Mac Tips & Lessons
-
macOS Classes5 Lessons
-
New in macOS Sequoia3 Lessons
-
Getting Started with the Mac13 Lessons
-
14+ Tips for Getting Started with a New Mac (and older Macs)
-
How to tell which macOS you are using
-
Getting Around your Mac
-
Working with Finder Windows
-
Accessing Folders and Navigating Folders
-
A Look a the Folder Hierarchy of the Mac
-
Using Keyboard Shortcuts
-
Notifications and the Notification Center
-
Searching with Spotlight Search
-
System Preferences Overview
-
Mac Quick Look Demystified: Preview Files with Ease!
-
Quickly access Mac system settings with Menu Bar or Dock
-
Learn Cut, Copy, and Paste on Mac
-
14+ Tips for Getting Started with a New Mac (and older Macs)
-
Menu Bar Lessons for the Mac4 Lessons
-
Dock Lessons for the Mac11 Lessons
-
Automatically Hide the Dock
-
Open Recent Documents from a Closed app with the Mac's Dock
-
Open an App's Recent Documents through the Dock on the Mac
-
Change the Position of the Dock
-
Working with Applications in the Dock
-
Documents and Folders in the Dock
-
Customizing the Dock
-
Add Printers to the Mac's Dock
-
3 Easy Tips for Organizing your Folders in the Mac's Dock
-
Unlock Hidden Settings for the Dock
-
How to Add Folders to the Mac Dock
-
Automatically Hide the Dock
-
Finder Lessons for the Mac24 Lessons
-
Opening an Enclosing Folder from a Finder Window
-
Adding a Folder to the Sidebar in a Finder Window
-
Cycle through your Open Finder Windows
-
Set What Folder A New Finder Windows Shows
-
Finder Window View Options
-
View Unopened Documents with Quick Look
-
Arranging Files and Folders
-
Actions and Tasks
-
Finder Windows as Tabs
-
Customizing the Sidebar
-
Customize the Finder Window Toolbar
-
Show the Path Bar in a Finder Window
-
Keep Folders on Top
-
Show the Status Bar in Finder Windows
-
Set what is searched in a Finder Window
-
Hide your Hard Drives from the Desktop
-
Add Documents to a Finder Window Toolbar
-
Resizing Finder Window Columns
-
Copy the location of a File or Folder as Pathname
-
Set what your Finder Windows Open To
-
Show the Mac's Clipboard in a Window
-
Create a PDF from Multiple Images with Quick Actions on the Mac
-
The ultimate guide to the Mac's Finder: 24+ tips included!
-
Need help Organizing Your Mac? Master Smart Folders Today!
-
Opening an Enclosing Folder from a Finder Window
-
Manage Applications on the Mac24 Lessons
-
Easily Open the Applications Folder
-
Apps and Significant Energy
-
Set which Applications Open at Login
-
Add the Applications Folder to the Dock
-
Close Windows when Quitting Apps
-
5 Ways to Find and Open your Applications on the Mac
-
Finding your Applications Folder
-
Switching between Open Applications
-
Hiding Open Applications
-
Launchpad and Applications
-
Opening Applications with Spotlight Search
-
Installing Applications
-
Removing or Uninstalling Applications
-
Applications in Full-screen Mode
-
Finding an App’s Preferences or Settings
-
Open Apps with the Launchpad Icon
-
Use Keyboard Shortcuts to Switch between Open Apps
-
Shrink Apps to Prevent the MacBook Pro Notch from Obscuring App Controls
-
Prevent In-App Rating & Review Notifications
-
How to Check App Version History on Your Mac
-
How to Use Multiple Desktops with Spaces
-
Switch between open apps with the Mac's App Switcher
-
Enhance your Mac experience by Installing iOS apps
-
Add a Signature to a Document
-
Easily Open the Applications Folder
-
Manage Files and Folders on the Mac30 Lessons
-
Selecting Documents and Folders
-
Working with Save Dialog Boxes
-
Deleting Files and Folders
-
Copying, Moving, and Grouping Files
-
Move Selected Files into a New Folder
-
Specifying Applications for Documents
-
4 Ways to Open a File on the Mac
-
3 Ways to Force Quit an App on the Mac
-
4 Ways to Edit Finder Window Sidebars on the Mac
-
Create A New Folder with Selected Files on the Mac
-
Using Spring-loaded Folders
-
Compressing Files and Folders
-
Convert and Compress Images with Quick Actions
-
Viewing Document Information
-
Renaming Files in Batches
-
Tagging Files and Folders
-
Set What App a Document Opens With
-
Open Windows Media or WMV Files
-
Tips for finding your Downloads Folder
-
See Folder Sizes in a Finder Window
-
Duplicate Documents with Stationery Pad on the Mac
-
Reverse the Print Order of your Document
-
Creating PDFs on a Mac: Two Easy Methods
-
Save Time and Effort: How to Select Multiple Files on Your Mac
-
How to Easily Zip and Unzip Files on Your Mac
-
Learn how to use Find and Replace on the Mac
-
Rename Multiple Files on the Mac
-
How to Manage Storage on Your Mac - Easy Tips & Tricks!
