5 Cool Computer Tricks on Mac

March 20, 2023 • Shannon Flynn

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Apple is one of the leading laptop manufacturers in the world. In the third quarter of 2022, Apple Mac products brought in $7.38 billion in revenue. Apple laptops are popular amongst high school and college students, business professionals and average consumers. 

Learning new tricks on your Mac can help improve your focus, enhance your productivity and make using your laptop much easier. Below are five useful computer tricks, which are suitable for Mac devices with the most up-to-date OS, macOS Ventura.

Why Bother Owning an Apple Mac?

Many people enjoy using Apple laptops for their smooth, user-friendly interfaces, sleek aesthetic and ability to connect with other Apple devices, such as iPhones and iPads. 

You can use a Mac laptop to play games, shop online, stream your favorite content or complete schoolwork. New apps on the iOS App Store are always emerging. You can even download drawing apps to tap into your creative side!

There are plenty of reasons to buy a Mac, especially if you’re a fan of the Apple ecosystem. Whether you own a Macbook Pro, Macbook Air or iMac, there are plenty of computer tricks on Apple’s Mac operating system (macOS) to experiment with. 

1. Add Your Signature to PDFs

In today’s digital world, many important documents and forms are sent electronically, often requiring a signature. Instead of printing out hard copies for signatures, did you know you can add a signature to a PDF file? 

Open your file using Preview on Mac and click the Markup Tool button, which looks like a small pen inside a circle. Click Create Signature if shown and follow the instructions. It’s as simple as that!

2. Use Spotlight for Conversions

Spotlight is a helpful search tool on Mac laptops. To access Spotlight, click the small magnifying glass in the top right corner of your Mac’s Menu Bar. 

With Spotlight, you can quickly find documents, apps, emails and other things on your Mac computer. Simply open Spotlight on your Mac and enter math equations or currency, temperature and measurement conversions to get quick, easy answers to your questions.

3. Choose Your Hot Corners

Another useful tool on Mac devices is the Hot Corners feature. As its name suggests, Hot Corners allows you to use the four corners of your Mac display to start customizable actions. 

By default, your bottom right corner opens a Quick Note, where you can type important information. To customize your Hot Corners, go to Apple Menu > System Settings > Desktop & Dock and click Hot Corners on the bottom right. 

4. Turn Desktop Folders Into Emoji

Like most Apple users, you probably store several files in various folders on your Mac desktop. Why not give those folders more personality? You can do so by changing your folders to whichever emoji you prefer. 

Here are the steps to change your folder icons to emoji:

  • Locate or create a desktop folder.
  • Visit Google and find your preferred emoji — look for an emoji with a checkered background.
  • Right-click the image and select Copy Image or Save Image As.
  • Go to your Desktop Folder and click Get Info.
  • Click the blue folder in the top left corner and hit Command + V. 

Once you follow these steps, your folder icon will appear as the emoji of your choice!

5. Stage Manager

Stage Manager is a new feature Apple added to macOS Ventura 13.0.1 and iPad OS 16.1. Using Stage Manager, you can improve your focus, making switching between applications much easier. 

The Stage Manager feature is in the Menu Bar on your Mac. It is a small box with three small dots on the left. Turn on Stage Manager with the toggle button and customize it to your preferences.

Using Your Mac With These 5 Computer Tricks

Apple Mac products are top-tier devices that easily connect to your iPhone and iPad. There are plenty more computer tricks for Mac computers, but test the options above first. Once you get used to using these cool features, you can expand your horizons and discover even more cool tricks. 

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