MacinTech 11 Feb 2025


MacMost: 20 Mac Annoyances And How To Fix Them

1. Click on the Desktop removes all apps and windows. If nothing on the desktop this can be annoying for Gary. I’ve found it useful for Widgets etc. Which we talked about a fe months ago. I try to put all files on desktop into one folder.
Fix in System Settings > Desktop & Dock > Under Desktop & Stage Manager: Setting Click wallpaper … change from Always to only in Stage Manager.
Another method in Settings > Keyboard Shortcuts > Mission Control: Show Desktop - keyboard shortcut
2. Double-click on Window toolbar doesn’t fill the screen. Only expand to fit all the content. Fix with System Settings > Desktop & Dock: Double-click title bar and change Zoom to Fill
3. Gap with Window tiling. Fix with System Settings > Desktop & Dock: Turn off Tiled windows have margins
4. Window tile dragging gets in the way. Fix with System Settings > Desktop & Dock: Drag window to screen edge … off ✓
5. Dock takes up too much space. Fix with System Settings > Desktop & Dock: Change Size and/or Magnification and Automatically hide and show dock ✓
6. Dock recents section. Fix with System Settings > Desktop & Dock: Show suggested and recent apps off. I have it on. You can move items here above the line for permanence. There was an earlier MacMost showing how to increase/decrease the number shown (https://macmost.com/using-a-recents-only-dock.html) with Terminal command
> defaults write com.apple.dock show-recent-count -int 10 
> killall Dock
7. Launching an App brings Windows back. Some want Quit app to mean no windows open on re-launch. Using the App: Quit. command with the Option key press provides the option to Close All Windows. To make this universal fix with System Settings > Desktop & Dock: Close windows when quitting application to On
8. Cursor and highlight colors. Fix with System Settings > Appearance: Accent color = Multicolor means each app have its on color for the cursor. Picking a color and it is used in all apps. The highlight color can also be changed, use Multicolor
9. Disable Caps Lock. Too easy to press. Disable with System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > Modifier Keys > Turn Caps Lock key to No Action.
10. Turn Off Caps Lock Indicator. New in Sequoia. Can be useful. Needs a terminal command to turn it off. CAREFUL - rather complex.
Video at macmost.com/e-3150 OR https://macmost.com/turning-off-the-caps-lock-and-other-text-cursor-indicators-on-your-mac.html with terminal command
11. Too many notifications. Goto System Settings > Notifications > Select App and change settings. Also Safari Settings > Websites > notifications. Could also turn off Allow websites ...
*** THIS could be the start of a scam if you allow notifications from bad websites
12. Remove Dock Icon Badges. System Settings > Notifications > Select App and turn off Badge application Icon
13. Trackpad Gesture Brings up Notification Center. Two finger swipe from the right brings up Notification Center. System Settings > Trackpad > More Gestures Turn off Notification Center. Lots of options...
14. Safari Automatically Opens Downloads. Safari Settings > General > Turn Open "safe" files after downloading off. My default settings to prevent safe/bad files.
15. Safari Jumps to New Tab. Command-click opens on a new page. To stop jumping to the new tab. Safari Settings > Tabs and turn off When new tab...make it active. My default.
16. Spotlight Results are Too Long. System settings > Spotlight > Uncheck unwanted items
17. Menu Bar Missing in Full Screen. System Settings > Control Center > Automatically hide and show the menu bar and set to never. My default??
18. Full Screen with Multiple Displays. System Settings > Desktop and Dock > Turn Displays have separate Spaces on. My default.
19. Screenshots Saving to the Desktop. Options allow you to save to any Other Location. Choose a location or Preview.
20. Finder Warning Messages. Move file from iCloud drive. Finder > Settings > Advanced. Three show warning checkboxes. Turn on or off.

Mac Most: 36 iPhone Keyboard Tips.
1. Double-tap space for period and space
Check Settings > General > Keyboard and check/uncheck as preferred
2. Typing accents or letter variation. Tap and hold on a key
3. Quick capital letters. Tap, hold shift key and slide to key
4. Caps lock function. Double-tap shift key
5. Type a number. Tap and hold 123 key and slide to number. Best for one or two numbers.
6. Symbols. Tap and hold 123 key and slide to symbol. Tap and hold a symbol for more choices.
7. More special symbols. Need third party keyboard or copy/paste from somewhere else. For example, wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Unicode_characters > tap-hold > copy
8. Tap and hold emoji key (if more than one keyboard installed) and choose emoji. Search for emoji. Or create Genmoji with key on top-right. Type word and an emoji might be suggested.
9. Text replacement. Go to System Settings > General > Keyboard > Text replacement
10. Predictive text bar can be removed
11. Override autocorrect replacement. Click delete button and tap the original word or tap on typed word in left of suggestion bar
12. Hold delete key to delete more.
13. Delete after double or triple tap to select one word or entire paragraph. Cut, copy or paste
14. Slide to type. Tap first letter and slide to each letter in the word. Will auto suggest if close
15. Single-handed typing. Tap-hold Emoji button and choose left or right keyboard variation
16. Add more language keyboards. System Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards
17. Bi-lingual keyboard.
18. Third party keyboard. System Settings > General > Keyboard > Add New Keyboard installed by third party software.
19. Goto App Store and search for Keyboard for more choices.
20. Tap and Hold Magnifier for cursor placement.
21. Turn keyboard into trackpad. Tap-hold space bar.
22. Copy/Paste with Gestures. Three finger-spread to copy. Three finger-close to paste
23. Drag large sections of text. Triple tap-hold and Drag
24. Shake to Undo.
25. Three-finger swipes to undo/redo (left/right).
26. Turn sounds/haptics on/off. System Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Keyboard Feedback Turn sound or haptic on/off
27. Hover typing. System Settings > Accessibility > Hover Text > Hover Typing Display mode, font, size
28. Bold characters on keyboard. System Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size.
29. Hear what you type. System Settings > Accessibility > Keyboards & Typing > Typing Feedback Character or words spoken
30. Show all keys in uppercase. System Settings > Accessibility > Keyboards & Typing
31. Use a real keyboard. Connect via Bluetooth (or USB-C).
32. Use Math Notes to get numerical answers. E.G. 1 + 2 = > answer. Also works in other apps.
33. Swipe down in the middle of the screen to hide the keyboard. Tap in text to retrieve keyboard. Note other options when keyboard is hidden
34. Use dictation for faster results. Tap microphone key
35. User larger keyboard in landscape.