Image credit score: Future)

30. Rename group chats in Messages

From OS X Yosemite onwards, you'll be able to identify group chats by clicking Details on the top-right, then typing a reputation on the high.

31. Share a printer between a number of Macs

Go to System Preferences > Sharing and examine the ‘Printer Sharing’ service. This will convey up a display the place you'll be able to choose the printer to share and specify who can use it, if needed. Once that is arrange, any Mac on the community can entry that printer from the print dialog, although the Mac to which the printer is linked have to be turned on.

32. Use Screen Time with your loved ones

In System Preferences > Family Sharing, scroll down till you see ‘Screen Time.’ This allows you to set time and app limits for relations, so, for instance, you'll be able to restrict gaming time however not academic apps. You can use it for you too if you happen to’re attempting to interrupt your social media behavior.

screen shot showing macOS Screen Time notification

(Image credit score: Future)

33. Email huge information

From Yosemite onwards, Mail will add actually large information to the cloud and ship the recipient a {link}, fairly than a file that could be too large for his or her mailbox. You can ship information as much as 5GB with a complete storage restrict of 1TB. Files are deleted after 30 days.

34. Decide what to share about your self

In Contacts' Preferences, click on on the vCard tab and examine ‘Enable private me card.’ Now, whenever you go to your Me card in Contacts – you may need to outline one first – and click on Edit, you get a series of checkboxes subsequent to every area to indicate whether or not it will be included whenever you share a card.

Screen shot showing macOS vCard options

(Image credit score: Future)

Sound and imaginative and prescient

35. Adjust audio quantity in smaller increments

When you employ the quantity up and down keys in your Mac's keyboard the distinction between one faucet and the following could be fairly large – particularly if you happen to're driving some meaty exterior audio system. Hold down Option+Shift as you faucet these keys, although, and the increments turn into a lot smaller.(*55*)36. Record your iPhone or iPad’s displayConnect the iOS machine to your Mac utilizing its cable, then launch FastTime Player. Choose ‘New Movie Recording’ from the File menu and then, if it's not already chosen for you, choose your linked iOS machine because the digicam supply from the drop-down menu subsequent to the document button. Choose if you wish to document sound (both from a built-in or exterior mic or the audio the iOS machine itself is producing) from the identical drop-down menu and then click on the document button.

37. Change audio settings from the menu bar

Hold down Option and click on the quantity adjuster within the menu bar (or press one of many quantity buttons in your keyboard). This will convey up a listing of audio inputs and outputs. You can then choose the one you need.

Screen shot showing macOS audio output settings

(Image credit score: Future)

38. Stream to different units with AirPlay 

For primary AirPlay output from Apple Music and TV you simply must click on its image – the rectangle with the triangle chopping into it – and select the place you wish to ship the music. If you need all of your system audio to come back from the audio system, not simply music, maintain Option and press a quantity management key to open the Sound preferences. Here you'll be able to select an output (or use the menu bar tip we already talked about).If you've an Apple TV or AirPlay-compatible TV, the AirPlay icon will seem mechanically within the menu bar or Control Center. To begin mirroring your display, choose it and click on on the identify of your Apple TV or sensible TV.

Everyday enhancements

39. Make essentially the most of iCloud Drive

In High Sierra or later, something you retailer on the desktop or in your Documents folder could be synced with iCloud Drive. We’ve discovered that invaluable as a result of we preserve present paperwork on the desktop – so with no effort they’re out there in Files on iPhone and iPad in addition to on iCloud.com.

40. Search inside web sites

If you’ve visited a website in your Mac, Safari can search inside it – so if you happen to sort ‘Amazon Mac’ you’ll see an possibility to go looking your typical Amazon website for the key phrase Mac. Click that to see the outcomes.

Screen show showing macOS options for searching websites in safari

(Image credit score: Future)

41. Close open tabs on different units

In Safari, click on the icon that appears like two overlapping squares (or select Show All Tabs from the View menu) and you'll see all of the open tabs on all of your units. Hover over each and you'll see a detailed button you'll be able to click on. Note that the arrival of Tab Groups seems to have damaged this characteristic in macOS Monterey.

