Tech Tips & Tricks

On Mac

1. Launch System Preferences from your Mac's Dock, from the Applications folder, or from the Apple menu bar ( -> System Preferences...)
    
2. Select Displays in the preferences panel.
    
3. Click Universal Control.
    
4. Click the checkboxes to enable the following ‌Universal Control‌ features (the first is enabled by default): Allow your cursor and keyboard to move between any nearby Mac or iPad, Push through the edge of a display to connect a nearby Mac or iPad, and Automatically reconnect to any nearby Mac or iPad.
    
5. Click Done.
    
6. Next, click Add Display.
    
7. In the dropdown that appears, you'll see any nearby devices signed into the same Apple ID as your Mac. Click a device listed under "Link Keyboard and Mouse" to use it in ‌Universal Control‌ mode.
    

On iPad

1. Launch the Settings app on your ‌iPad‌.
    
2. Tap General in the sidebar.
    
3. Tap AirPlay & Handoff in the menu window.
    
4. Toggle on the switch next to Cursor and Keyboard

1. Open the Settings app and select Focus. 
    
2. If you want to share and sync your Focuses to all of your devices, make sure “Share Across Devices” is enabled.
    
3. Tap the “+” button in the top-right corner to create/add a new focus.
    
4. Choose an existing template or create a custom focus.
    
5. When adding a focus you choose a name, color, and symbol to identify it. 
    
6. Afterward, choose any people you want to allow notifications from (your iPhone may make a few default suggestions). 
    
7. In addition to notifications, you can also configure which calls are allowed. If you don’t want to allow any calls or notifications from people, simply tap “Allow None.”
    
8. After choosing which people can contact you, you’ll be asked which apps you want to receive notifications from. Again, there may be some default suggestions, you can remove them or add to them. 
    
9. Enabling “Time Sensitive” notifications allows certain apps (such as security or health reminders) to notify you of important things even when you’re in this focus mode.

1. Make sure Live Text is enabled by going into Settings > Camera > Live Text

2. Open the Camera app

3. Point the Camera at text

4. Tap the "Live Text" icon (located at the bottom right corner of the frame)

5. Choose your action (i.e Copy, Select All, or Look Up)

Sign into the same Apple ID on all of your Apple devices.

On your Mac, do any of the following:

• Open Notification Center: Click the date and time in the menu bar, or swipe left with two fingers from the right edge of the trackpad. 

• Close Notification Center: Click anywhere on the desktop, click the date and time in the menu bar, or swipe right with two fingers toward the right edge of the trackpad.

Use notifications in Notification Center on your Mac

In Notification Center, move the pointer over a notification, then do any of the following:

• Expand or collapse a stack of notifications: If an app’s notifications are grouped, multiple notifications are stacked. To expand the stack and see all of the notifications, click anywhere in the top notification. To collapse the stack, click Show less.

• Take action: Click the action. For example, click Snooze in a notification from the Calendar app, or click Reply in a notification from the Mail app.

  If an action has an arrow  next to it, click the arrow for more options. For example, to reply to a call using the Messages app, click the arrow next to Decline, then choose Reply with Message.

• See more details: Click the notification to open the item in the app. If an arrow  is shown to the right of the app name, click the arrow to see details in the notification.

• Change an app’s notification settings: If an arrow  is shown to the right of the app name, click the arrow, click the More button , then choose an option:

  • Deliver Quietly: Notifications are not shown in the upper-right corner of the screen or on the lock screen (they are shown in Notification Center), and a sound is not played when you receive notifications.

  • Deliver Prominently: Notifications are shown in the upper-right corner of the screen and on the lock screen (and in Notification Center), and a sound is played when you receive notifications.

  • Turn Off: Notifications are not received. To turn on notifications again for the app, choose Apple menu 

     > System Preferences, click Notifications, select the app on the left, then click Allow Notifications on the right (blue indicates notifications are turned on).

     

  • Notification Preferences: Show the app’s notification settings in Notifications preferences.

• Clear a single notification or all notifications in a stack: Click the Clear or Clear All button .

Use widgets in Notification Center on your Mac

In Notification Center, do any of the following:

• See more details: Click anywhere in a widget to open the related preferences, app, or webpage. For example, click anywhere in the Clock widget to open Date & Time preferences, or click anywhere in the Reminders widget to open the Reminders app.

• Remove a widget: Press and hold the Option key while you move the pointer over the widget, then click the Remove button .

Customize Notification Center on your Mac

1. On your Mac, open Notification Center, then click Edit Widgets at the bottom.

2. Do any of the following:

   • Find a widget: Use the search field to search for a widget, or click a category, such as Clock, to preview available widgets. 

