MacBooks and iMacs are a new breed of computers that have taken the world by storm. The MacOS is incredibly feature-rich and runs smoothly, making it a popular choice among users. Whether one is a newcomer to macOS or has been using a MacBook for a long time, there are several lesser-known functions that can significantly enhance one’s workflow efficiency. Here are seven fantastic features that every Mac user should be aware of.

Take screenshots easily
Capturing screenshots on MacOS is a breeze. The operating system has a built-in application that allows users to take screenshots and record screen material with ease. This application provides an interface that looks like a dashboard, with all the settings required to take a screen grab located in one convenient location. Users can choose to record a specific region of the screen, enable or disable mouse pointer and microphone input, and much more. To access the screenshot app on MacOS, simply use the launchpad or the shortcut “Cmd + Shift + 5” on any Macbook, including the Mac Pro, Mac Mini, M2 Mac Mini, and Mac Mini with M2 Pro.

Customize the Dock
The Dock can be repositioned to the side or even to the top of the screen, while it is normally situated at the bottom. Click and hold the Dock to drag it to the correct place. One can rearrange what shows in the Dock in addition to moving it around. To accomplish this, click the “Dock” icon in the System Preferences application. This is where one can adjust the Dock’s size and position, as well as add or remove things.

Use the emoji tray
Entering an emoji on a computer might be a pain, particularly if the program doesn’t have an integrated feature. However, Macs, whether they are 14-inch Macs, 16-inch Macs, or 15-inch MacBook Air, have an emoji picker built in. To pin the emoji tray to the menu bar of a Mac, navigate to System Preferences > Keyboard. Under the “Input Sources” section, confirm that the “Show input menu in menu bar” checkbox is activated. To view the emojis, click the newly added input symbol in the menu bar and select “Show Emoji & Symbols.”

Access the dictionary
While reading an eBook or a PDF document, one often comes across incomprehensible terms. This hinders the reading experience and breaks the smooth flow of the reader’s experience. On Mac systems, however, a few shortcut choices make it simple to access the dictionary. Use ⌘⌃D and hover over the term to get its definition. The vocabulary can then be accessed instantaneously by double-tapping (three fingers for the most recent Mac versions like Mac Studio with M2 Ultra and M2 Max).

Disable notifications
If one uses a Mac and wants to avoid unwanted distractions while working, one can easily disable notifications. To do this, open the Notification Center and scroll down to access the Do Not Disturb feature. Turn it on to stop receiving notifications for the day. Deactivating notifications is one of the easiest ways to maintain Focus while working and avoid being interrupted by obtrusive notifications. One can also schedule the Do Not Disturb feature for specific times or events. If one has updated to macOS Monterey, one can use the new Focus feature similar to Do Not Disturb.

Convert the screen corner to a shortcut
Learning keyboard shortcuts can be overwhelming at times. However, hot corners on macOS can be a great alternative. With hot corners, users can assign specific commands to each of the four corners of the screen, where macOS will automatically launch the selected shortcut when the cursor is placed over them. To set up hot corners, navigate to System Preferences > Mission Control and choose “Hot Corners.” From there, select a corner and customize the action by choosing the desired command from the dropdown menu.

Use Night Shift
Using devices that emit too much blue light can make it difficult to fall asleep. To promote better sleep, we recommend turning off or locking electronics and avoiding doomscrolling before bedtime. However, if one needs to work late at night, consider lowering the amount of blue light emitted by the Mac display. One can do this by enabling Night Shift in System Preferences > Displays > Night Shift. Here, one can customize the color temperature and schedule when the Night Shift will turn on and off. This will help reduce eye strain and improve one’s quality of sleep.