Although macOS Sequoia is around the corner, I reckon there’s a lot of Mac functions that most Mac owners don’t know about. In this article, I’m going to share 10 tips with you that I think most Mac owners don’t know.
These tips will work on macOS Sequoia and previous version of macOS.
Let’s get started.
1. Long-press buttons in Safari
Navigating Back Multiple Pages
- Go Back One Page: Tap the back button to return to the previous page.
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Go Back Multiple Pages: Tap and hold the back button for a second to see a list of recently visited pages, then select the one you want to return to.
Reopening Recently Closed Tabs
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Open a New Tab: Normally, tap the plus button in the upper right corner to create a new tab.
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Reopen Closed Tabs: Tap and hold the plus button to view a list of recently closed tabs, then select the tab you wish to reopen.
2. Keyboard Settings Shortcut
Accessing the Settings Menu in Any App
- Shortcut: Press Command Comma ( , ) to open the settings menu in almost any app.
Quickly Accessing Sound Settings
- Shortcut: Press and hold the Option key, then tap any volume key (including the mute button) to open the sound settings.
Quickly Accessing Display Settings
- Shortcut: Press and hold the Option key, then tap either the brightness up or brightness down key to open the display settings.
3. Identify music on your Mac
Enabling Shazam on Your Mac
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Access System Settings: Go to System Settings on your Mac.
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Select Control Center: Choose Control Center from the left-hand menu.
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Enable Shazam: Scroll down to the Music Recognition section and toggle Shazam on. You can choose to add it to either the menu bar or Control Center.
Using Shazam to Identify Music
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Start Listening: When music is playing, access Shazam via the menu bar or Control Center and select Start Listening to identify the track.
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View History: Check your music identification history, which syncs with Shazam on your iPhone as well.
4. Built-in internet speed test
Running an Internet Speed Test on Your Mac
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Open Spotlight Search: Press Command Spacebar to access Spotlight Search.
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Launch Terminal: Type Terminal and press Enter to open the Terminal app.
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Run Speed Test: In the Terminal window, type NetworkQuality and press Enter. Your Mac will run a speed test, showing both upload and download speeds of your current internet connection.
5. Calendar Natural Language
Creating Calendar Events with Natural Language
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Using the Calendar App:
- Open the Calendar app.
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Tap the plus button in the top left-hand corner.
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Type your event using natural language (e.g., “doctors tomorrow 3pm”), and the calendar will start creating the event for you.
Using Spotlight Search:
- Press Command Spacebar to open Spotlight Search.
- Type your event in natural language (e.g., “dentist next Wednesday 4pm”). Tap the Add button to start creating your event directly from Spotlight.
6. More deliberate Hot Corners
Setting Up Hot Corners
- Access Hot Corners:
- Open System Settings.
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Choose Desktop and Dock.
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Scroll to the bottom and select Hot Corners.
-Assigning Functions:
- For each corner of the screen, you can assign actions like accessing Mission Control, Desktop, or starting a Quick Note.
Preventing Accidental Activation
- Add Modifier Keys:
- Click into the corner where you want to set a Hot Corner.
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Hold down the modifier key(s) (e.g., Command and Shift) while selecting the desired function.
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The Hot Corner will now only activate when your cursor moves to the corner and the modifier keys are pressed, reducing accidental triggers.
7. Snap back to Search Results
Returning to Search Results in Safari
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Using the Menu:
- Click on History at the top of the screen.
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Select Return to Search Results to immediately go back to your original Google search results.
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Using a Keyboard Shortcut:
- Press Command Option S to quickly return to your search results.
Important Note
- Single Tab Limitation: This feature works only if you’ve been clicking links in the same tab.
It won’t function across multiple tabs, but it’s a handy trick if you’ve navigated far from your search results while researching.
8. More granular volume & brightness controls
Fine-Tuning Brightness and Volume
- Default Adjustment: Normally, adjusting the brightness or volume changes it by 1/16th with each press.
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Increased Precision: Hold Option Shift while pressing the brightness or volume keys to access 4 additional levels within each of the 16 default steps, allowing for finer adjustments.
9. Live Captions
Setting Up Live Captions
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System Requirements:
- Your Mac must have Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, or newer).
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The device language must be set to U.S. English.
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Check and Change Region Settings:
- Go to System Settings > General > Language and Regions.
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Ensure the Region is set to United States.
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If necessary, change the region and restart your Mac when prompted.
Enabling Live Captions
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Access Live Captions:
- Go to System Settings > Accessibility > Hearing.
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Select Live Captions and toggle it on.
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A captions bar will appear at the bottom of your screen, providing real-time captions for any audio played on your Mac.
Customizing and Using Live Captions
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FaceTime Integration:
- In the Live Captions settings, you can enable captions for FaceTime calls, allowing live captions during video calls.
- Customization Options:
- Adjust the font and background color of the captions box in the Live Captions settings.
- Microphone Toggle:
- On the captions box, you can toggle the microphone on or off. When on, the microphone will listen to nearby speech and generate live captions, making it a helpful tool for conversations.
10. Drag & Drop URLs
Drag and Drop URLs
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Drag a URL from Safari:
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If you’re writing an email and want to share a link, simply drag the URL from the Safari address bar and drop it into your email.
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This also works with links within articles, allowing you to drag and drop them directly without needing to click the link first.
Drag and Drop Documents
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Share a Document:
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If you’re working on a document (e.g., in Pages) and want to send it, drag the document from the App icon at the top of the screen and drop it into your email.
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This method ensures you’re sending an up-to-date version of your document.