   • Add a widget: In the widget preview, click a size (if available), move the pointer over the widget in the preview, then click the Add button . The widget’s added to the active widgets on the right.

   • Rearrange widgets: In the active widgets, drag a widget to a different location.

   • Edit a widget: In the active widgets, move the pointer over the widget (Edit Widget appears below its name), then click anywhere in the widget. The widget flips to reveal settings you can customize—for example, you can change the list shown in the Reminders widget. When you’re ready, click Done. 

   • Resize a widget: In the active widgets, Control-click a widget, then choose a different size.

   • Remove an active widget: Move the pointer over an active widget, then click the Remove button .

3. When you’re ready, click Done at the bottom of the active widgets.

Today View widgets show you current information from your favorite apps at a glance—today’s headlines, weather, calendar events, battery levels, and more. You can add these widgets to your Home Screen to keep this information at your fingertips.

Open Today View

Swipe right from the left edge of the Home Screen or the Lock Screen.

Keep Today View widgets on your Home Screen

You can keep Today View widgets on your Home Screen next to your apps when iPad is in landscape orientation.

1. With iPad in landscape orientation, open Today View from the Home Screen, then touch and hold the Home Screen background until the apps jiggle.

2. Turn on Keep On Home Screen, then tap Done.

Tip: A widget called a Smart Stack (one that has dots next to it) is a set of several widgets that uses information such as the time, your location, and activity to display the most relevant widget at the appropriate time in your day. You can swipe through a Smart Stack to see the widgets it contains.

Add widgets from the widget gallery

1. Open Today View, then touch and hold the Home Screen background until the apps begin to jiggle.

2. Tap  at the top of the screen to open the widget gallery.

   

   Scroll or search to find the widget you want, tap it, then swipe through the size options.

   The different sizes display different information.

   When you see the size you want, tap Add Widget, then tap Done.

   Tip: A widget called a Smart Stack (one that has dots next to it) is a set of several widgets that uses information such as the time, your location, and activity to display the most relevant widget at the appropriate time in your day. You can swipe through a Smart Stack to see the widgets it contains.

   Remove or rearrange widgets

   In landscape orientation, open Today View on the Home Screen.

   Touch and hold the Home Screen background until the apps begin to jiggle, then do any of the following:

   • Remove a widget: Tap  on the widget, then tap Remove.

   • Rearrange the widgets: Drag a widget to a new location in Today View.

   Edit a widget

   You can customize most widgets so they display the information you want. For example, you can edit a Weather widget to display the forecast for your location or a different area. Or you can customize a Smart Stack to rotate automatically through its widgets based on things like your activity, the time of day, and so on.

   On your Home Screen, touch and hold a widget to open a quick actions menu.

   Tap Edit Widget if it appears (or Edit Stack, if it’s a Smart Stack), then choose options.

   For example, for a Weather widget, you can tap Location, then select a location for your forecast. 

   For a Smart Stack, you can turn Smart Rotate off or on and reorder the widgets in the stack by dragging  next to them.

   Tap the Home Screen background.

   Remove Today View from your Home Screen

   Touch and hold the Home Screen background until the apps jiggle.

   Turn off Keep On Home Screen, then tap Done.

   When you swipe left on your Home Screen, Today View will move off the screen.

    

   Allow access to Today View when iPad is locked

   Go to Settings , then, depending on your model, tap one of the following:

   • Face ID & Passcode

   • Touch ID & Passcode

   • Passcode

   Enter your passcode.

   Turn on Today View (below Allow Access When Locked).

To quickly open a note, wake iPad, then tap the Lock Screen with Apple Pencil. Tap  to start writing or sketching. Make a mistake? To erase something you’ve written, just scribble over it. To erase something you’ve just drawn, tap . As you work, you can reposition the toolbar by dragging it to any edge.

1. 1. Once on the webpage or article you’d like to convert, tap the share sheet icon
2. Scroll down the list of options to Markup, and select
   1. You may get a message that "The website did not finish loading" this is typically due to the website ads changing regularly. Just select continue
3. The website image will be a new window where you can annotate right onto the website. 
4. Select done and choose where you would like to save the PDF. 

The Apple pencil will allow you to handwrite into any area where text can be input. 

• Simply start writing into the text box and the iPad will do the rest. 

