10 Mac tricks to boost your productivity
From smartphones to tablets to desktops, we love our tech gadgets. And no matter how long you’ve used yours, there’s always something new to learn thanks to advancing technology and rolling updates.
Apple’s iPad is among the most popular tablets out there. If you use one, we’re willing to bet there are tricks you’ve never tried, like the split keyboard or Focus mode. Tap or click here for more iPad tips to help you get the most out of the mighty little tablet.
If you’re more of a MacBook or Mac desktop fan, we’ve gathered useful 10 tips and tricks to help you get more done.
1. Command-Space to open Spotlight
Spotlight lets you search for apps, documents, emails, contacts and other items on your Mac. Want to find things even faster? Press Command-Space on your keyboard to instantly open Spotlight. Type in what you’re looking for and a list of relevant searches, folders, maps, images, messages and other files will appear. Use your mouse or arrow keys to find what you’re looking for.
Once you have your results, you have many options including preview, open, copy and show location.
Related: 10 secret keyboard tricks to save you time every single day
2. Notification Center widgets
Widgets let you view reminders, appointments, birthdays, the weather, top headlines, notes and more right from the desktop — available on macOS Big Sur and later.
Scroll to the bottom of the Notification Center and click Edit Widgets then click the add button in the corner of any widget. If the widget is available in different sizes, click the small, medium or large button before adding it.
You can drag widgets around to reorder them and click the remove button to remove a widget if you no longer want to use it.
3. Split view
The X-rated codes behind these popular emojis will shock you
If you’re like most people, you love using emojis to convey thoughts and feelings. A recent Google update even lets you design your own emoji creations with its custom keyboard. Tap or click to find out how.
But there are a few emojis or combinations of emojis you may want to steer clear of to avoid some awkward situations.
Create your own emoji combinations with Google's new custom keyboard
Jump on Google Play or the iOS App Store and you’ll find hundreds of custom keyboard apps. Some give you access to characters from other languages, while others make it easier for you to type. But the most popular keyboards of all focus on giving you more of one thing: Emojis.