Welcome to the topic “15 top tips to help you Master your Mac.”
Macs are great. They’re sleek, they’re stylish, and they can be way more than just a personal computer. They come with one of the best-operating systems in the world pre-installed, but there’s always room for improvement. Here are 15 top tips to help you master your Mac and keep you busy.
Capture screenshots of a specific area of the screen
On Macs, it is possible to take the SS of any particular part of the screen by pressing Cmd + Shift + 4.
From there, just click and drag the picture on the part of the screen you want to capture. Release the image, and the file will be available on your desktop.
Rename multiple files at once
Renaming multiple files at once is possible if you have a Mac with Yosemite or later.
First, choose all the files and right-click on them, and select Rename. Now you have three options. Choose Replace Text, and you change the names of multiple files at once.
Want to use Windows on your Mac?
Yes, you can use Microsoft Windows on a Mac.
Go to the Applications folder, and then look for the Utility folder. Here you will see the Boot Camp option.
This feature will ‘partition’ your storage drive, and you can split it between Windows and Mac. You can set the split ratio, but keep in mind that storage assigned to one system cannot be accessed by the other. So, click the partition button to create a partition.
When your Mac asks for a Windows CD, insert it. Lastly, select the partitioned section of your storage drive to install the Windows.
After installation, your Mac will start into Windows. After that, whenever you turn on your PC, just press down the Option key to pick between Windows or Apple OS X.
Add your signature to your files.
With macOS, adding a signature to your files is a breeze.
First, open the document within the Preview application. Click on the small pen icon and look for the signature icon. If you have a laptop, you can draw your signature on Mac’s touchpad, or you can use the signature’s image via camera.
To use the camera, draw your signature on plain, white paper. Now click the Camera and place that paper up to the webcam to capture the signature. To add it to your documents, just hit the signature button again and then insert the signature into the document.
See all the special characters.
Add emojis to your files and make them more lively. Go to the Edit in the main menu, then select Emoji & Symbols from the menu. This will show you the emoji picker. Now click on the file/document where you want to use it and simply click on the emoji to add.
The Mac’s version of Ctrl + Alt + Delete
Mac has alternative to Ctrl + Alt + Delete. Press down the Cmd + Option keys and Esc to do so. This will show you the Force Quit dialog box, displaying all running tasks.
Switch between multiple screens and windows
By pressing the Cmd + Tab keys, you can shift between the open apps. However, if multiple files or apps are open at once, you will have to use Cmd + ~ to instantly switch between those windows of the same program.
Quickly find a word in the dictionary.
To do so, you can use macOS’s reference tool. Highlight the word you want to check and hold down the Cmd + Ctrl + D keys. Alternatively, if you have a MacBook click it with two fingers on your trackpad.
Start Mac silently
To start your Mac silently, or you don’t want to hear that iconic chime, just press the Mute key at startup.
Convert any unit within Spotlight
Spotlight is available on your Mac and online and solves many queries without opening a new window. One such feature is conversion. Just type the figure/amount you want to convert, and the spotlight will display various conversions in a search result. You can also use it to convert currencies.
Grow the cursor
If your Mac has El Capital or later and you want to find that little cursor, simply wiggle your mouse back and forth or move your fingers on the trackpad; the cursor will grow in size. Once you find it, stop.
Merge Finder windows
If your desktop screen is loaded with new windows, just click on the Window in the main menu bar, and look for Merge all windows; click on it to settle down the things. Now, multiple windows will be visible as neat tabs inside one window.
Disconnect from a Wi-Fi network without turning it off
Press the Alt key and then click on the Wi-Fi icon available in the menu bar. This will show you all the options along with a list of information under the name of the Wi-Fi network you are connected to.
Under your network, you will see an option named “Disconnect from [your network name].” Click on this button, and you will be disconnected without restarting your Wi-Fi.
Record your screen
To record the screen, there is a built-in feature in Mac titled QuickTime. It is a standard program that you will find in almost all Macs. First, go to your systems’ Applications folder and click on the QuickTime Player button.
Now, click File and go to New screen recording. From here, you can record the whole of the screen or any specific portion of your screen.
Calculate sums in Spotlight
Almost all Mac operating systems come with a built-in calculator widget, but you can perform calculations in a quicker and simpler way. Here is how you do it. First, click on the Spotlight icon available on your screen, and then enter your sum.
Here you will see all the essential functions such as plus, minus, divide, multiply, and equals functions on a standard calculator. Your results will be visible in the Spotlight box.
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