Jun 18, 2019 If you want your Mac App Store apps to update automatically, launch the App Store, then click on “App Store” in the top-left corner of the screen. Choose “Preferences” and make sure “Automatic Updates” is enabled. Updating Apps Installed Outside of the Mac App Store. Dec 27, 2019 It does what any good task manager should: make it easy to jot down a new task, accomplish what you have to do today, and it stay out of your way the.
- Apps You Need To Have On Your Mac
- Apps You Need On Your Macbook Air
- Apps You Should Have On Your Computer
So, you've purchased your new Mac and you've got it all set up. Now, you're sitting in front of your screen, wondering what to do next. Lucky for you, we've got this useful guide to understanding the basic anatomy of your desktop or laptop. So, if you're new to Mac, welcome to the family. Now it's time to learn where everything is and what it does.
Touch ID and Apple Pay
Apple added support for Touch ID with the latest model MacBook Pro. With it, you can log into your account with one touch, and even set up multiple users with Touch ID. You can also use it to make online purchases thanks to Apple Pay on the web.
Auto Unlock
You can set up your Mac with a super strong password without having to worry about the inconvenience of having to retype it every time you lock your screen. Auto Unlock makes it possible for you to unlock your Mac with your Apple Watch just by being in proximity to it. So, you can set a 14-digit password that not even the most super of computers could figure out, but still unlock your Mac in a split second.
The Touch Bar
Apple added a big new feature to the latest model MacBook Pro. The Touch Bar is an OLED panel that sits at the top of the keyboard and replaces the row of function keys. It is contextual, meaning what appears on the panel will change, depending on what app you are currently using. It is also customizable, which will allow you to set up different apps (including third-party apps that support customization) to improve your workflow.
The Dock
The Dock is what you can consider the 'favorites' section on your Mac. It stores all of the apps, files, and folders you consider to be the most important for quick access. It also temporarily holds apps, files and folders that are currently open, so you can get to them with one click, instead of sifting through all of your open windows and programs.
The Menu bar
The Menu bar sits at the very top of your Mac's screen. It houses the Apple menu, which will get you to all of your system settings, the app menu, which is specific to the app you are currently using, computer status shortcuts and third-party quick look tools, Spotlight, and Siri.
Finder
Finder is the one-stop shop for every shred of data on your Mac. It is sometimes the best way to find what you are looking for (though Spotlight really gives it a run for its money). The best part is that you have direct access to cloud-based programs in Finder, too. So, you don't have to go digging around in the Dropbox app or iCloud Drive.
Desktop background images and the screensaver
No computer seems right until you've made it your own with your personal background image or screensaver. Even if you use the built-in content, you are still the one choosing your look, and that's what makes it feel just right.
The Mac App Store
The Mac App Store is where you will find some of the best apps and games for your desktop or laptop. It's also the place you go to when you need to update the Mac operating system and other software programs. Visit often to see new content that will really make your Mac shine. You'll need an Apple ID to purchase and download content from the Mac App Store. So, if you don't already have one, create an Apple ID before you start.
Right-clicking
The Mac isn't like other computers. The included mouse or trackpad doesn't actually come standard with a right-click function. But, you can still get the right or control-click usability. You just have to set it up first.
The Trackpad & Magic Mouse
The trackpad on a Mac laptop and the included Magic Mouse for a Mac desktop have some amazingly useful features, including but not limited to, gesture-based functions that will zoom, swipe, scroll, and more. Get to know your trackpad or Magic Mouse. You'll be amazed at what they can do.
Full screen mode
Going full screen helps you stay productive and avoid distractions. On the Mac, you can split up your screen and have two programs running at half-full side-by-side. This is useful for when you want to work in one app but reference another. You can really make full-screen mode work to your advantage if you know how to use it.
Taking Screenshots
So, you've finally got the high score inSuper Hexagon and you want to show off that final screen to your friends, or maybe you want to save a cute picture to your desktop, but can't seem to find a way to save it from a website. Take a screenshot! Just like on iPhone and iPad, you can take a screenshot on your Mac with a simple keyboard shortcut.
Spotlight
Spotlight is basically the most robust search program around. It digs through your personal files, folders, apps, emails, and other content to produce results that you were most likely to be looking for in the first place. It also searches the web to cover all the bases. If you're looking for something, chances are Spotlight will find it for you.
