It’s been a while since I last used macOS extensively, so I thought it would be a great idea to dive back in and rediscover the amazing features and shortcuts that make macOS such a powerful operating system. I listed 30 essential tips and tricks, organized into different sections in this post, so as to help us master macOS together!

Productivity Boosters

Spotlight Search: Your Mac’s Swiss Army Knife 🔍

Shortcut: Command + Space

Spotlight is more than just a search tool; it’s your gateway to everything on your Mac. Use it to find files, launch apps, perform calculations, and even get weather updates.

Quick Look: Peek Without Opening 👀

Shortcut: Spacebar

Select a file and hit the Spacebar to quickly preview its contents without opening it. Quick Look supports various file types, including PDFs, images, and documents.

Split View: Multitasking Made Easy 🖥️🖥️

Shortcut: Hold down the green full-screen button in the top left corner of a window

Split View allows you to work on two apps side by side. Hold the green full-screen button and drag the window to one side, then select another app for the other half.

Customizing the Dock: Your Personal Command Center 🛠️

Setup: System Preferences > Dock & Menu Bar

Add or remove apps, adjust its size, and enable magnification for a well-organized Dock.

Finder Tabs: Organize Your Files Efficiently 📂

Shortcut: Command + T to open a new tab in Finder

Using Finder tabs can help keep your desktop clutter-free and your files organized.

Mission Control: See Everything at Once 🌌

Shortcut: Control + Up Arrow

Mission Control gives you a birds-eye view of all open windows, desktops, and full-screen apps.

Smart Folders: Automate File Organization 📁

Setup: File > New Smart Folder in Finder

Create Smart Folders that automatically organize files based on criteria you set.

Use Stacks: Keep Your Desktop Tidy 🗂️

Setup: Right-click on Desktop > Use Stacks

Stacks automatically organize files on your desktop into neat groups.

Universal Clipboard: Copy and Paste Across Devices 📋

Setup: Ensure all devices are signed in to the same Apple ID

Copy text, images, and more on one Apple device and paste it on another.

System Management

Terminal Commands: Power at Your Fingertips 💻

For those who love diving deep, the Terminal is your playground. Here are a couple of my favorite commands:

• Flush DNS Cache:

  sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder

• Show Hidden Files:

  defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles YES; killall Finder

Force Quit Applications: When Things Go South 🚫

Shortcut: Command + Option + Esc

If an application is not responding, use this shortcut to force quit it.

Battery Management: Extend Your Mac’s Life 🔋

Setup: System Preferences > Battery

Enable optimized battery charging to extend your Mac’s battery lifespan.

Time Machine: Backup Your Mac Regularly 🕒

Setup: System Preferences > Time Machine

Set up Time Machine to automatically back up your Mac and ensure your data is safe.

Hot Corners: Trigger Actions with a Mouse Flick 🖱️

Setup: System Preferences > Mission Control > Hot Corners

Assign actions to each corner of your screen, like activating Mission Control or showing the desktop, to streamline your workflow.

Keyboard Shortcuts: Customize Your Workflow ⌨️

Setup: System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts

Customize keyboard shortcuts to suit your workflow.

Finder Sidebar: Quick Access to Important Folders 📁

Setup: Drag folders to the Finder sidebar for quick access.

Use Automator: Create Custom Workflows 🤖

Setup: Open Automator and create workflows to automate repetitive tasks.

Communication & Multimedia

Dictation: Let Your Mac Do the Typing 🎙️

Shortcut: Fn (or Globe/Microphone 🎤) key twice

Turn on Dictation in System Preferences and let your Mac type for you.

Use Safari’s Reader Mode: Distraction-Free Reading 📖

Shortcut: Command + Shift + R

Enable Reader Mode in Safari to strip away ads and other distractions from web pages.

Picture-in-Picture: Multitask with Videos 🎥

Setup: Right-click on a video in Safari > Enter Picture-in-Picture

Watch videos while working on other tasks with Picture-in-Picture mode.

Siri: Your Personal Assistant 🗣️

Shortcut: Command + Space (or click the Siri icon)

Ask Siri to set reminders, search the web, and more.

AirDrop: Seamless File Sharing 📲

Setup: Finder > AirDrop

Use AirDrop to quickly share files between Macs and other Apple devices.

Preview Markup: Annotate PDFs and Images 📝

Setup: Open a file in Preview and click the Markup icon

Use Preview’s markup tools to annotate PDFs and images.

Customization & Ease of Use

Text Expansion: Type Less, Say More ✍️

Setup: System Preferences > Keyboard > Text

Create shortcuts for frequently used phrases. For example, type “addr” and it expands to your full address.

Touch Bar Customization: Personalize Your MacBook Pro 🎛️

Setup: System Preferences > Keyboard > Customize Touch Bar

Customize the Touch Bar on MacBook Pro to fit your workflow.

Night Shift: Reduce Eye Strain 🌙

Setup: System Preferences > Displays > Night Shift

Automatically adjust your display’s colors to reduce blue light exposure in the evenings.

Use Do Not Disturb: Focus Without Interruptions 🔕

Shortcut: Option + Click on the Notification Center icon

Enable Do Not Disturb to avoid interruptions during focused work sessions.

Continuity: Handoff Between Devices 🔄

Setup: System Preferences > General > Allow Handoff

Start a task on one Apple device and continue it on another seamlessly.

Development & Power Users

Use Homebrew: The Ultimate Package Manager 🍺

Homebrew simplifies software installation and keeps your packages up to date.

Install Homebrew:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Screenshots: Capture Like a Ninja 📸

Shortcuts:

• Capture entire screen: Command + Shift + 3
• Capture selected portion: Command + Shift + 4
• Capture specific window: Command + Shift + 4 then Spacebar