Innholdsfortegnelse for The macOS Big Sur Manual i The macOS Big Sur Manual

Introduction Introduction to macOS Big Sur Unveiled in June 2020 at the Apple WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference), as a virtual conference only due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the Cupertino company’s latest operating system heralded the end of the version 10 line-up and introduced macOS 11: Big sur. While the world was in the middle of a lockdown and things were looking pretty scary, Apple took to the virtual airways to announce its newest operating system: macOS Big Sur. The unveiling caused quite a stir, chiefly due to the fact that Big Sur is the biggest update the company has adopted since the initial release of Mac OS X, back in 2001. Virtually every aspect of the operating system has seen an overhaul, from minor elements such as the curvature of…

What’s New in Big Sur? New Design New Design The new design of Big Sur is extraordinary. Gone is the more familiar Apple macOS look and in is a sleek desktop that’s one foot in iOS and the other in the legacy that spans nearly two decades. It’s a bold upgrade and there’s a lot to cover. There’s little in Big Sur that hasn’t been overhauled from its predecessor, Catalina. Everything looks lighter and more colourful, leading to a cleaner User Interface with a number of great aspects. The desktop itself is better presented, with a fresher Dock complete with rounded corners better icons and clearer reading fonts. It’s also lifted from the bottom of the screen, so it feels more a part of the desktop rather than a bolted-on…

What’s New in Big Sur? Maps Maps Like Messages, Maps has seen an iOS-esque overhaul from its previous offerings. The redesign is to help make the most of the big Mac displays and there are some new powerful features that will help you get the most from this often under-appreciated Apple app. The main emphasis in the new Maps design is to help you plan your route, then send it to iOS. The added benefit of the planning stage is that you’ll be doing it on your Mac with its high resolution display, so you can get down to the nitty gritty and utilise all the new features of the app. Finding Your Way One of the main benefits to the newly designed Maps isn’t so much the features that…

What’s New in Big Sur? Photos Photos is a great little built-in app in MacOS, and it’s become even better with the release of Big Sur. Despite some limitations, it is the perfect tool for those who want to view, and edit their photos without having to resort to expensive apps. Photogenic Ask most users what they love about their Mac and its operating system and they’ll probably come back with the way it displays photos. While the built-in Photos app may not be as sophisticated as say the Adobe products, it is one of the best free tools in any operating system’s built-in arsenal. You’re able to easily view through your photo library and see the images you’ve taken based on time and date. You can also zoom in…

HomeKit & Apple Music Apple Music With the introduction of macOS 10.15: Catalina, Apple abandoned iTunes in favour of Music – an app that was already familiar with iPad and iPhone users. Music is another example of the steps to better integrate the desktop and mobile operating systems and it’s getting better. The Food of Love The For You option in Music has now been replaced with Listen Now, designed for playing and discovering your favourite music, artists, interview and mixes from a single function. This is a more personalised approach, connecting you with the content that’s relevant to you. Listen Now will display a summary of your Top Picks from all your music interests. In addition, AI and machine intelligence will learn what you listen to and help you…

Getting Started with Big Sur Set Up Your Mac For the First Time If you have a new Mac but have not yet set it up, follow this guide. It’s nothing to be afraid of; follow the guide and the on-screen instructions, and step by step, you get to set your Mac’s language, take it onto the Internet with your local Wi-Fi network, sign in with your all-important Apple ID and more. 1 Your first step is to choose your territory, that is, where you live and will be using your Mac. You can scroll the list of countries up and down to find your own, or start to type it to get there quicker. Click your country to highlight your choice, then click Continue. 2 Now select your language and input…

Getting Started with Big Sur Menus Menus A Key Mac Feature Menus are an essential part of interacting with your Mac. Whether it’s a pull-down menu accessed by clicking on the top bar of your desktop or a contextual menu found by right-clicking or CTRL-clicking on a file or folder, you need to know how to use your menus if you are to get the most out of your Mac and Big Sur. The Apple Menu 1 The Apple menu is found in the top left corner of the desktop. To open it, click on the Apple icon once, then choose an option. It’s always there, whatever you’re doing on your Mac. 2 Choose About This Mac for a window showing you technical information about your computer. Tabs at the top of this…

Getting Started with Big Sur Notifications Notifications See What’s Going On Notifications are one element of Big Sur that has probably seen the biggest change. Gone is the traditional Notification Centre, as appeared in Catalina and in its place, with the new iOS-like design, is the more streamlined, Notifications. While this may not seem to make to much sense, it’s really quite a clever move on the part of Apple. All you need to do to view any notifications is to click on the Date and Time in the top-right of the desktop. If there are any, then they’ll appear at the top of the slide-in area that appears from the right-side of the screen. Notifications are grouped together depending on the app they’re coming from. For example, the News app will…

