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:
- Head over to System Settings.
- Click Accessibility.
- Click Live Captions (Beta).
- 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
- In Messages, right-click on the message bubble.
- 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:
- Point the cursor over the subject.
- Right-click it.
- Mouse over Copy Subject in the pop-up menu. Ventura senses the subject and shows you what will be selected with a glowing outline.
- 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:
- Head over to Photos.
- Click Settings.
- Click General.
- 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:
- Head over to System Settings.
- Click Accessibility.
- Click Audio.
- Scroll down to the Background Sounds section, and you can flip the switch to turn it on.
- 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:
- Head over to System Settings.
- Select Desktop & Dock in the left column.
- 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.