Mac Tips

If you just got yourself a MacBook Air M2, there are a ton of new tips and tricks to get to know. Regardless of whether you’re a veteran or a new Mac user, these MacBook Air M2 tips and tricks are ones you’ll want to take advantage of. Check out the best MacBook Air M2 tips and tricks to make the most out of your computer.

Best MacBook Air M2 tips and tricks

1. Use your iPhone as a webcam

The first MacBook Air M2 trick you should know about is Continuity Camera, which turns your iPhone into your Mac’s webcam.

While you may be familiar with the Continuity Camera feature from previous versions of macOS, in Ventura, the Cupertino tech giant has expanded the feature with iPhone webcam support. You can mount an iPhone to your Mac or place it on a stand and Ventura automatically senses the device and wirelessly connects to it. You can then use your iPhone’s camera in FaceTime and other apps on your Mac.

With an iPhone as a webcam, you also gain the ability to use Center Stage to keep you in the center of the frame, as well as Portrait mode. If you’re using an iPhone 12 or newer, there’s a Studio Light feature that uses the iPhone flash to provide better lighting. And finally, a nifty Desk View feature creates a two-shot view, one of the person, and another of the desktop in front of the Mac, which cane come in handy when doing demos.

2. Show live Captions in FaceTime calls

Another cool MacBook Air M2 trick lets you enable live captions during your FaceTime calls, complete with speaker attribution. These captions apply to all videos on your Mac, so no matter what you’re watching, you can follow along.

When the Live Captions feature is enabled, the spoken words of the person you’re talking to are transcribed in a window on the right side of the FaceTime window.

To activate this feature, follow the steps below:

1. Head over to System Settings.
2. Click Accessibility.
3. Click Live Captions (Beta).
4. In the “In-App Live Captions” section switch on Live Captions in FaceTime.

Apart from using Live Captions on FaceTime, you can use the feature while watching a video that doesn’t have captions. But as it says in the name, Live Captions is in beta, which means you could run into bugs, inaccurate captions, and other quirks.

3. Unsend Messages and emails

I understand you might not need to use this MacBook Air M2 trick right away, but it’s happened to all of us—we send an email or text to the wrong person, make a silly spelling mistake, or just wish we could immediately take back the note we just sent. Thankfully, a cool MacBook Air M2 trick makes it possible to unsend messages. Follow the steps below

1. In Messages, right-click on the message bubble.
2. In the pop-up that appears on the screen, click Undo Send.

Please note: Apple offers you two minutes to unsend a message after sending it. Once it’s unsent, the message will be deleted but the recipient will see a note that says that the message was deleted. This feature is also available on iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 and only works only when everyone involved is using iMessage. A text message sent from an iPhone to an Android phone or another non-Apple device cannot be unsent.

In Mail, after you send an email, you have 10 seconds to unsend it. At the bottom of the Sidebar, an Undo Send link appears and you can click it to undo the sent email. This feature is also available in iOS 16 for iPhone and iPadOS 16 for iPad.

4. Quickly lift a subject from the background in photos

If you’ve been spending lots of time in an image editing app to remove the background in a photo, then you’ll you’ll appreciate the time saving aspect of this MacBook Air M2 trick. With this feature, you can automatically select the subject that you want, copy it, and then you can paste it anywhere.

This feature is available in both the Preview and Photos apps that come with macOS Ventura, and it also works in Quick Look when you select a file in the Finder and press the spacebar to see a preview. Follow the steps below:

1. Point the cursor over the subject.
2. Right-click it.
3. Mouse over Copy Subject in the pop-up menu. Ventura senses the subject and shows you what will be selected with a glowing outline.
4. Click the Copy Selection command, and you can then paste it into a new image.

This feature is also available in iOS 16 for the iPhone and iPadOS 16 for the iPad.

5. Password-protect Hidden and Recently Deleted photos

If you use Photos to manage your pictures, the app allows you to hide an image from your feed if you right-click it and then select Hide Photo. It gets placed in a Hidden photo album, but before this MacBook Air M2 trick was developed, anyone who has access to your Mac account can open that album.

Finally, in Ventura, the Hidden photo album–as well as the Recently Deleted folder–can be password-protected. To turn this on, follow the steps below:

1. Head over to Photos.
2. Click Settings.
3. Click General.
4. In the Privacy section, check the box for Use Password.

Now, when those albums are accessed, you’ll need to type in your user password or use Touch ID. Make sure not to forget it.

