MacMost - Mac, iPhone and iPad How-To Videos: Recent Episodes
MacMost
Get the most from your Mac! The show features news, tips, tricks, techniques, tutorials and reviews geared toward the casual, home and business Apple user. Covers the Mac, iPad, iPhone and other Apple products.
View in HD at . If you work with Mac Numbers you can use ChatGPT to get help with functions and formulas, generate sample data, clean up data and more.
View in HD at . If a YouTube video is too fast or too slow, you can change the playback speed in the video settings or using keyboard shortcuts. You can also easily jump back 10 seconds to see or hear something again.
View in HD at . Even if you are already backup up with Time Machine locally, you should consider having an online backup as well. Here are the reasons you may want to have a second backup online, or why you may be fine just using Time Machine and iCloud.
View in HD at . There's more you can do with Google than just search the web. You can also access tools like a calculator, random number generators, weather, nutritional information and much more. You can even play a variety of games.
View in HD at . Instead of using iMovie travel maps, you can create an animated travel map using any background map you have and trace a detailed route onto it. This tutorial will also teach you some basic Keynote animation techniques. You can even add a graphic or icon to follow the path.
View in HD at . When printing from some apps it can appear that there is no way to scale the content of a document while printing. But different apps put scaling options in different places. Even when there are no scaling options, you can use other tricks to print at different sizes.
View in HD at . Instead of using iMovie travel maps, you can create an animated travel map using any background map you have and trace a detailed route onto it. The video will show the route being drawn onto the map. You can even add a graphic or icon to follow the path.
View in HD at . While it is easy to access recent files in the Finder, it is less convenient to look at your recent folders. But by adding a Smart Folder to the left sidebar you can easily get there.
View in HD at . If you find a lost iPhone there are a lot of things you can do to help reunite it with its owner. But some of the advice you'll read online will lead you in the wrong direction. Learn the best way to return a lost iPhone.
View in HD at . You can decide which folder you start in when you create a new Finder window or add a new Finder tab. Some locations are mode useful than others. Picking the right location for you can improve your productivity.
View in HD at . Pie charts can represent a simple comparison between a set of values. Here are some other chart variations that you can use to also represent a simple visual comparison.
View in HD at . You can easily create a spinning newspaper special effect for your video projects using a one-slide Keynote presentation. You can export it as a video and import it into iMovie or any other video editing app as a clip or an overlay.
View in HD at . You can use Live Text to get text from a photo on your Mac in a variety of different apps and situations. You can simply copy the text and paste it elsewhere, or you can take quick actions from text like addresses, dates and phone numbers.
View in HD at . If you have trouble reading text in some iPhone apps but not others, you can customize the text size in many apps on an individual app-by-app basis. You can do this in the Settings app or using Control Center.
View in HD at . If you enjoy the Memories feature of the Mac Photo app you don't need to wait for Memories to be automatically created, you can make your own. With either your custom Memory or an automatic one, you can also export the video to share or use in projects.
View in HD at . You can easily have your Mac read selected text out loud. You can select the voice and speed. With some more work you can add a keyboard shortcut or have it export the audio into a file to use later.
View in HD at . You can create folders just to use in the Dock that contain aliases to apps or commonly-used files.
View in HD at . Your Mac comes with a built-in Dictionary app that also includes a thesaurus. You can also access it while writing, or on the iPhone and iPad while writing though not in an app.
View in HD at . A common question is whether you can use your old iMac as a display for a new Mac mini, Mac Studio or maybe a second display for a MacBook. This is called Target Display Mode. Unfortunately, it only works with some older iMacs if you are connecting from older Macs and using specific systems. It probably isn't a good idea anyway as those older iMacs have screens that are not as good as what you can get cheaply today.
View in HD at . Recent new features in the Mac, iPhone and iPad Photos apps let you find and remove duplicate photos easily.
View in HD at . You don't have to use one of the default list styles in Pages. You can build your own instead. You can use bullets, arrows, numbers, letters or any combination at multiple levels. You can create a List Style that is suited to your note-taking needs.
View in HD at . There are animated travel maps built right into iMovie on your Mac. You can choose a single location or a route between two locations or even more. Beyond the basics, you can use cropping, color adjustments, and filters to create a unique animated travel map for your new iMovie project.
View in HD at . Here are the primary third-party apps that I use to make the MacMost tutorials and do app and website development.
View in HD at . You can use Numbers for more than just a grid of data. You can create colorful and easy-to-use sheets with single-cell tables, text, graphics, lookups, charts and more.
View in HD at . Pie charts are a quick and simple way to represent data visually in your Numbers spreadsheets. There are a lot of options and variations.
View in HD at . To celebrate the 3,000th episode of MacMost, here are the anwers to some of the questions I get the most often. Learn how to take a screenshot, maximize a window, cut and paste files and much more.
View in HD at . You don't need a third-party app to crop video on your Mac. But neither QuickTime Player nor iMovie will do it either. Here's how to use the built-in Photos app to actually crop your video and export a new version.
View in HD at . Take a look at the advantages to using the three main Finder views: Icon, List and Column. What are the reasons you may choose one over the other?
View in HD at . Here are the simplest ways to do some common tasks on your Mac like renaming files, launching apps, taking screenshots and more.
View in HD at . If the Finder's batch rename tool can't do what you want, you can always create your own complex file renaming scripts using the Shortcuts app and regular expressions.
View in HD at . You can use the field at the top of the Safari window to do more than just type a website address or start a web search. You can also use it to search your bookmarks or history, switch to tabs and more.
View in HD at . Right Click on a Mac is referred to as the secondary click and is used to bring up context menus. On an Apple trackpad a two-finger click is how you usually do this, though you can customize it. There are also a variety of other ways to perform a secondary click.
View in HD at . Dividing up your data among multiple tables across different sheets can make it difficult to perform calculations and organize. But by using filters or categories you can easily manage your data in a single table. You can also use Pivot Tables in some cases.
View in HD at . Hide My Email is a great privacy feature of Apple's iCloud+ service. But using it to sign up for sites means your ID is now unique and unusual. This can be a problem if you need to get support from that site or reset your password.
View in HD at . You can ask ChatGPT to respond in a style based on a profession or a specific person, real or fictional. This usually injects some humor in the answers. But it also can be useful to tailor the answers to a knowledge level.
View in HD at . You can use a variety of different techniques to select multiple files in the Finder. You can use the Command or Shift keys to select files or ranges of files. You can also drag to select and use the keyboard in various ways.
View in HD at . While a few currency symbols can be easily typed with the default keyboard, others require special techniques. Choose which method is best for you to type things like the pound, euro, yen, rupee, shekel and more.
View in HD at . If you need to type common symbols like the dollar, euro or pound, you can do that by just knowing the right keys to press. But if you need to type other symbols like the rupee, won or shekel there are a variety of different techniques you can use. You can make typing them easier with character favorites or Shortcuts as well.
View in HD at . You can use the new Ventura Freeform tool to make quick custom folder icons. Add one of the many available shapes or import your own to have the folder stand out from others. With some extra work you can even color the folder something other than the default blue.
View in HD at . When you bought your Time Machine backup drive, did you opt for a solid state drive or a hard disk drive? One is better than the other when it comes to backups.
View in HD at . While you can't add a background color to text in Notes for traditional highlighting, you can use many other techniques to make text in notes stand out.
View in HD at . Here are 31 useful tips that will help you get the most from the Mac Menu Bar. Learn how to find hidden items, select menus with just the keyboard, search for items, customize the right side and much more.
View in HD at . A new feature coming to macOS Sonoma this fall is the ability to put widgets right on the Desktop. Previously just for the Notifications Center, widgets can now been seen more often and you can click them to take actions.
View in HD at . Until macOS Sonoma comes out there is anther way to link from one note to another using a trick with iCloud Drive sharing. This same trick will still be useful once we have Sonoma to link to Notes from other apps and documents. You can also link to documents and files using this same trick.
View in HD at . One of the ways experts like me know so many tips and tricks is that we are constantly exploring macOS and different apps. Here are 8 techniques you can use to learn a little bit each day.
View in HD at . Are you seeing alerts at the top right corner of your Mac's screen warning you about an "infection" or other problem? These are just website notifications spam, not a virus or malware. You were tricked into agreeing to receive these from a deceptive website. You can easily remove these notifications.
