10 time-saving hacks every Mac user should know
This is an excerpt from a book I’m writing… if you like what you’re reading, feel free to pre-order it now.
The following 10 things are a handful of things to boost productivity and save you a bit of time in the process. They aren’t beginner 1, 2, 3’s, or full of technical manoeuvres… just a list of time-saving hacks that any Mac-savvy user should know.
Tagging
Tags are something that are in all of the household applications: Evernote and Gmail are the first two that spring to mind. But now, tagging has found it’s way into the world of OS X. You can tag just about anything, and while this may seem like a waste of time, or a pointless activity at first, this has got to be one of the biggest time-savers in OS X. Why? Because finding files becomes much easier with tags! You can search by tag using Finder and Spotlight, and that file that you buried deep in a folder in an organisational flurry can be retrieved in a few keystrokes.
A few ways to tag:
- when you’re saving the file, add a tag
- right-click a file in finder and select “add a tag”
- Click the little drop-down arrow beside the name of the file in the title bar of the window and add a tag.
Text-to-Speech
Don’t want to read that really long email? Then why not have OS X read it to you? And there are a pile of different voices to choose from! This is by far one of those features that lets you multi-task with ease, and saves an awful lot of time too! I should point out that the task of choosing a voice can be counter-productive, albeit the best bit of fun you’ll have!
Most apps (especially all the Apple ones and Evernote) have a Start Speaking command built in, so getting started is just a case of right-clicking inside the window and choosing Speech -> Start Speaking.
Text-Shortcuts
Imagine if everytime you typed add your address was written out? Well such a thing is possible in OS X and is a great saver of mundane tasks such as typing out addresses, or canned responses. Setting them up couldn’t be easier!
Go to System Preferences -> Keyboard -> Text. Click the + symbol and add whatever canned response takes your fancy! See? The days of copying and pasting canned emails is starting to look like a distant memory! (And yes you can use templates, but this is way quicker!)
Dictation
Dictation on Mac is the same as talking to your iPhone or iPad, and again, it’s a great one for when you’re multitasking! (Imagine replying to emails without even looking at the screen!). Anywhere where you can type text, press the fn key twice (be sure to check out System Preferences ->Dictation and Speech -> Dictation to turn on the shortcut). (The first time you do this, you will be asked for confirmation, and the only reason it wants access to your Contacts is to stop autocorrecting not-so-common names.) A little microphone will show up and away you go! You will have to speak like “This is unacceptable (period).” when you want a full-stop…. Press Enter/Return when you’re done.
QuickLook
There are some apps (**cough** Microsoft apps **cough**) that are pretty slow to load up. So finding what’s in the document, or reading the small text you can’t see in the icon, can be a rather tedious affair. Luckily, you can get a QuickLook at what’s inside the document from within Finder simply by pressing the spacebar. (There are a few more but the spacebar is the quickest. If you have a Trackpad, a three finger tap on the icon will do the same thing). This works for pretty much every type of file (developers beware: you won’t get a preview of what your code looks like!) and can save you a lot of hassle. Incidentally, it is QuickLook that’s providing the preview in a Spotlight search too. QuickLook brings a full-size look into the document, without actually firing up the program, which when it comes to certain apps (**cough**Microsoft apps **cough**) can save you a ton of time.
LaunchPad
LaunchPad is, if you have a trackpad shortcut enabled (a four finger pinch), the quickest way to find an app. It’s interface is similar to the apps feature of iOS8 and just like the iOS counterpart, you can organise your applications into folders by means of a simple drag and drop. OS X is also cute enough to name an App folder for you, saving you even more time, if it senses a pattern in the type of apps being collected.
Aliases
Aliases are the OS X version of shortcuts. There are times when it’s simply quicker to have the file on hand rather than use spotlight to find the file. Aliases are a handy way to access files and apps readily without messing up your organised folders. Keep them in your dock or your desktop, and when you’re done with them, trash ‘em!
Do Not Disturb
Who thought those pesky things flying in the corner of your screen were subtle?? You can two finger swipe them off the screen, but to really and truly turn those things off, turn on “Do not Disturb” mode. Option click the symbol in the top right corner and it will turn grey/blue (depending on if you have Dark Mode off or on), and you will no longer get the notifications on screen (they do pile up in the notification centre though). There are more sophisticated methods too (see the chapter on Notification Centre), but this is by far the quickest way of handling them.
The quick way to empty Trash
Emptying the trash can become a chore, but like all good things, there’s a shortcut for it! Command-shift-delete, or command-shift-option-delete for emptying without the annoying dialog box. This shortcut will become your best friend when you’re doing a spring clean.
fn and backspace = delete
If you have migrated from a windows machine to a macbook, chances are you’re confused as to the whereabouts of the delete key. Pressing the function and backspace keys acts as a delete function. (There are some keyboard shortcuts that are just essential!) Incidentally, Mac folk refer to delete as to what Windows folk call backspace.
