How to Lock Your Mac Quickly

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The fastest way to lock your Mac is to press Control–Command–Q. Your Mac immediately shows the Lock Screen, while your apps and documents remain open. Enter your account password, use Touch ID, or authenticate another available way to return to your session. Quick Answer To lock your Mac quickly: Press Control–Command–Q. Wait for the Lock … Read more

How to Use Lockdown Mode on a Mac

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Lockdown Mode is a security feature on Mac that reduces certain features, connections, and website capabilities to help protect against highly sophisticated cyberattacks. It is designed primarily for people who may be personally targeted by advanced spyware or other exceptionally sophisticated threats—not for routine malware protection. To turn it on, open Apple menu > System … Read more

How to Manage Notifications on a Mac

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To manage notifications on a Mac, open Apple menu > System Settings > Notifications, select an app, and adjust whether it can send notifications, where those notifications appear, whether they play a sound, and whether their content is shown. You can also use Control Center, Notification Center, Focus, and Scheduled Summary to control when notifications … Read more

How to Set Up Touch ID on a Mac

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Touch ID lets you use your fingerprint to unlock a compatible Mac, approve Apple Pay purchases, fill in saved passwords, and authorize certain system actions. To set it up, open Apple menu > System Settings > Touch ID & Password, select Add Fingerprint, and follow the onscreen instructions. Quick Answer To add a fingerprint to … Read more

How to Set Up Focus Modes on a Mac

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To set up a Focus mode on your Mac, open Apple menu > System Settings > Focus, select an existing Focus such as Do Not Disturb, or click Add Focus to create one. Then choose which people and apps can notify you, set a schedule, and decide whether the Focus should sync with your other … Read more

How to Use Voice Control on a Mac

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Voice Control lets you control a Mac with spoken commands instead of a keyboard, mouse, or trackpad. You can open apps, click buttons, type and edit text, scroll through pages, select menu items, and perform other actions using your voice. To turn it on, open Apple menu  > System Settings > Accessibility > Voice … Read more

How to Use Dictation on a Mac

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Mac Dictation lets you speak instead of typing. To use it, open System Settings, select Keyboard, turn on Dictation, and then place the insertion point in a text field. Press the Dictation keyboard shortcut—usually the Microphone key or Fn (Globe) key—and start speaking. Press the shortcut again, click Done, or use the on-screen control to … Read more

How to Create Polls in Messages on a Mac

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You can create a poll in Messages on a Mac by opening an iMessage conversation, clicking the Apps button, choosing Polls, adding answer choices, and sending the poll. People in the conversation can then vote, change their votes, and see the results as responses come in. Polls are useful for choosing a restaurant, setting a … Read more

How to Use Call Screening on a Mac

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Call Screening on a Mac helps you manage calls from people who are not saved in your contacts. Depending on your Apple devices and settings, an unknown caller may be asked to identify themselves before your phone rings, or the call may be silenced and sent to voicemail. On a Mac, Call Screening is generally … Read more

How to Use Clipboard History on a Mac

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macOS includes a built-in clipboard history feature that lets you view and reuse items you copied recently. To open it, press Command (⌘)–Space to open Spotlight, then select the Clipboard section in the Spotlight window. Select an item to copy it again, and paste it wherever you need it. Clipboard history can save time when … Read more