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9 Handy Mac Tips and Tricks

New to Apple? Think there’s more you could know?

We’ve got your back. Here are some of the handiest Mac tips and tricks to get the most out of your computer.

1. Run Windows
In case you’re struggling to get the hang of OS X, or if you’re using a software native to Microsoft, you can use Windows alongside OS X. You can do this through:

  • Virtualization apps (i.e. VMware Fusion, Parallels Desktop or VirtualBox).
  • Run Windows full-time through partitioning your hard disk through the Boot Camp Assistant option on your computer.

2. Full Split Screen
Need to use programs at the same time?

  • On the top left corner, simply left click and hold down the green maximize button.
  • Click the other program you’d like to use that’s sitting in the background, and it’ll set them side-by-side.

3. Screen Sharing

Got a friend that’s new to Apple? Help them navigate their way through the world of Mac with this handy feature. Within Spotlight:

  • Launch Screen Sharing
  • Enter their Apple ID (Make sure Screen Sharing is enabled in their settings.)
  • Have them grant access to their screen.
  • **To have access to their keyboard and mouse, have them click on the Screen Sharing icon.

4. Close Apple Device Tabs Through Your Mac

If you’re not near your phone or iPad, or find it an annoying process to close tabs from these devices, you can close Safari tabs on your Mac.

  • Make sure your devices are signed into Apple ID
  • Open Safari and click on the button that has two overlapping pages. All tabs from each device will show up here.

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5. Stream Music from Mac to Apple TV

Thanks to the AirPlay feature, you can stream audio and video to your Apple TV.

  • From your computer’s Menu bar, on the right-hand side, click the AirPlay icon (it looks like a screen.)
  • You’ll see the option within the drop down menu: “Airplay To: Apple TV”. You’ll also be able to mirror your computer’s screen on your TV screen.

6. Easily Locate Your Mouse

A pretty handy tool considering how small the mouse pointer is.

  • Simply move your cursor from side-to-side.
  • The mouse will increase in size, making it easier to locate.

7. Full-Screen Access

Just as you can hide your dock, you can hide your menu bar with this new setting.

  • In System Preferences, click General.
  • The second checkbox from the top allows you to “Automatically hide and show the menu bar.”

8. Drop Bookmarks – Pin Instead

Make your most visited websites a button in Safari.

  • Open the site you’d like to pin.
  • From the Menu bar, click “Window”.
  • Select “Pin Tab”.

9. Handy Note Functions

Store much more than text. Notes supports:

  • Photos
  • URLs
  • PDFs
  • Map Locations (To add a map location to Notes, within the Map app, click the Share icon and choose Notes.)

You can also format text within Notes. Turn words bold, italic, or underlined, or format them into bullet and checklists.

We look forward to seeing how OS X continues to develop as a user-friendly system. Follow OSG and keep up with Apple’s latest updates.

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