A Beginner’s Guide to Mastering macOS After Switching from Windows

Rakesh Bhardwaj 23rd January 2025 in Solution Software Tagged MacBeginnerGuide, MacCustomization, macOS, MacOSBasics, MacShortcuts, MacTips, ProductivityTips, RectangleApp, SpotlightSearch - 4 Minutes

Switching from Windows to macOS can be both exciting and confusing. While macOS offers a sleek interface and impressive build quality, some features—or lack thereof—may leave new users puzzled. This guide will walk you through the essential steps to customize your macOS experience, from installing apps to mastering shortcuts, ensuring a smooth transition from Windows.

A Beginner's Guide to Mastering macOS After Switching from Windows

Step 1: Setting Up Your macOS Environment

When you first set up macOS, the desktop might feel cluttered, with the dock full of pre-installed apps. Let’s start by decluttering and learning some basics.

Customize the Dock: Remove unnecessary apps from the dock. Right-click on any app icon and select Remove from Dock. Keep only the essentials, like your browser or frequently used applications.
Explore Finder: Finder is macOS’s file management tool. Access it via the dock, and use the sidebar to navigate your files. To view your downloads, select Downloads from the Finder sidebar.

Step 2: Installing Apps

macOS provides two primary methods for installing applications:

Using the App Store:
- Open Spotlight Search by pressing Command + Space.
- Type “App Store” and hit Enter.
- Search for apps and click Get or Install.
Note: Popular apps like VLC or Google Chrome may not be available on the App Store.
Downloading from the Web:
- Use Safari (the default browser) to visit app websites. For instance, to download Google Chrome, search for “Google Chrome download.”
- Save the .dmg file to your Downloads folder.
- Open Finder, navigate to Downloads, and double-click the .dmg file.
- Drag the app into the Applications folder. You can access this folder via Finder by selecting Go > Applications.

Step 3: Enhancing macOS with Rectangle

One of the most noticeable differences from Windows is the lack of window-snapping functionality. Thankfully, apps like Rectangle bridge this gap.

Install Rectangle:
- Search for “Rectangle Mac app” or visit rectangleapp.com.
- Download the app and drag it into the Applications folder.
Enable Permissions:
- Upon launching Rectangle, macOS will prompt you to grant accessibility permissions. Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility and enable Rectangle.
Set Preferences:
- Open Rectangle, select Launch at Login, and customize shortcuts as needed.
- Now, you can snap windows by dragging them to screen edges, just like on Windows.

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Step 4: Mastering macOS Shortcuts

macOS relies heavily on keyboard shortcuts. Here are some of the most useful ones:

Command + Space: Open Spotlight Search.
Command + W: Close the current window.
Command + Q: Quit the app entirely.
Command + Delete: Delete files (instead of dragging them to the Trash).
Command + Z: Undo the last action.
Command + Shift + 3: Take a screenshot of the entire screen.
Command + Shift + 4: Take a screenshot of a selected area.
Command + Shift + 5: Access an all-in-one screenshot and screen recording menu.

Step 5: Managing Installed Applications

To uninstall an app:

Navigate to the Applications folder via Finder.
Drag the app to the Trash or use Command + Delete.

Step 6: Hot Corners for Productivity

Hot Corners let you assign actions to screen corners:

Open System Settings and navigate to Desktop & Dock > Hot Corners.
Assign functions to each corner, such as showing the desktop or starting a quick note.

Step 7: Customizing Screenshots

macOS offers multiple screenshot options:

Use Command + Shift + 3 for the entire screen.
Use Command + Shift + 4 to select an area.
Use Command + Shift + 5 for advanced options, including screen recording.

Screenshots and recordings are saved to the desktop by default. You can preview them quickly by pressing Spacebar while highlighting the file.

Conclusion

Switching to macOS may feel overwhelming initially, but with these tips, you can customize and optimize your workflow. Whether it’s mastering shortcuts, decluttering your dock, or installing essential apps like Rectangle, you’ll soon feel right at home on your Mac.