75 useful answers · Page 2 of 4
Shortcuts, files, and settings for getting things done on your Mac.
Search this topicDrag the folder into the Favorites section of the Finder sidebar. To add a file rather than a folder, hold Command while dragging it there. These entries are shortcuts to the original items. You can reorder them by dragging, making frequently used work folders easier to reach without moving their contents.
No. Drag the sidebar entry out until the remove symbol appears, then release it. The shortcut disappears while the original file, folder, or disk remains in its existing location. Be sure you are dragging the sidebar entry rather than moving the actual folder from the main Finder contents area.
Open Finder > Settings > Advanced and enable Show all filename extensions. Names such as report.pdf then reveal their file type more clearly. Showing an extension does not alter the file. Avoid changing the letters to imitate another format; use an app’s export or conversion command when a different format is needed.
Choose Finder > Settings > General, then change New Finder windows show to your preferred location. Open a new window to check the result. This controls the starting location for new Finder windows; it does not move existing files or change every application’s own save or open dialog defaults.
In Finder > Settings > Advanced, change When performing a search to the current-folder option. Future searches started from Finder then use that scope by default. Check the scope buttons when searching, because a folder-only search can miss a file stored elsewhere even when its name is correct.
Select the file in Finder and use the Tags button or Control-click it and choose Tags. Enter a new label or select an existing one. A file can carry multiple tags without being duplicated into multiple folders. Click a tag in the sidebar or search for its name to find matching items.
Select the file, open Edit Tags, select the unwanted tag, and press Delete. This removes the label from that item. Deleting a tag in Finder settings is a broader action, so use the file’s tag editor when only one document was labeled incorrectly and other tagged files should stay organized.
Control-click the image and choose Quick Actions > Convert Image when available. Select JPEG and the desired size, then complete the conversion. Check the resulting file before sending it. Available actions depend on file type and enabled extensions, so a missing command does not necessarily mean the original image is damaged.
Select the image, Control-click it, and choose Quick Actions > Rotate Left. Hold Option for the opposite rotation where offered. You can also use the controls in Finder’s Preview pane. If orientation matters to an existing project, keep a copy before editing and check the image afterward in its intended app.
For supported files, Control-click and choose Quick Actions > Trim. Move the yellow handles to retain the section you want, then play it to check the boundaries. Choose Done and create a new file if you want to preserve the original. The command’s availability depends on the media type.
Select it in Finder and press the Space bar to open Quick Look. Press Space again to close the preview, or choose Open with the suggested app when you need more editing controls. Quick Look supports many common file types, but a preview does not expose all app features.
Select the images in Finder and press Space. Use the preview’s arrows or your Left and Right Arrow keys to move through the selection. The Index Sheet button shows a grid, and full-screen mode offers a slideshow. Selecting the intended set first keeps unrelated files out of that browsing session.
Open the photo or screenshot in Quick Look, Control-click the image, and choose Copy Subject if offered. Paste the result into a compatible document or message. Inspect the cutout before using it, especially around fine details; the available action depends on the image and the macOS features your Mac supports.
Open System Settings > Keyboard and enable Keyboard navigation. Use Tab to move focus forward between controls and Shift–Tab to move backward. This is helpful in dialogs where you want to avoid the mouse. The focus highlight shows the current control; inspect it before activating a destructive or confirming button.
Open System Settings > Keyboard and find Dictation. Set Microphone source to the input you want, or use Automatic if you prefer the Mac to choose. Review the Dictation shortcut and language there as well. Test with a short phrase before dictating a long document through a newly connected microphone.
Open System Settings > Accessibility > Display, then use Text size to increase it. This can adjust text across supported apps and interface areas without requiring each document to be reformatted. Check the apps you actually use afterward, because individual applications may also provide their own zoom or font-size controls.
Open System Settings > Accessibility > Hover Text and turn on Hover Text. Review its activation settings so you know how to show the enlarged text while pointing at it. This is useful for occasional small labels without changing an entire document’s formatting or permanently enlarging every window on the screen.
Open System Settings > Accessibility > Zoom and enable a control method such as keyboard shortcuts. Choose the zoom style and review how to zoom back out beforehand. Screen magnification enlarges the displayed area; it does not change the underlying text size or layout in a shared document.
Open System Settings > Accessibility > Display and find Pointer. Increase Pointer size, or choose contrasting outline and fill colors. Try the result over both light and dark windows. Reset Colors restores the standard colors if your custom combination becomes harder to track against the backgrounds you use.
In System Settings > Accessibility > Display, enable Shake mouse pointer to locate. Quickly move the mouse or move your finger rapidly on the trackpad to enlarge the pointer temporarily. This helps you locate its current position without changing application windows or permanently making the pointer much larger.
Go to System Settings > Keyboard > Text Replacements and click the add button. Enter a short trigger and the longer replacement, then save it. Test in an app that supports text substitutions. Choose an unusual trigger so an ordinary word does not unexpectedly expand while you are writing something else.
Text replacement is not supported everywhere, and a compatible app can have it switched off. In that app, check Edit > Substitutions > Text Replacement for a checkmark. Enable it and test a short trigger. The system replacement list alone does not enable unsupported fields.
Go to System Settings > Keyboard, find Text Input, click Edit, and turn off Use smart quotes and dashes. An application may also offer its own substitution controls. Check the text where you are typing, especially code or commands, because typographic quotation marks can behave differently from plain straight quotes.
Choose Finder > File > New Smart Folder, set the search scope and criteria, and use the plus button to add rules. Save it with a descriptive name and optionally add it to the sidebar. The results update as matching files change; it is a saved search, not another copy of every matching document.
Source checks for these answers: September 22, 2026. Product instructions and local requirements can vary.