30+ Mac tips for new settings that everyone should know [Video]

If you have just reinstalled a new Mac or MacOS, these 30+ Mac settings for new settings can help increase productivity and improve your workflow. Check out our detailed hands-on video tutorial as we demonstrate and explain each of my favorite Mac tips step by step. Sign in to 9to5Mac on YouTube for more videos.

Set trackpad tracking speed

The very first thing I do when setting up a new Mac is to check System Preferences → Trackpad and adjust the trackpad tracking speed. macOS defaults to level four by default, which is too slow to navigate the interface efficiently. I tend to adjust my tracking speed to level 9, which is only one level less than the maximum value.

Activate tap to click for trackpad

By default, MacOS forces you to physically push the trackpad to start a click, but there is a provision in System Preferences → Trackpad to tap to click to click. As its name implies, you can click and click to click by tapping on the trackpad instead of pressing. Since we are all used to just tapping on our iPhones and iPads, this is a change that can be easily translated.

Video: 30+ Mac tips for new setups

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Enable three-finger drag on the trackpad

To drag windows and other assets around macOS, click on the starboard and then move your finger on the track. If you already use typing to click, moving items feels like a step backwards in some ways. Fortunately, there is a touch gesture called three-finger drag, which allows users to move items in macOS without first clicking.

Triple-drag is a ridiculously handy feature that by my standards should be enabled in macOS, or at least make a setting within the Trackpad preferences. Instead, Apple buried the setting of several levels deep. Check to turn on the three-finger drag System Preferences → Accessibility → Pointer Control → Trackpad Optionsand click on the tick next to Enable drag. Then use the menu to select it drag three fingers.

Set mouse tracking speed

If you are using a mouse instead of a trackpad, you want to increase the detection speed by using System Preferences → Mouse. As with the trackpad, I recommend setting the mouse detection speed to level 9 for increased sensitivity and efficiency.

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Enable right-click for the mouse

It goes without saying that right-clicking is instrumental in navigating in MacOS, and that it should be one of the first things to turn on if you prefer to use a mouse with your Mac. Check to right click System Preferences → Mouse, and mark the box next to it Enable secondary click.

Enable swiping between pages for Magic Magic

While the Magic Mouse is by far not the ergonomic option, it is the excellent gesture capability of this input device that keeps me coming back. For example, the ability to go back and forth in apps like Safari with just a simple one-finger-swipe gesture is handy for navigating in macOS. If using a magic mouse, go to the right System Preferences → Mouse → More Gestures, and activate the checkbox next to Swipe between pages.

Enable Apple Watch Unlock

If you are an Apple Watch user, go to System Preferences → Security & Privacy, and activate the option for Use your Apple Watch to unlock apps and your Mac. Not only will it make your Apple Watch automatically unlock your Mac when you wake it up, it’s also great for unlocking programs like the excellent 1Password, and areas around MacOS that require administrative authentication.

Since desktop Macs, like the iMac and Mac mini, do not have Touch ID authentication, this is the fastest way to unlock your Mac on these machines. But even if you have a MacBook-connected MacBook, unlocking the Apple Watch can still be beneficial to unlock your Mac when used with an external monitor.

Turn on Hot Corners

Hot Corners is one of the most dormant hits on macOS on the radar, and I highly recommend using it. To turn on Hot Corners, go to System Preferences → Mission Control → Hot Corners, and set one or more of the four angles via the menus.

Hot Corners lets you perform a specific action when you move the cursor to one of the four corners of your Mac screen. With just a twist of the wrist, you can perform actions such as letting your screen sleep, showing the desktop, starting Mission Control, and so on.

Enable keyboard navigation to shift focus

When you use the keyboard to move the focus between the fields with the Tab key, macOS limits the available fields to only a few areas, such as text input fields. Check to change this default behavior to navigate between all available items System Preferences → Keyboard → Shortcuts, and mark the box next to it Use the keyboard navigation to move the focus between the controls.

