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Who doesn’t want their Mac system to run speedily and perform optimally for as long as possible? While Mac computers are flexible, versatile and incredible machines, no technology is perfect. With time, computers start to lag, and users encounter various problems, such as frozen screens, battery drain or frequent shutdowns. You may have invested in a Mac system thinking these systems are invincible, but unfortunately, that’s not true. Even Macs give their users a difficult time. However, optimizing your Mac usage is possible to get the most out of your system and prevent encountering problems for as long as possible.
Let’s take a look at how you can optimize your Mac usage.
Need a second monitor? Use your iPad
Do you need a bigger screen for entertainment or work? If you have an iPad and a MacBook, there’s no need to purchase a huge monitor. You can easily connect your iPad to your MacBook to use it as a second monitor. Moreover, you can use a different app or have a different program open on the second monitor to streamline your work.
Thanks to the Keychain Access feature, it is excellent using a MacBook. With the help of this program, you can easily create strong passwords and keep them safe. This is a convenient and efficient password management tool that can be used to change or look up a password at any time.
Do you wonder how to find passwords on Mac? You need to open the Finder application and locate the Keychain Access program. Then, choose iCloud or Local and find the application you need. Double-click on it and find the password you have forgotten or change your password.
If you are a new MacBook user, it may take a while to master using the macOS Trackpad. It would be best if you memorized the gestures, and once you’ve done that, you can easily navigate and get things done much faster than using a regular mouse. Some popular Trackpad gestures include scrolling using two fingers up and down, zooming in and out by pinching with two fingers, swiping between pages by swiping horizontally with two fingers, showing the desktop by spreading three fingers and a thumb, etc.
Check the Activity Monitor when your System Lags
If your Mac has suddenly slowed down, it might be due to a lack of disk space. It may have happened all of a sudden. One of the best ways to overcome this challenge is by checking the Activity Monitor. Here, you will find a list of applications and programs using significant system resources. You can stop those apps from running in the background so your system doesn’t lag anymore.
You can launch the Activity Monitor by pressing the Command + Space keys and opening Spotlight Search. Then, in the search bar, type Activity Monitor and hit Enter. When the Activity Monitor opens, go to the CPU Usage tab and close all the applications and programs you don’t need running in the background.
For a fully optimized Mac, you need to declutter the desktop. If the desktop is too cluttered, you’ll have difficulty finding the needed files. Also, it will make your system function slower than normal. So, remove the files you don’t need, or you can create specific folders to store files.
For your Mac system to run correctly and not slow down, it is essential to have enough disk space. Not enough storage space can impact your computer’s speed, and you might even face data loss because your system does not have enough space to store new information.
Click on the Apple icon and click About This Mac to check and manage storage. Then, go to the Storage tab and go through the detailed information about the current storage situation. To make some extra space on your disk, click Manage.
Know Shortcuts to Improve Productivity
Improve your productivity when working on your Mac by learning keyboard shortcuts. Some popular ones are Command + Space for opening Spotlight Search, Command + H to hide applications, Command + W to close an active window, Command + Shift + 4 to take an editable screenshot, etc.
It is critical to keep your system updated for the best possible Mac performance. Your system must run on the latest macOS version because software updates come with security improvements and bug fixes.
However, even if you regularly update macOS, you must install a good antivirus to protect your system against viruses and malware. These can slow your system and steal critical data.
These are some hacks to optimize your Mac usage and augment your productivity. Implement these, and your system will perform optimally for a long time.