View in HD at . When you search for files you can use boolean operators like AND, OR and NOT. The hard way is to use the convoluted search interface. But you can also just type out your search request to get it done quickly and simply.
View in HD at . Apple no longer makes a 27-inch iMac, only a 24-inch model. But a new model at 27-inches is a constant request in online discussions. What are the chances that Apple will come out with a new 27-inch iMac in the future?
View in HD at . Word processing documents don't need to be page after page of text. You can include some easy design elements tp break things up and make the paragraphs easier to read.
View in HD at . When you look in the Mac Menu Bar you can see most of the commands and functions of the app you are using. But holding the Option key sometimes reveals hidden items. You can also get access to other functions when clicking or selecting something with the Option key.
View in HD at . When you quit an app on a Mac with windows still open, then those windows will usually reappear when you relaunch the app. You can control this by closing the windows first, changing a system setting, or use a modifier key when quitting the app. You also have another option when you log out or shut down your Mac.
View in HD at . You can easily create a ringtone from any sound you can capture with your iPhone's microphone. Just get the free GarageBand app from Apple and follow these steps.
View in HD at . If you need to backup your Photos library but are using the Optimize option, it may seem impossible. But there are at least 5 ways to get all the photos from iCloud safely backed up to an external drive or other location.
View in HD at . A new feature in Pages changes how the Insert, Date & Time menu item works. It now inserts a special inline date object that you can change and format. This is also available in Numbers and Keynote to some extent.
View in HD at . When seeking help for a problem or shopping for accessories for your Mac it can be important to identify the exact model you have and use the proper terminology. You should also be able to identify the version of macOS and the app(s) you are using.
View in HD at . Pages, Numbers and Keynote now have the ability to import and display SVG files. This is a common format for vector graphics. You can even convert them to native shapes, though those only support one fill color at a time.
View in HD at . You can use the Numbers app on your Mac to keep track of things you collect like books. Just create a simple table and put one item on each row. You can then add more data, sort, filter, print and even view your up-to-date list on your iPhone while on the go.
View in HD at . You can't use Shortcuts or LaunchPad to switch to the Finder. But you can use a bunch of other actions as well as some scripting to do it. Lots to learn here, beyond just the final result.
View in HD at . You may use the Dock to launch apps. But did you also know you can use the Dock to quit and hide apps? You can use it as an app switcher, create new documents and even control apps too.
View in HD at . Most of the time you can just use a single iCloud photo library stored in your Pictures folder. But if you have other needs you can move it to an external drive, create more libraries, and even link photos to your library without importing them.
View in HD at . You can use the free app from MacMost to perform calculations and have the result automatically pasted. You can also calculate the selected text or the text in the clipboard.
View in HD at . Take a look at some of the new features coming to macOS laster this year including Safari Profiles, Aerial Wallpapers, links between Notes, and much more.
View in HD at . Apple announced three new Macs at this year's WWDC. In addition to an anticipated larger-screen MacBook Air and an update to the Mac Studio, they also have a high-end expensive and expandable Mac Pro that uses Apple's home-grown chips.
View in HD at . Learn how to type math symbols like the division sign, single-character fractions and more. Find out how you can type complex math equations in Pages.
View in HD at . Learn how to move groups of app icons together, reorder quickly, hide apps without deleting them completely and much more.
View in HD at . Sometimes widely-used Mac tips and tricks aren't actually the fastest or easiest was to do something. Learn some alternatives to using Spotlight, the app switcher, the Emoji viewer and more.
View in HD at . There are lots of ways to use the PDF button that is hidden in the Print Dialog of most apps. You can use it to print part of a document or page, export as an image, send directly to Mail and much more.
View in HD at . When you are reusing the same text in a column, such as entering categories or names, you can save time and effort by using the autocomplete feature. This allows you to easily retype the same text without needing to enter every letter.
View in HD at . If your Mac is running slow here are 20 things you can do to try to fix it. Learn how to check memory pressure, see what is running in the background, and how you should be using apps and browsers to make things faster.
View in HD at . Learn how to use the Wi-Fi settings in macOS Ventura. You can pick the network you wish to join, customize it and use new options like Low Data Mode.
View in HD at . Learn how to use the Mac Notes app. You can quickly type some text, take notes in meetings or at school, make lists and more. Learn the basics and get some tips.
View in HD at . Learn how to use the keys on the top row of your Mac keyboard. You can use them to send F1, F2, and other F-Keys to the app you are currently using, or you can use them to control special features like screen brightness and volume. Learn how to toggle which requires the FN key and which does not.
View in HD at . You can access most of the data you have stored in iCloud in a web browser, including files, photos, notes, email, and much more. Learn how to use Apple's new iCloud web dashboard.
View in HD at . Focus modes, also called Do Not Disturb, are useful to quiet notifications while in meetings or trying to concentrate. But it is hard to remember to turn them on and off. To make them more useful, you can set Focus modes to turn on automatically when using specific apps.
View in HD at . What are the top 10 Mac keyboard shortcuts and how would you even determine such a thing? Gary from MacMost tackles this difficult task and reveals the to 10 Mac keyboard shortcuts with tips and tricks for using each.
View in HD at . Here are some tips for those new to the Mac. Learn how to quickly switch to other apps and windows, launch apps, use Hot Corners, type Emoji and more.
View in HD at . In macOS Ventura you can change the look of your Mac's screen by using a new wallpaper, adjusting tinting and transparency settings, customizing the Dock and Stage Manager and much more.
View in HD at . The new Lift Subject feature in iOS 16 and macOS Ventura is a great quick way to grab a subject from an image. But for better, more customized results you need to use an app like Photoshop or Pixelmator Pro where you can modify the selection.
View in HD at . Mac users have a wide variety of multitasking options such as windows, Stage Manager, multiple desktops and tabs. Learn about each one and how they can work together.
View in HD at . Apple added a whole bunch of new features in the Mac Photos app with macOS Ventura. Learn how to find duplicates, remove the background, copy and paste adjustments and much more.
View in HD at . You can now have a shared photo library between you and other members of your family. Each person can edit and manage the photos in the library and you can view photos in it alongside photos in your own personal library.
View in HD at . A new feature in macOS Ventura is that you can now create list templates in Reminders. You can use these to easily recreate lists with some default items instead of starting from scratch.
View in HD at . macOS Ventura includes a new Weather app, as does iPadOS 16. You can get current conditions and forecasts for your locations and anywhere around the world. The information and maps are quite detailed.
View in HD at . Apple added some new features to the Messages app on the Mac, including some that even Apple doesn't mention.
View in HD at . The ability to schedule power events in System Preferences doesn't exist in macOS Ventura. Instead, if you really need to schedule a repeating shut down, start up, restart or other power event, you can do it using a simple Terminal command.
View in HD at . macOS Ventura adds some useful, and some not-so-useful features to the Mail app. Learn how to Undo Send, schedule a message for later and more.
View in HD at . The Clock app brings four new functions to your Mac: World Clocks, Alarms, Stopwatch and Timers. You can also access timers and alarms with Siri, Spotlight or using the Shortcuts app.
View in HD at . In addition to adding things for macOS Ventura, Apple also redesigned some parts of macOS. Check out the changes to the Share Sheet, Siri, Spotlight, Font Book and more.
View in HD at . System Preferences has been replaced with System Settings in macOS Ventura. It looks very different and many settings have been moved and regrouped. Here's an overview of what has changed.
View in HD at . While Stage Manager and other big new features get all of the attention, there are also many new hidden features that few are talking about. Check out some of the most useful new options in macOS Ventura.
View in HD at . Stage Manager is perhaps the most notable new feature in macOS Ventura. Learn how to use it and all of the tips and tricks. While essentially just another way to multitask, it does have some nice advantages over just using multiple Desktop spaces or windows alone.
View in HD at . This new major update to macOS includes lots of new features such as Stage Manager, send later in Mail, Live Captions, copy subject from photos, use your iPhone as a webcam and much more.
View in HD at . Numbers comes with a variety of useful templates. You can use these in your daily life, or dissect them to learn how they work and learn some spreadsheet skills.
View in HD at . Looking for a reasonably-priced gift for an Apple fan? Sick of seeing suggestions like iPhones and MacBook Pros? Here are some real-life ideas for gifts that prioritize fun over function.
