Mac can be hard to get used to especially after switching from another operating system like windows. Today I’m going to give you some tips to move you from a brand new user to the beginnings of a power user.
Probably the most basic tip on the list: Use the hotkey ⌘+Space whenever searching for apps. This is the mac equivalent of pressing the Windows or super key and typing the app you want. A small improvement but a massive boost in efficiency.
By right clicking a file and selecting “Get info”, then scrolling to the “Open with:” section in the info window, you can change what app that type of file is opened with by default (by clicking “change all”). This makes code development astronomically less annoying; Xcode will never try to force itself on you as the default editor again.
Yet another quick finder tip: By pressing “⌘+,” you can open up the settings menu, then navigating to the section titled “sidebar” you can enable (or disable) whatever folders you want (or don’t want) in your sidebar. Additionally, you can drag any folder onto said sidebar to keep it there as a custom shortcut.
Though basic, these key combos can save vast amounts of time:
If you ever wanted a script to do something for you but didn’t feel like spending time on it, the built in shortcuts app has you covered. Use your method of choice to find the shortcuts app, then either make a new shortcut or find one from the gallery. The app is designed to be efficient and easy to use, yet powerful.
Most advanced users know you can make something called a “symlink” (or “symbolic link” [or whatever apple calls them now].) These essentially let you make a file that says “hey, I’m actually another file over there.” On some operating systems you have to use terminal commands to achieve this effect. On mac however, you can open finder, right click a file or folder of your choice and click the button that says “Make alias”. A new file should appear that looks like the original but has a little arrow in the bottom left corner, you can move it anywhere you want and it will always point to the original. This can heavily boost your organization, just make sure you don’t move or rename the original file.
Hopefully this guide has helped you, if it has consider reading another article from my blog: