MacMost: Mac Basics

The Mac Menu Bar is one of the fundamental tools you need to learn to use a Mac. You'll find almost every command and option for the app you are using in the Menu Bar.

The Mac App Store is the primary way to add Apple and third-party apps to your Mac. Some apps are free and others you need to pay for, sometimes with in-app purchases or subscriptions. There are many good reasons to prefer using the App Store instead of download apps from websites.

The modifier keys on your Mac keyboard are the Command, Option, Control, Shift and fn keys. You use them for keyboard shortcuts and other functions. Since they differ from Windows modifier keys, it can take new Mac users time to learn how to use them.

You can switch between apps in several ways, including doing the same thing you do to launch apps. The App Switcher, however, is the primary way to get from one running app to another.

The Trash, also called the Bin, on your Mac is how you delete files. You can also recover files from the Trash, skip the Trash, and set it to automatically delete files after a period of time.

There are many ways to rename a file or folder on your Mac. You can do it in the Finder with a menu bar command, a keyboard shortcut or the context menu. You can also rename files while working on them in apps. There are also options to batch rename multiple files.

Copy and Paste is a basic Mac skill. But looking deeper you can also cut and paste, copy multiple items, copy text and images between apps, attach images to emails and messages, copy and paste in the Finder, and even get a clipboard manager to take it to the next level.

Keyboard shortcuts are one of the primary productivity tools on your Mac. You can discover shortcuts by looking in the Menu Bar and in System Preferences. You can also create your own.

Learn how to use the Finder's four views: Icon, List, Column and Gallery. Each view has its advantages in different situtations.

There are many different ways you can launch apps on your Mac. You can use the Dock, LaunchPad, Spotlight. But it is also important to understand where the apps are actually located. There are also other ways like double-clicking a document or switching to an already-running app.

Split View allows you to place two application windows side-by-side on your Mac with no other windows or elements. You can use this as an alternative to arranging windows on your desktop or using a single window in Full Screen mode.