View in HD at . You can create a custom page size with any width or height you like. The trick is knowing where to do to create these sizes, and then how to adjust other things like margins and headers after changing.
View in HD at . A new feature in iOS 16 and watchOS 9 is the ability to mirror you Apple Watch screen on your iPhone. You can use this to get a larger view of your Watch screen or to do a screen recording.
View in HD at . Your Mac has a built-in dictionary that you can access in many ways. You can also get definitions from other sources.
View in HD at . Animation in Keynote can be as easy as duplicating a slide and making changes to create a start point and end point. Many professional animations in presentations just use this simple technique.
View in HD at . Learn how to create a Pages document and add text with formatting, line spacing, headers and footers and much more in this quick tutorial. If you need to get up to speed fast to start a report or paper, this tutorial is for you.
View in HD at . Live Photos are more than just a bit of video attached to your pictures. You can use them to create loops, long exposures and pick a perfect frame when your subject won't stay still.
View in HD at . A new mode in iOS 16 and macOS Ventura lets you spell out words and other phrases letter by letter.
View in HD at . Learn how to use the built-in iMovie transitions, including lots of tips and tricks.
View in HD at . You can use a personal automation to schedule a text message to be sent at a specific time with your iPhone. There are a few catches, though.
View in HD at . Learn how to set up your Pages documents for title pages, front matter, left and right facing pages, skipped pages and much more.
View in HD at . You can use your iPhone's camera for more than just taking photos. Here are some other useful and interesting things you can do with the camera. Third part apps mentioned: Google, WAM: World Around Me, Star Walk 2, PeakFinder, Seeing The Invisible.
View in HD at . You can autofill cells in Numbers using copy and paste, a special autofill feature, and by simply adding new rows to a well-formed table. With the autofill feature, you can have values increase by 1, or using a pattern.
View in HD at . By default every time you create a new iMovie Project it just adds on to your one and only iMovie Library. This makes it difficult to manage and archive your iMovie projects over the years. Instead, create a new Library each time you want to start a new project.
View in HD at . If you want to trim some time from the beginning or end of an audio file, you can quickly and easily do it with built-in macOS apps or free Apple-made apps you can download from the App Store, or a free third-party app. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages.
View in HD at . Quick Look allows you to preview files in the Finder. But you can also do other things with it like rotating and editing images, trimming videos, scroll through documents and select text to copy, view multiple files as an index sheet or slideshow and more.
View in HD at . While Photos has a lot of adjustment and cropping tools, you can also use your favorite image editor directly with the Photos app. You can choose to edit the photo in an editor and have the results saved back to your library, or you can use an editing extension for even tighter integration. See examples using Affinity Photo and Pixelmator Pro.
View in HD at . Instead of using the limited title options in iMovie, you can build almost anything you want in Keynote as a presentation. Use text, transitions, builds and animations to make your title sequence. Then export as a video to use in iMovie over a background.
View in HD at . In Mac Mail you can group messages together by conversation. This can make it easier to see your messages, stop quoted text clutter, and allow you to mute active conversations when you don't need to participate.
View in HD at . There are many ways to see the battery percentage number on your iPhone with iOS 16. You can put in on your Lock Screen or Home Screen, view it in Settings which includes a detailed chart, get to it in Control Center, or have the percentage always shown in the Status Bar at the top.
View in HD at . Learn how to calculate dates like the first or last day of a month, the first or last day-of-week of a month, or the nth day-of-week of a month.
View in HD at . If you like to use Finder tags to organize your files, check out these quick ways to assign and clear tags from selected files. You can use hidden keyboard shortcuts to do it, and also access tags in the Info window, Inspector, or though a special Tags panel.
View in HD at . Here are some small new features of iOS 16 for the iPhone that you may not have discovered yet.
View in HD at . There are many better ways to use images in a Page document other than as a plain rectangle. Learn about borders, tinting, shapes, instant alpha, shadows and even using them in charts.
View in HD at . A new feature in iOS 16 is the ability to easily select only the subject of a photo and drag it to another app or copy and paste it. You can use this to send just the subject of a photo without the background in a message or place it in a layer of an image editing app.
View in HD at . A new feature in iOS 16 for the iPhone allows you to see duplicates in your Photos library and delete or merge them. This same feature is coming to iPadOS 16 and also macOS Ventura.
View in HD at . If you want to disable a keyboard shortcut to avoid accidentally triggering that action, there are a variety of ways to do it.
View in HD at . A big new feature in iOS 16 is the ability to customize your lock screen using photos, colors, emoji and other special styles. You can also add widgets to your lock screen and set Focus modes to change your lock screen automatically at different times.
View in HD at . iOS 16 for iPhone has a ton of new features. See some of the best new things you need to try out as soon as you update.
View in HD at . You can use Conditional Highlighting in Numbers to make values stand out. You can also use alternatives like formulas in other columns or custom formats. Also learn how to have cells highlight based on the value of a different cell.
View in HD at . Title Icons, also called Proxy Icons, allow you to drag and drop files directly from their document windows without needing to use the Finder. You can also use them in the Finder to drag the folder you are currently viewing without needing to go up a level.
View in HD at . With macOS's built-in Universal Clipboard feature you can copy and paste between two Macs, or between Macs, iPhones and iPads. You can use this for text, images, files and more.
View in HD at . Screens with 1440p resolution are popular, but they are not an ideal screen to use as a primary or secondary display with a Mac. The 2560x1440 resolution is either too small or too big, depending on how you have it set up. A 4K screen is a better option for most Mac users. But if you are stuck with a 1440 screen, there are a few things you can do to make it look better.
View in HD at . Even if you don't have an extended keyboard you can still foward delete on a Mac using one of two hidden tricks. You can also delete by word, line, to the start or end of paragraphs and in a variety of different ways.
View in HD at . Many Mac users have Adobe Reader on their Macs so they can read and fill out PDF files. But macOS already has a very capable PDF app named Preview. Most people will find it more than capable for all of their needs, and perhaps a little faster and convenient. If Adobe Reader is set as your default PDF app, I'll show you how to switch back to using Preview.
View in HD at . The context menu appears when you Control+click, right+click, or two-finger click something on a Mac. Most of the items in a context menu appear depending on what was clicked and which app you are using. But some parts of the context menu can be customized to fit your needs.
View in HD at . Often people ask me about duplicate photos or files when all they are seeing is two different ways of viewing the same single photo or file. For instance, albums in Photos show the same photos as the Library, and Recents and the Desktop in the Finder show files you can also see elsewhere. It is important to understand why these aren't duplicate items to avoid deleting the one and only copy of a photo or file.
View in HD at . If Pivot Tables in Numbers seem intimidating, watch this tutorial to see how easy they are to use. You can get a lot of information without ever needing to using functions or formulas.
View in HD at . GarageBand is like a box full of musical toys for your iPad or iPhone, and it is free from Apple. Play keyboards and other instruments with your touch screen, record and alter your voice, create beats and drum tracks a variety of different ways, and so much more.
View in HD at . If you haven't been using the Reminders app on your Mac and other Apple devices you are missing out on a very useful tool. Learn the basics in just 5 minutes with this quick tutorial.
View in HD at . You can use iMovie titles to add static frame or scrolling credits to the end of your video projects. There are some tricks to being able to edit the text effectively and to add backgrounds and more.
View in HD at . When you go to save a file it can be frustrating to find the location you want. But there are many things you can do to quickly navigate to your folders in the Save Dialog. You can also use these techniques when saving downloads in your browser.
View in HD at . You Can't Select Multiple Non-Contiguous Portions Of Text In Mac Pages. But Most Of The Time People Want To Do This It Is To Apply A Style On Those Portions Of Text. Learn How To Do This More Efficiently Using Character Styles In Pages.
View in HD at . You have four choices when it comes to Finder views. List View, however, has several advantages which make it my go-to Finder view.
View in HD at . If you notice that the Menu Bar at the top of your screen is missing, it is probably because you are using an app in Full Screen mode. You can customize how this works in System Preferences. You can also use Mission Control and Spaces to have the Menu Bar present for some apps and not others.
View in HD at . If you are looking for something to do with your Mac when you have down time, try one of these ideas that don't involve browsing the web or using social media.
View in HD at . If you have several documents or windows open in the same app there are many ways to switch between these windows.
