macOS is a somewhat surprising operating system, with a lot of hidden functions that we risk discovering only after years of use; these tricks and I work are often poorly advertised, to the point that many users do not know them or do not think they have them available, thus downloading useless apps or programs. Although for all the functions of a Mac it would be necessary to write an entire instruction manual, in this guide we will show you the best functions and the least known tricks, starting from the latest version 2019 macOS Catalina. All the tricks shown will be useful to work faster and save effort, to quickly access other Apple devices on the network and to significantly improve both the graphic appearance of the system and its usability when we have to share content with friends or colleagues.
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The best special tricks for macOS Catalina
Below we have collected the most useful news and tricks that we can find on macOS Catalina, the latest version of the operating system released by Apple for Macs and MacBooks of all types. To view all the functions described below, make sure that the operating system is always up to date .Set Usage Time
The first feature that stands out is definitely Usage Time, available as a menu in the System Preferences .
Exactly as seen on recent iPhones, with this function we can generate weekly and monthly reports on the use of the Mac, so as to know which programs or apps we use most. From the window we can also set a pause for using the Mac, limit access to apps and sites and select which content and personal data to share on the apps and sites; if we fear that someone may use apps or our data without consent, we can set a lock code, also useful for limiting the use of the Mac in certain time slots.
Set the auto dark mode
The dark mode (or Dark Mode) allows you to set a black color to all the graphic elements of the Mac, so as to be less tiring for the eyes at night. On macOS Catalina we can set the transition to dark mode completely automatically, going to the System Preferences app, clicking on General and activating the check mark under the Auto item, present in the Appearance section.
From now on, at the stroke of the evening time, the Mac will automatically switch to dark mode, returning to light mode in the daytime.
Use iPad as a second screen (Sidecar)
If we own an iPad, we can use it as a second touch screen on the Mac or MacBook; to obtain this functionality, simply go to the System Preferences app, click on the Sidebar icon and press on the iPad name under the Connection to list.
With this function active we can work on one app on both devices, see a presentation on the iPad while we fix or modify it on the Mac (or vice versa) and duplicate the Mac screen on the iPad, so as to display the same things on both screens.
If we own Apple Pencil we can use it on the iPad to draw or write on the Mac apps, as if it were a large graphics tablet.
Start folder sharing in iCloud
We have a folder full of important documents and we want to share it with colleagues or employer ">To create a shared folder on iCloud, press down on Finder, open the iCloud path, right click on the folder to be shared, select Share and, in the drop-down menu, press on Add people .
A new window will open where you can choose how to share the folder and the permissions to be assigned to the guest users (if they can modify or only read the content); at the end we press down on Share to create the sharing link, ready to be sent via email, Message or pasted as a simple link within our chats.
Use the PiP mode in Safari
While we are playing a video inside a Safari tab, we can continue watching it on a reduced and floating screen ( Picture-in-Picture mode ) and open other apps in the meantime.
To activate this function, simply go to a web page where there is a video, right click on the speaker icon at the top of the address bar and press Play in PiP mode .
Approve operations with Apple Watch
If we own an Apple Watch, we can use it on macOS Catalina to avoid having to enter the account password every time in the administration operations.
Whenever the system asks for the password (to install an app, open a protected note, approve changes and unlock the administrative settings), simply press twice on the side button on the Apple Watch to enter the password automatically and unlock the protected functionality.
Obviously, in order to be used, we will have to have our Apple Watch on our wrist and we will have to be positioned within 10 meters of the Mac or MacBook for the operation to be valid: if the Apple Watch is not on our wrist or we are far away, it cannot be used for unlocking the password on macOS Catalina.
Enable advanced window management
Another little known trick is present in the green enlargement button, present at the top left of each window. Holding down the green button with the left mouse button, we will see a drop-down menu with various management modes.
In addition to putting the window in full screen, we can move it to fill the left or right half of the screen, so as to place two apps or two windows side by side in a simple way (as seen also on Windows).
Various Cheats for MacOS lesser known
- Sign PDF documents with pen, paper and a webcam
A very useful feature of the Mac is the ability to sign digital documents, even if you don't have a personal digital signature yet. All you have to do is just write your signature on a piece of white paper and keep it close to the webcam. The computer takes a photo of the signature which can then be attached to documents in a very simple way. The application to use to capture the signature is Preview, to be searched on Spotlight. Go to the Tools menu -> Annotate -> Signature -> Create Signature and create a new one from the camera. If Signature is not enabled, go to the Preview Preferences menu and enable signature creation. - Edit and compile PDFs
In addition to signing documents, Preview also allows you to write a PDF which is a very useful thing when filling out a form. - Mac emoji and special characters
The MacOS operating system comes with emojis which are the same as those included in the iPhone's iOS. To find them you need to press Command + Control + Space to open the special characters window and choose the one we need. - Close or hide running applications quickly
To close all running applications, simply hold down ⌘ + Tab, scroll through the apps and when you select the one to close or hide, press Q to exit or H to hide it. - Preview any file with the space bar
On a Mac OS X you can preview any file by selecting it and then pressing the space bar. Press it again to close the preview. In preview mode, you can also use the arrow keys to move between files. - Dictation by voice
Dictation is an application that works very well on Mac OS X. Voice dictation must first be enabled in the System Preferences. In each text sheet, simply press the function key ( fn ) twice and, when the microphone drawing appears, start speaking. Press Fn once more to convert the voice into text and see what has just been said out loud. - Capture screnshot and Mac screenshots
There are various shortcuts for choosing different ways of photographing the screen:- ⌘ + ⇧ + 3 capture the whole screen and save
- ⌘ + ctrl + ⇧ + 3 captures the entire screen and copies the image to the clipboard
- ⌘ + ⇧ + 4 captures the selected area and saves
- ⌘ + ctrl + ⇧ + 4 capture the area and copy to the clipboard
- ⌘ + ⇧ + 4 and then Space to capture a window and save
- ⌘ + ctrl + ⇧ + 4 and Space to capture a window and copy the image to the clipboard
- Move the selected text to create a new text file
Selecting a portion of text click, hold and move it out to create a new text file. - Install Windows on a Mac in dual boot with Bootcamp
In case of need, you can always install Windows 10 on the Mac in a simple way and without giving up the Mac system which remains the main one. - Change volume and brightness in quarter increments
Press and hold ⇧ + ⌥ (the option key) to change the brightness in smaller increments for greater control. You can also change changing the volume without the sound effect by holding down ⇧ (the Shift key) while adjusting it. - Rename and move iWork documents
You can rename a Pages, Keynote and Numbers document directly from the menu bar and then you can save it with the mouse, holding down on the menu bar and moving where you want by holding down the Option key ⌥. - Minimize windows very slowly (funny trick) You can minimize the window by holding down the ⇧ key to see a slow motion graphic effect
- Active Corners (Hot Corners)
Smart corners allow you to trigger certain actions by touching a corner of the screen. You can start and disable a screensaver, open the launchpad, open the notifications panel and other things. To avoid triggering accidentally active corners, you can choose a key to hold down to perform an action. The active corner settings can be configured in System Preferences > Desktop and screen saver > Screen Saver tab, press the Active corners button. - Open a folder in a new window
To open a folder in a new window or a new tab, double-click on the folder while holding down the command key ⌘. - Create automatic smart folders
Smart Folders are used to automatically group files of the same type. To create a Smart folder you can use the option of the new smart folder from the Finder menu and then define a common word or another type of search criterion or parameter. All the found files that meet the criterion or the chosen word are then grouped in this new folder becoming easy to find.