-
Ever Wondered How to Rename Mac Files? Top 7 Tips Here!
-
11 Easy Ways to Optimize Your Mac's Desktop Experience
-
Selecting Documents and Folders
-
General macOS Lessons21 Lessons|1 Quiz
-
Have your Mac Learn Spelling
-
Close Notifications with a Swipe
-
Working with the Today View
-
Using Siri
-
Using Mission Control
-
Add Virtual Desktops with Spaces on the Mac
-
Sharing Files with AirDrop
-
iCloud Options
-
Take a Screenshot of your Display
-
Add Emojis as Text
-
View All Open Windows as Thumbnails
-
Copy, and Paste and Match Style
-
Type Special Characters with the Keyboard Viewer
-
Set where Screenshots are Saved
-
Add a Timer to Screenshots
-
Hide all your open windows to show the Mac's Desktop
-
Turn on Do Not Disturb Temporarily
-
Using Split View
-
The Mac’s Magic Shortcut to Trashing Files and Photos Quickly
-
10 Little Known Tips for the Mac
-
Keyboard Navigation on the Mac
-
Have your Mac Learn Spelling
-
Preferences or Settings for the Mac34 Lessons
-
Organize and Hide System Preference Panes
-
General Preferences
-
Working with Printers and Scanners
-
Share Connected Printers with other Macs
-
A Quick look at Sound Preferences
-
A closer look at Internet Accounts
-
Creating User Accounts
-
Set an Animated Emoji for your Mac User Profile
-
Customize the Date and Time in the Mac's Menu Bar
-
Adding Parental Controls
-
Change the Cursor Size
-
Show the Date in the Menu bar
-
Change the Clock in the Menu Bar from Digital to Analog
-
Set the Scroll Bar to Always Show in a Window
-
Create a New user Account
-
Text Replacement
-
Quickly Look up Information with the Trackpad
-
Shortcuts for opening System Preference Panes
-
Rename your Mac
-
Searching your System Preferences
-
Set the Default Browser on the Mac
-
Reduce the Transparency in the Menu Bar and Dock
-
Open Preference Panes from the Dock
-
A closer look at Wi-fi Settings
-
Using Hot Corners
-
Select what macOS Updates you want to install
-
Create Keyboard Shortcuts for Menu Items
-
Use Keyboard Navigation to Move Focus
-
Enable Fast User Switching to Switch between User Accounts
-
Use Touch ID to Switch between Users on the Mac
-
How to Zoom into your Mac's Display for Easier Reading
-
How to Extend Your Mac Display to Your iPad
-
Disabling Showing the Notification Center from the Trackpad
-
Can Force Click Boost Your Productivity on your Mac? Find Out How!
