8 macOS features that you should be aware. It seems to many that macOS is extremely simple and understandable. These are Windows computers that have all sorts of nuances of settings that are needed in case something goes wrong.
Yes, using a Mac is really more convenient and there are usually no difficulties with the settings, but this simplicity is very deceiving. In fact, there are many features under the hood of every Apple computer that most users don’t even know about.
In today’s article, we have collected for you 8 of the most interesting chips in the Apple operating system that everyone should know about.
8 macOS Features
Keyboard shortcuts on a Mac
Pro keyboard shortcuts on Mac It has been said dozens of times and written many articles. Another thing is that it is very difficult to put into practice all the knowledge acquired immediately after reading it. Moreover, sometimes the need for a particular team arises at the most inopportune moment. Today I would like to leave you with 10 not-so-obvious combinations that I use every day:
- Command + Option + W or Option + cross icon closes all windows of an application.
- Control + Command + Q – Immediate screen lock.
- Command + Shift + 4 then Space – take a screenshot of a specific window.
- Command + Tab — fast switching between open applications.
- Control + Command + Space – open menu with emoji.
- Command + Shift + I – Opens iCloud Drive folder in Finder.
- Command + Shift + Backspace — rapid emptying of the basket.
- Command + – Opens Settings in any app.
- Command + Z — undo the previous action.
- Command + Shift + Z – repeat the canceled action (reverse command).
All of these commands I only discovered after years of using the Mac, but they made the job much easier. In general, it takes some getting used to using the commands. A few days of agony are worth a few hours of time savings, don’t ignore this macOS feature.
Internet Speed Check on Mac
Few people know this, but checking internet speed in macOS is possible without the help of additional programs. Yes, many are used to the Speedtest application, it is beautiful and quite fast, but let’s not clutter our computers with tons of unnecessary software and learn to manage our resources well.
To test your internet speed on a Mac, just hold down the Option button and click the Wi-Fi icon in the macOS top menu. After that, opposite the network to which you are connected, all the necessary information will be displayed.
However, this method will only help you if you want to check the speed at some point. Well, that is, you are working in Safari, you feel something is wrong, and you looked here. If you want a more detailed summary, I suggest the following:
- Open the Terminal app (via Spotlight or via Launchpad).
- Then paste the command network quality and press Enter.
- After that, the system will start to test the upload capability and upload capability.
- Within seconds it will give you the final result, similar to Speedtest.
In macOS Monterey, you can do without a separate application for measuring Internet speed.
The feature is very useful but only works with Macs running the latest macOS Monterey. For everyone, I suggest the method which was described just above.
How to change the boot screen on MacBook?
For some reason, many users don’t really like putting screensavers on their Mac computers, however, I think it’s in vain. So you can customize the system freshly and see a beautiful picture during work breaks in front of the computer. Also, remember that the splash screen was originally designed for privacy purposes. You never know if someone wants to spy on your open windows.
To install screen saver on mac you need:
- Open System Preferences on Mac.
- Then go to the Desktop and Screen Saver section.
- Go to the Screen Saver tab at the top of Settings.
- Select the image you are interested in and indicate the time after which it will start.
Remember to set all required screen-saver options.
Also, some animations have additional parameters. Click on the screensaver you are interested in and below it there will be a Screensaver Settings button. Here you can specify the color scheme and some other settings like home language, outline thickness, etc. In general, pay attention to this.
How to Create a PDF from Multiple JPGs?
I hasten to please those who work a lot with images. macOS has a built-in tool that allows you to combine multiple images into a single PDF file. As a student, I used this feature several times a day. You take notes on the iPad, then upload it all to the Mac and combine the images into a single document. It turns out its own manual with illustrations.
To create PDF from multiple JPGsYou need:
- Select multiple images using your mouse or trackpad.
- Then right-click on the files.
- Select the Quick Actions section, then Create PDF.
Working with PDF on macOS is a pleasure.
Note that there are a few more useful settings in the Quick Actions menu. Much attention should be paid to the Convert Image item. With it, you can quickly change the file size (if it’s too large to upload) or change the image format. It’s so easy to convert heic to jpg. Fans of mobile photography will definitely appreciate this feature.
How to Create a Shortcut on Mac?
Usually, the need to create a shortcut on a computer arises in exceptional situations. I’m sure many of you didn’t even know that there are no shortcuts in the usual sense on macOS. On the contrary, there are, but they are called differently – Alias.
For creating a shortcut on mac follow the simple instructions:
- Find the file you need in the Finder or on your desktop.
- Then right-click and select Create Alias.
Another point proves that macOS is better than Windows.
In fact, Apple didn’t call them Aliases for anything, not Shortcuts. Yet, there are differences between them. Ultimately, if you change the original file path on Windows, the shortcut stops working. In macOS, it’s all about people. Wherever you drop the original, Alias will open without any problems.
How to Use Finder on Mac?
The Finder is a highly sophisticated application on Mac. Despite everything looking pretty straightforward here, the Finder settings are through the roof. Today I would like to touch on only a few of them, if you want more go to this article, there is a lot of useful information there.
Few people know, but in File Explorer on macOS, you can open tabs the same way as in the Safari browser. All you have to do is press a hotkey Command + T and a new tab will open in the Finder.
This is very convenient, because when you open 8-9 windows of the same program, you start getting lost in it, and the desktop turns into a heap of garbage.
Using tabs in the Finder is very convenient.
Plus, of course, you can easily switch between the Finder tabs. To do this, simply press Cmd+Shift+\. After that, a menu will open where you can see all the tabs as thumbnails. Enjoy!
Default folder in Finder
I think a lot of people have noticed that when you open each new tab, Finder opens the Recent folder by default. If you don’t like it (and I don’t), you can easily change it in the settings:
- Open Finder on Mac.
- From Mac’s top menu, click Finder, Preferences.
- Then go to the General tab, and find the Show in the new Finder windows section.
- Find the folder you need from the list provided or click Other and select it manually.
Changing the folder that opens in the default Finder is quite simple.
Why are desktop files saved to iCloud?
Well, in the end, the sweetest thing is the decor that I wanted to change for a very long time, but I still felt sorry this time. You probably know that all files stored on the desktop in macOS are not stored in your computer’s memory, but in the iCloud cloud. You can change this in Mac settings:
- Open System Preferences on your computer.
- Next, click on the Apple ID icon at the top.
- Go to the iCloud tab in the left menu.
- Find iCloud Drive, and click Options.
- In the menu that opens, uncheck the box next to the Desktop and Documents folders.
Uncheck the box next to the desired item and all desktop files will be saved in the device’s memory.
IMPORTANT: Before making these settings, please move all files from your desktop to a folder on your computer, otherwise all files may be gone forever.
If you know of any other cool macOS features and want to talk about them, I suggest you do so in our Telegram chat or in the comments below the post. It will be interesting to read!