6. Play background white noise

White noise can help with your concentration, especially if you’re in an area with a lot of distractions, or it’s dead silent. With this hidden MacBook Air M2 trick, you can have white noise play from your Mac, and you can turn it on and off as you like. Follow the steps below:

1. Head over to System Settings.
2. Click Accessibility.
3. Click Audio.
4. Scroll down to the Background Sounds section, and you can flip the switch to turn it on.
5. You can also choose the type of sound you want to play and adjust the volume. After it’s all set up, you can turn it on and off in the Control Center.

7. Kill time with the Clock app

Apple added the Clock app that is on iOS and iPadOS on the Mac. It works just like it does on the iPhone and iPad, so it’s all very familiar. You can set timers and alarms, and track different times all over the world in a easy to use interface that lets you see time zones in locations all over the world. And it also works with Siri on the Mac, so you can use voice commands instead of opening the app.

8. Stage Manager

Stage Manager is a new feature in macOS 13 Ventura for organizing your windows. If you work in several applications at a time, Stage Manager can be used to easily switch between apps and documents, saving you from the headache of finding the window you need.

It’s easy to set up, but it’s a big change from what we’ve been using for decades on the Mac.

You can turn on/off Stage Manager in the Control Center, but you can also activate and customize it in System Settings. Follow the steps below:

1. Head over to System Settings.
2. Select Desktop & Dock in the left column.
3. In the main section of the window, scroll down until you find the Stage Manager section. Click the switch to turn on/off Stage Manager. When you turn it on for the first time, a pop-up window explains what Stage Manager does. You need to click the Turn On Stage Manager button to confirm that you want to turn it on.

Once you enable stage manager, the system automatically organizes your apps and windows in a single view on Mac. The function helps you focus while moving between tasks. You can even create a group of apps for specific tasks or projects. For example, you can group Lightroom, Photoshop, and Canva and pin them in Stage Manager to summon with a single click.

Similarly, you can group social media or writing apps and focus on a single project, removing other obstructions.

9. Search better with Spotlight

I don’t know about you, but Spotlight is an integral tool for my Mac use. I use it for everything, from opening new apps, to looking up definitions and websites, and finding files on my computer.

Apple added some great updates to Spotlight with Ventura. Now, you can preview files with Quick Look by pressing the spacebar, which will give you a much better look at the file than the current preview window. My favorite, though, are the new quick actions. You can run a shortcut, set a timer, or Shazam a song, right from Spotlight.

You’ll also see web image results for queries, so you can search for images of people, animals, monuments, and more. Speaking of images, you can use Spotlight to search for pictures through your various apps, including Photos, Messages, Notes, and Finder, using keywords like locations, text, pets, etc.

10. Split the screen between two apps

Your MacBook Air has a split screen view that automatically resizes two windows side-by-side.

We all work on multiple windows at once. You need information from the web to write something in a document or fill in a spreadsheet. Or you have to read a PDF of a report while you compose an email introducing it to your team.

You can easily resize windows on your MacBook Air by clicking and dragging the edge. But you might still end up with multiple windows floating around. When you go to your Word doc, your spreadsheet disappears. Then your browser window covers your email.

The split screen view is a simple and elegant solution to the floating windows problem. Split view neatly positions two windows to fill your entire screen. Your other 296 windows disappear, temporarily.

Think of it as a dual focus mode.

Splitting the screen of your MacBook Air and using two apps side-by-side only requires a few steps.

In the top left corner of a window, hover over the green circle with your cursor. This will bring up a small menu. Click on Tile Window (to the left or right of screen). You’ll then get prompted to choose another open window for the other half of the screen. Choose one, and voila! You can work with both windows open simultaneously.

11. Use Dictation instead of typing

Tired of typing long articles, essays, or reports? Are your hands occupied by something else? MacBook Air M2 offers a cool Dictation feature. Just hit the Microphone (F5) button on your keyboard and start talking. Your Mac will type everything you’re saying instantly. This feature saves you time and effort, assuming your speech is faster than your typing speed.

12. Force quit an app

Is an app not responding? Are you primarily working on your keyboard and don’t want to move the cursor to the top left to hit the red circle? Tired of apps just minimizing when clicking the red circle instead of completely shutting down? This MacBook Air M2 trick is for you! Just hold on the Command button and click Q. Careful, though — if you have unsaved changes in the app, you will most likely lose them if you quit using this method.