View in HD at . If you have Adobe Creative Cloud installed then every time you start your Mac the Creative Cloud app and a number of big background processes will start automatically. If you don't use Adobe apps every day, you may want to change this so none of it starts until you use your first Adobe app.
View in HD at . QUickTime Player is a lot more than just a simple video playback app. You can record video too, record and play audio, do some basic editing, grab frames, combine images and much more.
View in HD at . Learn how your Mac uses memory and makes it seem like you have more memory than you actually do by compressing and swapping memory. Learn what Memory Pressure is and how you can use this measurement to improve performance in extreme situations.
View in HD at . You can add music to your iMovie project from a file, from iMovie itself, or your Music library. Once in iMovie, you can adjust it, fade, apply effects and more. But be careful when adding music to make sure you take into account copyright.
View in HD at . AutoFill in Safari makes it easy to fill in fields in forms on web pages with your name, email address, passwords, credit card information and other details. You can use it more effectively if you understand where the information comes from and why it sometimes doesn't work as expected.
View in HD at . Photos will easily mark pictures as containing people's faces, as long as they are human. But you can also manually add your pets or anything you like to the People feature manually.
View in HD at . There are many things you may need to remember to do before starting an online or in-person presentation on your Mac. But creating your own custom Shortcut, you can avoid forgetting to do something like quit apps, set the volume, turn on a Focus mode and change your wallpaper. You can also have it launch your presentation or website automatically.
View in HD at . You can easily create one-page signs in Mac Pages using Page Layout mode. Add text, symbols, arrows, shapes, borders and more. Save them and reuse them by changing text later on.
View in HD at . In the Edit menu under Substitutions you can control some automatic behavior that happens when you type on your Mac, such as two dashes being replaced by a long dash or quotes converting to curly quotes automatically.
View in HD at . You can easily create a simple labels template to print a list of addresses to labels in Pages. The list can come from text or a Number spreadsheet. You can also modify pre-made labels templates to work better.
View in HD at . Learn how to use the Shortcuts app to make photo collages from the Photos app or files. You can also build animated GIFs for sharing, or videos.
View in HD at . When you open a new Finder window, it can be confusing as to why the new window is at a specific location, size and view settings. Understanding the difference between Finder windows and folder locations is key, as well as knowing the difference between browsing and opening new windows, and what is remembered by the Finder.
View in HD at . Sometimes you need to create PDF documents that are small enough to upload or submit with a size restriction. You can use Preview to compress the images in a PDF file, but you get better results with more control if you work with the images in the original document.
View in HD at . When you browse the web Safari will save data as cookies, cache and history. Learn what these are and how to control them.
View in HD at . While Notes has become a robust system on the Mac, using TextEdit has some advantages such as recovering deleted information, restoring from Time Machine, and being able to store information alongside other files in a project.
View in HD at . You can use the Shortcuts app to make QR codes that link to web pages. Once you have a Shortcut, you can easily reuse it to share a QR code, save it as an image, or even just copy to the clipboard to paste into a document you are working on.
View in HD at . Learn some Shortcuts programming by following along and building a Shortcut that adds a border and caption to a photo file and saves it as a new file.
View in HD at . You can create groups in the Contacts app on your Mac and use them to quickly send emails to several people without needing to select each contact. Groups can be used for organization too, and can help in other apps like Messages and Calendar in some situations.
View in HD at . There doesn't appear to be a way to view your Mac Calendar events as a list, but it can be done if you know one trick. You can use the list to easily select items, and then copy and paste them in a variety of ways. You can also print or save a PDF list of events.
View in HD at . You can set your iPhone up so it can read the text of an article, webpage or other content to you using Siri or another voice. Use this if you have a vision issue or just want to listen to some content instead of read it.
View in HD at . Badges are the red dots with numbers in them you see in the Dock on your Mac and over App icons on your iPhone or iPad. You can hide them on an app-by-app basis and something customize what they represent.
View in HD at . If you need to find the ranking of rows in Numbers, you can sort, use COUNTIF or use RANK. It gets a little more complex if you have to use multiple values for tie-breakers or rank within groups.
View in HD at . If you are looking to buy a new MacBook soon, it can be confusing to decide which one is right for you and which options to get. See this guide to deciding between the MacBook Air, the 14-Inch MacBook Pro and the 16-Inch MacBook Pro.
View in HD at . If you are looking to buy a new Mac soon, it can be confusing to decide which one is right for you and which options to get. See this guide to deciding between the Mac mini, iMac and Mac Studio.
View in HD at . Learn how to get random numbers on your Mac using the Calculator app, the Numbers app, Siri, the Terminal and a custom Shortcut.
View in HD at . Learn the various ways you can export files from the Photos app on your Mac. You can do a simple drag-and-drop, but you'll get more options if you use File, Export. You can also export directly to another app, or save as a PDF.
View in HD at . There are three kinds of alignment guides in Pages. Learn how to use them to quickly align objects in word processing or page layout documents.
View in HD at . Ever wonder what the arrow at the top of your iPhone means? Or green dot, orange dot, padlock with a circle around it, moon, spaceship or bed mean?
View in HD at . You have a lot of ways to customize your Mac's Desktop. You can use a grid or even have items automatically sorted. You can change the icon and text size, show more information, set a background color, and even show images or information over the background.
View in HD at . If you suspect that you have some large duplicate files on your Mac, you can find them without any special software. You can use the Finder to search for files and sort them so duplicates are together. You can also use the Terminal to find duplicates with a multi-part command.
View in HD at . The Photos app gives you many ways to search through your photos. You can look by person, dates, locations, objects, titles, camera type and so much more. You can also combine these in ways to get interesting results.
View in HD at . A new feature in Keynote lets you easily place an animated dynamic background behind your slides. You can customize them with your own colors, sizes and movement.
View in HD at . A new feature in Pages 12.1 is the ability to create envelopes, letters, invitations and other things by merging address data from the Contacts app or a Numbers spreadsheet.
View in HD at . Here are some more new features coming to macOS with Ventura this fall, including Photo duplicate finder, the Weather app, Live Text in video and more.
View in HD at . Does Time Machine backup all of your files when you are using iCloud Drive? The answer depends on whether you are using the Optimize Mac Storage function. But even with it on, chances are you are well protected.
View in HD at . Take a look at some of the new features coming to macOS with Ventura this fall, including Live Captions, the Clock app, new Spotlight features and more.
View in HD at . If the date and time in the top right corner of your Mac's screen is gray or dimmed, it is because you are using Do Not Disturb or some other Focus mode. Learn how to turn it off if you have turned it on accidentally, and find out how you can keep the date and time as black text when a Focus mode is on.
View in HD at . Stage Manager is a new multitasking feature for macOS Ventura and iPadOS 16. Learn how it works and all of the options. See how it operates with app switching, multiple desktops and the Dock.
View in HD at . There will be lots of new features in the Notes and Reminders apps in macOS Venture this fall. See how you'll be able to filter and use Smart Folders in Notes, create and reuse templates in Reminders and more.
View in HD at . You can create daily reminders to do things like take pills using either the Reminders app or the Calendars app. Figure out which one is best for you.
View in HD at . The Mail app in macOS Ventura is gainign the ability to undo send, schedule an email, remind you about an email later, and also improved search. In Messages, you will be able to delete a message you sent and edit as well, at least for iMessage.
View in HD at . The magnifier on your iPhone is a hidden app that you can use to read small text on medicine, food items, menus and more. You can also temporarily save images so you don't need to keep the iPhone pointed at the item.
View in HD at . Accidents happen and things get deleted. Here are several ways you can get back deleted text, files and other items on your Mac.
View in HD at . System Preferences is now System Settings with categories listed on the left, settings in a list on the right, and new options and arrangements throughout.
View in HD at . You can get the sum, average and perform other calculations on selected cells without needing to create a formula in another cell. The Quick Calculations appear at the bottom of the Numbers window whenever you have more than one cell selected. They also can be dragged-and-dropped to create permanent formulas and will obey filters.
View in HD at . Apple announced the new M2 processor and a new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro at today's WWDC keynote event. They also gave us a preview of a long list of new features in macOS 13 "Ventura" and iOS 16 and iPad OS 16. Here's what caught my eye.
View in HD at . In this special live video I look at many different ways to use your Mac keyboard to control everything. Learn how to launch apps, select text, manage your files, and so much more.
