New macOS users are here! Here are 10 features you should know

First, macOS can look pretty cool but be confusing. Whether you choose a MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, or Mac Mini, your first exposure to macOS after Windows will be a little intimidating. Switching to macOS in a world dominated by Windows takes some getting used to.

But don’t worry. Some unconventional Mac features may challenge you, but they will also unlock many hidden treasures that will greatly enhance your user experience. In this post, we have listed 10 essential tips and tricks every new macOS user should know. Here is our list of 10 tips and features that will make your job much easier in the learning process👇

1. Take advantage of the trackpad

When you first get a MacBook, it might seem odd that the trackpad doesn’t physically print. You’ll find out that you can’t right-click like you can on another laptop, for example. The trackpad comes with a set of useful gestures that give you quick access to various features on your Mac. In fact, the trick is to remember all these movements. Here are a few gestures you can perform with the trackpad:

• Swipe with two fingers from the right edge to the left to launch the notification center
• Two finger click to right click
• Pinch to zoom in or out
• Open Launchpad by pinching with four fingers
• Open Mission Control by swiping up with four fingers.
• Spread your thumb and three fingers apart to show the desktop
• Switch between full-screen apps or desktops by swiping right or left with four fingers

You also have the option to customize some movements that you find difficult. To do this, open the System Preferences app using the Apple icon in the top left corner or from the Dock. From here, scroll down to the settings categories on the left and enter your trackpad options. You can change the settings on the tab to suit your preferences. For example, three fingers may be more useful for flight control than four.

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2. Add or remove applications from the Dock.

In the Dock, you can request to see the apps you use and open. However, it won’t be preferred if it’s full of apps that you don’t use or don’t want. If you think so, you can organize your dock. To do this, you need to know how to add and remove apps from the Dock.

Currently running applications appear in the Dock, but may not remain pinned to the Dock unless otherwise noted. By default, several applications are pinned to the Dock. These are apps that Apple pre-installed. Right-click an application in the Dock. Tap on options on the small screen that opens up. Click “Keep in Dock” in the options section to add it to the dock. If it’s already pinned to the Dock and you want to remove it, click Remove from Dock.

3. Use multiple windows and desktops

It will be a real pleasure to use your Mac by making applications full screen or creating multiple desktops. For example, you might have Spotify and Word in one desktop tab, and your browser and Photoshop in another. You can easily switch between them with three fingers.

To create a new desktop, you must first open the Mission Control tab. At the top, you’ll see the currently open desktop, and at the far right of the top bar, you’ll see a “+” sign.

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4. Automatically launch the most frequently used applications when you turn on your computer.

If there are certain apps that you use every day that you always have open, you can set your Mac to open automatically when you log in. For example, we always use Mail, Slack, Safari and Calendar.

Open System Preferences by tapping the Apple icon in the top left corner and make sure your account is selected. Then you need to click on “General” and then “Login Items”. To add an app, tap the + sign and find the app or document you want to open when you sign in to Finder. You must select an application or document from the list and then click “Open” to add it to the list. To quickly add an application to this list, right-click on the application’s icon and select Options from the drop-down menu, then Open at Sign In. Similarly, you can uncheck the box next to Spotify and other similar apps to disable auto-launch on login.

5. Take screenshots like a pro

You can press Shift + Cmd + 3 to take a simple screenshot on Mac. This takes a screenshot of the entire screen (or screens).

Press Shift + Cmd + 4 to access the crop tool, which allows you to capture selected parts of the screen. Press Shift + Cmd + 5 to access the full screen display menu, where you can choose between full screen mode, separate windows or screenshots, as well as video recording and other options.

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6. Use hot corners

Another useful feature in maOS is Hot Corners, which allows you to move certain functions or applications to the corner of the screen. This way you can quickly access the things you use the most.

To set up Hot Corners, open System Preferences and click Desktop & Dock. Here, scroll down and click on Hot Corners. Click on the desired angle and select a function from the drop down menu to assign it there. When your selection is complete, you can click Done. You can now move your mouse cursor to that corner to activate the hot corner you configured.

7. Use the Scene Manager feature to quickly multitask.

If your Mac is running macOS Ventura, you can use the Stage Manager feature to organize and quickly multitask across all your windows and apps.

You will need to activate the Scene Manager feature from Desktop and Dock Settings via System Preferences. Specifically, you can click on it on the left to bring the app you want to work on to the front while other apps appear on the left. Different windows of the same application are grouped together, and if you want to use two or more applications at the same time, just drag and drop other applications onto an already open application.

Finally, you can use the control center to enable “Show Scene Manager” in the menu bar at the top right and easily turn it off at any time.

8. Use Spotlight to Convert Units

Spotlight is a great tool for those new to macOS. Press Command and Space on your keyboard to use Spotlight. Then a search bar appears, and you can use it not only to search for files, applications, or a specific question, but also to convert units and currencies. Just enter what you want to convert directly into the search bar.

9. Check your notifications

Notifications will appear in the right corner of your Mac’s screen and disappear unless you hover over them. If you want to see a quick summary of all the notifications you’ve received, such as emails, Slack messages, messages, or Find My Alerts, tap the date and time in the top right corner. You will see a list of your notifications and you can click on them to expand them and choose what you want to do from the drop down menu. You can also swipe in from the right edge of the trackpad with two fingers to launch notifications.

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10. Split screen to work smarter

For example, you can open Safari on one side of the screen and take a note on the other side. To enter split screen mode, simply hover over the green icon in the top left corner of the app. Here you will see three options.

Select the left or right option and then you can select an additional application to use on the other side. To exit split screen mode, simply tap the green button in the top left corner of the app you want to close.

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