13. Take a screenshot without using the dedicated app

If you quickly want to take a screenshot of your entire screen, you can just hold Command and Shift then click 3. A thumbnail of the screenshot will appear in the bottom right corner. You can click that to edit, delete, or share it.

14. Easily switch between open apps

Do you have several open apps and you need to switch between them from time to time? If you’re in fullscreen or split-screen mode, the Dock is hidden. And even if you’re not in either modes, finding the right open app can be time-consuming. Fortunately, there’s a shortcut for that. Hold on the Command button and click Tab to show open apps. Keep holding Command and click Tab again to move the selector to the second open app. Release your fingers if you want to switch to the second app. If not, keep on clicking Tab, until the selector reaches the app you want to switch to, then finally release your fingers. It sounds confusing, in theory, but once you try and get used to it, it becomes a time-saver.

15. Instantly delete a file

The Trash on macOS exists for a reason — retrieving files we accidentally delete, or in case we change our minds. However, sometimes we’re pretty sure we don’t want a certain file to stick around, such as embarrassing photos. So instead of moving to Trash then permanently deleting it, you can just hold Command and Option, then click the Delete button on your keyboard, after selecting the file. This will permanently delete it after confirmation, so make sure you’ve selected the correct file. It’s worth mentioning that holding on just Command (without Option) then clicking Delete will move a file to the Trash. Additionally, holding Command and Option, then clicking Delete will empty the Trash. They’re handy shortcuts that I use frequently.

16. Copy and paste between Mac and iPhone

If you have an iPhone and a MacBook Air, you can copy from either device and paste it in the other, and this includes photos as well — not just text. All you have to do is have Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Handoff enabled on both while using the same Apple ID. Copy the info on one device, and just paste it like you’d normally do on the other.

17. Paste text without the pre-formatting

If you’re copying text from a document or Wikipedia, for example, it sometimes gets pasted with the original formatting. So you end up with bullet points, links, large headers, or other unwanted formatting. To paste something as plain text, hold on Option, Command, and Shift, then click V. This will paste the text and match its style to the current document you’re working on, while disregarding the original formatting. If the key combination is too hard for you to memorize, you can alternatively click on Edit in the Menu Bar, followed by Paste and Match Style.

Tweak, Customize and Be Productive with These MacBook Air M2 tips and tricks

These MacBook Air M2 tips and tricks will change the way you interact with your Mac. Once you get used to and integrate them into your workflows, you will find yourself saving a lot of time and effort. Personally, I take advantage of most of them almost daily, and they never fail to impress.

Which of these MacBook Air M2 tips and tricks is your favorite? Let us know in the comments section below.

Whether you have a new Mac or just got around to updating your old one, macOS Ventura has a ton of new features to get to know. Regardless of whether you’re a veteran or a new Mac user, these macOS Ventura tips and tricks are ones you’ll want to take advantage of. Check out the best macOS Ventura tips and tricks to make the most out of your Mac.

On the surface, macOS Ventura may appear so complex, however it’s actually very easy to use. You can do a lot on macOS Ventura, if you’re a power user. And if you’re a beginner who only wants to learn a few tips and tricks, then worry not — the OS is intuitive to use, and you’ll find your way around. macOS Ventura has a ton of hidden features that not all users are aware of. They’re sometimes very basic, yet make a difference when incorporating them into a person’s workflow. Here are the best macOS Ventura tips and tricks you should know about.

1. Use your iPhone as a webcam

Did you buy a new iMac, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, or Apple Studio Display? Brace yourself, because there’s something not so good about those machines: the built-in FaceTime camera is a disappointment. But if you own an iPhone 11 or newer, you can skip that camera and use a new macOS Ventura trick that lets you use your iPhone as a webcam with Continuity Camera.

While you may be familiar with the Continuity Camera feature from previous versions of macOS, in Ventura, the Cupertino tech giant has expanded the feature with iPhone webcam support. You can mount an iPhone to your Mac or place it on a stand and Ventura automatically senses the device and wirelessly connects to it. You can then use your iPhone’s camera in FaceTime and other apps on your Mac.