View in HD at . When you drag and drop a file from one folder to another on a Mac, sometimes this will move the file, and sometimes this will copy the file. Learn when a drag is a move vs a copy and how to choose the other option.
View in HD at . When you transfer a file between Mac and Windows, or upload to a cloud service, you may notice that the file size looks different. Windows and most cloud services use a different way to measure sizes like megabytes than Macs do. The file is actually the same size, just the math used to get those file size numbers is different.
View in HD at . What to consider when you are thinking of buying a new Mac. Should you buy when you need a new Mac, or when Apple comes out with a new model? How do you know when Apple is about to release something new?
View in HD at . You can use the Live Listen feature on your iPhone to use it and your AirPods as a simple hearing aid, allowing you to hear voices clearer even in the next room.
View in HD at . You can change the size of the pointer as well as the border and outline color. If you want more options, you can always get a third-party app, though some options are only achieved using screen recording apps.
View in HD at . There are two different modes in Mac Pages. It is important to know the differences between these modes and when to use Word Processing Mode or Page Layout Mode.
View in HD at . The Start Page in Safari is often ignored, but it can be a very useful tool. By removing some items from it and actively maintaining others, it can be your go-to screen in Safari.
View in HD at . You can use default text transformations on your Mac to convert text to upper or lower case, or to capitalize every word. However, it is better to use styling in Pages. You can also create your own custom text transformation with Shortcuts.
View in HD at . While the Dock seems like a strictly graphical interface, you can actually use it with just the keyboard. You can launch apps, access advanced functions, and even rearrange the items in the Dock using keyboard shortcuts.
View in HD at . Memoji are fun to use in Messages on your iPhone or as stickers on your Mac, but you can use them for so much more. But creating little characters that look like you, colleagues or students you can make better presentations, documents and videos.
View in HD at . You can use Picture-In-Picture to watch a video on your Mac while you do other things. It places the video in a small window that floats on top of other windows. You can use Picture-In-Picture on web videos, the TV app, and other places.
View in HD at . If you have a messy Mac Desktop and want to clean it up, there are several techniques you can use. You can do something quick and simple to tidy up, or get to work and go through those files to organize them better.
View in HD at . You have many options when it comes to transferring files between your Mac and iOS devices. You can keep it simple with AirDrop or iCloud Drive, or use a cable or Wi-Fi to move files, regular networking, the Finder, and more.
View in HD at . You can set up your iPhone so it listens for sounds like doorbells, glass breaking or a baby crying, and then alert you with a tone or a vibration.
View in HD at . The Desktop & Documents Folders feature of iCloud Drive lets you decide whether those two folders are stored only on your local Mac's hard drive, or as part of iCloud Drive and available across all of your Apple devices.
View in HD at . There are many ways to store and recall Web locations other than just plain browser bookmarks. Learn how to create lists and documents, add to contacts and events, even make Menu Bar and keyboard shortcuts.
View in HD at . When creating Shortcuts for the Mac or iOS you can use voice input easily when you trigger the Shortcut with Siri.
View in HD at . The Finder is easily controlled with a mouse or trackpad, but if you prefer to use your keyboard you can access most functions if you know the right keys to press.
View in HD at . The iPhone onscreen keyboard is something you probably use often, but do you know all of its time-saving features? Learn how to swipe-type, access character variations, use predictive text, access the hidden trackpad and more.
View in HD at . With so many features in so many apps, it is easy to overlook some very useful functions in apps you use every day. Learn about rarely-used features of Pages, Reminders, Calendar, the Finder and more.
View in HD at . While you can't change the default settings for new images in Pages, you can use techniques like custom Styles, duplicate, Media Placeholders and a template document to make it easier to place multiple images with the same settings.
View in HD at . You can test your network speed on a Mac using speed test websites or a simple Terminal command in macOS Monterey. You can also easily put that Terminal command inside a Shortcut and then easily run a speed test from the Menu Bar any time you wish.
View in HD at . Sometimes when you provide a photo to be printed or used in a publication, you will be asked about pixels per inch, or PPI. But PPI isn't really important. Only the number of pixels in the image matters, PPI is just a setting in the file.
View in HD at . Here's a list of things you should check for on your iPhone to make sure you are protected in case it is lost, stolen or someone tries to steal your information.
View in HD at . In most apps you can choose to Duplicate the current document, or use a hidden Save As command to do something very similar. What are the differences between the two commands and what other alternatives are there?
View in HD at . If the drive inside your Mac is too small, there are some ways to deal with it until you get your next Mac. You can put some things on external drives, use iCloud, offload apps, and try some other techniques.
View in HD at . Keyboard shortcuts are handy and save time, but some of the keyboard shortcuts you are using right now may not be the best way to go. Here are some examples of common keyboard shortcuts that have better alternatives in many situations.
View in HD at . There are many ways to select portions of text on a Mac. If you use your Mac to write, you should learn the keyboard techniques you need to select characters, words, lines and paragraphs.
View in HD at . Here are some fun things to try in the Messages app on your iPhone or iPad. You can send messages with special effects, send special links, respond with a reaction instead of a new message, easily include GIFs or stickers, add subject lines, send audio recordings, and so much more.
View in HD at . A new action in Shortcuts for Mac allows you to add a row of data to a Numbers spreadsheet. You can prompt for information and then record a time and some data. Numbers version 12 is required. An older technique allows you to change existing data in a Numbers spreadsheet.
View in HD at . The FN or Globe key on your Mac keyboard can be used to switch between special feature and F-keys, change what is shown on a Touch Bar, or can also be a used by itself to bring up the Emoji and Symbol Viewer, change Input Source, or start dictation.
View in HD at . When you sell, donate or recycle a Mac, you should absolutely erase your drive before it leaves your possession. With orders Macs that use spinning hard disk drives, you should secure erase it. But for newer Macs with solid-state drives you can't secure erase and it really isn't necessary. In most cases your old data was encrypted anyway.
View in HD at . Creating good spreadsheets isn't just about getting the formulas right. By adding some text and design elements you can make it clear to someone else, or yourself in the future, what to do to use the spreadsheet and understand how it works.
View in HD at . When text is too small to read or you want to enlarge an area of your iPhone or iPad's screen, you can use the Accessibility feature Zoom. There are a lot of options to help you position the zoom area, change magnification, and even speak text on the screen.
View in HD at . Most apps you use to create documents on your Mac have the same core commands in the File menu. Learn how to use New, Open, Close, Save, Duplicate, Save As, Rename and Move To. Plus, lots and lots of useful tips and tricks!
View in HD at . A common problem is finding that you are suddeny missing contacts, notes, calendar events or email messages on your Mac, iPhone or iPad. It could just be that you are looking only at a specific account or subgroup of those items in that app. Here's how to switch back to viewing all entries.
View in HD at . If you have difficulty dragging and dropping with a trackpad on your Mac, here are some suggestions. Note that you can drag with one finger or two, so try the both methods. You can also use double-tapping to start a drag, and Drag Lock. Three-finger drag is another option. There are also ways to move things without using drag-and-drop at all.
View in HD at . While it may not seem like you can use wildcards in a Spotlight search on a Mac, you can use a variety of options to get the same result with a normal search, and then regular wildcard searches when using Raw Query as your search type.
View in HD at . You can create, view, mark up, merge and split PDF documents on an iPhone and iPad with no special apps needed. If you know where to look, you can do almost everything in the Files app, but the Books app may be the better way to view PDFs.
View in HD at . If you want to report something directly to Apple, here are 10 links that will let you send them information. You can make a suggestion, report a problem with an app or content, and much more.
View in HD at . Learn how to properly take a screenshot, mark it up, and share it with others. Learn how to avoid three common mistakes people make when doing this and how to best share a screenshot instead of sending a large email attachment.
View in HD at . You can animate charts in Keynote, showing how data changes over time. If you use animated Bubble Charts in the right way, you can end up with some interesting results.
View in HD at . You can use the Shortcuts app on your Mac to create quick text inserts or replacements. The Shortcut can prompt for text, let you choose from a list, or include the current date and time.
View in HD at . Learn how to properly review a Pages document using change tracking and comments. Multiple people can make editing suggestions that can then be accepted, rejected or modified by the author or lead editor. But these features can also come in handy if you are writing alone.
