Apple currently generates over $124 billion in revenue in the United States alone. There are lots of Mac users here, to say the least.
Are you a new Mac owner? Are you having a hard time navigating your desktop computer or laptop?Â
Listed below are 7 essential Mac tips and tricks that every new user ought to know.
1. Turn Off Notifications
One of the first recommended tips for beginner Mac users is to turn off notifications.
This is especially important for those who have a tendency to get distracted easily. If you don’t turn off notifications, you might find yourself getting interrupted at all hours by text messages, phone calls, emails, and more.Â
To turn off notifications on your new Mac, follow these steps:
- Hold down to Option or Alt key
- Click on the Notification Center icon
- The icon will turn grey, which indicates Do Not Disturb mode has been turned on
Your computer will remain in this mode until midnight. You can also turn Do Not Disturb mode off earlier if you wish.
2. Allow Popups
Most Macs automatically disable popups that might appear when you’re browsing the internet. If you need to enable popups to watch a video or access other types of information, here are the steps you’ll need to take when using the Safari web browser:
- Click Safari in the top-left corner of the screen
- Click Preferences
- Click the Websites tab
- Click the Pop-up Windows entry on the left-hand side
- Select Allow next to the When Visiting Other Websites option located at the bottom of the menu
If you want to only allow popups on certain websites, click on the drop-down menu next to the website’s name. Then, click Allow.
3. Change Default Web Brower
Your Mac’s default web browser (Safari) might be different from the apps that you need to access most often. If you need to change to a different browser, you’ll need to do the following:
- Open System Preferences
- Click General in the top-left corner
- Scroll to the note labeled Default web browser
- Select the drop-down arrow and choose your preferred browser
Once you do this, your preferred browser will now serve as the computer’s default when you do everything from opening links to sending emails.
4. Use Reminders to Stay Organized
Do you consider yourself a forgetful person? If so, your new Mac computer has got you covered with the helpful Reminders feature.
The Reminders feature helps you to stay organized and on-task. Here’s how you can get the most out of it:
- Add dates and times when putting tasks on your list so you get reminded to take care of them
- Share reminders with friends and family so they also get alerted
- Click the “i” button to access extra tools, like the At a Location checkbox so you receive a reminder when you arrive at a specific place
- Take advantage of Siri’s smart suggestions
Organize reminders, too, by creating different groups. To do this, simply click File, then New Group to create a new list group.
5. Automate Tasks with Shortcuts
Many of the lists of best Mac shortcuts are interesting but not actually relevant to your life and needs. Instead of relying on them, create your own shortcuts so you can automate the processes you go through most often.
Here’s how you can create a shortcut on your Mac:
- Open the Shortcuts app
- Go to the Top Menu and click on the Plus button
- Choose the components that you want to use to create a shortcut
- Define behaviors so your Mac knows when to implement the shortcut
You can create shortcuts for all kinds of things, from changing your wallpaper to editing documents. Take note of the tools and processes you use most often so you can create shortcuts that make your life easier and help you to be more efficient.
6. Back Up Your Mac
Regularly backing up your Mac helps you to feel confident that you won’t lose any valuable data.
A lot of people don’t think about backing up their files until it’s too late. If you don’t want to find yourself in this position, follow these steps so you can back up your Mac with ease:
- Open the Time Machine app
- Go to the Select Disk option and select your drive
- Go to the Options button and select the items you want to back up
From here, Time Machine will automatically start to back up your data. It also allows you to retrieve past from up to 24 hours ago in case something goes wrong. You can also access data from any time in the past month or week since the Time Machine app started working.
7. Access iCloud Photos
If you want to manage photo libraries and keep all your photos organized, you’ll need to be able to access your iCloud photos with ease. Here’s how you can accomplish this:
- Click the Photos app
- Select Preferences
- Select iCloud from the pop-up window
- Check the box next to My Photo Stream
- Select My Albums on the left-hand side
- Select My Photo Stream
This will provide you with access to your photos. From here, you can transfer them to other folders, share them online, or do anything else you like with them.
Try These Mac Tips and Tricks Today
As you can see, there are lots of Mac tips and tricks that can help you save time and get more out of your computer. Keep this list of Mac computer tips in mind so you can get comfortable with your new device sooner.Â
Do you want to learn more about Mac computer shortcuts or timesavers for Mac users? If so, check out some of the other tech-related articles on our site today.
