A new computer operating system is always difficult to navigate, and macOS is no different. Most new Mac users need to unlearn habits from their previous computers (which normally ran Windows) and relearn how to perform tasks in macOS.
While it’s generally easy to adjust to macOS, there are still a lot of issues a new user will encounter. Most of these stem from disparity in design and fundamental hardware differences.
With that in mind, below are some of the most popular challenges new users encounter and how you can solve them.
7 tips every new macOS user needs to know
Below, check out important tips before starting to use the macOS system:
1. Create and sign in to an Apple ID
An Apple ID is required to take advantage of Apple Continuity features on all your Apple devices. Also, you will need an ID if you want to download apps from the App Store or use iCloud.
In general, many Mac users miss out on all the features by neglecting to create or sign in an Apple ID on their Mac. The most common is to sign in and create your Apple ID once you’ve set up your Mac.
On the other hand, if you leave it for later, here’s how to create your Apple ID:
- In the upper left corner, tap the Apple logo (Apple);
- Then open the System Settings;
- On the left side of the panel you will find the option “Sign in with your Apple ID” at the top of the list;
- Then, if you have an Apple ID, enter your email in the input box, click Advance and follow the instructions;
- Then, if you don’t have an Apple ID, click Create Apple ID in the lower left corner and follow the instructions to create one.
2. Install apps outside the App Store
The Mac App Store is the safest place to download apps. However, not all popular apps are available there. For example, if you want to use Google Chrome, you need to download it from the Chrome website instead of the App Store. But installing apps that you get from different websites isn’t always that simple on a Mac.
By default, your Mac only allows you to open apps you’ve downloaded from the App Store and identified developers. When installing an app from unidentified developers, you will be blocked by a warning that the app “cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified”. Fortunately, you can still activate the app installation by following these steps:
- Click on the logo of apple in the menu bar in the upper left corner;
- then go to System settings;
- Afterwards, select Privacy and Safety and scroll down to Safety;
- Finally, choose open anyway.
3. Different Trackpad
One of the main changes and difficulties that a new MacBook user may have is adapting to the trackpad. You may find that it scrolls in the wrong direction or doesn’t click when you tap on it. Fortunately, it’s easy to tweak the trackpad’s settings to make it work to your liking.
Currently, you can change 4 trackpad settings:
- Tap to click: Enable to click by tapping the trackpad;
- Natural scroll: Toggle to change the direction the trackpad rolls;
- Secondary click: Use this option to enable a “right-click” function;
- Slide between pages: Disable this if you keep going back a page accidentally.
To access these settings, follow this step by step:
- Click on the logo of apple in the menu bar in the upper left corner;
- then go to System settings;
- Then scroll down to the bottom section of the left panel and click on Trackpad;
- on the tab Cursor and Clickhere you can activate tap to click (this allows you to click with one touch on the trackpad, instead of two);
- On this tab, you must also change the settings for Secondary Click and choose the Bottom right corner more familiar;
- already in the tab Scroll and Zoom, disable the Natural scroll;
- Then on the tab More Gestures, select how many fingers you would like to use to swipe between pages.
4. There is no Windows button
The Mac keyboard doesn’t have a Windows button, and this can be a little frustrating for new Mac users who are used to using it in Windows. However, instead of a Windows button where you can search for apps and anything else on your notebook, the Mac has Spotlight for searching and Launchpad for viewing all your apps.
Access Spotlight by pressing Command + Space and start typing your search term. The feature is also great for quick calculations, conversions and definitions. You can even use it to perform web searches.
To see all your apps together in one place, click the Launchpad (Launchpad) next to Finder in the Dock. Or pinch with four fingers on the trackpad. You’ll see all your apps laid out on different pages.
5. Learn to use the Finder
If you come from Windows, chances are you’ll feel lost without having access to File Explorer. Fortunately, macOS has an equivalent app to use: Finder.
The Finder is that blue smiley face you see in the far left corner of the Dock, and it’s used to manage files or folders on your Mac. Finder and File Explorer offer similar functions for managing the files on your system, even though they may look different.
Just like File Explorer, you’ll find your main folders (Desktop, Downloads, Recents, and so on) in the left pane. You can also interact with files just as you would in File Explorer.
However, you won’t find the Devices and Drives splash screen that you normally see in Windows File Explorer. Instead, you will find this information by accessing System Settings > General > Storage.
6. Take screenshots
Taking screenshots on Mac is simple. Instead of looking for a Print Screen button on your keyboard, on macOS you can use keyboard shortcuts to take a screenshot:
- Command+Shift+3: Takes a screenshot of the entire screen;
- Ctrl+Shift+4: Let’s capture a part of the screen;
- Command+Shift+5: Access the built-in snipping tool which gives you multiple options to take a screenshot or record your screen.
7. Command is the new Ctrl
You may notice that all your favorite keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl + V or Ctrl+Cdo not work on a Mac. That’s because the key command (Cmd) on a Mac has a similar function to the Control key (Ctrl) on other computers.
So most of these shortcuts will still work if you use Cmd instead of Ctrl. For example: want to copy something? Instead of using Ctrl + C, you will use Command + C.
Likewise, you may notice that there is no alternative (Alt) key on a Mac. Just use the Option key for that.