Cut, copy, paste, and other common shortcuts

• Command-X: Cut the selected item and copy it to the Clipboard.
• Command-C: Copy the selected item to the Clipboard. This also works for files in the Finder.
• Command-V: Paste the contents of the Clipboard into the current document or app. This also works for files in the Finder.
• Command-Z: Undo the previous command. You can then press Shift-Command-Z to Redo, reversing the undo command. In some apps, you can undo and redo multiple commands.
• Command-A: Select All items.
• Command-F: Find items in a document or open a Find window.
• Command-G: Find Again: Find the next occurrence of the item previously found. To find the previous occurrence, press Shift-Command-G.
• Command-H: Hide the windows of the front app. To view the front app but hide all other apps, press Option-Command-H.
• Command-M: Minimize the front window to the Dock. To minimize all windows of the front app, press Option-Command-M.
• Command-O: Open the selected item, or open a dialog to select a file to open.
• Command-P: Print the current document.
• Command-S: Save the current document.
• Command-T: Open a new tab.
• Command-W: Close the front window. To close all windows of the app, press Option-Command-W.
• Option-Command-Esc: Force quit an app.
• Command–Space bar: Show or hide the Spotlight search field. To perform a Spotlight search from a Finder window, press Command–Option–Space bar. (If you use multiple input sources to type in different languages, these shortcuts change input sources instead of showing Spotlight. Learn how to change a conflicting keyboard shortcut.)
• Control–Command–Space bar: Show the Character Viewer, from which you can choose emoji and other symbols.
• Control-Command-F: Use the app in full screen, if supported by the app.
• Space bar: Use Quick Look to preview the selected item.
• Command-Tab: Switch to the next most recently used app among your open apps. 
• Shift-Command-5: In macOS Mojave or later, take a screenshot or make a screen recording. Or use Shift-Command-3 or Shift-Command-4 for screenshots. Learn more about screenshots.
• Shift-Command-N: Create a new folder in the Finder.
• Command-Comma (,): Open preferences for the front app.

Sleep, log out and shut down shortcuts

You might need to press and hold some of these shortcuts for slightly longer than other shortcuts. This helps you to avoid using them unintentionally.

• Power button: Press to turn on your Mac or wake it from sleep. Press and hold for 1.5 seconds to put your Mac to sleep.* Continue holding to force your Mac to turn off.
• Option–Command–Power button* or Option–Command–Media Eject : Put your Mac to sleep.
• Control–Shift–Power button* or Control–Shift–Media Eject : Put your displays to sleep.
• Control–Power button* or Control–Media Eject : Display a dialog asking whether you want to restart, sleep, or shut down.
• Control–Command–Power button:* Force your Mac to restart, without prompting to save any open and unsaved documents.
• Control–Command–Media Eject : Quit all apps, then restart your Mac. If any open documents have unsaved changes, you will be asked whether you want to save them.
• Control–Option–Command–Power button* or Control–Option–Command–Media Eject : Quit all apps, then shut down your Mac. If any open documents have unsaved changes, you will be asked whether you want to save them.
• Control-Command-Q: Immediately lock your screen.
• Shift-Command-Q: Log out of your macOS user account. You will be asked to confirm. To log out immediately without confirming, press Option-Shift-Command-Q.

