The freelancing trend is on the rise. As soon as the world faced the reality of COVID-19, many employers instructed their workers to complete tasks from home. If this is your first time facing such circumstances, it won’t be easy. Sure; all you need is a computer and a solid Internet connection. However, that computer has to be fast and reliable. You already have a Mac? That’s great! Macs are known as the most productive machines out there. But it won’t do the job on its own.
Both experienced users and those who are new to Macs need tips to become as focused as possible when working on their computers. You’ll need to master the art of taking notes, eliminating distractions, and you’ll have to learn how to screenshot on Mac. Screenshots are essential for remote workers who collaborate with teams. And taking screenshots on Mac can be done in different ways that are worth trying and learning to do.
Let’s see: how can you make your work from home more productive with a few Macs tips and tricks?
Top 10 Cool Things to Do on a Mac When You Work from Home
1. Create Personalized Keyboard Shortcuts
Let’s say you want to quickly change between keyboards settings, since you use two of them: one is in English and the other one is in your native language. It’s easy to create shortcuts for whatever functions you frequently perform. It’s one of the simplest Mac tips and tricks.
- Open System Preferences, and go to the Keyboard settings. You’ll find the option Shortcuts there. Click on App Shortcuts, and you’ll find the + (plus) icon. Click on it.
- You’ll see a box that lets you add a keyboard shortcut to perform a particular command. If you want these Macintosh tricks to work, you should choose a combination of keys that’s not already used for another command.
2. Use Siri to Its Full Capacity
Those who are new to Macs aren’t aware of Siri’s potential. Most of them come from the Windows environment, and let’s face it: Cortana is nowhere near Siri’s awesomeness. With Siri, you can schedule appointments, make conversions, call friends, set reminders, and get answers to your questions.
If you’re learning how to use a Mac, Siri can get you to apps and functions in a second. Get comfortable talking to her. You’re working from home; don’t worry about looking silly.
3. Install Apps that Help You Focus
No matter how many Mac tip and tricks you know, there’s one foundation to everything: when you’re wondering how to do cool things to do on a Mac, search an app for them. If focus is your goal, install apps that will help you achieve it.
Cold Turkey is a great one. It lets you set periods when you won’t be able to access distracting websites, such as social media and shopping sites. You’ll have no other choice but to use your computer for work.
4. Work in Two Apps Side by Side
Here’s one of the coolest Mac tips and tricks that make you more productive: it’s called Split View. You can easily access the feature:
- Open one of the apps that you want to use. Click and hold the green button in the upper left corner of the window (the one that lets you enter full-screen).
- Choose to see that window on the right or left of the screen. Then, you can open any other app on the other half of the screen.
5. Get More Screen Space
If you’re setting up new MacBook Pro or Air with a 13-inch monitor, you may lack screen space and feel frustrated about it. If you are used to a bigger screen, it will take some time for your eyes to adjust to the new one. Don’t worry; you’ll learn to love your compact computer and you’ll never want to return to a bigger one.
Here’s one of the simplest Mac tips to give you more screen space: remove the menu bar and the dock.
- Under System Preferences > General, you’ll see an option to automatically hide and show the menu bar. Check it. When you hover over the top of the screen, you’ll still see the bar. But when you move away, the bar will disappear.
- Now go to Dock under System Preferences, and check the box next to “Automatically hide and show the Dock.” You’re getting much more space on your screen when you don’t see those huge icons all the time.
6. Use a Simple Command to Take Screenshots
Those who are setting up new MacBook Pro have a common question: where’s the screen print key? Macs don’t have it. There’s a keyboard shortcut that gives you great options for capturing screenshots and screen recordings:
- Shift + Command + 5
Memorize it!
7. Take calls and Respond to Messages on Your Mac
Do you leave your phone away when you want to focus on work? What if you get an important message and you want to respond? You can do it from your computer. This is Apple’s ecosystem that everyone’s talking about. When you learn how to use a Mac, you’ll realize it’s seamlessly connected to your iPhone, iPad and other Apple devices.
When your iPhone receives a call or a message, you’ll see it on your computer. You can answer or respond directly.
8. Use iCloud for Your Files and Documents
Imagine working on a project for the entire day, your computer giving up on you and leaving you without your work. That mustn’t happen when you work from home. You have access to iCloud all the time. It’s one of the coolest Mac tip and tricks, so use it well.
You get 20GB of space on the cloud for only $0.99 per month.
9. Use Your iPad as a Second Display
This is one of the coolest Mac tips for graphic designers, photographers, editors, and others who need to use the Apple Pencil on their iPads but prefer a larger screen with more beautiful colors (which they have on their Macs). It’s called the Sidecar feature.
10. Use Spotlight for Unit Conversions
Almost every Mac user knows about Spotlight, but rarely uses it. This is a search feature that works across the entire system. It creates an index of files and items, so it makes it easy for you to find anything. Spotlight is presented with the icon of a magnifying glass in the menu bar. Did you know that you can rely on it to quickly convert units?
Let’s say you want to convert £1000 into US dollars. All you need to do is type £1000 in USD, and Spotlight will directly give you the currency conversion. You can also use it to convert kilograms to pounds, glasses to grams, and much more.
Macintosh Tricks Make Your Job Easier
The coolest thing about Macs tips and tricks is that they are all simple. You’ll learn them intuitively as soon as you start using your computer on a daily basis.
There’s a commonly accepted claim that whoever starts using a Mac never goes back to Windows again. It’s not a myth; these computers have a way of convincing you that you’re using the best of the best.
Author:
James Dorian
James Dorian is a technical copywriter. He is a tech geek who knows a lot about modern apps that will make your work more productive. James reads tons of online blogs on technology, business, and ways to become a real pro in our modern world of innovations.