View in HD at . Drag-and-drop is a basic Mac skill, but there are many advanced techniques that most users don't know about. Learn how to use drag-and-drop with multiple desktops, the App Switcher, text selections, URLs, and even between Macs with Universal Control.
View in HD at . If your iPhone's battery seems to run down quickly, use the Settings app to figure out which app is the culprit. You can see yoru battery use by app, by day and even by hour.
View in HD at . When buying an app in the App Store on the iPhone, iPad or Mac, it can be hard to judge which apps are worth it. Here are some ways to quickly assess an app based on the information shown in the App Store and elsewhere.
View in HD at . Many people keep their passwords in a note or a Numbers or Pages document. This is a bad idea, but not for the reason you probably think.
View in HD at . You can use a Chart to build a dynamic horizonal or vertical timeline in Pages. You can then easily adjust or add values to the timeline. This works for Keynote too.
View in HD at . What happens to a file when you download it on your iPhone? In many situations you can view the file right in Safari or Mail, but otherwise, you can find it in the Files app. You can also uncompress ZIP files, or even view the contents of a ZIP archive and extract only one file.
View in HD at . Besides file searches, you can use Spotlight to search for word definitions, sports scores, weather, stock prices, System Preferences, perform complex math calculations, unit conversions and much more.
View in HD at . The Accent and Highlight colors used in almost every app on your Mac. Each app has its own default colors. But you can override them in System Preferences to force each app to use the same colors.
View in HD at . Don't fall for these 5 Apple-related scams. Be careful when you get alarming emails, check carefully before buying a used Mac, don't assume everything you see on your screen is offical, and more.
View in HD at . Is Apple planning to come out with a new larger iMac? Or is the Mac Studio the replacement? If you were looking to buy a 27-inch iMac, what are your options now?
View in HD at . A new feature in macOS 12.3 and iOS/iPadOS 15.4 is the ability to add notes to password entries. You can use this to store extra information about an account, or to create secure text notes inside of the iCloud Keychain.
View in HD at . Universal Control is a new feature of macOS 12.3 and iPadOS 15.4 that lets you control all of the Macs and iPads on your desk with one keyboard and mouse or trackpad. You can even drag-and-drop and copy and paste between devices.
View in HD at . Apple will be including new smileys, hand gestures, symbols and more with iOS 15.4, iPadOS 15.4 and macOS 12.3. Check them out and learn what it could mean when someone sends one to you.
View in HD at . Apps use a lot of space on your drive. If there are some apps you rarely use you can always uninstall them, knowing that it is fairly easy to reinstall them when you need them.
View in HD at . While it is easy to Command+z on a computer to undo, it isn't obvious how to undo on an iPhone. But there are actually 5 methods including a set of tap gestures, and some apps include an undo button.
View in HD at . Every Mac user hears about the Terminal app from time-to-time. What is the Terminal and do you need to know how to use it? Take a quick look at the Terminal, how it works and why some Mac users need it, but most do not.
View in HD at . Your Mac comes with all sorts of fun hidden things you can try. Capture funny photos and videos of yourself, play drums, listen to radio stations from around the world, lose at chess, and much more.
View in HD at . Apple announced it first new Mac in years today, the Mac Studio featuring a new M1 Ultra processor. Alongside it, they announced the 5K Studio Display, a new iPad Air with the M1 chip, and a new iPhone SE.
View in HD at . Learn how to use the Table Of Contents function in Mac Pages. This can automatically grab the headings from your Word Processing document body text and place them in a formatted table of contents with page numbers. The table of contents will update as you edit your document, and will be clickable in PDF exports.
View in HD at . If you have trouble typing quickly on your iPhone, maybe you haven't tried some of the other options available. Instead of typing each letter, you can use predictive text and swiping to pick up the pace. Or, you can just dictate. The best way is probably to combine these methods as needed.
View in HD at . Your Mac can speak announcements, read selected text out loud and repeat back to you what you type. Check out these Accessibility features can be useful to anyone.
View in HD at . The Ken Burns effects adds movement to your still images in your video projects. But picking a start and end crop area inside the photo, iMovie will move the photo over the duration of the clip. You can use more then one Ken Burns effect in consecutive clips in creative ways.
View in HD at . When dealing with image files on your Mac, it is useful to know the difference between JPEG and GIF files, what HEIC or HEIF files are, what RAW means, and when to use a PNG file.
View in HD at . Setting up email signatures in Mac Mail can be confusing as signatures you create may not seem to be available after you create them. Learn how to create and manage your signatures, set default signatures, and choose alternatives.
View in HD at . The Files app on your iPhone or iPad is like the Finder on a Mac. You can use it to find, open, and organize your files. You can also preview documents and perform other functions. If you are looking to get work done on your iPhone or iPad, it is important that you know your way around the Files app.
View in HD at . There are many ways to move and resize windows on a Mac without requiring third-party apps. Learn how to set up your windows like you want them, and even a method for saving windows positions.
View in HD at . Navigating around on your Mac while you get things done can be tricky. But you have a wide variety of tools to help you, like Mission Control, the App Switcher, the Dock and App Expose. You can control some of these with the pointer, and others with the keyboard.
View in HD at . You can use QuickTime Player to select a portion of a long video and save only that portion to a smaller file. This comes in handy when you want to only use a small section of a video in iMovie or Final Cut Pro.
View in HD at . The Color Picker tool appears in many Apple Mac apps and third-party apps. You can save a color you want to use again with the color chip slots at the bottom. You can use them in any app where you can bring up the color picker.
View in HD at . You can build a simple Shortcut to access the things you use your iPhone for the most. Then you can use back tap, a Home screen icon or Siri to activate it and choose the function. Great for productivity or for helping someone who needs easier access to some things.
View in HD at . There are many different types of desktop backgrounds, also called wallpapers, you can use on your Mac. Dynamic backgrounds change throughout the day, Light and Dark backgrounds switch between two versions, you can also choose a solid color, Apple's pictures, your own, or a whole set of pictures and rotate between them.
View in HD at . When you save a file, the dialog that appears allows you to choose the name and location of the new file. There's a lot of hidden functionality in the File Save dialog that youc an use to improve your productivity.
View in HD at . When replying to an email message, don't just quote the entire message and write a response at the top or the bottom. Instead quote the previous message thoughtfully, pay attention to details, and create a better result.
View in HD at . Learn the basics of using formulas to perform calculations in the Numbers spreadsheet app. You can perform basic arithmetic, copy and paste formulas to multiple rows, and use functions to get the sum of a column.
View in HD at . You can track things like cryptocurrencies, metals, commodities, market funds and other things in the macOS Stocks app and in Numbers. The trick is to realize that the values come from Yahoo Finance and to use the same symbols.
View in HD at . Perhaps the most creative tool in the Photos app is the ability to use Markup tools directly on photos. You can add text, shapes and draw. Here ate 10 creative ways to use Markup on your photos.
View in HD at . If you have recently switched from Windows, you may be confused about some things on the Mac keyboard such as the Command key, Option key or Globe key. Learn about the modifier keys, and also what is meant by key names like brackets, backslash and tilde.
View in HD at . Notes has added a lot of new features over the past few years. Here are some tips to help you get the most from the Mac Notes app.
View in HD at . When you add a photo to an iMovie project, the photo will rarely fit right into the video frame but will instead be cropped, removing some of the top and bottom of the photo. Understand why that happens and learn how you can adjust the cropping or switch to make the whole image fit in the video with black bars to either side. Also learn about alternatives to black bars.
View in HD at . You can write in other languages besides you system default while in Pages and other apps. By setting things up correctly, you can have spell check use different languages and accept word variations on a paragraph-by-paragraph basis.
View in HD at . Dates, times and duration values behave differently in Numbers and other spreadsheet apps than other values. Learn what makes up time and duration values and how to use them in formulas and functions.
View in HD at . If you have a file you need to open often it could be worth it to set up a special quick way to access that file. Here are 10 suggestions for super fast access to one or more important files.
View in HD at . When you export from iMovie you get to choose from several quality and resolution settings. Here's how to make the right choice, a balance between quality and file size.
View in HD at . If you find that auto-correct on your iPhone or iPad is getting words wrong or getting in the way when trying to type unusual words or uncommon spellings for names, there are a few things you can do. You can train it using the Predictive Text Bar over the keyboard. You can also use the Settings app to add corrections, new words and names as Text Replacements. Also learn how to turn off auto-correct entirely or reset the dictionary.