-
Organize and Hide System Preference Panes
-
Troubleshooting Lessons for the Mac16 Lessons
-
Finding Help for your Mac
-
Backing Up with Time Machine
-
Restoring Files with Time Machine
-
Erase a Hard Drive
-
Force Quit an App on the Mac
-
Restart or Relaunch the Mac's Finder
-
Force Quit Apps from the Apple Menu
-
Putting it All Together
-
Automatically delete items in the Trash after 30 Days
-
Troubleshooting Bluetooth Connections
-
Manage Storage Space with macOS Monterey and Earlier
-
Reclaim Local Mac Storage Space by Removing iCloud Drive Downloads
-
Disable Unused Sharing Options on Your Mac If You’re Not Using Them
-
Forget Wi-Fi Networks that are Troublesome
-
View memory usage in Activity Monitor on Mac
-
Erase All Content and Settings on a Mac
-
Finding Help for your Mac
-
New in macOS Mojave12 Lessons
-
Dark Mode Appearance
-
Dynamic Desktop Pictures
-
View Recent Apps in the Dock
-
Gallery View for Files in Finder Windows
-
macOS Software Updates in System Preferences
-
Desktop Stacks for Files on the Desktop
-
Keep Desktop Folders on Top of Files
-
View File Metadata
-
Quick Actions and Markup Files
-
Continuity Camera from your iPhone or iPad
-
New Privacy Options
-
New Screenshot Options
-
Dark Mode Appearance
-
New in macOS Catalina19 Lessons
-
See which apps will no longer work with macOS Catalina
-
See which apps are 32-bit
-
Opening Recent Folders from the Dock
-
Reorganized System Preferences
-
New Window Management Options
-
New Screen Time Preferences
-
New Music App
-
New TV App
-
New Podcasts App
-
Manage your iOS Devices through the Finder
-
What's New in the Photos App
-
What's New in the Notes App
-
What's New in Safari
-
What's New in the Mail app
-
New FindMy App
-
New Catalyst Apps
-
New Security and Privacy Features
-
New Redesigned Reminders App
-
Use an iPad as a second Display with Sidecar
-
See which apps will no longer work with macOS Catalina
-
New in macOS Big Sur15 Lessons
-
What hasn't changed with macOS Big Sur
-
Notification Center
-
Allow Wallpaper Tinting in Windows
-
Filtering Mail Messages
-
New Control Center
-
A look at the Finder Window Toolbar
-
New with Desktop Pictures
-
Play Startup Sound
-
Drag and Drop Controls to the Menu Bar
-
Battery Usage Preferences
-
Change the Date & Time in the Menu Bar
-
Do Not Disturb location in macOS Big Sur
-
See what is Now Playing
-
It’s Time to Consider Upgrading to macOS 11 Big Sur
-
How to Reveal the Proxy Icon in Big Sur
-
What hasn't changed with macOS Big Sur
-
New & Updated in macOS Ventura12 Lessons
-
How to Manage your Open Windows with Stage Manager
-
New Setup Options and Filters in Focus on the Mac with macOS Ventura
-
View Forecasts and More in the New Weather App on the Mac
-
Add Multiple Stops to Routes in the Maps App with macOS Ventura
-
Create Templates for Reminders Lists with macOS Ventura
-
Maximizing Your Storage on macOS Ventura: A Guide to Managing Space
-
Discover the New Clock App on MacOS Ventura
-
How to Keep Scroll Bars Always Visible on Mac (macOS Ventura)
-
Manage App Store and Streaming Services Subscriptions through the Mac
-
Save time typing text and Emojis on your Mac with Text Replacement!
-
3 Ways to Remove the Background in a Photo
-
Stop Apps from Launching when your Mac Starts Up
-
How to Manage your Open Windows with Stage Manager
-
Favorite Features in macOS Sonoma9 Lessons
-
Make Your Favorite Websites Act Like Apps with macOS Sonoma
-
macOS Sonoma: Screensavers & Wallpapers
-
Click your Wallpaper to Show the Desktop
-
Add Widgets to your Mac's Desktop
-
My 3 Favorite New Features in Reminders with macOS Sonoma!
-
iCloud Passwords for Chrome: Seamless Access to Your Passwords
-
Make your next Zoom Presentation stand out with Presenter Overlays
-
Turn off Click Wallpaper to Show Desktop
-
Build your own Apple Passwords app in 5 minutes! A Step-by-Step Guide
-
Make Your Favorite Websites Act Like Apps with macOS Sonoma
-
New in macOS Monterey6 Lessons
System Preferences Overview
Learn how to access your System Preferences on the Mac.
The Mac’s System Preferences are where you can set the default behavior or how you Mac works. This includes setting your desktop picture, you notification settings, network settings, and even clock information. In this lesson, I show you how you access to get to the Mac’s System Preferences, as well as the different ways to view them.
Video Transcript (video also has closed captions):
Introduction: In this video, we’re going to take a look at how we customize our Mac through system preferences. Let’s go to my Mac. Now, our system preferences are where we set up all of our different preferences for our Mac. For example, we saw when we looked at Siri if we could change the voice of Siri. We did this through the system preferences through Siri’s ‘Preference Pane.’ If I want to change the desktop picture, I do this through system preferences.
