You might consider yourself a complete whizz when it comes toApple’s Mac, and you’re here wondering if we can teach you something you didn’t know. Or perhaps you would say you’re a complete novice and you’ve only recently bought a Mac because they look pretty, but in reality, you have absolutely zero idea how to use it. Don’t worry, you wouldn’t be alone.
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The MacBook Air 15-inch is a truly superb everyday laptop, with a solid and premium build quality, a stunning big display, excellent performance and a great battery life. There’s nothing not to love here. It’s the everyday laptop dreams were made of.
Either way, we are hoping there will be at least one tip on this list that’s going to make your day-to-day use of your Mac a little more efficient. Whether you’ve used Macs for years, or you are new tomacOSand all the features it offers - because there are loads just waiting to be discovered – we have compiled our favorite tips and tricks to help you get the most out of yourMacBookoriMac.
Here are 33 tips for Mac you really should know about.
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1Make a Mac keyboard shortcut for anything
Mac has built-in keyboard shortcuts that developers have added - like Command + Space Bar to open Spotlight - but it’s possible to create a shortcut for anything you like from any app. The only thing you’ll need to know is the exact name of the menu command that you want to add.
To create a keyboard shortcut, openSystem Settingsby tapping on the Apple logo in the top left corner and selecting it from the drop down menu, then tap onKeyboard. You’ll then need to openKeyboard Shortcutsfollowed byApp Shortcuts. You’ll need to hit the ‘+’ and select the application you want to create a shortcut, enter the menu command and enter the combination of keys you want to use for the shortcut.
2Batch rename a group of Mac files
If you have a group of files you want to rename, it’s very easy to do on Mac, as long as you are running macOS Yosemite or later. To batch rename files, you’ll first need to select the group of files you want to rename. You can click on one and then hold shift to highlight more.
Once you have your highlighted group, right click and selectRename. You can also tap on the circle with the three dots in the middle from the Finder menu.
You’ll then be able to Replace Text, Add Text or Format the names.
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3Take full-page Mac screenshots
Taking a screenshot on a Mac is super simple. You can either take a screenshot of your entire screen or you can take a screenshot of a partial area of your screen. Both will automatically save to your desktop and they will appear in the bottom right corner after you take them, which you can then click on to mark up.
To take a screenshot of your entire screen, pressShift + Command + 3.
To take a screenshot of part of your screen, pressShift + Command + 4,then draw the box around what you want to take the screenshot of.
4Sign a PDF from Mail on Mac
While you might think you have to print out a document, physically sign it, scan it and send it back, thankfully there is an easier way. It’s possible to sign PDFs directly from the Mail app so there’s no need to waste any paper.
You’ll need to drag the PDF you need to sign into a new email in Mail first. You’ll then need to hover over it to see a small arrow button appear in the top right corner. From here, you’re able to selectMark Up. The PDF will then open and you’ll see a signature option at the top - it’s the icon with a squiggle that looks like a signature with a cross to the left.
you’re able to either select a signature you have used in the past, or you can create a new signature. If you choose to create a new signature, you can either use the trackpad on your Mac to draw one, your iPhone, or you can write your signature on a piece of paper and then hold it up to the webcam on your Mac.
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5Turn on Mac Stage Manager
If your Mac is running macOS Ventura, you may use a feature calledStage Managerto organize all your windows and apps and quickly multi-task between them. You’ll need toturn on Stage Managerusing the Control Center (icon with two bars and a dot either side of the bars). LaunchControl Centerand then tap on theStage Managertile.
From here, different apps will appear on the left side, while the app you are working on becomes front and center. Different windows of the same app will group on top of each other, and if you want use two or more apps at once, you just need to drag the other apps onto the app that is already open.
6Open certain Mac apps at login automatically
If there are certain apps you use every day and you always open them up, you may set your Mac up to open them automatically as soon as you login. For example, we always use Mail, Slack, Safari and Calendar.
Open up System Settings by tapping the Apple icon in the top left corner, and make sure your account is selected. You’ll then need to tap onGeneral, followed byLogin Items. To add an app, tap on the ‘+’ and search the Finder for the application or document you want to open on login. You’ll need to select the application or document from the list and then pressOpento add it to the list.
For a quick way to add an application to this list, right click on an application icon and selectOptionsfrom the pop menu, followed byOpen at Login.
7Use Mac Spotlight for unit conversions
Spotlightis an excellent tool. To pull it up, hitCommand + Space Bar.
The search bar will then appear and you can use it to not only search for files, applications or a specific question, but you can also use it for unit and currency conversions. Just type what you want to convert directly into the search bar.
8Use Mission Control to see all open windows
You might be surprised by how many different windows and applications you have open at any one time. If you’re anything like us, you’ll have no idea you had 15 Safari tabs open, along with Messages, Mail, WhatsApp, Photoshop and goodness knows what else.
To see all your open windows and apps, simply hit theF3 function buttonand you’ll see them all, allowing you to tap on any of them to switch.
9Add a Guest user to your Mac
It’s possible to add multiple users to your Mac, which is handy of you have several people in your home using one computer. It means everyone can set up their own wallpapers, layouts, preferences and apps how they like them. It’s also possible to add a Guest user so anyone borrowing your Mac can’t access your files or documents.
To add a new user, head toSystem Settingsby tapping on the Apple logo in the top left corner. Scroll down toUsers & Groupsand selectAdd Account.If you want to add a Guess user, tap on the ‘I’ next to Guest User above Add Account and toggle onAllow guests to log in to this computer.
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10Get a Wi-Fi password for other devices from your Mac
Apple Mac has an excellent feature called Keychain Access that remembers almost all passwords for whatever sites you might need to log onto, from Facebook to Marks & Spencer. It will also remember Wi-Fi passwords for locations though. While your Mac will automatically join a network it has stored, you might need to know the Wi-Fi password for another device, like your phone or tablet.
To find out any password you have stored, including Wi-Fi passwords, you’ll first need to open up Keychain. The quickest way is to hitCommand + Space Barand type inKeychain. you may then search in the top right corner for the Wi-Fi network or site you want your password for, tap on Show Password and type in your Mac password to see it.
