Tips & Tricks on how to use your MacBook

Are you new to Mac?

Below are some Mac basics to help you get started. Additionally, you can watch this Mac Tutorial for Beginners 2024 video for further assistance. 

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• The menu bar: The menu bar for the desktop or the active open app is always at the top of the screen. Use menus to find options and perform tasks in apps. For information about items in the menu bar, such as the Apple menu and the Help menu, see the Desktop and menu bar on your Mac.
• The Dock: The Dock is similar to the taskbar and Start menu in Windows and appears at the bottom of the desktop (but you can change its location in System Settings). The Dock makes it easy to see all the apps you have open and quickly launch your favorite apps. To open an app, click its icon in the Dock. You can also open apps using Launchpad. See The Dock on your Mac.
• The Finder: Click in the Dock to open the Finder, where you organize and locate your files (similar to File Explorer in Windows). Use the buttons at the top of the Finder window to change how you view your files—as icons , in a list , in columns , or in a gallery . In any view, you can select a file and press the Space bar to see a Quick Look preview without opening the file. See Finder on your Mac.
• The Spotlight menu: Spotlight lets you search for anything on your Mac, including documents, contacts, email messages, and more. You can also launch apps and search on the web. To open Spotlight, click the Spotlight icon at the top right of the screen or press Command-Space bar. See Spotlight on your Mac.
• System Settings: System Settings is similar to the Control Panel in Windows. Customize your Mac with settings for the desktop, Dock, display, Bluetooth, network, and much more. See System Settings on your Mac.

Mac keyboard shortcuts:

• Command-X: Cut the selected item and copy it to the Clipboard.
• Command-C: Copy the selected item to the Clipboard. This also works for files in the Finder.
• Command-V: Paste the contents of the Clipboard into the current document or app. This also works for files in the Finder.
• Command-Z: Undo the previous command. You can then press.
• Command-Q: To quit any application that’s currently open.
• Shift-Command-Z to Redo, reversing the undo command. In some apps, you can undo and redo multiple commands.
• Command-A: Select All items.
• Command-Shift-5: Take a screenshot.
• Control-Command-Q: Immediately lock your screen. 
• Command-F: Find items in a document or open a Find window.
• Command-G: Find Again: Find the next occurrence of the item previously found. To find the previous occurrence, press Shift-Command-G.
• Command-H: Hide the windows of the front app. To view the front app but hide all other apps, press Option-Command-H.
• Command-M: Minimize the front window to the Dock. To minimize all windows of the front app, press Option-Command-M.
• Command-O: Open the selected item, or open a dialog to select a file to open.
• Command-P: Print the current document.
• Command-S: Save the current document.
• Command-T: Open a new tab.
• Command-W: Close the front window. To close all windows of the app, press Option-Command-W.
• Command-Tab: Switch between apps.
• Forward delete: Press Fn-Delete.
• Option-Command-Esc: Force quit an app.
• Command–Space bar: Show or hide the Spotlight search field. To perform a Spotlight search from a Finder window, press Command–Option–Space bar. (If you use multiple input sources to type in different languages, these shortcuts change input sources instead of showing Spotlight. Learn how to change a conflicting keyboard shortcut.)

Maximize, minimize, & close windows:

Maximize, minimize, and close windows. You can have multiple windows for an app open at a time. Use the buttons in the top-left corner of a window to resize and close windows.

• Click the above icon to close window (or press Command-W to close the window), but not the app. Press Option-Command-W to close all open windows for the app. Press Command-Q to quit the app.

• Click the above icon to minimize the window (or press Command-M). Minimizing a window leaves the app open but reduces the window to an icon on the right side of the Dock. Click the icon to restore the window to its previous size.

• Click the button above icon to do a full-Screen. To maximize the window, hold the Option key and click the button. Or hover on the button to see more options, such as tiling the window. Press Esc to return the window to its previous size.

MacBook Air Trackpad: