10 macOS Tips to Boost Your Productivity

When it comes to working on your Mac, there are so many handy time-saving tricks hidden away in macOS that there's a good chance you're missing at least one or two. Here are 10 quick tips, any of which could be key to turbo-charging your productivity.


This article assumes you're using a Mac running macOS Ventura, but most of these tips also work in earlier versions of Apple's Mac operating system.

1. Copy and Paste Text Excluding Formatting

When you select some text on a Mac, pressing Command-C copies it to the clipboard, and pressing Command-V pastes it along with any formatting.

no formatting
If you'd rather paste the copied text elsewhere as purely plain text, use the key combination Command-Option-Shift-V and it will be stripped of any formatting.

2. View All Calendar Events as a List

Some calendar apps allow you to view all your upcoming events as a vertical list. Many users find this sort of viewing mode beats staring at the regular calendar interface, since it provides a quick at-a-glance summary of their entire schedule over the coming days and months.

calendar
On the face of it, Apple's Calendar app for macOS lacks an equivalent feature. However, there is one way to force a list view that includes all your events. Click the Search field in the upper right corner of the Calendar window and type two double quotes ("") to generate a list of all upcoming events. This makes it easier to copy multiple events and paste them into other apps in chronological order.

3. Perform a Quick Website Search in Safari

There are several ways to search the web in Apple's Safari browser. One of the lesser-known methods is called Quick Website Search. The option is designed to work with sites that have a built-in search field, like the one you can find at the top of the main page at MacRumors.com. Here's how it works.

Let's say you want to look up articles on MacRumors that mention "headset". Instead of typing "macrumors headset" into Safari's address bar to get results from your default search engine, you could navigate to MacRumors.com and use the search field provided at the top of the page.

search
If Quick Website Search is enabled, Safari will remember that you've used the MacRumors search field and offer to use it again in future searches that include the website's name. For example, if you type "macrumors" followed by "deals" directly into Safari's address bar, a Search macrumors.com for "deals" option will pop up in the suggestions box, as shown above. Selecting it returns instant results from MacRumors' own on-site search function.

search
To make sure the Quick Website Search is enabled, select Safari -> Settings... from the menu bar, choose the Search tab, and make sure the checkbox is ticked next to Enable Quick Website Search. If you click the Manage Websites... button next to the checkbox, you can also view Safari's list of website search shortcuts, remove individual websites, or clear the list completely.

4. Pause a Copying File to Resume Later

When you copy a large file or folder to another location in Finder using the Copy and Paste options, a pie chart progress indicator next to the copying item's name gives you an idea of how long the copy will take to complete. If it looks like it's going to take longer than you'd like, you can always pause the copy and resume it later. Here's how it works.

copy
If you stop a copy midway through using the X button, a ghosted version of the file or folder will remain in the destination location. Just click it and you'll be given the option to Finish Copying it, or you can Keep the Resumable Copy and finish the transfer at another time that's more convenient.

5. Quickly Convert Images in Finder

There are many third-party apps available for Mac that will convert images for you, but if you're running macOS Monterey or later, you can convert an image or a selection of images from directly within Finder using a Quick Action.

convert image
If you're not familiar with them, Quick Actions help you perform certain tasks, such as creating a PDF or rotating an image, right from the Finder or your desktop, without opening an app. The "Convert Image" Quick Action can quickly convert an image file from one format to another. It also lets you batch convert selections, change the file size, and choose whether to keep the file's metadata in the converted image.

To use the Convert Image Quick Action, select an image file or drag a selection box over several files, then Ctrl-click and select Quick Actions -> Convert Image. In the dialog that appears, choose the desired format (JPEG, PNG, or HEIF) and the output file size (small, medium, large, or actual). Check the box to preserve the original image's metadata in the output image, then click Convert to [Format]. The converted image will be saved in the same folder as the original image, which will remain intact.

