Since the first Macintosh computer came out in 1984, Macs have swept the world by storm, and today, over 200 million people use one every day, many of them unaware of the true power hiding in their devices and the hidden Mac features they can use.
So, let’s take a look at some great tricks your Mac can do that you might not have known about.
#1 Screen recording
Mac’s built-in Screenshot app can record your screen, i.e., record whichever activities you want. Simply press Shift + Command + 5 and click the ‘Record Entire Screen’ button or the ‘Record Selected Portion’ button to record a specific area of the screen.
#2 Split screen view
Furthermore, you can view two apps side by side by pressing and holding the green full-screen button in the upper-left corner of a window, which allows both apps to run side by side.
#3 Background sounds
Your Mac can also play some cool background sounds. Specifically, you can enable them by navigating to the Apple Menu and selecting System Settings > Accessibility > Audio.
#4 Digital signature
Signing a document digitally no longer requires uploading your signature and messing with printing, scanning, and printing again. Just open the PDF in Preview, click on ‘Show Markup Toolbar’, select the ‘Signature’ icon, and sign your name on the trackpad.
#5 Taking screenshots
Furthermore, capturing a screenshot on your Mac as a PNG has never been easier. Simply press Command + Shift + 3 to take a photo of the entire screen or Command + Shift + 4 to capture a selected area.
#6 Using hand gestures on video calls
You can make your video calls more fun using hand gestures, like thumbs up, waving, or other movements to trigger animations and communicate more efficiently with participants.
#7 Incorporating yourself into your presentation
You can make yourself part of your Keynote presentation by clicking on ‘Media’ in the Toolbar, and now your audience can see your face while you present.
#8 Swiping between open apps
Additionally, you can switch between open apps easily by swiping left or right using three fingers on your trackpad.
#9 Spotlight search
Use Command + Space to open Spotlight, which lets you find apps or files or carry out calculations directly from your desktop.
#10 Cropping and straightening your photos
In Photos, double-click the photo and select ‘Edit’ at the top-right corner. Click ‘Crop’ and drag the corner of your photo to adjust it. Drag the ‘Straighten’ slider to adjust the angle of the photo or drag the vertical or horizontal slider to adjust the perspective.
#11 Resetting your Mac to factory settings
Click the Apple Menu, go to System Settings > General > Transfer or Reset on the right. Select ‘Erase All Content and Settings’ and enter the administrator password you use to log into your Mac. Click ‘Unlock’ to open the Erase assistant with the summary of your settings, media, data, and other items that will be erased. Click ‘Continue’ and follow the prompts.
#12 Force reader view
Finally, to make the websites display in reader mode automatically, just go into the Websites menu in your Safari browser and make sure you’re in Reader settings. You’ll see the currently opened websites and select ‘On’ for those you want to automatically open in the reader view.
Hidden Mac features
All things considered, these are some of the cool, less-known Mac features you can access on your computer. And even if you knew them all (and kudos to you), it’s still nice to be reminded how you can quickly access them.
