Mac Setup Tasks Every Apple User Should Know

If you have reinstalled macOS or have got a new Mac recently, the ideas mentioned in this post will help you improve your workflow. Setting up a Mac has to be simple; so, go through the following tips for learning things that a Mac user should know.

 

Configure Trackpad

When you set up your Mac, go to System Preferences and tap Trackpad, and then adjust the tracking speed of the trackpad. By default, the tracking speed is set to as low as the 4th level, which is simply not enough to navigate efficiently. Adjusting the speed to level nine makes the navigation fast and efficient as level ten is the maximum.

 

Enable Three-Finger Drag on Trackpad

To move tabs around the macOS interface, place your fingers on the trackpad and move them. If you are using taps around the interface, moving the items might feel quite primitive. The recent touch gesture known as three-touch drag allows moving items around the operating system without clicking.

 

Flush DNS Cache on Mac

DNS cache works in the backend to give you access to the right websites while you browse for something specific. However, the cache memory goes piling on over time and influences the performance of the device, making it lethargic. DNS cache turns corrupted and outdated over time, and flushing out DNS cache can eliminate the browsing delays and failure. To know the ways to delete DNS efficiently, you may visit https://setapp.com/, as it has information on the topic.

 

Enable Tap to Click for Trackpad

MacOS compels the users to press down on the trackpad to trigger a click, and you can initiate it through System Preferences and then navigate to the trackpad. Tap to click action will enable you to execute a click only by tapping on the trackpad instead of pressing down on the trackpad. It is an easy transition since we all are accustomed to tapping on our smartphones and tablets.

 

Try the Right-Click Feature

You can activate the right-click function on your Mac’s Magic Mouse, but first, make sure that your mouse is connected via a USB port or Bluetooth. Next, go to the Apple menu, select System Preferences, click Mouse, and then navigate to the Point & Click pane. Next, tick the checkbox associated with the Enable Secondary Click and select the appropriate option to right-click from the drop-down menu.

 

Configure Tracking Speed for Mouse

If you have selected to use the mouse instead of the trackpad, you will have to adjust the tracking speed for the mouse as you have done for the trackpad (explained previously in this article). Adjusting the tracking speed will allow you to work more comfortably on your macOS computer and will improve the way your mouse responds on moving and on each click.

 

Have Hot Corners on Mac Screen

Hot Corners let users trigger various actions when moving the pointer around the MacBook’s screen. For enabling the Hot Corners on your Mac device, go to System Preferences, click Mission Control, select Hot Corners, and configure the hot corners using appropriate options from the drop-down boxes.

 

Include Volume Controls

The menu bar is a valuable UI element that allows you to initiate actions instantly, and it’s one of the favorite features of macOS users. You can add volume controls to the menu bar to enable quick access. Go to the Control Center, select the Volume module, and leave it on the menu bar after you drag it down. You can adjust the music volume instantly while listening to your favorite track.

 

Get Rid of Spotlight

Spotlight is a useful feature, but keeping its shortcut in the menu bar may take considerable space, making your system slower. You can navigate to the Spotlight Search by pressing and holding down Command + Space keys on your Apple keyboard. You may select to remove the Spotlight in the computer’s menu bar with the Command key. What you want is for the Spotlight icon to appear at the center and wait until the X sign appears.

 

Configure & Customize Finder Sidebar

The Finder Sidebar tab exists to add folders, music, movies, and pictures as Favorites to enable quick access. To configure and customize the Finder sidebar, click the Finder icon available in the Dock. For adding an app to the Finder sidebar, press and hold down the command key, and drag the app icon to the Favorites. To modify the items in the sidebar, go to Finder, click Preferences, tap on Sidebar and then select and deselect the items as per your choice and requirement.

 

Connect Mac to External Monitor

You can connect one or more displays to your Mac, depending on the model. However, if you wish to check this in detail, you need to consider the tech specifications page. If you are using a Mac computer with Apple Silicon, you can connect only one external monitor, while you can connect two displays on Mac Mini. Using a Dock will not increase the number of monitors that your Mac can connect to.