Mac Hacks to Optimize Your Productivity

Every new macOS version brings something new that improves system performance and boosts user productivity. macOS is packed with many hidden features, keyboard shortcuts, and functionalities that help you make the most out of your Mac. 

The article highlights the hacks that you can follow and implement to master your Mac. 

Connect Bluetooth Headphones 

The online work and study culture brings upon the need to stay connected with co-workers and batchmates. Online meetings have become more popular than ever and connecting via Bluetooth headphones is an optimal way to stay connected as you don’t have to manage wires. 

To connect a Bluetooth keyboard to your Mac, follow the given instructions. 

1. Make sure that the headphones are turned on and are discoverable.
2. On the Mac, go to the Apple menu, tap System Preferences, and then pick Bluetooth.
3. Select the name of the Bluetooth headphones and click Connect. 
4. If the Mac prompts, click Accept or provide the series of numbers. Next, click Enter. 

As for the headphones, it should not be too difficult to figure out. But in case you run into problems, visit https://setapp.com/ for detailed instructions. 

Run Windows on Mac

If you are a new Mac user, you might need to learn about this productivity-enhancing tip that most users are not aware of. macOS allows you to run Windows on Mac using the native Boot Camp utility. 

1. Go to the Applications folder, tap Utilities, and then pick Boot Camp. You can then partition your Mac storage into Windows and Mac partitions. 
2. Next, you need to select the partition ratio for both Mac and Windows operating systems, but keep in mind that space allocated to one OS will not be accessible in another operating system. Tap on Partition to accomplish the process. 
3. Mac computer will prompt for Windows OS installation CD. Provide installation location, and enter the name for the partitioned segment. On completion of the process, the Mac will boot into Windows. 

On each startup attempt, press down the Option key to select the operating system you want to work with.

Reset Account Passwords 

The first thing’s first. Forgetting passwords is a common, yet disturbing thing that takes your peace of mind until you reset one. With Macs, you don’t have to worry about the forgotten passwords as you can easily log back. Let’s learn how.

1. Turn off your Mac computer.
2. Start the system in Recovery Mode by pressing and holding down the Command + R keys and pressing the power button simultaneously till the progress bar displays. 
3. Go to the menu bar, tap on Utilities and click Terminal. Type in “resetpassword” (without using spaces or quotes) when a window pops up, and select Return. 
4. Quit Terminal window. You will see Reset Password Tool enlisting all the user accounts existing on the device. If you reset the password for one account, you will have to reset passwords for other accounts also.

Reset your Apple ID Password

If you have forgotten your Apple ID password, you can simply reset it using the following procedure.

1. Enter a wrong password a few times and Apple will ask you to reset your password. To reset the password, click on the question mark icon displayed at the password text box, and follow the instructions carefully. 
2. Provide the Apple ID email and password credentials. A pop-up window appears to tell you about a new keychain that will be created shortly to store the password details. Next, click OK.
3. Carefully follow the prompts and instructions for creating a new password. 

Find Password for a Website 

The keychain within your Mac keeps track of all the passwords that you have used to access different programs and websites on your computer. All this information is encrypted and stored locally to prevent unauthorized access. Only you can access this information. 

If you forgot the password for any of the online accounts, you can refer to the keychain and recover it. 

1. To recover or reset the password, go to Finder and then click Applications. 
2. Next, tap Utilities, open Keychain, and view the login information stored in the Mac. 
3. To quickly find any particular website, you can use the search bar. 

Edit a PDF or Image File

If you are working your Mac for office work or preparing your assignments, PDF must be an integral part of your day-to-day functionality. You might need to edit or annotate PDF files to use them effectively for sharing information. 

To edit the PDFs on your Mac system, here’s the useful information. 

1. Double-click the PDF to open it in the Preview app. 
2. Go to the menu bar, tap on View, and select the Show Annotations toolbar. You can highlight, scribble, annotate, draw, or digitally sign your PDF documents. 
3. Once done, go to File and click Save As to save the edited file on the selected location on the computer. 

Wrapping Up

To sum up, there are a plethora of productivity tips that you can follow to master your Mac. Whatever you do, make sure to backup your data for complete protection. Moreover, always ensure to download a reliable anti-virus application to protect your computer from external threats.