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The Macbook you have been using for a while might have more features than you expect. It just so happens that every new OS version brings in a lot of neat stuff, but most users do not even bother figuring out what it is.
Given how most live their life in the fast lane, it is a bit surprising to see that there is no great need looking for more efficient ways of working. In case you are in the opposite camp and would like to learn more about your Macbook, this is the perfect place to start.
Improving Performance
There should not be any problems at the very start, but the overall performance tends to go down after a while. It happens for a number of reasons. MacPaw website is great when it comes to reading material about this problem. Most of these tips will help to speed up macos catalina or any other OS version you currently have.
Screen Magnification and Text Size
Simple things can make a huge difference. Macbooks have relatively high-resolution screens and some people experience problems looking at it. But you can make changes according to your needs by going to System Preferences and clicking on Displays. Try out multiple different setups and see which one fits your needs the most.
Notifications
If you own a smartphone (which you do), notifications can get pretty annoying and everyone has most of them turned off. If you end up getting overwhelmed with pop-ups and other similar stuff on your computer as well, go to System Preferences and Notifications.
Dark Mode
Eyes get tired after looking at a screen for a long time. Some people can no longer take it and enable dark or night shift modes. The former is in the Appearance tab, and the night shift is in the Display that can be navigated from System Preferences.
Dock
The bar with icons at the bottom of the screen is called Dock. While the default mode is what most users stick to, customizing it could also be something worth your while.
You can put it at either the left or right side of the screen, reduce or increase the size, and customize it in other ways.
Writing
Some individuals could not work without a computer. And when there is something that gives you an edge, it is only natural that there is interest in it. Writers have it pretty great when it comes to Macbook because of its lightweight and keyboard backlight. But that is not all.
You will have to look pretty hard to find such great applications like Pages or Keynote. And if the main duties of your work include writing, you will definitely want to use the aforementioned applications.
Keyboard Shortcuts
When it comes to pure efficiency, nothing beats making use of keyboard shortcuts. Start with holding down the command key and pressing tab. You can toggle through all the running apps. Meanwhile, if you want to switch windows in the same application, press ~ while holding down the command key.
There are plenty of other great shortcuts that can be found on the official Apple support website, so be sure to give that one a look.
Reminders App
It would be impossible to keep track of every trivial thing you need to take care of if the week ahead of you is extremely busy. That is where the Reminders application comes in, giving you peace of mind knowing that you will not forget anything.
You can customize the schedule in every imaginable way, add attachments, tag other people, locations, etc. And when something happens, a notification sound will make sure to give you a loud-enough warning.
Text Dictation
You may find your hands too busy in some instances, but still need to continue working. When that happens, use text-to-speech. The Voice Control is in the Accessibility tab of your System Preferences.
iCloud
It would be foolish to not use software like iCloud. You get 5 gigabytes for free, and if that is not enough, there is an option to upgrade the plan by paying only 1 dollar every month.
Transferring some of your files into clouds lessens the burden on the hard drive. Not to mention the fact that an HHD can break down at any point in time, leaving you with nothing. On the other hand, stuff on iCloud will always be in safe hands.
Second Screen via iPad
Catalina OS has introduced a new Sidecar feature. Sidecar allows you to use an iPad as a second screen.
Location Tracking
Apps like Weather and Safari rely on location tracking a lot. But there is no need to give your personal data to every single application. Adjustments can be made in the Privacy section when you select Location Services. Every box you untick will turn off location tracking for that app.