With an iPhone as a webcam, you also gain the ability to use Center Stage to keep you in the center of the frame, as well as Portrait mode. If you’re using an iPhone 12 or newer, there’s a Studio Light feature that uses the iPhone flash to provide better lighting. And finally, a nifty Desk View feature creates a two-shot view, one of the person, and another of the desktop in front of the Mac, which cane come in handy when doing demos.

2. Show live Captions in FaceTime calls

If you’re experiencing trouble hearing the person you’re having a FaceTime call with, you can solve that problem with this macOS Ventura trick. When the Live Captions feature is enabled, the spoken words of the person you’re talking to are transcribed in a window on the right side of the FaceTime window.

To activate this feature, follow the steps below:

1. Head over to System Settings.
2. Click Accessibility.
3. Click Live Captions (Beta).
4. In the “In-App Live Captions” section switch on Live Captions in FaceTime.

Apart from using Live Captions on FaceTime, you can use the feature while watching a video that doesn’t have captions. But as it says in the name, Live Captions is in beta, which means you could run into bugs, inaccurate captions, and other quirks.

3. Unsend Messages and emails

I understand you might not need to use this macOS Ventura trick right away, but it’s happened to all of us—we send an email or text to the wrong person, make a silly spelling mistake, or just wish we could immediately take back the note we just sent. Thankfully, a cool macOS Ventura trick makes it possible to unsend messages. Follow the steps below

1. In Messages, right-click on the message bubble.
2. In the pop-up that appears on the screen, click Undo Send.

Please note: Apple offers you two minutes to unsend a message after sending it. Once it’s unsent, the message will be deleted but the recipient will see a note that says that the message was deleted. This feature is also available on iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 and only works only when everyone involved is using iMessage. A text message sent from an iPhone to an Android phone or another non-Apple device cannot be unsent.

In Mail, after you send an email, you have 10 seconds to unsend it. At the bottom of the Sidebar, an Undo Send link appears and you can click it to undo the sent email. This feature is also available in iOS 16 for iPhone and iPadOS 16 for iPad.

4. Quickly lift a subject from the background in photos

If you’ve been spending lots of time in an image editing app to remove the background in a photo, then you’ll you’ll appreciate the time saving aspect of this macOS Ventura trick. With this feature, you can automatically select the subject that you want, copy it, and then you can paste it anywhere.

This feature is available in both the Preview and Photos apps that come with macOS Ventura, and it also works in Quick Look when you select a file in the Finder and press the spacebar to see a preview. Follow the steps below:

1. Point the cursor over the subject.
2. Right-click it.
3. Mouse over Copy Subject in the pop-up menu. Ventura senses the subject and shows you what will be selected with a glowing outline.
4. Click the Copy Selection command, and you can then paste it into a new image.

This feature is also available in iOS 16 for the iPhone and iPadOS 16 for the iPad.

5. Password-protect Hidden and Recently Deleted photos

If you use Photos to manage your pictures, the app allows you to hide an image from your feed if you right-click it and then select Hide Photo. It gets placed in a Hidden photo album, but before this macOS Ventura trick was developed, anyone who has access to your Mac account can open that album.

Finally, in Ventura, the Hidden photo album–as well as the Recently Deleted folder–can be password-protected. To turn this on, follow the steps below:

1. Head over to Photos.
2. Click Settings.
3. Click General.
4. In the Privacy section, check the box for Use Password.

Now, when those albums are accessed, you’ll need to type in your user password or use Touch ID. Make sure not to forget it.

6. Play background white noise

White noise can help with your concentration, especially if you’re in an area with a lot of distractions, or it’s dead silent. With this hidden macOS Ventura trick, you can have white noise play from your Mac, and you can turn it on and off as you like. Follow the steps below:

1. Head over to System Settings.
2. Click Accessibility.
3. Click Audio.
4. Scroll down to the Background Sounds section, and you can flip the switch to turn it on.
5. You can also choose the type of sound you want to play and adjust the volume. After it’s all set up, you can turn it on and off in the Control Center.

7. Kill time with the Clock app

Apple added the Clock app that is on iOS and iPadOS on the Mac. It works just like it does on the iPhone and iPad, so it’s all very familiar. You can set timers and alarms, and track different times all over the world in a easy to use interface that lets you see time zones in locations all over the world. And it also works with Siri on the Mac, so you can use voice commands instead of opening the app.

