Over 30 Mac tips for new settings everyone should know [Video]

Whether you just purchased a new Mac or reinstalled macOS, these 30+ Mac tips for new setups can help you increase productivity and improve your workflow. Watch our detailed step-by-step video as we demonstrate and explain each of my favorite Mac tips step by step, and be sure to subscribe at 9to5Mac on YouTube for more videos.

Configure crawl speed for trackpad

The first thing I do when setting up a new Mac is to go to System preferences → Trackpad and adjust the tracking speed of the trackpad. MacOS sets the crawl speed to level four by default, which is very slow to efficiently navigate the interface. I tend to adjust my crawl speed to level 9, which is just one level below the maximum value.

Enable touch to click for trackpad

By default, macOS forces you to physically press the trackpad to initiate a click, but there is a provision inside System preferences → Trackpad to enable touch to click. As the name implies, tap to click allows you to initiate clicks just by tapping the trackpad instead of pressing down. Since we’re all used to just touching our iPhones and iPads, it’s a change that translates easily.

Video: more than 30 Mac tips for new configurations

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Enable three finger dragging on the trackpad

To drag windows and other assets across macOS, you need to click on the trackpad and move your finger on the trackpad. If you already use touch to click, moving items seems like a step backwards in some ways. Fortunately, there is a touch gesture called dragging with three fingers that allows users to move items around macOS without having to click first.

Dragging with three fingers is a ridiculously useful feature that I believe should be enabled on macOS by default, or at least made a setting in the Trackpad preferences. Instead, Apple buries the environment at various levels of depth. To activate three-finger drag, go to System preferences → Accessibility → Pointer control → Trackpad optionsand click the checkbox next to Enable dragging. Then, use the drop-down box to select drag three fingers.

Configure the crawl speed for the mouse

If you use a mouse instead of a trackpad, you will want to increase the tracking speed in System Preferences → Mouse. As with the trackpad, I recommend setting the mouse’s tracking speed to level 9 to increase sensitivity and efficiency.

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Enable right-click

It goes without saying that right-clicking is essential for browsing macOS and should be among the first things enabled if you prefer to use a mouse with your Mac. To enable right-clicking, go to System Preferences → Mouseand check the box next to Enable secondary click.

Enable slide between pages for the Magic Mouse

Although the Magic Mouse is far from the most ergonomic options, the excellent gesture capability of this input device is what keeps me coming back. For example, the ability to go back and forth in applications like Safari with just a swipe of a finger is useful for navigating macOS. If you use a Magic Mouse, go straight to System preferences → Mouse → More gesturesand enable the checkbox next to Swipe between pages.

Enable Apple Watch unlock

If you are an Apple Watch user, go to System Preferences → Security and Privacy, and enable the option to Use your Apple Watch to unlock apps and your Mac. This will not only cause the Apple Watch to automatically unlock your Mac upon waking you up, but it is also useful for unlocking applications such as the excellent 1Password and areas around macOS that require administrator authentication.

Since desktop Macs, like the iMac and Mac mini, do not have Touch ID authentication, it is the fastest way to unlock the Mac on these machines. But even if you have a Touch ID-enabled MacBook, unlocking your Apple Watch can still be beneficial for unlocking your Mac when used with an external monitor.

Enable Hot Corners

Hot Corners are one of macOS ‘most hidden successes, and I strongly recommend using them. To enable Hot Corners, go to System preferences → Mission control → Hot cornersand configure one or more of the four corners using the drop-down boxes.

Active corners allow you to perform a specific action whenever you move the pointer to one of the four corners of your Mac’s screen. With just a flick of your wrist, you can perform actions such as putting the monitor to sleep, showing the desktop, start Mission Control, etc.

Enable keyboard navigation to move focus

When you use the keyboard to move the focus between fields with the Tab key, macOS limits the available fields to only a few areas, such as text entry boxes. To change this default behavior to navigate between all available items, go to System Preferences → Keyboard → Shortcutsand check the box next to Use the keyboard navigation to move the focus between the controls.