Finder and system shortcuts

• Command-D: Duplicate the selected files.
• Command-E: Eject the selected disk or volume.
• Command-F: Start a Spotlight search in the Finder window.
• Command-I: Show the Get Info window for a selected file.
• Command-R: (1) When an alias is selected in the Finder: show the original file for the selected alias. (2) In some apps, such as Calendar or Safari, refresh or reload the page. (3) In Software Update preferences, check for software updates again.
• Shift-Command-C: Open the Computer window.
• Shift-Command-D: Open the desktop folder.
• Shift-Command-F: Open the Recents window, showing all of the files you viewed or changed recently.
• Shift-Command-G: Open a Go to Folder window.
• Shift-Command-H: Open the Home folder of the current macOS user account.
• Shift-Command-I: Open iCloud Drive.
• Shift-Command-K: Open the Network window.
• Option-Command-L: Open the Downloads folder.
• Shift-Command-N: Create a new folder.
• Shift-Command-O: Open the Documents folder.
• Shift-Command-P: Show or hide the Preview pane in Finder windows.
• Shift-Command-R: Open the AirDrop window.
• Shift-Command-T: Show or hide the tab bar in Finder windows. 
• Control-Shift-Command-T: Add selected Finder item to the Dock (OS X Mavericks or later)
• Shift-Command-U: Open the Utilities folder.
• Option-Command-D: Show or hide the Dock. 
• Control-Command-T: Add the selected item to the sidebar (OS X Mavericks or later).
• Option-Command-P: Hide or show the path bar in Finder windows.
• Option-Command-S: Hide or show the Sidebar in Finder windows.
• Command–Slash (/): Hide or show the status bar in Finder windows.
• Command-J: Show View Options.
• Command-K: Open the Connect to Server window.
• Control-Command-A: Make an alias of the selected item.
• Command-N: Open a new Finder window.
• Option-Command-N: Create a new Smart Folder.
• Command-T: Show or hide the tab bar when a single tab is open in the current Finder window.
• Option-Command-T: Show or hide the toolbar when a single tab is open in the current Finder window.
• Option-Command-V: Move the files in the Clipboard from their original location to the current location.
• Command-Y: Use Quick Look to preview the selected files.
• Option-Command-Y: View a Quick Look slideshow of the selected files.
• Command-1: View the items in the Finder window as icons.
• Command-2: View the items in a Finder window as a list.
• Command-3: View the items in a Finder window in columns. 
• Command-4: View the items in a Finder window in a gallery.
• Command–Left Bracket ([): Go to the previous folder.
• Command–Right Bracket (]): Go to the next folder.
• Command–Up Arrow: Open the folder that contains the current folder.
• Command–Control–Up Arrow: Open the folder that contains the current folder in a new window.
• Command–Down Arrow: Open the selected item.
• Right Arrow: Open the selected folder. This works only when in list view.
• Left Arrow: Close the selected folder. This works only when in list view.
• Command-Delete: Move the selected item to the Trash.
• Shift-Command-Delete: Empty the Trash.
• Option-Shift-Command-Delete: Empty the Trash without confirmation dialog.
• Command–Brightness Down: Turn video mirroring on or off when your Mac is connected to more than one display.
• Option–Brightness Up: Open Displays preferences. This works with either Brightness key.
• Control–Brightness Up or Control–Brightness Down: Change the brightness of your external display, if supported by your display.
• Option–Shift–Brightness Up or Option–Shift–Brightness Down: Adjust the display brightness in smaller steps. Add the Control key to this shortcut to make the adjustment on your external display, if supported by your display.
• Option–Mission Control: Open Mission Control preferences.
• Command–Mission Control: Show the desktop. 
• Control–Down Arrow: Show all windows of the front app.
• Option–Volume Up: Open Sound preferences. This works with any of the volume keys.
• Option–Shift–Volume Up or Option–Shift–Volume Down: Adjust the sound volume in smaller steps.
• Option–Keyboard Brightness Up: Open Keyboard preferences. This works with either Keyboard Brightness key.
• Option–Shift–Keyboard Brightness Up or Option–Shift–Keyboard Brightness Down: Adjust the keyboard brightness in smaller steps.
• Option key while double-clicking: Open the item in a separate window, then close the original window.
• Command key while double-clicking: Open a folder in a separate tab or window.
• Command key while dragging to another volume: Move the dragged item to the other volume, instead of copying it. 
• Option key while dragging: Copy the dragged item. The pointer changes while you drag the item.
• Option-Command while dragging: Make an alias of the dragged item. The pointer changes while you drag the item.
• Option-click a disclosure triangle: Open all folders within the selected folder. This works only when in list view.
• Command-click a window title: See the folders that contain the current folder.
• Learn how to use Command or Shift to select multiple items in the Finder. 
• Click the Go menu in the Finder menu bar to see shortcuts for opening many commonly used folders, such as Applications, Documents, Downloads, Utilities, and iCloud Drive.

Document shortcuts

The behavior of these shortcuts may vary with the app you're using.