View in HD at . The Reminders app can be used for so much more than just quick to-do lists. Here are 20 ideas for different checklists that most people can use. You can also use the Notes app instead of Reminders.
View in HD at . You can use ScreenTime on your Mac to limit the amount of time you spend looking at apps or websites. While it is easy to override restrictions you place on yourself, these techniques can still be useful for those looking to manager their time better.
View in HD at . If you are looking to view or change the name of your Mac, it is important to note that this could mean different things. You can't change your Mac's model name, but you can change a name used in file sharing and in lists on your iCloud account. There is also the name of your local Mac user account, which can be changed although it is not recommended.
View in HD at . When you add images to a word processing document in Pages, you can choose to have it stay at the exact location on that page, or move with the text. A image can then be anchored to a space in the text, or set to Inline where it acts as a character in the text.
View in HD at . There is no simple built-in command to center a window on a Mac. But you can use other techniques. Learn how to combine two window movements to center a window, or use scripted Shortcuts, or a third party app.
View in HD at . If you ever lose your Apple ID account password, you can recover it using one of three methods Apple provides. By default you can use their recovery service which could take a lot of time. But you can set a Recovery Contact to let a trusted person help you recover your account, or you can set a Recovery Key as the ultimate secure method of recovering your account.
View in HD at . You probably have dozens or hundreds of photos in your Photos Librar you can use as social media profile pictures. Learn how to easily find the best ones, crop, adjust and apply filters, and create great social media profile pictures that are ready to use.
View in HD at . We've all at one time or another entered a password into a site only to be told the password is wrong. Let's explore all of the reasons why this can happen and learn what to do next.
View in HD at . You can use the Terminal to list files and folders, restrict the lists to only large files and folders, and also just show the ones that use the most space.
View in HD at . The iPhone Weather app in iOS 15 puts a ton of information at your fingertips. You can dig even deeper by looking closely at the 10-day forecast, bringing up maps and searching for other locations.
View in HD at . Before worrying about how your finished document should look, concentrate on writing first. Use zoom, fonts, highlights and other writing tools in Pages to write a good book, report, memo or other document and then format it for reading later.
View in HD at . When asking a question online it is important to have a good title for your post and include details in the body of your question but also leave out irrelevant information. Be sure to not just asking how to accomplish something, but also state why you need to do it so the question can be answered properly. Also be sure to follow up and state what worked when your problem is solved.
View in HD at . Here's how to remove the background from an image using the Preview app that comes with macOS. The Smart Lasso tool does a so-so job, but it is useful to know how to use it in case you only occasionally need to do this and don't wish to purchase another app to edit images.
View in HD at . Here's how to remove the background from an image using Affinity Photo. You can use this to blur the background or replace it.
View in HD at . The Mac app Pixelmator Pro has a variety of tools for removing the background of a photo. The best method is combining the Select Subject tool and then refining the selection with Quick Selection. You can use this to blur the background or replace it.
View in HD at . Screen Zoom allows you to zoom in on a portion of the screen to see the images or text there when they are too small otherwise.
View in HD at . You can use the Shortcuts app to make it easy to add new Reminders. This could come in handy if you often find yourself recreating the same reminders every day or week.
View in HD at . If you are looking to buy a MacBook soon, here's a rundown of the current models and the differences between them.
View in HD at . Merging two folders can seem difficult or impossible until you learn this trick. While it is easy to drag and drop new files into an existing folder, you'll need to decide which ones to keep and which to replace on a file-by-file basis. However, a hidden feature of the macOS Finder lets you merge the files in folders, keeping the newest versions.
View in HD at . You can use bookmarks in Safari to store the locations of web pages so you can return to them easily. You can access bookmarks several ways, search for them, edit them and organize them. Plus many tips and tricks for using bookmarks.
View in HD at . We'll most likely see a new larger iMac, MacBook Air, Mac Pro and iPhone 14 in 2022. What else will Apple release? Will we see a new MacBook Pro? iPads? Mac mini? AR glasses?
View in HD at . You can use the Delete key on yoru Mac's keyboard to delete text in both directions, delete selections, objects, files and more. Sometimes you need to add modifier keys to delete or access special functions.
View in HD at . Apple provides a wide variety of shapes in Pages, Numbers and Keynote. You can go way beyond just filling them with a solid color. You can edit the lines of a shape, combine shapes, use gradient fills, creative borders, shadows and much more.
View in HD at . Hide My Email is a new privacy feature of macOS and iOS that allows you to create forwarding email addresses to give to sites, services or anyone you send email. The recipient never sees your real email address. You can use this to manage future spam email or just maintain a level of privacy by not sharing your real email address.
View in HD at . In Preview you can select just a portion of a PDF document. Then you can paste that into a new PDF document, another type of document, email message and more. This can be used in a variety of useful ways.
View in HD at . If you need to hand your iPhone to a ticket checker, cashier, security guard, or police officer to show a document or your ID, be sure to use Guided Access first, to lock the iPhone into that one app and restrict access. You can also use Guided Access to allow children to play games on your iPhone or iPad.
View in HD at . Here's how to compare two tables to see which rows are missing from one or the other. You can also compare two tables using multiple columns. Conditional highlighting can show you which rows don't match.
View in HD at . Instead of trying to use the software provided by your scanner's manufacturer, use the built-in Image Capture app on your Mac instead. You can scan documents and photos with a variety of settings and options.
View in HD at . If your hard disk is full and you need to clear out some space fast, here are 20 places to look. In macOS Monterey you can use the Storage Manager to clear out a lot of unneeded files, plus I'll show you some places to look in your Library folder, Applications, Photos, Documents, iCloud and more.
View in HD at . There are a lot of adjustments you can make to photos in the Mac Photos app, but to get started learn these 7 simple steps.
View in HD at . Need to learn Excel fast? This video starts from scratch with no prior experience needed. Learn how to create a basic spreadsheet, add calculations and functions, summarize data and create charts. For Mac users, but good for Windows people too.
View in HD at . To capture your iPhone's screen you must use two physical buttons at the same time. Then you can let it save to the Photos library, or preview it and make changes like cropping, adding text and shapes and more. You can send the result directly to another app or save it as a file instead of to Photos. You can also capture the entire length of a document or web page.
View in HD at . The search feature in macOS is very deep, including the ability to search metadata in media files, dimensions of images, fonts used, file origins, and much more.
View in HD at . Your Mac, iPhone or iPad can be used as a way to video chat with others while you are stuck at home away from friends, family, work or school. Technology can help with social distancing. FaceTime is great for Apple-to-Apple communication. Skype and Facebook Messenger can be used for cross-platform communication or with those who are more comfortable with those services.
View in HD at . You can use pretty much any USB flash drive with your Mac. But be sure to buy one with the right connection type, either USB-A or USB-C, or get one that has both. Most drives are preformatted for Windows, so you probably want to reformat it for your Mac. You can add and remove files from a USB flash drive using the Finder. Be sure to eject the drive first before phsyically disconnecting it.
View in HD at . Perhaps the most useful third-party tool you can get for your Mac is a clipboard manager. These will let you go beyond the single copy and paste clipboard and recall items you previous copied.
View in HD at . You can get stock prices in Numnbers on your Mac, but they are only updated daily. But by using Google Sheets you can get live stock prices. These can be used right there, or copied and pasted into a Numbers document.
View in HD at . There are many unusual ways to use the features in iMovie to create visual effects and filters that you may not think are possible. Take a look at 10 ideas using titles, transistions, overlays and other techniques.
View in HD at . Text Replacements are one of the most useful productivity features on your Mac. But even people that use them don't always use them to their fullest potential. Here are 10 examples of things you can do with Text Replacement on your Mac.
View in HD at . Here's a list of 10 features of your Mac that are hidden from view. You'll learn about hidden folders and files, hidden Safari menus, how to access hidden markup tools in Mail and Photos, hidden toolbar buttons, hidden menu commands and even characters hidden in your keyboard.
View in HD at . Many people archive important email to mailboxes or folders inside the Mac Mail app. But this may not be the best way to save important messages. Instead, export them as files so they exist in the Finder and you can name them, organize them, and archive them as you wish.
