Your Mac is a powerful and feature-rich computer, but there are likely a number of features that you are not aware of. Here are five hidden features of your Mac that you might not know about:
- Full-screen mode: If you have a lot of apps or windows open at once, it can be tough to keep track of them all. To make it easier to focus on one app or window at a time, you can use full-screen mode. To enter full-screen mode, click the green button in the top left corner of an app or window. To exit full-screen mode, move your mouse to the top of the screen and click the green button again.
- Dictation: If you prefer not to type, you can use your Mac’s built-in dictation feature to enter text by speaking. To use dictation, go to the “System Preferences” menu and select “Keyboard.” Then, click on the “Dictation” tab and select “On” under the “Dictation” heading. Now, you can press the Fn (Function) key twice to start dictating. When you’re finished, press the Fn key again to stop dictation and see your spoken words appear as text.
- Screenshots: Taking screenshots on your Mac is easy and can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as capturing images of websites or creating documentation. To take a screenshot of your entire screen, press Command + Shift + 3. To take a screenshot of a specific area of your screen, press Command + Shift + 4. Your screenshot will be saved as a .png file on your desktop.
- File version history: If you’ve ever accidentally saved over an important file or made changes that you later regretted, you’ll appreciate the file version history feature. This feature automatically saves multiple versions of a file as you make changes to it, so you can go back and recover an earlier version if needed. To access file version history, right-click on a file and select “Revert to” followed by the version of the file you want to restore.
- Split View: If you have a large display, you may find it helpful to use Split View to view two apps side by side. To use Split View, click and hold the green button in the top left corner of an app and drag it to the left or right side of the screen. You can then select a second app to open in the other half of the screen. To exit Split View, move your mouse to the top of the screen and click the green button again.
There are many other hidden features of your Mac that you may not be aware of, but these five should help you get started. Experiment with different features and settings to discover the full potential of your Mac.