8. Stage Manager

Stage Manager is a new feature in macOS 13 Ventura for organizing your windows. If you work in several applications at a time, Stage Manager can be used to easily switch between apps and documents, saving you from the headache of finding the window you need.

It’s easy to set up, but it’s a big change from what we’ve been using for decades on the Mac.

You can turn on/off Stage Manager in the Control Center, but you can also activate and customize it in System Settings. Follow the steps below:

1. Head over to System Settings.
2. Select Desktop & Dock in the left column.
3. In the main section of the window, scroll down until you find the Stage Manager section. Click the switch to turn on/off Stage Manager. When you turn it on for the first time, a pop-up window explains what Stage Manager does. You need to click the Turn On Stage Manager button to confirm that you want to turn it on.

Once you enable stage manager, the system automatically organizes your apps and windows in a single view on Mac. The function helps you focus while moving between tasks. You can even create a group of apps for specific tasks or projects. For example, you can group Lightroom, Photoshop, and Canva and pin them in Stage Manager to summon with a single click.

Similarly, you can group social media or writing apps and focus on a single project, removing other obstructions.

Tweak, Customize and Be Productive with These macOS Ventura tips and tricks

Whether you are a power user or trying to get familiar with macOS Ventura, these tips and tricks will help you adjust to the changes in the new OS.

If you know of any other cool macOS Ventura tips and tricks not listed here, drop a comment and let us know.

Be warned that there are many fake MacBook Pro for sale and while clones or fakes are becoming increasingly more popular you can still tell the difference. The last thing you want is to buy MacBook Pro clone. So if you are worried that you may buy a fake MacBook Pro or a Clone MacBook Pro then this comprehensive guide is for you. Here is the step-by-step guide which will help you to spot a fake MacBook Pro and distinguish it from the original.

Note: the tips explain in this article can be used to spot a fake MacBook Air as well.

How to identify a fake MacBook Pro

Here’s how you can find out if your MacBook Pro is fake or not:

1. How to Tell If MacBook Pro is Fake: Check the Serial Number

The Serial Number is the fingerprint of a product. It is a combination of numbers and letters assigned only to a specific unit produced.

You can use your Serial Number to check if your MacBook Pro is fake or original. Apple has an online to check a product’s warranty status. Just enter the MacBook’ serial number and, if you find it there, it’s the real deal. If you don’t, you’ve spotted fake MacBook Pro.

So, to spot fake MacBook Pro using this trick, follow these steps:

First, find the Serial Number of your MacBook Pro. Here’s how:

• In About This Mac: From the Apple Menu in the corner of your screen, choose About This Mac. You should see an overview of your Mac including the Serial Number.
• In system information: The System Information App also shows your Mac serial Number. Open the app, then select Hardware on the left side of the system information window. The Serial Number appears on the right.
• On the packaging of your MacBook Pro: You can also check the Serial Number on your packaging of the MacBook Pro. It is printed on the outside of your MacBook Pro package.

Now, the most foolproof way to tell if MacBook Pro is fake is to go directly to the source: Apple.

• In your web browser, go to Apple’s coverage checking tool.
• Enter the serial number, the CAPTCHA, and click Continue.
• If the tool returns information for that serial number (especially a valid purchased date), the MacBook Pro is real.

2. How to Spot Fake MacBook Pro: Build Quality

Apple is famous for the very high quality of its devices. You shouldn’t see any seams in the plastic, the ports and connectors are tight and sturdy, and the color of Apple products (like MacBook Pro) is clean and bright. If your MacBook Pro seem a little low quality, the pieces are loose, or the color isn’t perfect, you might have knock-off MacBook Pro.

3. How to Spot Fake MacBook Pro: Pricing

Prices of Apple products are a bit high compared to products of other companies. Counterfeit sellers take this as an advantage to sell fake Apple products at a reduced price to attract more buyers. At the end the buyer will end up with a fake Apple product.

MacBook Pro comes in three different designs, that is 13 inch, 14 inch and 16 inch with each having a different price. The starting retail price for MacBook Pro 13 inch is $1299, while MacBook Pro 14 inch is $1999, and MacBook Pro 16 inch is $ 2499.

As you can see, Apple products aren’t cheap. If you paid much less than that—say, $500 for MacBook Pro—they might not be real.

