MacRumors readers who were lucky enough to receive a new Mac for the holidays will want to check out our collection of Mac how tos and guides to learn the ins and outs of your new machine.
Whether you're new to the Mac or are upgrading from an older model, there's likely to be a useful tip or two here for you. These how tos apply to Apple's latest Macs, from desktops to notebooks, and it includes macOS Big Sur tutorials plus some useful info just for the M1 Macs.
Beginner Tips
- How to Disinfect an Apple Keyboard, Trackpad, and Mouse
- How to Right-Click on a Mac
- How to Copy and Paste on a Mac
- How to Uninstall Apps on Your Mac
- How to Use the macOS Help Menu
- How to Use Emoji on Mac
- How to Set Up iMessage on Your Mac
- How to Force Restart a MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro
- How to Erase and Factory Reset Your Mac
- How to Take a Screenshot on Your Mac
- How to Create a Guest Account in macOS
- How to Use 'Hey Siri' Hands-Free on a Mac
- How to Customize File and Folder Icons on Your Mac
- How to View Folder Sizes on Your Mac Using Finder
- How to Manage File Associations in macOS
- How to Change a File Type's Default App in macOS
- How to Use the macOS App Switcher to Open Files, Hide and Quit Apps, and Launch Exposé
- How to Add a Recent or Favorite Items Stack to Your Mac's Dock
- How to Get Your Mac's Dock to Show Running Apps Only
- How to Group Mac App Icons More Prominently in Your Dock
- How to Use Find My iPhone on Mac or PC
- How to Watch Picture-in-Picture Video on Your Mac
- How to Set Up and Use Apple Pay on Your Mac
- How to Pay for Things Online Using Apple Pay on Your Mac
- How to Create an Apple ID on Mac
- How to Set Up FaceTime on a Mac
Just for M1 Macs
- Apple M1 Chip: Everything You Need to Know
- How to Install Any iPhone or iPad App on an M1 Mac
- How to Tell Which Apps Are Optimized for M1 Apple Silicon Macs
- How to Transfer Files Between an Apple Silicon Mac and Another Mac
- How to Reinstall macOS on an M1 MacBook Air, M1 MacBook Pro, and M1 Mac Mini
- How to Install Rosetta on Your M1 Apple Silicon Mac
- How to Boot in Safe Mode on an Apple Silicon M1 Mac
- How to Repair the Startup Disk on M1 Apple Silicon Macs
Security Tips
- How to Use Secure Code AutoFill
- How to Set a Custom Lock Screen Message on Your Mac in Case It's Lost
- How to Back Up Your Mac Using Time Machine
- How to Forget Wireless Networks on Mac
- How to Request a Copy of Your Apple ID Account Data
- How to Recover Files, Contacts, Bookmarks, Calendars and Reminders in iCloud
- How to Show Hidden Files on a Mac
Continuity and Other Product Tips
- How to Use Your iPad as a Second Screen for Your Mac
- How to Send and Receive SMS Messages on iPad and Mac via Text Message Forwarding
- How to Grab Screenshots and Video From Apple TV Using Your Mac
- How to AirPlay Audio From Your Mac to HomePod
- How to Unlock Your Mac With Your Apple Watch
- How to Turn Off Find My Mac
- How to Manage Parental Controls in macOS
Mac App Features
- How to Get the Most Out of Apple's macOS Preview App
- How to Batch Convert Images Using macOS Preview
- How to Use the Preview Loupe Tool in macOS
- How to View All Events as a List in Your Mac's Calendar App
- How to Quickly Resize Images on Your Mac Using an Automator Service
- How to Float Notes Over Application Windows in macOS
- How to Make Web Pages in Safari for Mac Easier to Read
- How to Control the Behavior of Screenshot Shortcuts in macOS
- How to Convert Several Images into a Single PDF Using Preview
- How to Set Up Out-of-Office Replies in Apple Mail and iCloud Mail
iCloud
- How to Merge and Remove Duplicate Contacts in macOS and iCloud
- How to Share Files Stored in Your iCloud Drive
Hidden Tricks
- How to Use Text Clippings in macOS
- How to Electronically Sign a PDF Using Preview on Mac
- How to Hide and Remove System Preference Panes in macOS
- How to Snap Back to Your Search Results When Browsing in a Safari Tab
Advanced Features
- How to Pair an Apple Remote With an Apple TV or Mac
- How to Get Unique Alerts for VIP Emails Received on Your Mac
- How to Use Your Mac's Media Keys to Adjust Speaker Volume on a DisplayPort, HDMI, or Thunderbolt Monitor
- How to Rebuild the Spotlight Index on Your Mac
- How to Perform a Clean Installation of macOS 10.14 Mojave
- How to Output Your Mac's Audio to Two Pairs of Headphones at the Same Time
- How to Add an AirDrop Shortcut to Your Mac's Dock
- How to Tame macOS Hot Corners Using Modifier Keys
- How to Set Up a System-Wide Word Count Service on Your Mac
- How to Create File Templates on Your Mac With Finder's Stationery Pad Feature
- How to Reset Your Mac's Bluetooth Module to Fix Connection Issues
- How to Update macOS Using a Simple Terminal Command
- How to Rename Several Files at Once in macOS
- How to Use Apple Diagnostics to Check for Mac Hardware Problems
- How to Set a Firmware Password on Your Mac
In-Depth Mac Guides
- 25 Must-Know macOS Tips for Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced Mac Users
- AppleCare Guide: Is it Worth Paying For?
- macOS Big Sur: Quick Start Video Plus 50 Tips and Tricks
Mac App Recommendations
Every few months we do a video series where we recommend a useful selection of Mac apps, and these articles are worth checking out if you're looking for great Mac apps for your new Mac.
Mac-Related Videos
More Info
Know other great Mac-related tips and tricks that MacRumors readers should be aware of? Let us know in the comments.
For more details on Apple's newest Macs, check out our roundups: MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Mac mini, iMac, and Mac Pro.
Buyer's Guide: 13" MacBook Air (Don't Buy), 13" MacBook Pro (Don't Buy), 14" & 16" MacBook Pro (Neutral)
Related Forums: MacBook Air, MacBook Pro
Top Rated Comments
(I hate Uncle Colin!)
(And I still hate you, Uncle Colin!)
Friends went into the local Apple store after the 16 inch was released and the salesman tried to sell them an old 15 in MBP instead. Sneaky, so I know this has happened to some people.