42. Use your iPhone to get online 

To start, go to the Personal Hotspot possibility within the iPhone's Settings menu, and flip it on. If you wish to join over Wi-Fi, discover the Wi-Fi community created by the iPhone in your Mac's Wi-Fi choices, choose it, and enter the password proven within the iPhone.

Screen shot showing macOS wi-fi hotspot settings

(Image credit score: Future)

43. Print to the following out there printer

In System Preferences > Print & Fax (or Printers & Scanners on current variations of macOS), you'll be able to choose a number of printers and create a Printer Pool.You can then choose this Pool from the print dialogue in apps as a substitute of the person printers. If one printer is in use, your Mac will mechanically ship the doc to 1 that's free as a substitute – no ready!

44. Cover your tracks in Safari

You can take away some or your entire shopping historical past in Safari by opening History and clicking on the Clear History button. This can delete the final hour, the final day, the final two days, or all historical past not simply in your Mac however on different units signed into your iCloud account too.

45. Find menu objects quick with Help

Some apps have huge menus, so if you happen to can’t bear in mind the place the actual command you want is simply click on Help and sort the choice you’re in search of.

Screen shot showing macOS menu search feature

(Image credit score: Future)

46. Control resizing along with your keyboard

Hold down Option whenever you resize a window and it’ll resize either side equally. Hold down Shift as a substitute and the window resizes proportionally to the other edge. Hold down each to resize the window proportionally round its heart.

47. Move background home windows

Want to maneuver a window with out bringing it to the entrance? Hold down Command and then you'll be able to drag it. 

48. Paste textual content with out the formatting

To paste textual content with none formatting, press Option+Shift similtaneously Command+V.

Screen shot showing macOS Paste and Match Style menu option selected

(Image credit score: Future)

49. Change the refresh charge for an exterior show

In System Preferences, choose Displays and then Option-click on Scaled. You’ll now see a drop-down with choices to vary the monitor’s refresh charge.

50. Use the identical exterior drive for Mac and PC

In Disk Utility, divide the drive into two volumes and format the one you wish to use with a Windows PC as ExFAT. You can then reformat that in Windows as NTFS to get the perfect information speeds.

Troubleshooting suggestions

51. Find forgotten passwords in Safari

Safari shops the passwords not simply out of your Mac, however out of your iPhone and iPad too. You can entry them by going to Safari > Preferences > Passwords. It’ll additionally warn you if any of your passwords have been compromised and should be modified.

Screen show showing macOS saved passwords list

(Image credit score: Future)

52. Cure an insomniac Mac

Ever since OS X Yosemite, you'll be able to go to View > Column whenever you’re on Activity Monitor’s CPU tab to indicate a column of processes which might be stopping sleep. Click this column header to type by it, and you'll be able to simply discover which apps are retaining your Mac awake, then stop them if needed.

53. Troubleshoot apps with Activity Monitor

Launch Activity Monitor to see present processes and the sources they take up. The columns present you issues such because the CPU utilization of a course of or the RAM it's taking on. If there's a course of that's hogging sources and you're assured it's not wanted, you'll be able to finish it by choosing it and clicking ‘Quit Process’.

Screen shot showing macOS Activity Monitor window

(Image credit score: Future)

54. Make certain Spotlight isn’t skipping something necessary

If Spotlight isn’t discovering information you understand are there, the folder or class that they’re in could also be excluded from its indexing. You can examine in System Preferences > Spotlight: unchecked classes don’t present up in search outcomes. Click on Privacy to see any excluded drives or folders.

55. Back up your Mac 

Ever since OS X 10.5, Apple has made it straightforward to again up utilizing Time Machine. Ideally, you ought to be doing different issues to again up information as effectively, however on the very least use Time Machine.
  • Check out our in-depth macOS 12 Monterey evaluate

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