27 Macbook Tips & Tricks in 2022

6 min readMar 11, 2022

This week I bought a Macbook Pro 16". So I just wanted to set and use my Macbook more efficiently. Before the Macbook I was using Windows for 15 years. Of course, It is not my first time with Macbook. I am also using Macbook for more than 3 years in my professional career. But I wasn’t thinking to go forward by Mac this much. I never thought I will use Mac rest of my life since Apple released the last Macbook in 2021. Who knows I can buy another Windows computer but I am sure I will not use Windows for programming again. I can tell you why this another article. In a nutshell, I do want to integrate myself fully into Mac. So I searched and watched lots of videos and want to share them with you in this article. Have a good read.

1. Custom Screen Lock Message

You can set a custom message for your screen lock. In this way, if you lost your mac somewhere then someone who found and open your mac can see your message and contact you. My screen lock message is My Name: “My Number; My Brother’s Name: His Phone;”

2. Emojis

control + command + space ⇒ This is the shortcut to how you can see the panel below.

3. All Open Pages

You can touch by your three-finger and swipe them up on the touch bar. You will see all windows below

4. Hot Corners

I think no one does not wants to minimize all screens to see the desktop. There is a way. And it is hot corners. You can create another trick by hot corners. Open Spotlight search and search for Mission Control and open it. And set the right corner as Desktop. After that, you will see the window when you take your mouse right below corner. And do that again you will return back.

5. Privacy

You can add the files which you do not want to show in search results.

6. Sidebar — Finder Preferences

You can add some items to show on your sidebar.

And you will see the side bar like below.

7. New Finder Window — Finder Preferences

When you open your finder you will see the recent page that you open. Instead of this, you can set another path as a default window.

8. Three Finger Drag

As default, you should click the head of the window to drag and drop a window. But that is not easy if you are using the touchpad of a mac. There is an easy way to do that. That is this. Do that and enjoy with your touchpad. 😊

9. Tap to Click

As you know clicking is also not easy by the touchpad. Instead of using press the touchpad let's set it as touch.

10. Desktop Items

I like to see some of the shortcuts on destop. like Macintosh HD. You can also do that like me.

11. Dark Mode

12. Multi-Touch ID

I think second or multi-touch id is one of the most important things in MAC. You can add your other finger or you can add your relative's finger.

13. Turn off the Notifications of the Unnecessary Apps

14. Connect for Sharing

If you use Iphone like me, you do want to share some files between your mac and phone. This is a good way for it.

open “Files” in your phone
Click the “…” which is top right corner
Then “Connect to Server” and write your computer name with “.local”

And you are connected.

15. Picture in Picture

16. Automatically Hide and Show the Dock

17. Hide Recent Applications

I don’t like to see recent applications in dock so I am hiding them. Because the dock bar has a limited area.

18. Use Stacks

This shows the same files as just a card. Just try it and discover it by yourself.

19. Show Status Bar

I like to see Status Bar. If you are a person like me then click the View and Show the Status Bar like me.

20. Increase Your Track Speed

21. Move Sound Icon to the Bar

Click the Toggles Icon which is on the left of the Siri, then press the volume for a few seconds then drag it to the bar.

22. Change the Screenshot Directory

By default the screenshots will save to your desktop when you took one. It makes like a trash box our destop. (At least I feel like that) So let create a folder which name is screenshots and set it as the screenshot location.

Command + Shift + 5
Options > Other Locations

and chose the folder which you create.

23. Macbook Name

If you want to change your Macbook name, you can search Sharing Preferences on Spotlight Search and use this page.

24. Multi-Language for Keyboard

I am a Turkish guy and I have a Turkish keyboard layout on my MAC. But I also have an external English layout keyboard which is Keychron K2. And I am using the English language when I am coding something. If you are a guy like me you can add the English Language to your system. Open the Keyboard your System Preferences and add it like below.