4. How to Spot Fake MacBook Pro: Packaging

When it comes to packaging, Apple takes the lead. Their packaging is of high quality which makes it hard for counterfeit manufacturers to fake it. Although some fake MacBook Pros are being produced and packed the same as Apple packs, it’s hard for them to fake it all.

The packaging of a MacBook Pro comes in a box which is white in colour and at the top of the box, a MacBook Pro is smartly drawn there. When you open the box, you will find the only plastic used in the outer layer to protect any dust from entering inside the box. The rest of the materials are of high quality and unique cardboard that protect the MacBook pro. Inside the box you will find a power adapter, a cable, Apple stickers and some paperwork for guide and warranty.

Just like the build quality of Apple products is high, so is the packaging quality. The boxes’ fit is tight, the quality of the printing high, the placement of stickers perfect. Apple’s quality control for its products is exacting, so if your MacBook Pro doesn’t meet that mark, it could be fake.

5. Check the Operating system

Original MacBook Pro comes with macOS installed. This is not something you’ll find on fake MacBook Pro. Usually, the installed operating system is free or open access such as Windows or Linux rather than macOS. This is a complete dead giveaway of a fake MacBook Pro.

6. How to Tell If MacBook Pro is Fake: Try to Use Siri

Another reliable way to tell if MacBook Pro is fake is by doing something only authentic MacBook can do.

Siri is your intelligent personal assistant, helping you to multitask and get things done on your MacBook Pro. For example you can be working on a document on your MacBook Pro and you need to send a message to your friend. You don’t have to close the document and open the messages to write your friend a message. You can command Siri to send the message to your friend without you having to stop what you are doing by closing the document.

Siri is one thing that counterfeit manufacturers have never been able to fake. If you try to use Siri but don’t see the feature on your device, we’re sorry to tell you, but your MacBook Pro is a crone one.

7. How to Tell If MacBook Pro is Fake: Check it’s ability to connect with other Apple Devices

The Apple Ecosystem is the best Ecosystem that there has ever been. Apple products connect smoothly with each other. MacBook Pro, also being one of Apple products should connect well with other Apple Devices.

If you have logged in your MacBook Pro with the same Apple ID as your other Apple Devices they should connect seamlessly. For example you can be typing on your MacBook Pro and the battery dies. You don’t have to wait for your MacBook Pro to get charged for you to continue with your work. You can take either your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch to continue what you were trying with your MacBook. That is called continuity in Apple. It’s no doubt copycats will never  forge this magical feature. If your MacBook Pro doesn’t connect with other Apple Devices, it might be a fake.

8. Take your MacBook Pro to Apple reseller store to check if it’s fake

Apple reseller stores are available in many countries all over the world. You can check the nearest Apple store on Apple’s website. If you have purchased or you are in possession of a MacBook Pro and you need it to be validated to know if it’s genuine, you can take it to any Apple reseller store. They have qualified engineers and technicians who can check your MacBook if it’s genuine or fake.

Even if your MacBook Pro is found to be fake, you can not get a refund of your money or your fake MacBook Pro can’t be exchanged with an original one because Apple is not responsible for any purchase of any clone Apple products.

To avoid such mistakes, it is advised when you are purchasing any Apple product, just buy it from a recognized Apple Reseller store. If you are doing purchases online make sure you are buying from a genuine Apple store App.

Conclusion

Authenticating MacBook Pro is as tricky as ever. With the things we discussed above, though, you should be properly armed to take on the challenge. Now, you won’t be easily fooled by those who want to take advantage of you. The only thing left for you to do is to go get that MacBook Pro! Before you go, check out our article on how to spot a fake Apple Watch.

As cybercrime continues to increase, more people are realizing that they need to take their online security into their own hands. In this article, you can get some tips on how to best protect your Mac in a simple way and secure your data.

To keep your Mac safe, there are plenty of different things that you can do. Often the built-in security settings aren’t functioning properly if you don’t follow up on them. This leaves your Mac vulnerable and exposed to the increasing threat of cybercrime. Aside from your Mac’s security settings, there is a long list of security measures that you can take to stay safe in 2023. Read more about them here.

Keep your macOS software updated

The first and simplest thing that you should always make sure to do is to keep your Mac’s own software and program updated. It is very simple to update your software to the newest OS X version, which usually has fixed several security problems in the previous version. Go to your system preferences and find the software update button.

