Mac OS is very user friendly, however, it can take some time to understand when switching from Windows. Here are 11 Mac tips for the new Mac user.

Have you taken the plunge and swapped from Windows to Mac?

Once you get used to it, the Mac operating system is very user-friendly. It can do everything your windows system could and more. Swapping to a new machine can be daunting at the best of times though. And there are differences and can take a bit of time to get used to and understand. A point in favor if that you can have almost the same programs you used to have on windows in your new mac, like the ms-office package. However, if you encounter any problems such as Microsoft office won’t install or similar, don’t need to panic, this problem is simple to solve if you look for the right information online.

Don’t worry, we’re here to help! Read on for 11 Mac tips for the new Mac user.

1. Befriend Siri!

Voice command is on the rise and it can be a real time saver. To access Siri, you can either press the Siri button on your Menu Bar/Dock or hold down Command + Space for a few seconds. On newer Macs, say “Hey Siri” to activate this function.

You can ask Siri things like ‘what is the weather like today?” But with macOS Mojave and Catalina – you can use Siri to toggle functions. Siri can toggle things like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on and off. It will also pull up specific files and even start apps!

2. You Can Still Run Windows

You might have moved over to Mac, but sometimes, running Windows can come in handy. Especially if you run a vital piece of software that doesn’t have a Mac version.

The first way you can do this is to run it alongside macOS with a virtualization app. VMware Fusion or Parallels Desktop for example. Or you can use the Boot Camp Assistant in your Utilities folder to partition off your hard drive. Then you can install windows to run it in full.

3. Automatically Show and Hide the Menu Bar

Since 1984, the menu bar has been an iconic feature – and an irremovable one too. But with the introduction of OS X El Capitan, there is now a way you can hide the menu bar.

Go to System Preferences -> General and then click the box next to “automatically hide and show menu bar”. When you tick this box, and you move your mouse cursor to the top of the screen, you’ll see all your menus drop down again.

4. Easier Screenshots

If you’re used to using Windows, you’ll know how much of a chore screenshots can be! You need to use your PrtSc button to take a picture of your whole screen. With Mac though, it’s a lot easier.

To snap the entire screen on your Mac, press Shift + Command +3. The screenshot is then stored on your desktop. If you only want a part of the screen, press Shift + Command + 4. To get a specific window and only that window press Shift + Command + 4, then press Space and click on the window.

5. Type Special Characters

On your Mac, you can type a huge number of different, specialized characters. Not only the ones on your keyboard.

To access them, go to the Edit menu of an app then click Special Characters. This will give you a panel of special characters you can drag and drop into your document.

6. NVRAM and PRAM Resets

On a Mac, you don’t need to check your user manual to find out if you use a PRAM or NVRAM. Regardless of which one your Mac uses, how to do an NVRAM or PRAM reset is the same:

1. Shut down your Mac and remove all USB devices (apart from a wired keyboard if you use one).
2. Press the power button and press-down ⌘ + Option + P + R straight after pressing the power button.
3. Keep holding them until your Mac restarts and you hear the startup chime for again.
4. (Optional) If your Mac has a T2 Security Chip, hold ⌘ + Option + P + R until the Apple logos shows up and disappears again.
5. Look at the Startup Disk, Date/Time and Display options in your System Preferences to make sure it’s all how you want it.

7. Sign PDFs in Mail

If you need to sign a lot of documents, no doubt you’re used to printing it out, signing it, then scanning it back in. But with a Mac, you can sign your PDFs directly in Mail.

Drag over the PDF you want into your draft email. Hover your cursor at the top right and a button should show up. Click on it, for options. One of these should be for document signing.

8. Share Easily with Friends

You might have already noticed in different places of the macOS the option to share things. The button looked like an arrow pointing out of a box.

The clever part though is Mac will track how often you share stuff and to which contacts the most. So it will remember your share options and will pin them to the bottom of your share menu for next time!

9. Rename Files By Batch

In OS updates post-Yosemite, Mac allows you to select a group of files and rename them at once. Before, this wasn’t possible without third-party software.

All you need to do is select the group of files and click on Rename. You can do this either by right-clicking or selecting it from the drop-down menu. This will have a cog symbol in the Finder window.

10. Change Your File and Folder Icons

Unlike with Windows, with a Mac, you can change your desktop icons. All you need to do is right-click your chosen document and click Get Info. Copy your desired image and paste it into Preview.

Next, click the existing thumbnail in the Get Info window and press Command +V to paste your image. It’ll take it from your editor to the info window. And that’s it, you’ve replaced your icon!

11. Find the Wi-Fi Password For Your Other Devices

Another unique feature of your Mac that you might not know of is its ability to remember and recall your passwords. It uses the Apple feature Keychain Access to do this.

Whether you’re in a new place, or you’ve forgotten your Wi-Fi password, you can use Keychain Acess to find it. All you need to do is:

1. Search Keychain Access in Spotlight and open it.
2. Search the connection name, then double-click the iCloud Keychain that matches the SSID.
3. Click Show Password and enter your Keychain password you’d have already set up.

You Can’t Go Wrong with These Mac Tips

So there you have it! Now you know these Mac tips, you’ll be sure to make the most out of your new Apple laptop!

There are a lot of functionality time-saver features to get your teeth into. Macs make a lot of things like screenshots, browsing files and apps and sharing with friends much easier. But it also has unique features like icon changing and Keychain Access to make full use of!

If you found this article useful, check out our other blog posts!