6. Open Files From the App Switcher

Most long-time macOS users will be aware of the Application Switcher. It's invoked using the Command-Tab keyboard shortcut, and lists all of the apps currently running on your Mac, enabling you to quickly switch between them.

app switcher
An oft-overlooked function of the App Switcher is its ability to open files. Simply begin to drag a file from a Finder window, then invoke the App Switcher and drag the file onto the relevant app icon in the overlay. Let go of the file and it should open in the selected app.

Bonus tip: To quit an open app with the App Switcher, highlight the app and tap Q. To quickly quit multiple apps, try cycling through the overlay with the Tab key, tapping Q as you go.

7. Search and Replace Text in Filenames

When you highlight several files in Finder, you can use the Rename... option in the Ctrl-click menu to rename all of them. The Rename dialog also allows you to rename only specific files in a selection whose names include a certain piece of identifying text. This is really handy if you have tens or hundreds of files in a folder with different names and you only want to change those files that contain a particular word.

rename
Select all the files in a folder (make sure they're all of the same kind, or this won't work), then Ctrl-click and select Rename.... Select Replace Text in the first dropdown. Now simply type the identifying text you want to replace into the "Find" field, and enter the text you want to replace it with in the "Replace With" field, then click Rename.

8. Use Text Clippings

In macOS, a Text Clipping is a selection of text that you've dragged from an application to another location on your Mac, where it becomes a unique kind of standalone file. The relatively little-known feature has been around since at least Mac OS 9, and it offers a convenient way to save out pieces of text from pretty much anywhere for later use in another app or document.

clipping
To create a Text Clipping, simply highlight any piece of text and drag it with your mouse to your Desktop or an open Finder window. This saves the highlighted text – including any rich text formatting – as a .textclipping file named after the first few words of text that you selected, but you can easily rename it to make it more identifiable.

clipping
To use the selected text in another file like a Pages document, drag the Text Clipping into the open document and the text will be automatically pasted wherever the cursor is located. You can paste the clipping in the same way into all sorts of open files and apps, including browser search engines, Mail compose windows, Xcode projects, and more.

9. Copy and Paste Photo Edits

In macOS Ventura, if you have multiple photos that you want to edit in the same way, or if you've made changes to one photo that you want to replicate in another photo, you can use the new copy and paste edits tools in the ‌Photos‌ app.

photos
To use the new option, first open an image, click Edit, then make your changes. When you're done, choose Image -> Copy Edits from the menu bar, then select the image (or images) you want to paste them to. Finally, choose Image -> Paste Edits from the menu bar.

10. Show More Recent Applications in Dock

In macOS, a handy option called Show recent applications in Dock (found in System Settings -> Desktop & Dock) adds a divider to the right-hand side of your Dock and after it displays any apps you recently used that aren't permanently docked. This option only shows the three most recently used apps that have since been closed. What if your workflow would be more efficient if it could show more?

recently opened
If you're comfortable pasting commands into Terminal, it's perfectly possible to increase or decrease the number of recently opened apps that show in your Dock. Open a Terminal window and paste the following at the command prompt, then press Enter:

defaults write com.apple.dock show-recents -bool true;
defaults write com.apple.dock show-recent-count -int 10;
killall Dock

Note that the -int argument defines the number of recently opened apps that you want to display in the Dock after the divider (10 in this case). You can change the number to suit.

Popular Stories

iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Next Week With These New Features for Your iPhone

Friday February 14, 2025 6:18 am PST by
The first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner, and the update is expected to include many new features and changes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the iOS 18.4 beta to be released by next week. Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far. Apple Intelligence for Siri Siri is expected to get several enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence on iOS...
iPhone 17 Roundup Feature 2

iPhone Design to Change 'Significantly' This Year

Monday February 17, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple is set to "significantly change" the iPhone's design language later this year, according to a Weibo leaker. In a new post, the user known "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone's design is "starting to change significantly" this year. The "iPhone 17 Air" reportedly features a "horizontal, bar-shaped" design on the rear, likely referring to an elongated camera bump. On the other...
apple launch feb 2025 alt