How do we access our system preferences? Well, we have a few different ways. It is just an application. When I go up to go here, I’m in ‘My Finder,’ and I go over to ‘My Applications’ folder, select ‘Applications,’ you’re going to see, I have ‘System Preferences.’ It is just an application. I double click on it, and it’ll open it up, but there are easier ways than going to the application folder. I’m going to close this. It is located in your dock by default. All you have to do is just click on this, and it’ll open up system preferences.
Also, you can always access your system preferences from the Apple menu. When I click on this, you’re going to see we have ‘System Preferences.’ When I select this, what it’s going to do is it’s going to open up that application, ‘System Preferences.’ Let’s open it. Now, we’re looking at ‘My System Preferences.’ Now, within the ‘System Preferences,’ we have different preference panes, that’s what these are called. When I go over to my ‘Desktop and Screensaver,’ this is the desktop and screensaver preference pane. When I go over to ‘iCloud,’ this is the iCloud preference pane.
These panes, or preference panes, are categorized. You’re going to see that they’re grouped. I have four different sections here. We have all of our different preference panes for the Mac. We have our preference panes for our input devices and energy, and then we also have our preference panes for networking, and then we have it for our users and time machine. They’re grouped together by category.
Now, we can also sort these alphabetically. When we do that, it is no longer grouped. To see them alphabetically, what we do is we go up to ‘View’ in the ‘Menu Bar,’ and then you’re going to see ‘Organize alphabetically.’ I select it, and now we can see we no longer have any groups, but they are organized alphabetically. I like to view them by category. I’m going to go back under ‘View,’ and I’m going to select ‘Organize by categories.’
To open up any one of these preference panes, we just click on it. If I want to change the options for my dock, I click on ‘Dock’ here, and it opens up ‘My dock’ preference pane. To get back to all of your preferences, what we do is we click on the left arrow, or click on this icon here with these dots, when I click on this, it brings you back to all of my different preferences.
When I select a preference pane again, let’s go back into ‘Dock.’ I can easily go to another preference pane by going and clicking and holding on this icon here. When I click and hold, I get to see all of my different preference panes. Select any one to open it up. I can also see that going up to ‘View’ and having all of my different preference panes. Then one of my favorite ways to select a preference pane, I’m going to quit out of preferences here, or out of system preferences, I just use ‘Command-Q.’ It is just an application. When we go down to our ‘System Preferences’ in the dock, if I click and hold, I can select a preference pane. Now, I want to go back into my dock. I select ‘Dock,’ it opens up my ‘System Preferences,’ and then it goes immediately over to ‘Dock.’ I want to view all of my system preferences again, I go over and click on this icon here. I can see all of my system preferences.
We can easily search our preferences. Now, let’s say you’re looking for speech, and you’re not sure what it’s called. Maybe you’re coming from Windows, and you’re not sure about the terminology. Well, the nice thing is about the system preferences is we can easily search our preferences. Let’s say you want to change the desktop picture, but the way that you know is through ‘Wallpaper’ because that’s what they call it on Windows, ‘Wallpaper.’ All you have to do is type in here ‘Wallpaper’ and watch what happens. I’m going to type in here ‘Wallpaper.’ You’re going to see that it pulls up ‘Desktop Picture.’ The Mac knows that you’re looking to change the desktop picture. You’re also going to see that it highlights it over on the left here. Now, all I have to do is click on this, and it brings me to ‘My Desktop Picture.’ Again, to go back, we just click on the icon here, and we’re back. To clear your search, all you have to do is click on the ‘X’ here, and it clears it.
Now, depending on what apps you have installed, you may see third-party system preferences. I have them hidden. What we can do is we can also customize this view. I rarely see this happen, but I just want to show you how you can do it if you’re going to hide some of the system preferences. To do that, what we do is we go up to ‘View’ in the ‘Menu Bar’ and then you’re going to see ‘Customize.’ When I select this, we’re going to get a checkmark by each preference pane. If I deselect it, it will no longer show when I’m looking at my ‘System Preferences.’
If we go down to the bottom here, remember I mentioned that I have third party preference panes. I had them all hidden. That’s why you didn’t see them. If we look you’re going to see, we do not have a checkmark there. If I want to show them again, I just select it, and then when I’m finished, I just click on ‘Done,’ and it will show any preferences that I have selected. I’m going to click on ‘Done,’ and now we’re back.
What are these preferences? We’ll take a closer look at some of these in some of the lessons, but basically, what we’re looking at is our ‘General Preferences.’ This is where I can go and set my appearance if I want it to be light and dark, the accent color, and my default web browser. Let’s go back; I have my ‘Desktop and Screensaver.’ This is where I can go and set my desktop picture as well as my screen saver. Just click on the appropriate tab.