Siri
You can use Siri on the Mac just like you would on your iPhone or iPad. In fact, Siri on the Mac can access even more data than its iOS counterpart. Ask Siri to schedule events, remind you of a task, tell you the weather, search your hard drive for files, look up pictures, and a whole lot more. Instead of putting out so much effort yourself, let Siri do the work for you.
Launchpad
The launchpad is where all of your apps and games are displayed. Think of it as the Home screen on your iPhone or iPad. You can organize apps and games into folders, delete them by clicking and holding until they go into jiggly mode, and search for something specific using the search bar.
Safari
Safari is the default Mac browser. You might be used to a different way to surf the internet, but you should, at least, give Safari a try before you switch. Because it is integrated with the Mac operating system, it has some very awesome features you might end up loving too much to let go of, especially if you use Safari on your iPhone or iPad.
The Mail app
When you've connected your mail client to the built-in Mail app, you can get notifications whenever a new message arrives in your inbox. you can also set up filters for VIP contacts, unread messages, emails with attachments, and more.
Messages
You can use Messages on the Mac the same way you do on your iPhone or iPad. You can even set it up to receive text messages from contacts that don't use an iPhone (including those friends that don't even use a smartphone at all). When chatting with other iPhone users, you can view rich links, and even see some of the bubble effects
iCloud and Continuity
When you create an Apple ID, you will automatically get 5 GB of iCloud storage for free. You can use it for little things like saving your iPhone backups and syncing app data. You can also use it for bigger things, like storing all of your music and photos in the cloud and optimizing your Mac's storage. If 5 GB isn't enough, you can upgrade for as little as $0.99 per month. When you connect your Mac and your iOS devices to iCloud, you can take advantage of Apple's Continuity feature, which allows you to start something on one device, then pick up and continue on another.
Troubleshooting the Mac
Just like with all forms of technology, sometimes, things don't go right. Luckily, the Apple community is incredibly helpful. If something is wrong with your Mac, chances are, someone has already found the solution. You can get help directly on your Mac, from the iMore forums, and from Apple support. Just remember to relax and breath. A solution is waiting for you, you just have to know where to find it.
The Mac lineup
Main
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if only you knew the power of the dark side...Apple doubles trade-in value of select Android devices for a limited time
Apple has quietly upped the trade-in price of several Android smartphones for a limited time, doubling the value of some handsets.
Did you just pick up a shiny new 13-inch MacBook Pro? Or even a 16-inch MacBook Pro, maybe a MacBook Air, perhaps an iMac? No matter your Mac of choice, there are some Mac apps out there that are just so good that they should be one of the first apps that you download and install on your new machine right away! Here are our favorites.
Dropbox
Apps You Need To Have On Your Mac
Dropbox is a cloud storage service that lets you easily backup important documents, files, photos, video, and other things. While your stuff is stored in Dropbox, you can access it across any other device, as long as you're logged in to the same account. Any changes to your files get saved automatically, though you can also check older versions on the web interface if needed. Everything you upload into Dropbox is encrypted, and there are also collaborative features that make it easy to share files with others. One thing I absolutely love about Dropbox is how it integrates with pretty much any other app I need, so my stuff is accessible from anywhere and in anything.
A free account gives you 2GB for free (and the chance to get more space with referrals), but they have plans that start at around $11.99 for 2TB.
Dropbox
Online backup for all of your files, with integrations in almost every app.
Source: iMore
I'm on Twitter pretty much all day, every day. My app of choice is Tweetbot from Tapbots. The reason I use Tweetbot over every other Twitter app is because I love the interface, as it's easy to use, and it provides plenty of powerful features. You can quickly search for topics that interest you, filter and mute hashtags and people that are annoying you temporarily (or permanently, it's up to you), create lists, and there is support for a multi-column view. I've been using Tweetbot on my iOS and Mac devices for years — there's no other app that I would rather use. Plus, you don't see promoted ad tweets.
Tweetbot
Apps You Need On Your Macbook Air
Tweetbot has plenty of powerful features that make it the best Twitter app on Mac.
Source: iMore
While I use Safari as my default browser on my Mac, it's always good to have an alternative, especially since some things don't always work properly in Safari. For my alternative, I use Google Chrome. It syncs with your Google account, has numerous plugins and extensions to enhance the browser experience, and it works better with certain Google apps than Safari, like Meet.
Google Chrome
Chrome is a great alternative browser that syncs with your Google account and has a ton of plugins and extensions.
