Get the most out of Mac OS with these nifty tips

Posted on Thursday June 11, 2015

Most Mac users love the user-friendly, easy-to-navigate interface the Apple brand is known for. But did you know that using your Mac can be even easier? It's hard to believe, but if you've never taken the time to get familiar with your system's shortcuts, there are a few that are sure to save you hours of time in the long run and bring a new level of usability and ease to your beloved Mac.

Open Programs and Files Faster

Want a quicker way to open files and programs faster? If you're tired of opening Finder and scrolling through the hundreds of applications and files you have stored, there is a much more efficient solution - Spotlight Search.

To use Spotlight Search, follow these steps:

1. Press Command and the space bar to launch your search.
2. Type the first few letters of the file or app you'd like to open.
3. From the drop down menu that appears, scroll down to the app or file you're searching for and hit the enter key.

Force Quit Apps

When the pinwheel of death rears its ugly head, your application stalls and your productivity comes to a standstill. There is no better time to make use of the Force Quit shortcut. Here's how to do it.

1. Press Command-Option-Esc to display the list of all applications that are running.
2. From here simply choose the one you'd like to quit.

Take a Screenshot

Pictures speak a thousand words, and sometimes you may need an image of your display to more thoroughly communicate a message. Here are three easy ways to take a screenshot on your Mac OS.

• Take a snapshot of your entire display - press Command-Shift-3.
• Take a screenshot of any open window - press Command-Shift-4, followed by the space bar. Then, simply click on the window you'd like an image of.
• Snap a customized image of your display - press Command-Shift-4. When the crosshairs appear, use them to drag a frame over the portion of the screen you'd like to capture.

Launch frequently used Apps, Files and Server Connections automatically

This trick allows you to save time by automatically launching a program when you log in. Follow these steps to do this:

1. Go to System Preferences
2. Choose Users & Groups
3. Select your account
4. Click on Login Items
5. Use the plus and minus signs to add or remove programs, files, folders, etc. you'd like to automatically launch upon login
6. Click Add to save

These are just a few of the dozens of shortcuts and features Mac OS has to offer. If you'd like to learn more or need other IT-related assistance, don't hesitate to contact us.