Awesome Tips about Mac

Table of Contents

• Shortcuts
• Mac Settings We should Change
• Tips
• Mac Finder Tips and Tricks
• Safari
• Mail
• Chinese Input Tools: Sougou
• How to Keep Your Mac from Overheating
• Misc

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Series: Awesome Tips about Mac

Shortcuts

/ or Command+Shift+G	Go to Folder
F11	Show Desktop
Command+Shift+3	Capture the entire screen
Command+Shift+4	Capture a selected area
Control + a/e	Got to head/end - work in Terminal, Chrome, Atom
Command+`	cycle between open windows in selected application
Command+Option+D	show or hide dock
Command + Option + Escape	Force Quit Applications
Ctrl+F2	Access menu, enable it at Keyboard -> Shortcuts -> Keyboard
Cmd+Shift+?	Open Help menu and navigate
^+F3	Move focus to dock
^+F8	Move focus to status menu, search all actions in menu
Command+q	Quit the app
Command+shift+w	Close the window
Command + ,	Open Preferences
Command+~	Switch windows for same application(Command-Shift-~, reverse order)
Command + X	Cut the highlighted text
Shift+Alt+Command+V	paste the highlighted text and matches the destination style
Cmd+Shift++(-)	Zoom in(out) text
Command + B/I/U	make text bold/italic/underlined
Shift+Arrow	Select text
(Shift+)Option+Left(Right)	(Select)Jump by word
Cmd+Shift+Z	Redo
Fn + up(down)	Page up(down)
Fn + Left(right)	Home(end)
Cmd+1..8	Move tab
Cmd+9	Move to last tab
Cmd++(-)	Increase(Decrease) Font Size
Cmd+Shift+F	Enter full screen mode
Cmd+Space bar	Open Spotlight

Mac Settings We should Change

Tips

maximize the window without going full screen

• ⌥ + Click on green icon

Change default application for a file type

• right-click the file, select Get Info and change the application in Open With section.
• click Change All… button to apply the changes to all files

Change Notification type

• Preferences > Notifications
• None: no notification at all
• Banners: go away automatically
• Alters: stay until user dismisses it

Use AriDrops to copy files between Mac/iPhone/iPad

Prevent a Mac from Sleeping

• pmset noidle
• caffeine

Mac Finder Tips and Tricks

Spotlight Search

• Shortcut: Command+space
• Reveal the Location with command key
  • Preview location: with Command key
  • Open the location in Finder: hold the Command key, and press Return
• as a calculator, check stock prices, currency conversion

Safari

• safari-extensions
• Enable develop menu
• Reader mode to hide ads
  • Click the Reader button at beginning of the address bar.

Shortcut

Switch to Next Tab	Control+Tab
Switch to Previous Tab	Control+Shift+Tab
Duplicating a Tab	Command + L and then Return

• Don’t reopen windows from the last session
  • defaults write com.apple.Safari NSQuitAlwaysKeepsWindows -bool false

Mail

• Cmd+Shift+: for Spell Check
• Smart Mailbox vs Mailbox

Get notification from important messages only

• Only works for Smart Mailbox
• Preferences > General > New message notifications

Add users to VIP

Shortcuts

Siri

• By default HOLD Command Space to activate Siri
• How to enable “Hey Siri” in Macos
• Click the plus(+) button to pin a Siri result which will show in the Today View.
• Open my desktop folder in Finder
• Volume up/down, mute/unmute
  • unmute works even the Mac is muted.
• Turn on/off Night Shift
• Show me what I was working on today
• Show me files I worked on yesterday
• How much free disk space do I have?
• Show me privacy settings
• Put my Computer to sleep
• Ask how to do things:
  • How to take a screenshot
• Reminder:
  • Remind me xxx in x minutes
  • Show me my reminder
  • Cancel my reminder
• Add xx to Calendar
• Read my messages
• Latest news

Chinese Input Tools: Sougou

• Assign 中英文 to 右Shift
• Disable shortcuts for 简繁体, 中英文标点, 表情符号, 斗图 and all others not used.

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How to Keep Your Mac from Overheating

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How to Reduce Chrome Memory Usage

• Read here to learn how to free up Chrome’s memory usage and still stay productivity.
  • Use The Great Suspender, Chrome Vimium and Reader View
• Read more awesome tips about chrome

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Misc

• Remove auto startup programs at System Preferences -> Users & Groups-> Login Items
• For some services like Docker, Jetbrains Toolbox, go to their preferences to uncheck Run at login
• Text replacement
  • Preferences > Keyboard > Text
  • not work with Atom or Chrome

brew

brew list -l
brew cask list
brew update/upgrade
brew cleanup

Commands

• pbcopy and pbpaste to copy data to clipboard or pbpaste from clipboard
  • pbcopy < file.txt; echo $(pbpaste)

Tools

Voice Memos

• click and hold a memo in the list, then drag it to a folder.
• The app is also available in iPhone/Pad

the-unarchiver

• brew cask install the-unarchiver
• open its preferences and select all the file format

grammarly

Print

• Standard paper size in US
  • Letter, Legal
• Don’t print correct size
  • Check the default tray settings in printer