What to Expect From the 'Apple Launch' Next Week

Thursday February 13, 2025 11:48 am PST by
Apple has yet to announce any new devices this year, but that could change starting next week. Apple CEO Tim Cook today said to "get ready" for a "launch" on Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," said Cook, in a social media post. The post includes an #AppleLaunch hashtag, along with a short video featuring an animated Apple logo inside of a circle....
Apple Maps 2024

Apple Maps Might Start Showing Ads

Sunday February 16, 2025 7:22 am PST by
Apple is "exploring" the idea of showing search ads in the Apple Maps app, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Back in 2022, Gurman said software engineering was "already underway" to display ads in the Apple Maps app, but Apple did not move forward with the idea at the time. Today, he said Apple is "giving this notion more thought" again. This time around, he said Apple has yet to...
iPhone 17 Pro Render Front Page Tech

iPhone 17 Pro With All-New Camera Bar Design Allegedly Revealed

Thursday February 13, 2025 5:49 pm PST by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro will feature three rear cameras arranged in a familiar triangular layout, but the cameras will be housed in an all-new rectangular camera bar with rounded corners, according to YouTube channel Front Page Tech. iPhone 17 Pro camera design render created by Asher for Front Page Tech In a video uploaded today, Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser said the camera ...
m2 pro mac mini

Apple is Now Selling a Refurbished Mac Mini for Just $319 (!)

Saturday February 15, 2025 9:58 am PST by
A few days ago, we reported that Apple's refurbished Mac mini pricing had a problem, and it appears that Apple has taken note. Apple was offering a refurbished Mac mini with the M2 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage for $559, which was $50 more than a refurbished Mac mini with the M4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. All other key specifications were equal. That's no longer...
Tim Cook Apple Park

10+ Announcements Apple Could Have Rolled Into a February Event

Saturday February 15, 2025 8:00 am PST by
Apple appears to have enough upcoming product announcements to justify a full event this month, yet all signs indicate these reveals will be handled through a series of press releases instead. There are a multitude of rumors from reliable sources about specific announcements in the coming weeks, so here's everything that Apple could have feasibly included in a hypothetical February event: ...
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

Apple's Next iPhone SE Launching on Wednesday - Here's What We Know

Friday February 14, 2025 4:04 pm PST by
Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an Apple announcement that's coming on Wednesday, February 19, and it's looking like that mystery announcement will be the next-generation iPhone SE. We've been hearing about the iPhone SE 4 for quite some time now, and we essentially know everything to expect. If you want a sneak peek at what's coming, read on. Naming Apple first introduced the iPhone SE in...

Top Rated Comments

Realityck Avatar
27 months ago
Backup regularly, all your productivity is meaningless if you aren't backed up.

Use the "view" pull down menu when system settings is opened, 40 choices to pick from rather than navigate the vertical hierarchy.

Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
East India Company Avatar
27 months ago
11. Don’t spend all your time reading macrumors.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
koelsh Avatar
27 months ago

Backup regularly, all your productivity is meaningless if you aren't backed up.

Use the "view" pull down menu when system settings is opened, 40 choices to pick from rather than navigate the vertical hierarchy.


This menu will also appear when right clicking on the System Settings app if the app is closed. On pre-Ventura this menu would appear at all times when right clicking.


Attachment Image
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jz0309 Avatar
27 months ago
Nice list, keep the tips coming!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jayducharme Avatar
27 months ago

use the key combination Command-Shift-V and it will be stripped of any formatting
Never knew this. Super useful!

Edit: I spoke too soon. It doesn't work for me. I tried it, and for some reason CMD-SHIFT-V opens up a dialogue box asking me to choose a file that I want to insert into the document.

EDIT 2: As was later pointed out, it’s CMD-SHIFT-OPTION-V.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vegetassj4 Avatar
27 months ago
Nice tips MR.

FCS Apple, Siri can't even open Finder for me? It's only been out for 12 years.



Attachment Image
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)