MacBooks are great machines known for delivering a simplified, well-polished user experience. Since the machine can accomplish so many incredible tasks, it is no surprise that users overlook some of the shortcuts and tricks. This guide compiles some astonishing tricks you probably didn’t know your Mac could do.
Hide the Active Applications
Command + H is a keyboard shortcut that hides your currently active applications. It will clear them from view while not wholly closing them. You can bring the window back by clicking on the app’s dock icon.
Use the Option Key to Move Files
In Finder, files can be copied using Command + C or right-clicking. But if you want to move the file instead of making a copy, you can use Command + Option + V.
Customize the Folder Icons
Are you tired of seeing the same blue folder icons that Apple has used for years? You can switch it up by using customized folder icons. If you have a JPG or PNG file, open it in Preview, copy it, and paste it into the folder info window. If you have a .ICN file, grab and drop it in the folder info window.
Copy Text from Picture
On your Mac, you can copy text from a picture, and it can be from a screenshot, error message, or even a pop-up window.
Want to know how to copy text from picture? You can do so using OCR. Prizmo is a well-known tool that acts as a scanner to convert image text into usable text. Select an image source after clicking the plus sign on the Prizmo tool. You can crop and eliminate all kinds of noise from the image using grid and frame icons. Click Recognize to start the OCR process and then review the extracted text.
Access the Dictionary Using a Shortcut
If you need to look up the definition of a word, you can press and hold Command + D. Alternatively, you can double tap the word with three fingers and quickly find the meaning of the word. This is an excellent shortcut for writers who constantly need to find and use new words to make their content stand out from the rest.
Create a Digital Signature in Preview
Gone are those days when you would have to download a PDF document from your mail, print it, sign it, scan it and send it back to the sender. You can quickly add your signature to the document on Mac using Preview. Open the document in Preview > the Annotations folder > select the Signature button > the Create Signature option. Then, you have to follow the instructions to add your signature to the document. You can even save your signature to use in the future.
Merge Folders
Option + dragging the folder can easily merge two identically named folders. If you only drag one folder onto another, it will prompt a Replace dialog message. The former trick will create a folder that contains the contents of the source and the destination folder.
Invert the Colors on your Mac Screen
Invert the colors of your Mac screen by pressing the Command + Option + Control + 8 keys. The feature was primarily designed to help the visually impaired, but it is used today to change the appearance of the Mac desktop.
Speech-To-Text Conversion
Tired of typing? You can use the speech-to-text conversion feature on your Mac. Press the Fn or function key twice and start speaking. Your voice will be converted to text when you press the Fn key. This is one of the most incredible features writers can use to finish their tasks faster.
Enable Hot Corners
You can trigger specific actions by enabling Hot Corners on your Mac by touching the screen’s corner. Hot Corner settings can be enabled by going to System Preferences > clicking Desktop & Screen Savers > choosing the Screen Saver tab > clicking Hot Corners.
The feature can quickly launch the notification center, disable screensaver, or open applications.
Quickly Hide your Dock
Don’t let the Dock get in the way. Hide it by pressing Command + Option + D.
Auto-Complete Words
If you have trouble spelling, you can enable the auto-complete words feature. It will help you correctly spell difficult words when typing in TextEdit or iMessage. Press Option or F5 + Escape, and the auto-complete menu will pop up. It will provide you with a long list of possible spellings of the word you are typing. The feature will prevent you from making mistakes.
Use Spotlight as a Calculator
Bring up Spotlight search by pressing Command + Space Bar. Here, you can search for music or documents. But that’s not all. You can use Spotlight as a calculator and complete basic math calculations, such as subtraction, addition, division, or multiplication.
Final Thoughts
So, now you know all the cool things your Mac system can do that you weren’t aware of. Hopefully, these tricks will make your life easier, and you can quickly complete your tasks.