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Update your computer name

To change the name that is displayed for your Mac on the network and in areas like AirDrop, go to System Preferences → Sharing, and change what’s on Computer name text entry field.

Add volume controls to the menu bar

The volume controls can be found in the new macOS Big Sur Control Center, but I prefer to have a single volume control button directly on the menu bar for faster access. To add the volume shortcut to the menu bar, drag the Volume module from the Control Center and drop it on the menu bar.

Remove Spotlight from the menu bar

Since you can access Spotlight search with a simple combinação + Space keyboard combination, I recommend removing the Spotlight shortcut from the menu bar, which is slower and takes up more space. To remove Spotlight, hold down the ⌘ key while dragging the Spotlight icon from the menu bar towards the middle of the desktop until you see an ‘(x)’ icon.

The new Finder windows show the desktop

The default for macOS is to show the Recents folder whenever you open a new Finder window, but Recents usually looks confusing, so I prefer to set the new windows as the default for the desktop. To make a similar change, open the Finder and go to Finder Preferences → General, and in the drop-down box at New Finder windows show select the destination of your choice.

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Configure the Finder sidebar

For new Mac installations, I like to customize the Finder by visiting the Side bar guide of Finder preferences. The sidebar tab allows users to enable folders such as Movies, Music, Pictures and the User folder as Favorites for quick access in the Finder sidebar. I also like to deselect the Recent Tags shortcut, as I rarely use tags on macOS.

Add ‘hard drives’ to the desktop

Under In general guide of Finder preferences, enable hard drives on the desktop to add links to the Mac’s internal storage drive. This shortcut provides quick access to the Applications, Library, System, and Users folders.

Keep folders at the top when sorting by name

Sometimes folders can get lost in random order when sorting by name. To help with this problem, you can configure the Finder to always display folders at the top of a list. At the Finder preferences, I go to the Advanced guide and check the box under the Keep folders on top header.

Search using the current folder

When you perform a search in a Finder window, the default for macOS is to search everywhere on the Mac. To make searches always default for the current folder, go to Finder Preferences → Advancedand select the Search the current folder option in the drop-down box below When performing a search.

Add user library to the sidebar

The ~ / Library, or User Library, contains configuration files and folders for your Mac applications and settings. By default, this library is hidden in the Finder, but it’s easy to reveal the location by clicking the Go menu in the Finder and holding the ⌥ key on the keyboard. When you do this, the User Library folder will appear as an option. Click on the Library folder to open it and go to File → Add to sidebar to add the User Library as a sidebar shortcut. Obviously, the User Library should only be accessed if you know what you are doing, but I usually use it to manage application preferences and to access Final Cut Pro configuration files.

Enable Finder status bar

The Finder status bar provides useful details about your storage space and how many files you have currently selected. If you are in icon view, the Finder status bar comes with a slider in the right corner of the icon to adjust the size of the icon. To activate the status bar, open the Finder and click View → Show status bar in the menu bar.

Even more tips for getting started with your Mac …

Our step-by-step video covers even more getting started tips, including tips for better managing screenshots, two third-party instrumental Mac apps on Yoink and Alfred, and several useful tips for improving the Dock interface. Be sure to watch the full video for a practical explanation of the following Mac tips:

• Disable floating thumbnail for screenshots
• Disable screen capture shadow
• Enable stacks on the desktop
• Customize the Safari homepage
• Enable Safari status bar
• Enable Develop menu in Safari
• Install Yoink
• Install Alfred
• Disable ‘Show recent apps in the Dock’
• Customize the Dock apps to your liking
• Resize Dock
• Move the “Position on the screen” Dock
• Enable ‘Automatically hide and show Dock’
• Enable ‘Automatically hide and show the menu bar’

Conclusion

If you spend little time in the beginning to properly configure your configuration, you will have a better overall workflow. Whether you are reinstalling macOS or setting up a brand new Mac, these helpful Mac tips can make using your computer a more productive and enjoyable experience.

What’s your favorite Mac tip for new settings? Is there a specific tip that was not included and that you think should be on the list? Speak below in the comments with your ideas.

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