Mac OS Tricks Archives

Reclaim Local Storage Space by Removing iCloud Drive Downloads

Close-up of an open hard drive, with the platter reflecting a bright blue sky and white clouds, symbolizing the concept of cloud storage or data in the cloud.

With iCloud Drive, Apple provides an Optimize Mac Storage checkbox that, when checked, stores the full contents of iCloud Drive on the Mac only if there’s enough space. However, you […]

Home Sharing Lets You Access Media on Your Mac from Other Local Apple Devices

A yellow house with a porch and autumn trees, with the iTunes and Apple TV logos digitally placed in the foreground.

In the heyday of iTunes, Apple users stored their music, movies, and TV shows on their Macs and shared them with other Macs in their homes, as well as their […]

M1-Based Macs Have New Startup Modes: Here’s What You Need to Know

For many years, Macs have relied on sets of keys held at startup to enable specific modes. Most notably, pressing Option displays the Startup Manager and lets you pick a […]

A Quick Shortcut to Create an Instant Slideshow from a Folder of Images

A man stands and gives a presentation to an audience in a room decorated with framed photos and artwork. A large screen displaying a digital image is beside him. Two people sit and listen in the foreground.

You probably know that you can select an image in the Finder and press the Space bar to preview it in a Quick Look window. And you may know that […]

Use These Settings to Show or Hide Filename Extensions

A desktop computer on a tidy desk displays colorful icons of various file formats and programs, including JPG, PSD, MP4, PNG, HTML, CSS, JS, PDF, AI, ID, PHP, and TIFF, against a scenic background.

On the Mac, nearly every file has an extension, a set of characters after a period that indicates what type of file it is and determines which app opens it. […]

What’s MDM, and Why Is It Useful for Organizations?

Five people sit around a wooden table working on laptops in a bright room. One person wears headphones, and there are drinks and a small plant on the table. They seem to be collaborating or working together.

For those who work in organizations, regardless of size, you know how much effort is involved with coordinating a group’s technology. It can take quite some time to set up […]

Don’t Worry about an Occasional “Not Charging” Message on Your MacBook

A person types on a laptop displaying a large battery icon with an exclamation mark warning symbol on the screen, indicating a low battery alert. A glass of water and a bowl are on the white table nearby.

Starting with macOS 10.15.5 Catalina, Apple introduced a battery health management feature that improves your battery’s lifespan by adjusting charging patterns to reduce the rate at which the battery chemically […]

Scribble: Why the Pencil Is Mightier Than the Finger in iPadOS 14

A person with black nail polish writes on a tablet with a stylus pen. The screen displays highlighted text, and the person is wearing a dark coat and a ring on their finger.

With iPadOS, you have to remember that it shares most of its capabilities with iOS. So if it seems that iPadOS 14 doesn’t have as many major new capabilities as […]

Too Many Home Screens in iOS 14? Here’s How to Hide Them!

A person holds a large framed picture showing a smartphone screen with several app folders and icons, with a blurred outdoor background visible through the glass. The persons face is not visible.

The App Library in iOS 14 ensures that you can find all the apps installed on your iPhone without having to hunt through Home screens. So if you already have […]

Make Your Finder Window Columns the Right Size

The Parthenon, an ancient Greek temple with tall stone columns and a partially ruined roof, stands under a bright blue sky with scattered white clouds.

We’re big fans of column view in Finder windows (choose View > as Columns). You never have to worry about missing icons that are outside the window, everything is sorted […]

Category: Mac OS Tricks