MacMost: MacMost Now

When creating Shortcuts for the Mac or iOS you can use voice input easily when you trigger the Shortcut with Siri.

The Finder is easily controlled with a mouse or trackpad, but if you prefer to use your keyboard you can access most functions if you know the right keys to press.

The iPhone onscreen keyboard is something you probably use often, but do you know all of its time-saving features? Learn how to swipe-type, access character variations, use predictive text, access the hidden trackpad and more.

With so many features in so many apps, it is easy to overlook some very useful functions in apps you use every day. Learn about rarely-used features of Pages, Reminders, Calendar, the Finder and more.

While you can't change the default settings for new images in Pages, you can use techniques like custom Styles, duplicate, Media Placeholders and a template document to make it easier to place multiple images with the same settings.

You can test your network speed on a Mac using speed test websites or a simple Terminal command in macOS Monterey. You can also easily put that Terminal command inside a Shortcut and then easily run a speed test from the Menu Bar any time you wish.

Sometimes when you provide a photo to be printed or used in a publication, you will be asked about pixels per inch, or PPI. But PPI isn't really important. Only the number of pixels in the image matters, PPI is just a setting in the file.

Here's a list of things you should check for on your iPhone to make sure you are protected in case it is lost, stolen or someone tries to steal your information.

In most apps you can choose to Duplicate the current document, or use a hidden Save As command to do something very similar. What are the differences between the two commands and what other alternatives are there?

If the drive inside your Mac is too small, there are some ways to deal with it until you get your next Mac. You can put some things on external drives, use iCloud, offload apps, and try some other techniques.

Keyboard shortcuts are handy and save time, but some of the keyboard shortcuts you are using right now may not be the best way to go. Here are some examples of common keyboard shortcuts that have better alternatives in many situations.

There are many ways to select portions of text on a Mac. If you use your Mac to write, you should learn the keyboard techniques you need to select characters, words, lines and paragraphs.

Here are some fun things to try in the Messages app on your iPhone or iPad. You can send messages with special effects, send special links, respond with a reaction instead of a new message, easily include GIFs or stickers, add subject lines, send audio recordings, and so much more.

A new action in Shortcuts for Mac allows you to add a row of data to a Numbers spreadsheet. You can prompt for information and then record a time and some data. Numbers version 12 is required. An older technique allows you to change existing data in a Numbers spreadsheet.

The FN or Globe key on your Mac keyboard can be used to switch between special feature and F-keys, change what is shown on a Touch Bar, or can also be a used by itself to bring up the Emoji and Symbol Viewer, change Input Source, or start dictation.

When you sell, donate or recycle a Mac, you should absolutely erase your drive before it leaves your possession. With older Macs that use spinning hard disk drives, you should secure erase it. But for newer Macs with solid-state drives you can't secure erase and it really isn't necessary. In most cases your old data was encrypted anyway.

Creating good spreadsheets isn't just about getting the formulas right. By adding some text and design elements you can make it clear to someone else, or yourself in the future, what to do to use the spreadsheet and understand how it works.

When text is too small to read or you want to enlarge an area of your iPhone or iPad's screen, you can use the Accessibility feature Zoom. There are a lot of options to help you position the zoom area, change magnification, and even speak text on the screen.

Most apps you use to create documents on your Mac have the same core commands in the File menu. Learn how to use New, Open, Close, Save, Duplicate, Save As, Rename and Move To. Plus, lots and lots of useful tips and tricks!

A common problem is finding that you are suddeny missing contacts, notes, calendar events or email messages on your Mac, iPhone or iPad. It could just be that you are looking only at a specific account or subgroup of those items in that app. Here's how to switch back to viewing all entries.