Source: iMore
I have a lot going on daily, so my schedule gets really hectic at times. That's why I need a calendar, and I continue to use Fantastical on my Mac. Fantastical has a beautiful interface that is easy to use, and you have several different views on how to look at your calendar. It integrates with your iCloud, Google, Exchange, or even local calendar, so any changes are saved and sync automatically. The agenda list view is a great way to see what's coming up in your schedule, and it's easy to create events with the natural language input support. Fantastical also integrates with Reminders, so you have your calendar and tasks in one place.
Fantastical
Fantastical provides a beautiful interface for your schedule, and natural language input makes it easy to schedule events and reminders.
Source: iMore
One of the most important things you can do to protect yourself online is to have secure passwords. For this, you're going to want a good password manager, which can track your passwords and other sensitive data, while also helping you generate randomized passwords to use. With 1Password, you can create different vaults for personal and work accounts (or whatever else you need), sync your data across multiple devices (it's available on everything), and even store things like bank info, credit card numbers, and other things that need extra security. 1Password encrypts everything so that it's safe, and you can't even get in without a master password. I've been using 1Password for years, and it's one app that I cannot live without.
1Password
Generate safe and secure randomized passwords, track all of your passwords and other sensitive data, and sync everything on all of your devices.
Source: iMore
Need to do a bit of hard drive cleanup? DaisyDisk is a must have. This app lets you easily see what is cluttering up your hard drive thanks to bright and colorful blocks, so you can see what's taking up the most space. You can delete stuff directly from DaisyDisk to free up space, and it's all done in an intuitive interface that's a joy to use. Decluttering has never been prettier.
DaisyDisk
DaisyDisk lets you easily visualize what's on your hard drive, and you can delete useless files directly through DaisyDisk's intuitive drag-and-drop interface.
Source: iMore
Once you start installing a lot of apps, you may find your Menubar cluttered with a bunch of icons. Bartender is an app that helps you tidy up that Menubar by tucking away unwanted icons into a kind of sub-Menubar. With Bartender, you can choose to rearrange your icons into an order that makes more sense to you, as well as choosing what is shown in the main Menubar, and what to hide in a secondary Menubar. Or, you can hide some items completely, because they're unnecessary — it's up to you.
Bartender
Tidy up your Menubar by rearranging and hiding app's Menubar icons as you see fit.
Source: iMore
The Spotlight Search in macOS is alright, but you can do so much more with Alfred. Alfred is essentially Spotlight on steroids. You can do your basic search functionality, but you can also create workflows to make your life easier, access your clipboard history at anytime, view contact info, have app integrations, text expansion, search the web, and more.
Alfred 4
Boost your productivity like never before with Alfred and it's many magical wonders with the keyboard.
Source: Pixelmator Team
Whether you're an amateur or professional, you may end up having to do some photo editing at some point. Pixelmator Pro is one of our favorite apps to get the job done. It's a powerful photo editor that will have all of the tools you need, but it's intuitive and easy to use, unlike Photoshop, which some may find intimidating. With Pixelmator Pro, you have many professional and non-destructive editing tools, allowing you to bring the best out of your photographs. And the image editing is enhanced by Pixelmator's machine learning, so you get the absolute best looking photos with ease. Plus, the price is reasonable and affordable.
Pixelmator Pro
Pixelmator Pro brings professional-grade tools in a simple and easy-to-use interface for everyone.
Apps You Should Have On Your Computer
Source: Bare Bones Software, Inc.
If you're looking for a professional text, code, and markup editor, then you should download BBEdit. It's used often by web application developers, writers, and software developers who need powerful tools for editing, searching, and manipulation of text, code, and HTML/XML markup. Some features of BBEdit include grep pattern matching, search and replace across multiple files, project definition tools, function navigation and syntax coloring for a wide variety of source code languages, code folding, and more.
Unsure if BBEdit is what you're looking for? The app has a 30-day trial for you to put the app through its paces, and then you can decide whether or not to purchase the full package, which has even more advanced features. But you can continue to use the free version of BBEdit too.
BBEdit
BBEdit is one of the best go-to apps out there for text, code, and markup editing.
What are your favorite apps?
These are just a few of our favorite must-have apps for a new Mac. Do you have any recommendations of your own? Let us know in the comments!
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if only you knew the power of the dark side...Apple doubles trade-in value of select Android devices for a limited time
Apple has quietly upped the trade-in price of several Android smartphones for a limited time, doubling the value of some handsets.