Mac tips and tricks for getting started
1. Enter the text
Whether you’re writing an email or a memo, you’re not sure how to spell words. No dictionaries, just keyboard shortcutsF5 can. This will show you the word that begins with the letter you have entered so far. You can then select the words you want and continue writing.
2. Spotlight search for quick calculations
You don’t need to open a calculator to do the calculation. For simple equations, use Spotlight Search to add, subtract, multiply, and divide. Simply open the search and pop up the calculation you want.
3. Forcibly exit the window
If you’re used to using Control + Alt + Delete to force out an application on Windows, you’ll need to get used to other shortcuts on macOS. Click Command + Option + Escape to open the forced exit window.
4. Quickly delete files
Another cool shortcut you can use on a Mac is deleting files. Simply select them and click Command + Delete, rather than drag them to “Waste The” or use the right-click shortcut menu.
5. Take full screen shots
The Mac has a cool tool for capturing screens that you can access using Command + Shift + 5. But to get a quick screen shot of the entire screen, just use Command + Shift + 3.
6. Open the application at startup
This process can be made easier if you start each day by opening the same application on your Mac. Set up your Mac so that the same application opens automatically when you start your computer.
Go to System Preferences > Users and Groups. Select your user name and click Login Items at the top. You can then select the check boxes for these applications in the list, or use the plus button to add more.
7. Letter accents
If you need to use accented letters, you do not need to search for special characters. Just hold down the key on the keyboard. A selection of accented letters based on the key is displayed for you to select the letter you want.
8. Visit emojis
The Mac has a really cool set of emojis and special character sets. And you can use keyboard shortcuts to open it without skipping through the hoop. Press Control + Command + Space to pop up the window.
9. Show and hide the menu bar
While the menu bar is easy to navigate, it can sometimes get in your way. Fortunately, there’s an easy way to hide it when it’s not needed.
Go to System Preferences > General. At the top, check the Auto Hide and Show menu bar box. You should immediately see the menu bar disappear. To display it again, simply move the cursor to the top of the screen.
10. Change the volume in small increments
You can easily increase or decrease the volume on the Mac using Fn and the Volume button. However, to change the volume in small increments, hold down Shift + Option and Fn and hold down the volume button. You will see that the indicators of trading volume move less.
11. Delete it forward
If you are switching from a Windows computer, it is customary to use both Delete and Backspace keys on the keyboard. Delete deletes letters forward, and backspace deletes letters backward.
But on the Mac, you only have the Delete key, which works like Backspace to Delete letters backwards. Therefore, if you want to Delete letters forward, use the keyboard shortcut Fn + Delete.
12. Merge finder Windows
Although you can use tabs in the Finder to view multiple Windows, you might open a new window without considering the use of tabs. But you can easily clean up the mess by merging open Finder Windows.
Once you have them all open and active, click Windows > Merge All Windows from the menu bar. You will then see all the open Finder Windows, using each TAB to merge them into a single window.
13. Rename files in batches
You can easily rename files one by one, but if you want to rename a group of files to similar files, there is a quick way. Select the file you want to rename, right-click, and select rename X project. You will see a pop-up window where you can replace the text in the current file name with any name.
14. Use split views
Use split View to create more workspaces on your Mac. This way, you can place two apps side by side in a full-screen view.
Place the cursor on the green button in the upper left of the first application window. You can then choose to place the window on the left or right side of the screen. When you’re done, you’ll see a window available on the other side of the screen. Simply click the one you want to split the view.
15. Move your Dock to another screen
If you use a dual-monitor setup, you can place the Dock on any screen you want. The docking dock will automatically move to your active window.
Go to the second screen, click to make it active, and move the cursor to where the Dock is (bottom, left, or right). Your Dock will pop up on another screen.
These are the 15 most useful Mac tips that you can use.