After selling about 20 million Macs in 2017 alone, Apple became the fourth-largest PC maker worldwide. The Mac has always been an incredibly powerful and efficient machine, attracting the admiration of computer users in the U.S. and elsewhere.
If you recently bought a Mac computer, chances are you still aren’t aware of all the things it can do. That’s why we’ve prepared this comprehensive guide on how you can get more out of your Mac.
Here are nine top Mac computer tips everyone needs to know.
1. Stacking Your Desktop Icons
Many people use their computer as a place to dump folders, files, shortcuts, and much more. While this is a good way to keep your stuff within reach, it could also result in wasted time as you hunt for a file you need.
The good news is that there’s a way to order to your desktop using the Stacks feature. Simply click on any blank part of your desktop and open the View menu. Next, select Use Stacks.
The feature automatically groups and piles up your files and folders by category. This makes it easy to organize your files and view them.
2. Saving Your Searches
You don’t have to waste time running searches repeatedly from scratch. Your macOS allows you to save common searches in Smart Folders. In other words, you always have virtual folders with continually updated search results.
To use this feature, simply run searches in Finder. Use the search box at the top right and a filtering criterion of your choice.
Once you’ve set up the search for how you want it, click Save. Choose a name for your folder. From then onwards, you can always access the folder with a single click.
3. Using Text Replacements
It’s easy to type faster using text replacements. If there are bits of text you frequently use, such as your address, you don’t have to keep typing them out. All you need is create a shortcut, and your Mac will do the rest.
Every time you type in a previously agreed-on shortcut, your Mac will expand it to the full statement you need. To set up this feature, go to the Apple menu and choose System Preferences, Keyboard, and Text. You’ll notice several examples provided for you, and you can add new ones using the plus button.
All the text replacements will be applied across the different apps on your computer every time you input text.
4. Understanding Mac Shortcuts
Using shortcuts on your Mac can significantly boost your productivity. macOS offers an extensive list of these shortcuts. Some shortcuts that you may find useful include Cmd + Space for promptly bringing your Spotlight search bar up.
macOS also lets you modify specific keyboard shortcuts or even create yours. Go to the Apple menu and choose System Preferences. Next, select Preferences, and click on Keyboard.
Under Shortcuts, there are keyboard combinations that you can edit. Use Restore Defaults to reverse your changes.
5. Taking Screenshots
Many new Mac owners don’t know how to screenshot on Mac. In reality, the process is quite simple.
For video screenshots, press Shift + Command + 3. If you’d like to choose an area of your screen, press Shift + Command + 4. You can record the screen or a portion of it using Shift + Command + 5.
Your Mac also lets you take a cleaner Mac screenshot. Use Shift + Command + 4 and press the spacebar to turn on the camera. After that, click on an open window to get the screenshot of the area you’ve selected.
6. Dictating Instead of Typing
Typing on your Mac can be fun. However, it’s possible to save yourself all the strain and speed up your writing by opting to dictate instead of typing. Every Mac comes with a dictation feature that you can take advantage of.
From the Apple menu, open System Preferences. Go to Keyboard, and then click on Dictation to turn the feature on.
Every time you want to enter text, double click the Fn key, choose Edit, and Start Dictation. Your Mac will show a microphone whenever it’s listening for you to speak. Once you’re done dictating, click Done.
7. Activating Hot Corners
Unlike the name suggests, hot corners aren’t meant to raise your Mac’s temperature. Rather, they offer you a simple, convenient way to navigate around various parts of your macOS. All you have to do is move the mouse cursor to the corners of your Mac’s display.
If you’d like to turn on this feature, choose System Preferences from the Apple menu. Next, select Mission Control and click Hot Corners. You’ll get four drop-down menus, one for each corner of your screen.
You can assign a different action for each corner. There are several actions available, including locking your MacBook, starting a screen saver, opening Launchpad, putting your Mac’s display to sleep, and so on.
8. Alternating Mouse Control
Your Mac lets you control the mouse cursor using your keyboard. You can enable this feature in Accessibility. Simply open up the settings on Accessibility and select the Alternate Control Methods tab.
Switch on Enable Mouse Keys. Select toggle. This turns on Mouse Keys every time you press Option five times.
9. Managing Files
One of the most useful Mac tips has to do with how you can manage your files. If you’d like to open any folder in your desktop or in Finder, press the down arrow key while holding Command. You can go back by holding Command and pressing the up arrow key.
You can also delete files instantly. The idea is to bypass the Trash Can on your Mac, so deleted files aren’t saved before getting deleted. Simply select the file you’d like to delete and press Option + Command + Delete at once.
Mac Computer Tips That Can Help You Maximize Your Machine
As you can see, there are many tricks that can help boost your Mac experience. Once your master the Mac computer tips we’ve shared on this guide, your workflow should become more streamlined, and you should enjoy spending your time with your Mac even more.
Would you like to learn more about your Mac? Please keep visiting our blog.
