Mac tips - page 4

Macs are renowned for “just working,” but sometimes you might run into problems while downloading software from the Mac App Store. You might encounter files that say they’ve downloaded despite evidence to the contrary, or face verification errors or other installation difficulties.

If so, a relatively common fix involves emptying your Mac App Store temporary download cache folder. If you find yourself running into any of the Mac installation problems mentioned above, cleaning out this folder should be one of your first tasks.

But how do you do it? Follow our easy “how to” guide below.

In addition to being a photo viewer, the Preview app for Mac offers basic image-editing functionality. If you want a quick and easy way to resize images, this built-in Apple app will do the trick.

Here’s how to use Preview to resize photos and other images in macOS Sierra.

Sure, macOS Sierra has some great new features that will fundamentally change the way you work but — particularly if you’ve got one of Apple’s gorgeous 5K iMacs — it’s hard to undersell the value of some beautiful photography.

With that in mind, Apple’s latest operating system comes with some truly stunning new desktop wallpaper that users can choose to add some eye candy to their Macs. Here’s how you access the default wallpapers macOS Sierra comes with.

By now, you’ve probably heard that the new MacBook Pro doesn’t automatically play Apple’s iconic startup chord when you power it on.

While not met with the same hostility as the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack on iPhone 7, the change definitely upset some people. Especially since the sound serves a useful purpose: It indicates that diagnostic tests have been successfully run and your Mac is working as it should.

With that in mind, nobody would blame you for wanting to restore the iconic audio cue on your new MacBook Pro. But how do you do it? Follow our simple steps to find out.

Much like Google offers personalized searching, macOS Sierra delivers location-based tips as part of its suggestions within Spotlight, Siri, Safari and Maps. That means Apple will try to recommend relevant services within your immediate vicinity.

If you don’t want this feature, however, there is a way to get rid of it. Check out our guide below to show how to do this — and how to turn it back on again if you change your mind.

By now, most of you are probably upgraded to macOS Sierra, which is proving be a massive home run for Apple. However, while the new Mac OS packs some great new features, it’s also got a handful of problems — ranging from strange error messages to Wi-Fi issues.

Check out our video below for three macOS Sierra problems we’ve run into so far — and how we were able to solve them.

The ability to activate Siri by saying “Hey Siri” is an incredibly useful feature on iOS. Want to do it on macOS Sierra? Too bad you can’t.

Or, rather, you can’t through the usual Siri system preferences. However, if you’re really intent on being able to start up Siri without hitting a single key or mouse click, it’s possible to do it using Sierra’s Accessibility options. Here’s how.

This week on The CultCast: After seven days with iPhone 7 and Apple Watch Series 2, we’ll tell you what we love (and don’t) about Apple’s newest gadgets. Plus: Hissgate explained; how to auto-unlock your Mac with an Apple Watch; and, if you’re wondering how to use picture-in-picture mode on YouTube videos in macOS Sierra, we’ll reveal just how to make that happen.

This episode is supported TunnelBear, the simple privacy app that makes it easy to browse privately and enjoy a more open internet. Visit GetTunnelBear.com to get your free TunnelBear today.

This is a guest post by Vera Tkachenko, a software team lead at MacPaw.

For the first time, the Mac operating system comes with cleaning tools. The new Optimized Storage feature in macOS Sierra might not sound like much at first, but its very presence in the new Mac operating system undermines the long-held notion that OS X is self-cleaning and remains fast and glitch-free on its own.

Why did Apple add this functionality? Let’s check under the hood of the new macOS cleaning tools to find out what they do, why they do it — and how they might have done it better.

Today marks the release of Apple’s big software update, macOS Sierra. This huge update comes on the heels of the recent launch of iOS 10, watchOS 3 and tvOS 10.

macOS Sierra hosts some great new features including Siri support, a universal clipboard, auto unlock via Apple Watch, better file synching with iCloud and tons more. Fittingly, Cult of Mac has all the tricks and tips you need to get the most out of Apple’s new operating system including a few video tutorials for good measure. Mac owners can download the free update today!

What’s your favorite macOS Sierra feature?

iCloud Drive previously worked a bit like Dropbox, asking users to drag and drop files into a special folder in order to access them across multiple devices. That changes in macOS Sierra, which allows you to enjoy the benefits of iCloud with the added bonus that your files can stay exactly where they are.

Here’s how to use this useful new feature in Apple’s new Mac operating system, which is currently in public beta and will be released this fall.

The ability to seamlessly hand off web pages or emails from your Mac to your iPhone (or vice versa) has been around for a couple of years now. However, in macOS Sierra and iOS 10 it’s taken to the next level — courtesy of a Universal Clipboard feature which lets you easily copy and paste content between your Mac and iOS devices.