I’m going to go back. We also have my ‘Dock Preferences.’ We saw this when we looked at the dock. I have ‘Mission Control Preferences,’ and then I can also set the ‘Language & Region’ of my Mac. We have ‘Security & Privacy’ options. I have ‘Spotlight’ options. When I’m using ‘Spotlight’ to search my Mac, what do I want to search for? Do I want to include context? Do I want to include bookmarks?
I also have different notification settings. This is where I can set what type of alerts I receive from different apps. If you have multiple displays, you can set the different options for your multiple displays, or what you can do is set the resolution of your current display. We have my energy saver. This is where I can set how soon my display goes to sleep and how fast my Mac goes to sleep. We have our different keyboard options. I have ‘Mouse Preferences.’ This will change depending on which mouse I have plugged in my Mac, and then I also have ‘TrackPad Preferences.’ If I have a printer connected to my Mac, this is where I can see the ‘Print’ cue as well as any scan options that the printer may have.
This is where I go and set the sound, which includes both output, your speakers and input, your microphone, and then we have our ‘Startup Desk.’ This option is seldom used, but what you can do is you can set up a startup disc. If you have macOS 10 set up on another hard drive, you can boot your Mac up from that other hard drive. Again, it’s seldom used. We have my ‘iCloud System Preferences,’ my ‘Internet Accounts.’ I have a separate lesson on this. I have ‘Software Update.’ This is where I can see if my Mac has any updates. This is only for macOS, not for any apps from the app store.
I have different network settings. We take a look at this when I look at my ‘Wi-fi.’ I also have ‘Bluetooth settings,’ and then I have different extensions. Some apps from the app store will have extensions, which means that they will extend apps on your Mac with different features. This is where you can go and manage those extensions. We also have our sharing options. If you want to share your Mac on your network, click on it and set up your sharing. We have our different ‘Users & Groups. I have a separate lesson on this, as well as parental controls. Again, I have a separate lesson on this.
We have our ‘Siri Preferences,’ ‘Date and Time,’ and then we have our ‘Time Machine.’ This is where I can set a hard drive for my backup. Then we have ‘Accessibility Options”. There are a lot of options for accessibility. Now, what I recommend doing is taking a look at each one of these. There are going to be many different options throughout this, too many to include in this tutorial. As an example, if I go back over to general, maybe what I want to do is, I want to change the highlight color. I can change the highlight color. I want to go and set how many recent items are underneath the ‘Apple Menu.’ I can set how many recent items are. I’m going to go back.
If we go over to ‘TrackPad,’ I can set what happens when I tap to click. I can set what happens when there’s a secondary click. I’m going to go back. With ‘Date and Time,’ I can set if I want to show an analog clock in the menu bar. Right now, it is digital. We can see it as digital, up as a menu extra. When I go over to analog, it is now analog. I’m going to go back to digital, and let’s go back to all of my system preferences.
With sharing, I click on ‘Sharing,’ and from here, what I can do is I can set what I want to share. Do I want to share my screen, my files, and my printer that’s plugged into my Mac? You just select which one. If I was going to go with ‘Printer Share,’ then I select it, and then I consent which printers I’m sharing and who can use it. With some of these preferences, let’s go back, and now let’s take a look at ‘Users & Groups’. With some of these preferences, what you’re going to see in the bottom left corner is a lock. What is this lock? Well, before you can make any changes to this system preference and my ‘Users & Groups’ here, what I have to do is I have to unlock it. This is for your security. This way, anyone on your Mac is not going to be able to go and create or change the user rights on your Mac.
What they’re going to have to do is click this and then enter the Mac’s password. Once they do that, I’m going to go ahead and enter my password. Once they do that, they can go and make changes to your ‘Users & Groups’. They can go and make changes to other system preferences. If you want to lock again, you click on the lock, and now it is locked again. Now, no one can make any changes to it without knowing the password to the Mac.
When you’re looking at your system preferences and see that lock, let’s go over to all of my system preferences, and let’s take a look at ‘Security and Privacy.’ Again, we’re going to see our lock, and I can’t make any changes to it until I unlock it. With certain preferences, you’re going to see a lock in the lower left-hand corner. You won’t be able to make any changes to it without unlocking it. You do need to have the computer password to unlock it.
Those are our System Preferences on the Mac.