87 Time–Saving Tips For Mac Users

Discover smart shortcuts, and be more productive with your Mac

- Carrie Marshall

Macs are famed for their ease of use: “it just works” was always so much more than a marketing slogan. Macs are made to do things elegantly and efficiently, and the more time you spend discovering what you can do, the more you’ll be able to get things done.

Every Mac is jam-packed with useful features that are designed to make things easier, faster or both. Once you’ve discovered the ones that suit you, your days will be brighter, your work more efficient and your hair more glossy. We’re only lying about that last one… From Safari’s shortcuts to Mission Control’s multiple desktops, from fiddling with the Finder to mastering Mail, these tips will help you get even more from your Mac.

STARTUP FASTER!

1 Start more quickly

The more things launch when your Mac starts, the slower it’ll be. To remove unwanted startup items, go into System Preferences > Users > Login Items, and you can see and change which items automatically launch and log in.

2 Start automatically

You can get your Mac to start up or wake up at a specific time: just go into System Preferences > Energy Saver > Schedule to create a schedule that applies to what you require on an everyday basis or just specific days.

3 Log in with your Watch

You can unlock your Mac with your Apple Watch. Go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Allow Your Apple Watch To Unlock Your Mac. If you’d rather use your phone, you’ll need a third-party app.

Desktop makeovers

1 SIDECAR (CATALINA ONLY)

Sidecar gives you even more screen real estate by enlisting your iPad as an additional monitor. To send an app to Sidecar from your Mac desktop, go into the Window menu and you’ll see a “Move to” option detailing the available iPad(s).