Here’s how to use the feature when running Apple’s next-gen iOS and macOS, which are currently in public beta and will be released this fall.

The devices in Apple’s ecosystem always work really well together, and macOS Sierra doesn’t buck that trend. In fact, the upcoming desktop operating system lets Apple Watch owners automatically unlock their Macs using the wearable device — no lengthy password needed.

It’s a small, but incredibly useful, new feature that rewards Mac owners who have taken the dive and invested in an Apple Watch. Here’s how to use it when running macOS Sierra, which is currently in public beta and will be released this fall.

Apple is giving its Photos app a massive overhaul for macOS Sierra, adding cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology to make searching for individual pictures far, far smarter than it’s ever been before.

The Photos app can now search upward of 4,432 scenes and objects, letting you pull just the pictures shot in your backyard, for instance, or only those that include your car. Although the feature’s not working in Apple’s beta releases just yet, the finished version of macOS Sierra also promises to recognize seven different facial expressions — including greediness, disgust, smiles, neutral, surprise, screaming and suspicious.

Here’s how to use Apple’s smart photo search when running the new operating system, which is currently in public beta and will be released this fall.

With macOS Sierra, Apple makes it easier to free up space on our computers without having to undergo the time-wasting indignity of trawling through files and deleting them manually.

The new “Optimized Storage” feature helps you deal with junk like duplicates, old email attachments and downloads — and automatically sifts through them to delete the files or move them to the cloud. It’s one of macOS Sierra’s best features.

Here’s how you can use it to your advantage if you’re running the new operating system, which is currently in public beta and will be released this fall.

No matter the size of your Mac’s hard drive, there will come a time when you need to free up some space. Having a full hard drive can make your Mac feel sluggish, and running out of space can be terrifying.

Sifting through your archive of files may seem like a daunting task. But don’t fear — these three super-simple and effective Mac disk cleanup apps can help you out.

Check them out in the Cult of Mac video review below.

We all know a Mac is the best computer. It’s the most reliable, the least fuss and usually the most snappy. But, as with all computers, the trusty Macintosh can also become sluggish after a while.

In today’s Cult of Mac video, we’re going to show you eight easy, useful tips to speed up your Mac.

There are many times when family or friends need help with their Macs, or they aren’t sure how to do something. Trying to walk them through it blind is challenging at best. Luckily, a little-known feature in Messages exists that allows me to share my screen instantly with another Mac user or request direct access to their screen.

Prior to screen sharing being native to the Messages app, you’d have to use a third-party solution such as Team Viewer to help someone with a Mac issue. Messages is far more convenient and, in my experience, an app that almost 100 percent of Mac owners actually use and already understand.

There aren’t a lot of apps I use regularly on my Apple Watch. The ones that I do use regularly consist of utilities that make my life easier, or apps that help me track things, like water intake or how many tasks I have left for the day. One of my favorite utilities is MacID, which offers even faster access to my Mac with my Apple Watch (or my iPhone).

I take a lot of screenshots on my Mac. This typically results in my desktop being cluttered with files I don’t really need to be there once I’m done with them.

That’s why I decided to change the location where my Mac screenshots are stored. My desktop is now clean and I still have quick access via a folder on my desktop. Here’s how you can do the same.

In addition to various viruses that can harm your Mac, there’s a different kind of annoyance you might have stumbled upon: adware.

This might manifest itself as a web page that tells you you’ve been infected, with an accompanying phone number to call or malicious website to visit, or it might even show up as an ostensibly helpful Mac app you don’t remember installing.

If you’re experiencing the pain of malicious adware, we’re here to help. Here’s how to eliminate the adware that’s plaguing your Mac.

Want to get your hands on the latest, greatest iOS and OS X features for your iPhone, iPad, and Mac before anyone else does? Do you love checking out all the new stuff in iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan so you can be the first to comment on them?

All you need to do is sign up for the Apple Beta Software Program, and you’ll be able to access the public betas of these flagship operating systems before they’re available to the rank and file.

Here’s how to sign up for (and install) Apple’s latest public betas.

Here’s a surprising fact: By default, OS X only checks for software updates once a week. That’s shockingly infrequent, considering the fact that iOS and Windows both check for critical updates every day.

If you’d like your Mac to keep more on top of things, there’s an easy way to tell it to check for software updates more frequently.

Is your Mac out of storage space, or getting dangerously close? If so, there are lots of things you can do to free up some much-need disk space. In many cases, you don’t even have to remove personal files and media. From finding and removing duplicate photo libraries to learning how to better utilize some of Apple’s cloud services, we can help you figure out what’s eating your storage and, more importantly, how to fix it.

A number of iOS and OS X users around the globe were confronted with a strange glitch this morning, when the simple act of tapping or typing into the Safari address bar instantly caused the Apple browser to crash.