Get ready to unlock the full potential of your MacBook Air! @paulAntill shares 11 essential MacBook Air settings and features that you should change right now for a better, faster, and smarter experience. Drop a comment with your favorite feature and don’t forget to subscribe to @TomsGuide for more MacBook and Apple content!
00:00So you just unboxed a brand new MacBook Air. Congrats! But before you dive in, there are 11
00:05essential settings and features you should change right away to get the best experience.
00:09Whether it's using hidden shortcuts, Apple intelligence, seamless iPhone and iPad integration,
00:14these tweaks will make your MacBook feel faster, smarter, and more efficient. Now,
00:19I'm using a MacBook Air M4 for demo purposes, but these features will work on any MacBook
00:24running an M1 or newer chip. So let's get started. If you want to navigate
00:29macOS faster, knowing a few essential shortcuts will save you a ton of time.
00:35Command plus tab quickly switches between open apps.
00:42Control plus up arrow views all open windows in Mission Control.
00:47Control plus down arrow views all open windows for the current app.
00:53Command space instantly opens Spotlight Search to launch apps, find files, or even do quick math.
00:58Command plus H hides the active window instantly. Great for when you need a quick, clean screen.
01:06And if you'd like to work in split screen mode, just hover over the green maximize button on any
01:12window, then select tile window to left or right of the screen.
01:19Then you can pick another app to fill the other half.
01:21You can also use thirds or quadrants if you need more multitasking.
01:31Screenshots and screen recordings are so much easier to take when you use these shortcuts.
01:36Command plus shift plus three takes a full screenshot automatically.
01:44Command shift four allows you to select a specific area to capture.
01:48Command shift five opens the full screenshot and screen recording menu.
01:58Under options here, you can even set a timer or change where the files are saved before capturing.
02:05Apple intelligence is here and brings some seriously useful AI power tools to your MacBook.
02:10But before you can use them, you need to turn them on.
02:13Go figure.
02:14Go to system settings.
02:18Siri.
02:19Make sure Apple intelligence is enabled.
02:22Once that's done, you can start using features like smart summaries, which can quickly summarize emails, web pages, or long notes.
02:32Rewrite and proofread.
02:33Select any text and ask Apple intelligence to rewrite it for better clarity or a different tone.
02:38Image playground.
02:44Create quick AI generated images, not for serious work, but for something fun and fast.
02:49It does the job.
02:51So now you should be able to start using some cool features like Apple intelligence on your MacBook, which brings me to an important question.
02:57What's been your favorite new feature in Mac OS?
03:00Drop a comment below.
03:01And if you're enjoying these tips so far, make sure to subscribe for more MacBook and Apple content.
03:05Next up are widgets.
03:09And no, they're not just for your iPhone anymore.
03:11They live on your Mac desktop.
03:13To add them, right click anywhere on your desktop and select edit widgets.
03:17Drag in whatever you need, giving you info at a glance without opening apps.
03:22For mine, I've got the important things, weather, calendar, and battery status, just for my desktop.
03:30If you constantly visit sites like Gmail, YouTube, or Tom's guy, just saying, you can actually turn those web pages into an app that sits on your dock.
03:38To do this in Safari, open the site that you want.
03:42Click file.
03:44Add to dock.
03:46Now it runs like a standalone app.
03:49And if you're someone like me with a million tabs open all the time, this can help keep things a little bit cleaner.
03:54Speaking of Safari, it's fast, optimized, and great for battery life.
03:57But if you prefer something else like Chrome or Firefox, here's how you can change your default browser.
04:03Go to System Settings, Desktop, and Dock.
04:07Scroll down to Default Web Browser and choose your preferred one.
04:10Now any link that you open will default open in your preferred browser instead of Safari.
04:14Need a faster way to insert emojis?
04:16Instead of clicking through menus, just use these shortcuts.
04:19If you're using your MacBook's default keyboard, just tap on the Function Globe key and the emoji picker pops open.
04:24You can even search from here for your favorite emoji.
04:30For all keyboards without this shortcut, click on Control plus Command plus Space and you'll get that same window to pop up.
04:39For keeping your passwords safe, you no longer need a separate password manager as macOS has a really powerful built-in option that syncs across all your Apple devices.
04:47To access it, bring up Spotlight Search by hitting Command plus Space and type Passwords.
04:52Or you can find it in your launchpad.
04:54Opening this will be secured with your login password.
04:58From here, you can store and autofill passwords across apps and websites.
05:02You can search and organize all your logins easily.
05:05You can also set up verification codes for two-factor authentication.
05:09This works just as well as 1Password or LastPass, but without the extra cost or download.
05:14You'll also be notified if any of your logins have been compromised.
05:17Now, maybe one of my favorite features is iPhone mirroring, which can fully control your phone from your Mac.
05:22Once that's enabled, you can check on and access your iPhone even if it's in the room next door.
05:30This allows you to see notifications, reply to text, and even drag-and-drop files between the devices.
05:37And if you use two-factor authentication a lot like I do, it saves you a lot of time.
05:47And if you want to learn more about iPhone mirroring and its other cool features, you can check out my full video linked above.
05:52Speaking of using other Apple devices, if you have an iPad, you can turn it into a second screen for your MacBook using Sidecar.
05:57Click Add Display and select your iPad.
06:01You can now multitask a lot easier, and it's my favorite tip when traveling.
06:07And finally, if your MacBook starts acting up or you're ready to sell it, here's how you can properly factory reset your device.
06:14Go to Transfer or Reset.
06:18Click Erase All Content and Settings.
06:21Follow the on-screen prompts.
06:23This will wipe everything and restore your Mac to factory settings.
06:29Just make sure to sign out of iCloud first to remove your activation lock if you're no longer going to be the owner or you're passing this on to a new user.
06:39So these 11 settings and tweaks will help you get the best experience out of your new Mac.
06:43If you found this helpful, drop a comment and let me know which you'll use most or if there's anything I should try out next time.
06:49And if you want more Apple content, stay subscribed.
06:51You can find us everywhere at Tom's Guide, and you can follow me to see what other cool tech I'm reviewing.