Change the privacy setting and default settings

When you’re already in your settings, you should also take a look at the privacy settings and the default security settings. Your Mac can potentially have settings that give a variety of apps access to view and share your data. This can be accessed to your data such as calendars, contacts, location, etc.

This is also a good time to take a look at the passwords you use on your Mac. Both to your Mac and its settings, but also on all the accounts that you access via your Mac. Make sure that you update all these passwords regularly and that you always use strong and unique passwords.

Use a high-quality Mac antivirus program and a VPN

The next thing you should do is to get yourself a high-quality antivirus program. Find one that is specifically made to fight macOS malware. This is to keep you safe from things like ransomware, spyware, phishing, keyloggers, and other data breaches. Protection against these types of attacks should be at the essence of your security efforts.

Another thing you should get for your Mac is a VPN. VPNs are great to protect your Mac from hackers when you use public Wi-Fi or unsecured websites. The third thing you can also consider getting is a firewall if you want to increase your safety further.

Use iCloud two-factor authentication

Another impact to stop hackers is two-factor authentication. This is the extra layer of protection that will stop hackers from being able to access your accounts even if they do have your passwords. When you use two-factor authentication for iCloud, your account will be much more secure. You can easily do this by going to system preferences on your Mac. Find many more tips on Mac here.

Whether your Mac comes with 128 GB or 1 TB of space, chances are you will inevitably see the notorious “Your disk is almost full” message somewhere down the road, prompting you to revert to the healthy 20% of open disk space.

The first thing that comes to mind is to purge your unused apps and files you forgot you had. But that may not be enough. Your Mac stores a lot of other data as well, such as email attachments, language files, cached files, and so on. In this post, we’ve put together bits of advice to clear your Mac’s storage with due diligence. Hopefully, these tips will help you get more space on your device.

Clear all bins

We typically delete files in the same way, which is moving them to the Bin. While it’s an excellent way to store files you may (or may not) need later, your once deleted files may be significant space invaders. An obvious recipe here is to clear the Bin by accessing it from the Dock.

Apart from the main Bin located on your Dock, your system may have other bins as well, for example, the Photo app’s trash bin. As such, make sure you dive into your apps and clear the files inside the apps that have their internal bins.

Uninstall applications

The more apps you have on your Mac, the less space is free on your disk. You can review how much space each app costs you by going to Finder – Applications. Then, you should click the gear icon and find the Sort By option. Choose “size” and review your apps in order from the most to the least sizable. To get more free space, you need to purge apps you don’t care about by going to Finder on your Dock – Applications. To remove an app, simply drag its icon to the Bin.

Clear Mail attachments

Attachments tend to pile up on your hard drive, especially if you’ve used Mail for years without taking the plunge and deleting them. To prevent the files from winding up on your disk in the future, dive deeper into the settings of your email services by going Account – Download Attachments – None.

To do away with your old attachments, you should open Finder and enter “mail downloads” in the search field. It will bring up the Mail Downloads folder so you can delete its contents.

Dial down on language files

Your Mac is multilingual. On top of the language(s) you chose during the set up, it supports other languages and stores files for all of them. It can cost you a lot of space, so it makes sense to delete the files pertaining to the languages you never use, especially if your Mac comes with limited space capacity. Here’s how you can remove language files:

1. Go to the Applications folder via Finder

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2. Choose an app and right-click on it

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3. Select Show Package Contents from the drop-down menu

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4. Open the Contents folder and find the Resources folder

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5. Locate folders with the .lproj extension

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The name of the folder indicates the language, for example, fr.lproj for French. If you only want to stick to English, you should manually delete all other language files. Repeat the process for all of your apps. After that, clear the Bin.

Finally, Clear temporary files

Your browser may be teeming with temporary files, deleting which will help you regain a chunk of free space and even boost up your Mac’s speed. Files like this help your browser load information faster as they pull up data from websites you’ve visited. Over time, the cache may get overboard, which causes slowness and poor performance. Thus, it’s a good idea to clear your browser cache from time to time. Apart from the browser cache, your Mac can also contain a wealth of temporary system files. You can access them via Finder – Go (in the menu bar) – Go to Folder. After you open the search field, enter ~/Library/Caches, which will take you to the folder with temporary files. Here you can delete files and folders manually.

In the end, note that your Mac has amazing storage management tools designed to help you get more space on your Mac without sacrificing your valuable files.