View in HD at . It is a good idea to back up your iPhone or iPad to your Mac, but it is also easy to forget old backups when you switch to a new device. These old backups take up a lot of space on your Mac's drive. You can find them in macOS Catalina if you know where to look and see how much space they use and easily delete them to free up that space.
View in HD at . While you can use iMovie or Photos to create slideshows, Keynote is probably the most advanced tool with the most options. You can quickly import many photos onto individual slides. Then you can work with each slide to scale and adjust each photo. You can add text and transitions. You can even create a Ken Burns effect by moving and scaling a photo over time. Once you have perfected your slideshow, you can export it as a video to share. You can also record naration to include in the video.
View in HD at . You can create your own custom keyboard shortcuts on your Mac for any item in the Mac menu bar. By going into System Preferences you can set a shortcut using the exact name of the menu item in an app or across all apps. You can also change the shortcut assigned to a menu item.
View in HD at . While Keynote is primarily a presentation tool, you can also animate objects with movement, rotation, opacity and scaling. You can include these animations as part of a presentation, or build them to use as animated GIFs or segments of a video.
View in HD at . In macOS Catalina if you are not using Apple Music you can choose to store your music files on an external drive. There are a number of methods you can use. Also learn how to clear out your Music app library to start from scratch.
View in HD at . If you iPhone or iPad is almost full, you may need to take the time to clean out things you no longer need. iOS makes this easy by providing a list of apps showing how much space each uses and giving you controls to delete content. You can also change settings for Messages, Photos and the Camera apps so you use less space.
View in HD at . Preview is a great tool for viewing PDF documents. But you can do much more than just viewing. You can fill in forms, even PDFs that don't have preset fillable fields. You can password-protect them, export them as images, merge documents, rearrange and delete pages and more.
View in HD at . Preview is a great tool for viewing image files. But you can do much more than just viewing. In addition to the annotation tools you may already be familiar with, you can also use Preview to export images into a different format, crop, resize and adjust colors. You can even import images from cameras or scanners.
View in HD at . We include email signatures with every message we send, but often don't put much thought into the signature itself. You can make yours stand out with some simple techniques like using colors, including emoji or clever combinations of characters, images and more.
View in HD at . If you need to repeat a specific set of keyboard commands or movements often, you can reduce the sequence to a single action. One method is to use Automator Watch Me Do actions, which record key presses and allow you to repeat them. You can also write a script in Automator to press keys. A third method involves using the Mac Accessibility Keyboard to record and play back the sequence.
View in HD at . You don't need special software to create beautiful organizational charts on your Mac. You can use the shapes in Pages and Keynote along with techniques like groups, images in shapes, and connection lines. Learn the skills you need to build any diagram design.
View in HD at . The Mac Color Picker will appear when you want to choose a color in most Mac apps. You'll see it when you want to set the color of text, shapes, adjust images, draw, and many more places. There are several ways to choose colors and some of them are highly customizable.
View in HD at . Early personal computers made it easy to get into programming. Today's computers come ready-to-use and most people will never write a single line of code. Learn the basic concepts of coding with 6 lessons in less then 20 minutes. Use Script Editor on your Mac to write simple programs and take your first steps in learning how software works.
View in HD at . Sending large files as email attachments can be probematic when you have server limits and bandwidth issues on either end. There are better ways to send files. You can use photo or video-specific sharing sites. For other files you can use free file sharing services, cloud services or get your own professional server.
View in HD at . Status Menus, also called Menu Bar Icons, are the small menus that appear on the right side of your Mac's menu bar. Learn how to arrange, remove and add them. Find out how access hidden features and functions. Get more from third-party apps. See how you can access them with your keyboard and other tricks.
View in HD at . Many people decide to skip using a backup like Time Machine to protect the files on their Mac, in favor of simply using iCloud Drive and iCloud Photos. While cloud services are a great way to sync and access your files across devices, they fall short when compared to backing up with something like Time Machine. Learn why you should use Time Machine in addition to iCloud to keep your files and photos safe.
View in HD at . iMovie offers limited setting for exporting videos. You can use Apple's Compressor app to take high-quality iMovie videos and compress them however you like. You can also create stand-alone droplet apps to make repeated conversions quick and easy. You can do the same with audio files creating in GarageBand and elsewhere.
View in HD at . Learn the basics of using Automator on your Mac to create workflows. Automator is a useful productivity tool but it can be intimidating for non-programmers. Learn how to use Actions to build Workflows to get things done. This is a basic introduction for those who have never used Automator before.
View in HD at . How can you type on your Mac if you keyboard isn't working or is missing? How can you control the cursor to click on things if your mouse or trackpad is not working? There are methods to type and point that you can use in an emergency or until you get a replacement. You can bring up the Accessibility Keyboard to type using the cursor, and use Mouse Keys to move to cursor using only the keyboard. The trick is to know how to bring those up when things aren't working.
View in HD at . You can use the Maps app on your Mac for more than just finding locations and getting directions. You can create maps to be used in other apps as well. You can export a map into Preview and then annotate it to send in an email or message. You can copy and paste or export a map to use in Pages documents, Keynote presentations and iMovie video projects. You can also export satellite and 3D views.
View in HD at . I often talk about shortcuts and other ways to be more productive on yoru Mac. Here are 10 shortcuts that I actually use in my work every day including how I prefer to resize windows, switch apps, avoid typing my long email address and more.
View in HD at . There are many commands and modifiers you can add to your Google searches to get better results. You can narrow searches to a single site, look for exact phrases, search using an image instead of text and much more. There are also special Google pages and sites that Google offers with tons of useful information.
View in HD at . If you have songs in the Music app that are missing information then the app may not group them by artist or album correctly. You can correct this information easily in the app. You can also modify songs so they appear on the proper albums and sorted in the right order. You can add album artwork too, and set the order of tracks in an album. This works the same way before Catalina in the iTunes app and will even work for songs obtained from Apple Music and sync with your other devices.
View in HD at . Numbers is a huge app with tons of features. If you use it a lot, you can benefit from learning some tips, tricks and techniques. Learn how to autofill cells, re-apply sorts, get quick caluclation results, automatically format cells, hidden keyboard shortcuts and much more.
View in HD at . The Clips app from Apple can be used to create video slideshows from your photos. You can add images one-by-one with titles and captions, audio narration and filters. Then you can edit and export the result to share.
View in HD at . After upgrading to macOS Catalina, many users mistakenly believe that the new Music app requires that you subscribe to Apple Music. In fact, you can use the Music app just like you used the old iTunes app. You can ignore Apple Music and listen to songs in yoru own library, import new music just like you did before, and also buy music in the iTunes Store. You can also disable Apple Music entirely in the app.
View in HD at . Emoji can be used for more than just expressing emotion in text messages and comments. You can also use Emoji characters throughout macOS. They can help bookmarks, files and folders stand out, as well as calendar events and more. You can use them as clipart in Pages, Keynote and even in videos. You can even use them as special symbols in Numbers. They are also useful in the Mail app and you can also use them to search in the Maps app.
View in HD at . The Notification Center appears on the right side of your Mac's screen and contains lots of useful information. To get the most from it, you should take the time to customize both the Today view and Notifications view. Eliminating notifications you don't care about and learning how to use the Today view widgets will help you get more from this useful macOS feature.
View in HD at . You can create your own transitions for iMovie using Keynote. But making simple one or two-slide presentations that include a transparent background, you can export short videos that can be used as overlays in iMovie. These overlays can be applied to become a transition between one clip and another. They can also be customize with graphics to fit your style or theme in the video.
View in HD at . A single keyboard shortcut will take you to a power control that will let you take a screenshot of your entire screen, a window or an area. You can set options such as where to save the screenshot or which app to send it to. You can also use the floating thumbnail feature to preview and edit a screenshot before you do anything with it. A variety of hidden keyboard shortcuts make taking screenshots faster and easier if you take the time to learn them.
View in HD at . Keynote is a free app from Apple that you can use to build presentations. Learn the basics of adding slides, text, images, transitions and more in just 5 minutes. Also learn how to customize how you present with the Presenter Display and slide notes.
View in HD at . Sometimes you need to select two or more files in the Finder on your Mac. You can do this in a variety of ways depending on which Finder view you are using at the moment. All views let you use the Command and Shift keys to select multiple files, though they differ in some ways. You can also drag to select multiple files in each view. Keyboard shortcuts can be used to select all or deselect all.