6 Fantastic Mac Tips and Tricks You Need to Know – There are around 100 million Mac users in the world. How many of those users know all the best Mac tips and tricks though? Mac computers are preferred by many people for some great reasons.
Some enjoy the compatibility their Macs have with their iPhones. Others enjoy the setup of a Mac better than its competitors, but are they getting the most out of their Macs? If you don't know everything your Mac is capable of, then you’re missing out!
Continue reading the guide below for a list of the best Mac tips.
Table of Contents
1. The Spotlight Feature
The spotlight feature on your Mac can save you lots of time and frustration. This feature is for the hard-working, fast-paced individual who needs to get things done as fast as possible. It’s also a nice feature to have in general for anyone who uses their Mac on a frequent basis.
To launch the spotlight feature, you need to click on “Command” + “Spacebar”; and the small window will appear. In this window, you can type a variety of things to get a quick answer. For example, you can conduct some quick math problems, figure out how many ounces are in two cups, and more.
Ask spotlight questions, such as Chrome vs Safari, which one is better, or ask where the best restaurants in town are located. You can also use the spotlight feature to find files on your Mac or launch other apps.
To find information about specific topics, type your topic into the spotlight search bar and include what you want to know about that topic. For example, if you want to know what the weather is like in another state or country, then type the name of that state or country and follow it with, “weather.”
2. Read-Aloud Features
Having a read-aloud feature on your Mac is not only beneficial to those in need of accessibility features.
It’s a great tool to have when you’re unable to read the screen on your own, but this feature can be used for a variety of other reasons as well. Having your Mac read text aloud allows you to multitask.
If you need to read an article online but are also trying to do the laundry, then have your Mac read it aloud to you while you fold the clothes. This feature is also beneficial for writers, researchers, and college students.
To enable this feature, visit “System Prefs” and click on “Accessibility.” Then, click on “Speech” You can now highlight portions of texts and have your Mac read them aloud to you.
After highlighting the portion you want to be read aloud, click on “edit”> “speech”> “start speaking”. To stop, you’ll use the same steps but click on, “stop speaking”
3. Creating Memes
You always see memes on social media that you like, and you’ve most likely wondered how people make them. There are apps you can download to make mems on, but why go through all that trouble when you can make memes on your Mac?
You can make them on your Mac without needing a photo editing app installed on it. To do this, open an image in the “Preview” setting. Then, open the “Markup Toolbar” to add text over the top of the image.
You can then switch the font to “Impact,” which will give it more of a meme look. The last step is to save the image and then upload it.
4. Transferring Text Between Devices
Why would you want to transfer text from one device to another? Here’s a scenario:
You’re scrolling through the internet on your phone. You find something you want to research further.
However, you need your Mac to fully explore the website.
To send the text to your Mac and save it for later, you copy the text on your iPhone and then paste it onto your Mac.
This also works well for those collecting information from the iPhones to use in writing or project on their
Mac. If you’re out and about and find something interesting on your iPhone, you can send it to your Mac as long as the two devices share the name Apple ID.
5. Extend Your Screen
Working with one tiny screen when you’re trying to complete multiple tasks at once isn’t always the simplest thing to do. Sometimes, you may feel like you need more than one computer at a time. Now, you can extend your screen by using your Mac and iPad.
To do this, use sidecar mode. This will extend the display from your Mac to your iPad, as long as they’re both compatible.
6. The Do Not Disturb Feature
This next tip is for all the procrastinators and easily distracted people out there. We know how easy it can be to get distracted while trying to work or finish a project on your Mac. This is especially true for remote workers with many distractions around them.
Some of the most distracting things are the notifications we receive on our phones and Mac while trying to work. Use the “Do Not Disturb”; feature on your Mac to stop any notifications from coming through your iPhone or Mac. When you’re done working, you can turn the feature off and access any messages, phone calls, emails, or other notifications that came through while working.
Exploring Mac Tips and Tricks Leads to New Discoveries
You love your Mac, but you’re not getting the full “Mac Experience” if you’re not familiar with Mac
computer tips. Read through all of the Mac tips and tricks listed above to discover everything your Mac can do for you! When you utilize all of these features, you get the most out of your Mac. To read more topics on technology, continue to check back here on a regular basis!