Mac tips

How to Power On, Restart, and Shut Down Your Mac

All Mac computers will have an obvious power switch, commonly found on the keyboard. Press it to start your computer. If you need to force your Mac to switch off in case of a crash, press and hold the power button.

You’ll find the Shut Down, Restart, and Sleep Options under the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen. If you have a laptop, you can simply close the lid to put your Mac to sleep.

How to Cut, Copy, and Paste on a Mac

The most obvious way to copy and paste on a Mac is by right-clicking and selecting copy, then right clicking and selecting paste. This is made easier with the Cmd + C (copy) keyboard shortcut. You can then paste the clipboard contents with Cmd + V (paste).

How to Take Screenshots on a Mac

There are a number of ways to take a screenshot on your Mac, the easiest being a keyboard shortcut. Press Cmd + Shift + 3 to capture the whole screen, or Cmd + Shift + 4to capture only a selection (or hit Space to capture an entire window).

How to Install and Uninstall Mac Apps

The most common way of installing macOS software is by downloading a DMG file, double clicking it to mount it, then dragging the application file from the DMG to your own Applications folder. You can then unmount and delete the DMG installer once your app is installed.

Some applications require the use of a PKG automated installer, a bit like how software is installed on Windows. Double click the file, follow the prompts, and authorize any administrator access that is required. The image below shows a DMG file that contains a PKG installer.

To uninstall an app, drag the app icon (or folder) from the Applications folder to the Trash. Some apps will come with uninstallers, or you can use an application like AppCleaner to do it for you.

How to AirDrop From iPhone to Mac (and Vice Versa)

To send a file from your iPhone to a Mac:

1. On your Mac, launch Finder and click on the AirDrop shortcut.
2. On the iPhone, find the file and hit the share button.
3. Wait for the Mac to appear under the “AirDrop” box, it will have a name like “Tim’s MacBook Pro.”
4. Tap the relevant Mac icon when it appears, and wait for the transfer to complete.

To send a file from your Mac to an iPhone:

1. On your iPhone, make sure AirDrop is on by swiping up to reveal Control Center, then 3D Touch (or tap and hold) the box for Airplane Mode. Choose “AirDrop Everyone” for best results.
2. On your Mac, find the file you want to send, right click it, then choose Share > AirDrop.
3. Wait for the iPhone to appear in the box, then click on it to start the transfer.

You can also launch AirDrop in Finder, then drag the file over the receiving iPhone.

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