How to use MacOS like a pro

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Whether you are a new Mac user or have been using a Mac for years, the numbers of features that a Mac comes with never fail to amaze you. All Mac devices are equipped with built-in shortcuts that help users to streamline their usage. If you have been missing out some of the amazing features of your Mac device, here is a guide that will explain how to use a MacOS like a pro.

  • Screenshot

If you are a new Mac user, then there are high chances that you do not know how to screenshot on a Mac. While it might appear easy to take a screenshot on a Mac using keyboard shortcuts, there are different techniques to capture different parts of the screen. These shortcuts allow users to capture the entire screen, a window or just a small portion of the screen.

To take a screenshot you need to press and hold the Shift + Command + 3 keys together. Once you see a thumbnail in the corner of the screen, you can either click it to edit the screenshot or wait for the screenshot to automatically save on your device. If you only want to capture a portion of your screen, then press and hold Shift + Command + 4. Once you press these keys, a selection cursor will appear. You can drag this selection cursor to select the area of the screen. After selecting the screen portion, you can release the mouse or trackpad button to take the screenshot.

  • Spotlight

Spotlight is one of the easiest ways to find anything on a Mac device. Whether you are looking for contacts, documents, webpages, email messages, events or calendar, just press the Command + Spacebar keys to see the Spotlight search field. As Spotlight is an intelligent search engine, it also comes with Spotlight Suggestions, similar to Siri. These suggestions offer users information from various resources, such as web search results, Wikipedia articles, news, sports, stocks, weather, movies, books, etc. Spotlight also provides the dictionary definition of words and can perform height, weight and currency conversions. Additionally, if you want to use Spotlight only to search for items on your Mac, there is an option to turn off Spotlight Suggestions.

  • Split Screen

Mac users have the privilege to use two Mac apps side by side by using Split View. This option is ideal for users who like to multi-task without juggling between different windows. By using the Split View feature, you can decide the amount of space each app gets on the screen. To enter in the split view, click and hold the green full-screen button that appears in the upper-left corner of a window. When you will hold the button, the window will shrink and can be dragged to the left or the right side of the screen. After setting up one window, release the button and click a window on the other side of the screen. While not all apps support Split View, this option works well when users want to do some important work using two apps without getting distracted.

  • Notification Centre

Notifications come handy when you want to stay up-to-date with all the information. MacOS offers great flexibility, with which users can customise their notifications based on their preferences. You can also change the style of your notifications, turn them off or hide them. The Notification Centre can be used to view different details, such as stocks, weather, calendars, etc. Moreover, it lets users check out if they have missed any emails, reminders, alerts and more at a glance. To open the Notification Centre, click its icon that appears at the top right of the screen. To see any upcoming events lined up for the day, Click Today. If you do not wish to get notification alerts as they arrive but wish to view them later, you can turn on Do Not Disturb in the Notification Centre.

  • Alternate Mouse Control

For users that find it easier to use a keyboard over a mouse, MacOS also has an alternative. Once you enable Alternate Mouse Control in the Accessibility, you can use your keyboard to control your mouse cursor. All you have to do is open the Accessibility setting, go to Pointer Control and select the Alternate Control Methods tab. In this section, you can turn on Enable Mouse Keys and choose toggle to turn on the Mouse Keys. However, Mouse Keys will only turn on when you will press the Option five times.

  • Time Machine

With the help of Time Machine, you can automatically back up the complete information available on your Mac device. From system files to apps, accounts, documents, photos, music, movies and preferences, Time Machine will back up everything. It also allows users to retrieve an older version of a document or revisit their past Mac settings. Additionally, users can restore the entire system from a Time Machine backup by using the Time Machine. This makes all the files and settings on a Mac device safe in case of any problem faced by the device.

  • iCloud Drive

All Mac devices come with an in-build cloud storage system known as the iCloud Drive. This is an amazing feature for users who do not prefer external storage devices and wish to access their data from any Mac device. As different files and photos get automatically backed up in your iCloud Drive, they do not need an additional backup. However, if you do not wish to automatically backup certain files and photos in your iCloud Drive, you can deselect Optimise Mac by opening System preferences and entering your Apple ID details. You can also download full-resolution versions of your photo library from iCloud Drive by selecting “Download Originals to this Mac”.

  • Guest Accounts

If you share your Mac with other users and do not want them to disturb your settings and controls, then Mac gives an option of guest login. The main user can select the amount of information a guest user can access on the device. If you are sharing your Mac with your kids, you can specify the apps that your kids can use and also establish the time and duration for which they can use their guest accounts.



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