3 Hacks to Help You Understand Your Mac Better

Apple has definitely revolutionized the way we think of desktops and laptops. Just like we’ve come to think more of the iPhone experience compared with other models, so also we find Macs to have a few hidden tricks that can make your life a whole lot easier. But what good are these tricks if they remain hidden? This article highlights a few hacks that you can start using to make your work easier on a MAC.

1. Sharing credit card details and passwords

If you have more than a single Apple device, you should consider turning your iCloud Keychain on. This will help you maintain your Safari web browser login credentials including usernames, passwords, credit card information and Wi-Fi network info across all your Apples. This helps when, for example, you need to quickly log into a site on Mac but the password is saved on your iPhone or to automatically and securely enter credit card details saved on a Mac onto your iPad. While the setup is a little complex, it pays off in making your life a lot easier once you’re done. You can talk to a Mac support Brisbane service provider for guidance.

2. Creating your own keyboard shortcuts

Developers often create keyboard shortcuts to help with many of the common tasks most people need to use. They shortcuts are great for saving time and effort. Macs take this a step further by allowing you to create for yourself shortcuts to menu options you use often but don’t have a menu option for. Simply find System Preferences>>Keyboard>>Application Shortcuts. Click the + button where you can add a new shortcut.

You can select the app that should apply it from the drop-down list, but you should know the particular name of the menu command needed for the next box, and it should have the proper case and any special characters. Ensure the key combination chosen is unique, then click on Add.

3. Using Services and Automator to increase speed

The Automator tool is built into OS X to enable you create a workflow of commands in order to simplify complex tasks. You can, either yourself or through your managed IT services, build small apps to for specific things e.g. creating new services and modifying file batches. For instance, it can be used to rename many files simultaneously, turn text files to audio files and convert image properties among others.

To create in Automator:

Open Automator then choose the type of thing being created. You can click to see descriptions to know that suits you best. Select your type and then click Choose.

Start building your workflow steps by dragging Actions from the left side of the screen to the space on the right. Actions are grouped according to application and file type. You can also use the box at the top to search for a specific action. Clicking on the name will give details on what the action does.

After building the workflow, click Run (top right-hand corner) to test it, though not all workflows can be tested this way. Any problem areas will have a red cross with a log underneath describing any warnings.