• Command-B: Boldface the selected text, or turn boldfacing on or off. 
• Command-I: Italicize the selected text, or turn italics on or off.
• Command-K: Add a web link.
• Command-U: Underline the selected text, or turn underlining on or off.
• Command-T: Show or hide the Fonts window.
• Command-D: Select the Desktop folder from within an Open dialog or Save dialog.
• Control-Command-D: Show or hide the definition of the selected word.
• Shift-Command-Colon (:): Display the Spelling and Grammar window.
• Command-Semicolon (;): Find misspelled words in the document.
• Option-Delete: Delete the word to the left of the insertion point.
• Control-H: Delete the character to the left of the insertion point. Or use Delete.
• Control-D: Delete the character to the right of the insertion point. Or use Fn-Delete.
• Fn-Delete: Forward delete on keyboards that don't have a Forward Delete key. Or use Control-D.
• Control-K: Delete the text between the insertion point and the end of the line or paragraph.
• Fn–Up Arrow: Page Up: Scroll up one page. 
• Fn–Down Arrow: Page Down: Scroll down one page.
• Fn–Left Arrow: Home: Scroll to the beginning of a document.
• Fn–Right Arrow: End: Scroll to the end of a document.
• Command–Up Arrow: Move the insertion point to the beginning of the document.
• Command–Down Arrow: Move the insertion point to the end of the document.
• Command–Left Arrow: Move the insertion point to the beginning of the current line.
• Command–Right Arrow: Move the insertion point to the end of the current line.
• Option–Left Arrow: Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word.
• Option–Right Arrow: Move the insertion point to the end of the next word.
• Shift–Command–Up Arrow: Select the text between the insertion point and the beginning of the document.
• Shift–Command–Down Arrow: Select the text between the insertion point and the end of the document.
• Shift–Command–Left Arrow: Select the text between the insertion point and the beginning of the current line.
• Shift–Command–Right Arrow: Select the text between the insertion point and the end of the current line.
• Shift–Up Arrow: Extend text selection to the nearest character at the same horizontal location on the line above.
• Shift–Down Arrow: Extend text selection to the nearest character at the same horizontal location on the line below.
• Shift–Left Arrow: Extend text selection one character to the left.
• Shift–Right Arrow: Extend text selection one character to the right.
• Option–Shift–Up Arrow: Extend text selection to the beginning of the current paragraph, then to the beginning of the following paragraph if pressed again.
• Option–Shift–Down Arrow: Extend text selection to the end of the current paragraph, then to the end of the following paragraph if pressed again.
• Option–Shift-Left Arrow: Extend text selection to the beginning of the current word, then to the beginning of the following word if pressed again.
• Option–Shift–Right Arrow: Extend text selection to the end of the current word, then to the end of the following word if pressed again.
• Control-A: Move to the beginning of the line or paragraph.
• Control-E: Move to the end of a line or paragraph.
• Control-F: Move one character forward.
• Control-B: Move one character backward.
• Control-L: Center the cursor or selection in the visible area.
• Control-P: Move up one line.
• Control-N: Move down one line.
• Control-O: Insert a new line after the insertion point.
• Control-T: Swap the character behind the insertion point with the character in front of the insertion point.
• Command–Left Curly Bracket ({): Left align.
• Command–Right Curly Bracket (}): Right align.
• Shift–Command–Vertical bar (|): Center align.
• Option-Command-F: Go to the search field. 
• Option-Command-T: Show or hide a toolbar in the app.
• Option-Command-C: Copy Style: Copy the formatting settings of the selected item to the Clipboard.
• Option-Command-V: Paste Style: Apply the copied style to the selected item.
• Option-Shift-Command-V: Paste and Match Style: Apply the style of the surrounding content to the item pasted within that content.
• Option-Command-I: Show or hide the inspector window.
• Shift-Command-P:  Page setup: Display a window for selecting document settings.
• Shift-Command-S: Display the Save As dialog, or duplicate the current document.
• Shift–Command–Minus sign (-): Decrease the size of the selected item.
• Shift–Command–Plus sign (+): Increase the size of the selected item. Command–Equal sign (=) performs the same function.
• Shift–Command–Question mark (?): Open the Help menu.

Use common keyboard shortcuts

Most iPad keyboard shortcuts use the Command ⌘ key, like on a Mac. If you're more familiar with a PC keyboard, the Command ⌘ key does the same thing as the Control key on a PC.

Here are some common keyboard shortcuts:

• Command-H: Go to the Home screen.
• Command-Space bar: Show or hide the Search field.
• Command-Tab: Switch to the next most recently used app among your open apps.
• Command-Shift-3: Take a screenshot.
• Command-Shift-4: Take a screenshot and immediately open Markup to view or edit it.
• Command-Option-D: Show or hide the Dock.

Want to add an emoji? To quickly find the emoji keyboard, press the globe key  when you're in a text field. Don't see the emoji keyboard? Make sure that it's turned on.

Customize keyboard shortcuts

1. Open Settings, then tap Accessibility.
2. Tap Keyboards.
3. Tap Full Keyboard Access and turn it on.
4. Tap Commands.
5. Tap a command, then press a custom key combination to assign to it.
6. Tap Done.

1. Hover your pointer over the full-screen button  in the upper-left corner of a window. Or click and hold the button.
2. Choose ”Tile Window to Left of Screen” or ”Tile Window to Right of Screen” from the menu. The window then fills that side of the screen.
3. Then click a window on the other side of the screen to begin using both windows side by side.

How to use Slide Over:

1. Open an app.
2. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open the Dock.
3. On the Dock, touch and hold the second app that you want to open, then drag it to the screen.

How to use Split View:

1. Open an app.
2. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open the Dock.
3. On the Dock, touch and hold the second app that you want to open, then drag it off the dock to the left or right edge of the screen.