9 Useful Tips for Mac Users

Apple is continually developing new devices and software; thus, even if you have been a Mac user for years now, it is very likely that you still don’t know all the features that this computer can provide. 

Learning a few tips and tricks will make the use of your Mac much easier and your day much more productive. More to it, by tweaking some of the settings and storage space, you can even increase the speed of your Mac.

There is a lot of information to be processed if you want to learn every feature that a Mac has. However, some are more practical than others; therefore, we will share nine useful tips for Mac users in this article.

Tip #1: Have 15% of Free Disk Space 

First of all, if you want your Mac to perform at its best and avoid it from slowing down over the years, you need to ensure that you have at least 10% of free disk space, ideally 15%. 

To check how much free disk space you have, click the Apple icon from the top menu, go to About This Mac, and choose the Storage tab. Here, you will see how much of your Mac’s storage is used up by different types of files. 

More to it, if you enjoy gaming, having more free disk space will help improve the gaming experience. 

Tip #2: Update the macOS Regularly

Another important thing to keep your Mac running fast and smoothly is updating the macOS regularly. These updates often come with bug fixes, performance, and security improvements. 

Therefore, these updates can both solve the technical issues you’ve been having and improve the performance of your Mac. If you skipped an update, you could find it in System Preferences.

Tip #3: Check the Activity Monitor

If your Mac is experiencing sudden drops in speed and performance, you might be dealing with apps that use a lot of the system’s resources. 

To figure out which apps are consuming so many resources and quit them, open the Activity Monitor by clicking the Command + Space combination and entering “Activity Monitor” in the search field. Then, check the CPU tab.

Tip #4: Remove Safari Cache

To ensure a good browsing experience, you need to clear the browser cache from time to time. In general, cache files are good for your browser and your Mac because it helps load your most visited websites faster by preloading some of the site’s information.

However, when the browser cache piles up, it will only slow down the browsing and take up valuable disk space on your Mac. To remove cache files, launch the Safari browser, go to the Develop section, and choose Clear Cache.

Tip #5: Trim the List of Startup Apps

If your Mac is booting really slow, you probably have too many startup items. These items are apps that start automatically right after you turn on your computer.

Thus if you have a lot of apps set as login items and you don’t need them at the beginning of the day, you can edit the list of these apps by clicking the Apple icon, going to System Preferences, and choose Users & Groups.

Tip #6: Empty the Trash Bin More Often

As it is necessary to have enough free disk space if you want your Mac to perform well, make sure you delete unnecessary apps and other unneeded files from your computer.

Also, after deleting a bunch of unneeded files, do not forget to empty the Trash Bin because as long as you keep those files there, they are still taking up disk space on your Mac.

Tip #7: Make iPad Your Second Screen

If you have a MacBook Pro or MacBook Air, you might want to have a larger screen, especially if you work as a graphic designer or video editor. 

One choice is to purchase a separate monitor, although if you own an iPad, you can use it as a second screen for such things as group communication tools and time planning apps.

Tip #8: Use Apple Watch to Unlock Mac

Apple is appreciated by its fans for many reasons, including the ability to sync all of the Apple devices that you own.

Besides, if you are using an Apple watch, you can automatically unlock your MacBook once you’re near it. You just need to make sure that your watch is unlocked at the time.

Tip #9: Keep Your Mac Clean

As great as the Mac computers are, they will start underperforming soon if you keep them dirty with dust. The dust can easily cover up the vents and end up on your Mac’s fans.

Thus, this may result in loud fan noise and your computer overheating. Therefore, make sure that you keep your Mac in a clean environment and clean the inside and the outside of the computer once in a while.