The Mac is one of the most versatile and powerful machines on the market today.
No matter whether you are new to Mac computers or you have been using these devices for years, there are probably lots of little hacks, tricks, and shortcuts that you have never heard of.
These hacks can not only make your experience more enjoyable, but they can also make it more productive and exciting.
If you are interested in some Mac tips then you have come to the right place.
Below is a list of some of the hacks every Mac user should know.
It does not matter what version of Mac operating system you are running, you can still do all of these simple things to stay more organized and get more done on your Mac device:
What you can expect in this article:
1. Talk to and Listen to Your Mac
The Mac’s ability to listen to you and talk back has always been pretty impressive, even before the MacOS Sierra was introduced in 2016.
However, this has been completely topped by the arrival of Siri on Apple’s Mac lineup.
Summoning Siri on a Mac device is easier than you would think.
Simply click on the Siri button or hold down Space and Command for a couple of seconds to summon the Siri we all know and love.
And, if you own a newer Mac computer, such as the 2018 MacBook Pro, you simply need to say “Hey Siri” to summon your interactive helper.
Although most people know how to use Siri on their devices, lots of us do not realize what Siri can do.
Not only can you ask Siri questions about the weather or which football team is winning the league, but you can also ask Siri to toggle functions of your computer such as your Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
And that’s not all, Siri can also pull up individual files stored on your computer system and launch apps for you.
2. Remember Passwords
For a few years now large companies such as Google and Facebook have been providing their own ways of signing up for third-party websites and apps.
This means that instead of creating an account and password for each site you visit or each app you download you could use your Facebook or Google ID to sign up.
While there are lots of benefits to this, there are also several disadvantages.
One of the main disadvantages is that large companies can get a better insight into your behaviors, which they can sell to advertisers.
Sign in with Apple is a simple, secure, and private way to authenticate to websites and apps.
Although the process used by Apple is similar to the one used by Twitter, Facebook, and Google, Sign in with Apple does not mine your data for ad revenue.
However, although Sign in with Apple is a huge step towards better security and privacy, this technology is not available for all websites and apps.
This means that you will still need a secure way to store your usernames and passwords.
Secrets is a brilliant app for this. It is an all-in-one privacy guard.
To find out more about Sign in with Apple and Secrets, visit Setapp.
This platform not only allows you to try Secrets for free for 7 days, but they also have a huge selection of other apps available that can make your MacBook experience more pleasurable.
3. Turn Your Desktop Folders into Emojis
We all love using emojis in everyday messaging.
However, this is not the only use for emojis.
Mac users can make their desktop folder icons more fun and easier to differentiate by converting them into an emoji of their choice.
If you want to do this then follow these steps:
- Create a new folder on your desktop
- Do a Google image search for an emoji you like
- Drag the image to your desktop
- Double click on the image
- Make the image transparent
- Drag a box around the emoji
- Click edit, select all
- Press Command and C
- Click Get Info. Once you have done this a new screen will pop up
- Click on the blue folder icon and press Command and V
- Your emoji should then appear in place of the folder icon
4. Learn About Spotlight
Lots of us would like to remove the Dock from our Mac devices to create a more minimalist look.
However, we worry that removing the Dock will make it harder to find the apps or files that we need.
One way to overcome this problem is to use Spotlight to launch apps and programs instead.
Simply press the space bar and Command at the same time to open Spotlight search.
Once you have opened Spotlight you will be able to type in the name of a file, app, or program that you want to find.
You can even write in specific things like “songs I downloaded last week” and click on the icon for a preview of the search results.
Most Mac users do not realize that they can also use Spotlight as a calculator.
You can do this by using the following method:
- Launch spotlight by hitting Command and the space bar at the same time
- Type in an equation that you want answering (e.g., 3 + 3)
- The answer will instantly appear as the search result in the app.
5. Set Up a Smart Folder
MacBook users can personalize their file manager experience with Smart Folders. Smart Folders can be used to automatically sort your files into folders based on the characteristics you choose.
And setting up a Smart Folder is easier than you would think. You simply need to open Finder, click on
File and then add a new smart folder.
Beneath the sleek surface of the Mac software sits a system of secrets and shortcuts that, once understood, takes an already amazing experience and makes it even better.
If you want to improve your Mac experience, then try out some of the hacks we have talked about above.
