Have you bought a MacBook and don’t know where to start? Check which options in macOS are really worth adjusting to make using your new Apple laptop more convenient.
I bought a MacBook and what’s next – what system settings should I change?
The new MacBook can make a great first impression right out of the box, but the truth is that only after a few changes to the settings will it really start working “your way.” Just a few sensible adjustments (or tests of certain solutions) are enough to make everyday work more comfortable, faster and simply more intuitive.
This is good news, especially for people who are just switching from Windows. Many things work a little differently on the Mac, but these differences can also be tamed and adjusted to your own habits.
Start with the trackpad
For years, Apple has treated the trackpad not as an emergency substitute for the mouse, but as one of the main ways to operate the system. In the trackpad settings, you can turn gestures on and off, as well as personalize the trackpad for yourself.
To start with, it is especially worth checking:
- clicking with a tap,
- clicking an additional button,
- natural scrolling,
- reducing or enlarging,
- Mission Control,
- Application exposé,
- showing the desk,
- strong click and haptic responsesif your Mac supports Force Touch.
These are the options that will most quickly improve your everyday use of your MacBook. There are short animations in Settings that perfectly explain what it’s all about. If someone, after purchasing a Mac, immediately connects a mouse to it and ignores the trackpad, they are often missing out on the best features.
Enable three-finger dragging
This is one of those settings that many people learn about only after a long time and then cannot imagine working without it. Apple hides them not in the Trackpad settings themselves, but under the path: System Settings > Accessibility > Pointer Controls > Trackpad Options. That’s where you can turn it on three finger dragging.
In practice, it works very simply: instead of clicking and holding, you can move windows, select text or move elements with three fingers. For many people, this is one of the best changes that can be made to macOS immediately after purchasing a MacBook.
When your finger muscles remember Windows…
It’s also worth taking a look at the settings modifier keys (Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > Modifier Keys), especially if muscle memory still kicks in after years of using Windows. Apple allows you to change the behavior of keys such as Control, Option, Command, Caps Lock Whether fnso you can partially adjust the layout to your own habits.
macOS bases most of the most important system shortcuts on a key Commandand no Controlbut you can swap the functions of these buttons. For people writing in Polish, it is also important that we invoke Polish characters using a key Option. It is further away than Windows Alt, so you can make a change here too.
Position the Desk and Dock so that they are out of the way
The second big area that is worth adjusting right away is Desk and Dock. Apple allows you to change, among others, the Dock size, its position, automatic hiding, window behavior, widgets, Mission Control, Stage Manager and active corners.
In practice, most people immediately set three things:
- Dock size,
- automatic hiding and showing of the Dock,
- Dock position on the screen.
If you like a cleaner screen, auto-hiding the Dock usually proves to be a quick hit. If you prefer to have everything always at hand, it is better to leave it in plain view, but reduce its size. You can also decide whether it should appear at the bottom, left or right.
Configure active corners
This is one of the most underrated settings in macOS. Active corners they allow you to assign specific actions to the corners of the screen, such as Mission Control, showing your desk, starting a screensaver, locking the screen or taking a quick note.
Well-placed active corners can save a lot of time. For example: the lower left corner can reveal the desk, the upper right corner can launch Mission Control, and another can lock the screen. Then simply point the cursor to the selected corner and the function will be called.
Decide what to do with widgets
Widgets on Mac are not mandatory, but it’s worth consciously deciding whether you need them at all and how they should work. You can place them directly on your desk, just like on your iPhone.
For some, it will be a great way to quickly view the weather, calendar, reminders or battery status. For others, it is unnecessary to create a fuss on the Desk.
Learn to use the Notification Center
Notification Center (such as on the iPhone) can be opened by clicking the date and time in the menu bar or by using the appropriate gesture on the trackpad. This is where alerts, widgets and a quick preview of the most important information go.
After purchasing a MacBook, it is worth considering which messages you really want to watch and sifting through unnecessary applications just like on a smartphone.
Check your Accessibility settings
IN Availability you will find not only functions for users with specific needs, but also many options that can improve the work comfort of virtually everyone. It is worth paying particular attention to: magnification selected part of the screen, traffic reduction for people who are bothered by system animations, increasing contrast or other image settings that improve the readability of the interface, as well Voice control and speech functions if you want to perform some actions without using the keyboard.
Place your MacBook underneath you
The new MacBook works well immediately after launch, but only after a few sensible changes does it begin to show its full capabilities. The trackpad, Dock, active corners, widgets and Accessibility settings are not just add-ons. These are what make up the everyday convenience of using macOS.
After purchasing a MacBook, the best thing you can do is to calmly go through the most important system settings and adjust them to your own habits. This is one of those things that takes a few minutes and then pays off over the next years of work and makes returning to Windows no longer an option.
