Want to know the secrets of your Mac? If you own a Mac, these six tips will help you get the most out of your machine and maximize your productivity.
How to open programs and files faster?
Spotlight Search is the Mac’s search window, and it’s a productivity dream come true because it opens the apps and files you find with it very quickly. Learn the keyboard shortcut to reach the search bar, and become more efficient.
To do this, press Command-Spacebar to start Spotlight search. Type the first letters of the application or file you want to open, and when it appears in the drop-down menu, hover over it and press the Enter key.
How do I force quit an app?
When an app is running in circles and nothing happens, i.e. you see the cogwheel spinning but not stopping, you need to know how to force quit it. This function is the same as Ctrl-Alt-Delete on Windows.
To do this, press Command-Option-Esc. You will see all the applications currently in use. Choose the one you want to leave in order to solve your problem quickly.
How to take a screenshot?
You sometimes need to take a picture of what is displayed on your screen and take a screenshot to attach it by email. To quickly take a screenshot of your Mac computer, all you need to do is:
- Command-Shift-3 takes a photo of your full screen;
- Command-Shift-4 places a logo on the screen which you drag to frame the part of the screen you want to capture. The image saves to the desktop or to the location you specified in System Preferences. Add the Control key (Command-Control-Shift-4), and the image is copied to your clipboard;
- Command-Shift-4 followed by the spacebar turns the pointer into a camera icon, and if you hover it over a particular window and click the mouse or tap the trackpad, you’ll get a capture of this window only.
Restore Deleted Folders on Mac via Terminal
Terminal is also a great option for how to recover deleted files on Mac. However, it is only useful if you know the name of the file and it has not been permanently deleted from the trash; otherwise, you will need a recovery tool. To restore a file or folder deleted by mistake, all you need to do is:
- Double-click on the terminal. If you don’t know where Terminal is, open Finder, then go to Applications and select Utilities. You will see the Terminal;
- Now you have to manually type a command that says (cd. Trash) followed by the “return key”;
- Now type “mv filename../” and press the “return” key again;
- Quit the terminal.
If you’ve deleted your recycle bin, you’ll need to use a Time Machine-like application that will dig deep into your computer’s data to recover deleted files.
How do I automatically launch frequently used applications, files, and server connections?
You can save time by having your Mac automatically launch the programs you use every time you log on.
To do this, go to System Preferences and choose Users & Groups. Select your account, then choose Login Items. Use the plus sign to add apps, folders, files, and even disks that you want to launch automatically when you start your Mac. Click Add to save.
Send and receive text messages from your desktop
Being able to send and receive text messages on your Mac is a real bonus, especially if your iPhone’s battery is low or you don’t have it handy. It’s even possible to send and receive text messages from people who don’t have an iPhone.
To do this, all you need to do is:
- Click on the Messages icon in the dock (Cmd + space and start typing Messages);
- Sign in using your Apple ID associated with your iPhone;
- Select the new message icon;
- Type the phone number in the recipient’s “To:” field and press “Enter.”
Now you know all about the most useful tips and tricks to know about your Mac. These hacks will help you save time and perform better in performing your tasks. Do not hesitate to say in comment if you know other tricks for Mac!