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Update your computer name

Check to change the name of your Mac in your network and in areas like AirDrop System Preferences → Sharing, and change what is in the Computer name text input field.

Add volume controls to the menu bar

Volume controls can be found in the new Control Center in MacOS Big Sur, but I prefer to have a single volume button directly in the menu bar for faster access. To add the volume keyboard shortcut to the menu bar, drag the Volume module out of the Control Center and release it on the menu bar.

Remove Spotlight from the menu bar

Since you can access Spotlight search with a simple ⌘ + Space keyboard combination, I recommend removing the Spotlight shortcut from the menu bar, which is slower and takes up space. To remove Spotlight, hold down the hold key while dragging the Spotlight icon from the menu bar to the center of the desktop until you see the ‘(x)’ icon.

New Finder windows show the desktop

macOS defaults to the Recents folder when a new Finder window is opened, but Recents often look messy, so I prefer to set new windows to the desktop by default. To make a similar change, open Finder and go to Finder Preferences → Generaland in the menu below Show new Finder windows choose your destination of choice.

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Configure the Finder sidebar

For new Mac installations I want to customize the Finder by using the Sybalk sheet of Finder preferences. The Sidebar tab allows users to enable folders such as Movies, Music, Pictures, and the User’s Guide as Favorites for quick access to the Finder sidebar. I also want to remove the shortcut for recent labels as I rarely use labels in macOS.

Add ‘Hard Drives’ to Desktop

Among the General sheet of Finder preferences, switch on hard drives on the desktop to add links to your Mac’s internal storage disk. This shortcut provides quick access to the Applications, Library, System, and Users folder.

Keep folders at the top when sorting by name

Folders can sometimes get lost in the shuffle when sorted by name. To help you with this problem, you can configure the Finder to always display folders at the top of a list. In Finder preferences, go to the Advanced and check the box below the Keep folders on top heading.

Search using the current folder

When you do a search in a Finder window, macOS defaults to searching anywhere on your Mac. To always make searches standard with the current folder, go to Finder Preferences → Advanced, and select the Search the current folder option in the menu below At the search.

Add user library to sidebar

The ~ / Library, or user library, contains configuration files and folders for the applications and settings on your Mac. This library is hidden in the Finder by default, but it is easy to reveal the location by clicking on the Go menu in the Finder and holding down the ⌥ key on your keyboard. If you do, the User Library folder will appear as an option. Click on the library folder to open it and go to file → Add to sidebar to add the user library as a sidewalk shortcut. Of course, you only need to access the user library if you know what you are doing, but I often use it to manage application preferences and to access configuration files for Final Cut Pro.

Enable Finder status bar

The Finder status bar contains useful details about storage space and how many files you have currently selected. If you’re in the icon view, the Finder status bar comes with a slider bar in the right corner of the screen to resize the icon. Open Finder and click to enable the status bar View → Show Status Bar in the menu bar.

Even more tips for Mac …

Our video walkthrough includes even more tips to get you started, including screenshot management tips, two instrumental third-party Mac applications in Yoink and Alfred, and several handy tips for perfecting the Dock interface. Watch the full video for a hands-on tutorial of the following Mac tips:

• Disable floating thumbnail for screenshots
• Disable Screenshot
• Enable stacks on the desktop
• Customize Safari Home
• Enable Safari status bar
• Enable Safari Developer Menu
• Install Yoink
• Install Alfred
• Disable “Show Recent Applications in Dock”
• Customize Dock programs to your liking
• The size of the dock
• Slide the Dock “Position on screen”
• Enable ‘Hide and show dock automatically’
• Enable ‘Hide and show menu bar automatically’

Closure

If you just spend a little time setting up your setup properly at the beginning, you will have a better workflow. Whether you are reinstalling MacOS or setting up a brand new Mac, these handy Mac tips can make using your computer more productive and enjoyable.

What’s your favorite Mac tip for new settings? Is there a specific tip that was not included, and according to you should have made the list? Sounds at the bottom of the comments with your thoughts.

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