TechTipADay

TechTipADay

Mac cheat sheet

A printable Mac checklist. System Settings paths match current macOS. Shortcuts use the Command key.

Read the Mac tips

  1. Open the Mac screenshot toolbar with Command + Shift + 5

    The toolbar can capture a selection, a window, or the whole screen, and it can record. Easy. About 1 min. Mac.

    Why it matters. You get a choice of what to capture, and you can send it to the clipboard instead of the desktop.

    1. Press Command + Shift + 5.
    2. Choose a selection, a window, or the full screen. Or choose a recording button.
    3. Click Options and pick Clipboard if you do not want another file on the desktop.
    4. Press Escape to close the toolbar without capturing.

    Full tip

  2. Turn on Reduce motion if the Mac animations bother you

    System Settings > Accessibility > Display > Reduce motion. Easy. About 1 min. Mac on current macOS.

    Why it matters. The large slides and zooms go away. The Mac works the same.

    1. Open System Settings > Accessibility.
    2. Click Display.
    3. Turn Reduce motion on.

    Full tip

  3. Lock the Mac by throwing the pointer into a corner

    System Settings > Desktop & Dock > Hot Corners. The bottom-right corner starts as Quick Note. Easy. About 2 min. Mac on current macOS, including Tahoe.

    Why it matters. Locking the screen on the way out of the room becomes a gesture, not a menu.

    1. Open System Settings > Desktop & Dock.
    2. Scroll down and click Hot Corners.
    3. Pick Lock Screen for a corner you can hit when you stand up. Pick Notification Center or Desktop for the others if you want them.
    4. Hold Command, Option, Control, or Shift while choosing the action if you want that corner to require the key. Accidental locks are how people turn the feature off again.

    Full tip

  4. Turn on dictation and use the shortcut your Mac shows

    The on switch is in Keyboard settings. The shortcut is printed next to it. Easy. About 2 min. Mac on current macOS.

    Why it matters. You do not have to remember whether your Mac wants the microphone key or a double-tap of Fn.

    1. Open System Settings > Keyboard.
    2. Turn Dictation on.
    3. Read the shortcut printed beside the switch and press it in a text field.
    4. Speak. Say comma, period, or new line when you want that punctuation.

    Full tip

  5. Force quit a frozen Mac app

    Command + Option + Escape. Unsaved work in that app is gone. Easy. About 1 min. Mac.

    Why it matters. You do not have to restart the Mac because one app stopped drawing.

    1. Press Command + Option + Escape.
    2. Select the app that is stuck.
    3. Click Force Quit, then confirm.

    Full tip

  6. Show the path at the bottom of every Finder window

    View > Show Path Bar. Double-click a folder in that bar to open it. Easy. About 1 min. Mac.

    Why it matters. You can see which Downloads folder you are actually in, and jump up a level without the sidebar.

    1. Click a Finder window so Finder is the front app.
    2. Choose View > Show Path Bar.
    3. Double-click any folder in the bar at the bottom to open it.

    Full tip