5 Hidden Features in Your Mac You Should Start Using

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5 Hidden Features in Your Mac You Should Start Using

1. Decide which programs open at startup

Many programs open automatically when you turn on your Mac, which can be both annoying and time-efficient depending on which and how many programs are involved.

Fortunately, there is a setting where you can decide for yourself exactly which programs are turned on and not at startup.

Here’s how to decide which programs start immediately when you turn on your computer:

  • Navigate to System Preferences –> Users and Groups.
  • In the column on the left, click the user you want to make changes for.
  • Click on the padlock in the left corner and enter your computer password in the window that appears.
  • Go to Startup Items. Here you can see which programs open automatically when you log in or turn on the computer. To remove a startup item, select the program in the list and click the minus symbol. If you want to add a startup item instead, click the plus icon and select a program.

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    2. Active vertices

    Another useful Mac feature that few people know about is called Active Corners. It allows you to have shortcuts that are activated when you drag your mouse to any of the corners of the screen.

    With the function, you can, for example, make your computer lock faster, take a quick note or easily go to the desktop, just by holding the mouse in a corner.

    To set Active Vertices:

  • Navigate to System Preferences –> Mission Control.
  • Click Active Vertices.
  • Choose which shortcuts you want in which corners.

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    3. Remove the background of photos automatically

    Removing the background in an image has long been both difficult and time-consuming. But that is no longer the case.

    Now there is a function in your Macbook that can remove the background in an image for you, with just a few clicks.

    Here’s how to automatically remove the background in one picture:

  • Right-click on the image whose background you want to remove.
  • Hover over Quick Actions.
  • Click Remove Background.

    • To access the feature, your Mac must be updated to MacOS Ventura or later. Check which version of MacOS you have by clicking the Apple icon in the top left corner and then clicking About This PC.

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    4. Bring up a media player

    If you have sound in the background from, for example, Spotify, Apple Music or Youtube, you can bring up a stylish media player that lets you control the sound wherever you are on the screen.

    To bring up the media player automatically:

  • Navigate to System Preferences –> Dock and Menu Bar.
  • Scroll down to Now Playing in the column on the left and click it.
  • Choose whether the media player should appear in the menu bar and whether it should do so all the time or only when playing audio.
  • When playing audio, tap the Play Now icon in your menu bar in the top right corner to bring up the media player.

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    5. More options for screenshots and screen recordings

    You probably know that you can take a quick screenshot of your screen using the ⌘+Shift+3 and ⌘+Shift+4 shortcuts, but did you know there’s another way to do it that gives you more options?

    With this function, you can choose to image a selected part of the screen, a specific window or the entire screen.

    You also get the option to record the screen. Here too, you can choose whether you want to record a specific part of the screen or the whole.

    Here’s how to get more options for screenshots and screen recordings:

  • Press ⌘+Shift+5.
  • A small toolbar will appear at the bottom of the screen where you can select which screenshot or screen recording you want to take.

    • Source: Apple.

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