Getting Started with Big Sur Setting Up Email Setting Up Email For the Mail App With email, you can send mails and attachments anywhere in the world, at the push of a button. It’s there instantly too. Here we take a look at what email is, how you can get yourself an email address and how you can use your email accounts on your Mac, with Apple’s bundled email client, the Mail app. Setting Up Your iCloud Email 1 If you set up your Apple ID during your Mac’s initial setup, or if you signed in with an existing Apple ID, your iCloud email account is already in place. But if not, or if you want to add another iCloud email account to your Mail client, follow these instructions. 2 Open the Mail…

macOS Big Sur’s Key Apps Mail Mail Send & Receive Email Big Sur has a great bundled email application, so sending and receiving emails is as easy as typing a message and clicking a button. Here’s how to get the most from the Mail app. 1 This is the sidebar, which lets you select mailboxes, see emails from VIP senders or those which you’ve flagged, and more. You can resize and even close this sidebar by clicking and dragging the divider between this and your emails list. 2 The list of emails contained in the currently selected mailbox, in this case, All Mailboxes. The number of emails in the box, and the number of unread emails, are shown. You can resize this column by clicking and dragging its left or right edge. 3 Click this…

macOS Big Sur’s Key Apps News News Stories and Features The News app started life on iOS before being ported over to macOS 10.14 Mojave in 2018. It’s a great app for getting the important headlines as they break, from news sources around the world. It’s customisable too, so you’ll always be in the know with world events. 1 When you first open the News app, you see a sidebar and a main window. The sidebar’s Today option is selected, giving you a range of the day’s top stories. Click on a story to open it and read it in full. 2 When you open a news story, if it has a video it can be watched within the News app. In the File menu, there’s an option to open the story in Safari.…

macOS Big Sur’s Key Apps Calendar Calendar Plan Your Events The Calendar app, as you no doubt can already guess, is there to help you organise your life. With it you can add events, set reminders and synchronise with your iPad or iPhone. Birthdays and anniversaries can be stored and you’re able to set annually reoccurring events. Changing the View 1 There are several ways to view your calendars and switching between these viewing options is simple. To move between Day, Week, Month and Year views, you use the corresponding buttons that appear in the top bar of the Calendar application. 2 The Year view shows you a complete year in a single window. Clicking on the title bar for any month takes you to the Month view for that month. Double-click on a…

macOS Big Sur’s Key Apps Books Books Buy & Read eBooks The Books app is really self explanatory but it offers much more than simply being a portal to viewing your collection of electronic literature. You’re able to browse a huge library of titles, buy new eBooks, sample content and organise your ever-growing collection. Setting Up Books 1 Launch the Books app and click on Get Started. You’re asked to sign in using your Apple ID. If you need to sign in with another account at a later date, use the Sign In/Out option in the Store drop-down menu in the top bar. 2 If you’re already a Books user on your iPad or iPhone, you can access your books by clicking the All Books option at the top of the left-hand sidebar. From…

macOS Big Sur’s Key Apps Notes Notes Store Your Jottings The Notes app is a remarkably powerful, yet simple, virtual notepad. With it you can jot down your thoughts and ideas or create complex notes that are easily edited and fully searchable; and you can also sync your notes to your iCloud account. There’s more to Notes than first meets the eye. Creating, Editing and Searching Notes 1 To create a new note, first of all, click on the pen-and-paper symbol found in the toolbar at the top of the Notes window. A new blank note appears. Start typing your note. The first line of a new note is used as its title in the notes list, so bear this in mind. 2 Your notes are listed in the left-hand pane. Click on a…

Advanced Big Sur Tips & Tricks Split View Screens Split View Screens macOS Multitasking Split View Screens is a feature of macOS that allows you to view two applications in full-screen mode on a single display. It enables efficient workflow and is superb for researching something in Safari, while using the Notes app or reading about a venue and looking it up via Maps. 1 To use Split View mode, first open an app you want to use as a split-screen app. Here we’ve chosen Safari but any app that’s compatible will do. Just open the app window; there’s no need to open it as a full screen. 2 Click on the window’s top bar and drag it upwards, onto the menu bar. A strip appears, offering the current desktop image and a receptacle…

Advanced Big Sur Tips & Tricks Top Terminal Commands Top Terminal Commands There are hundreds of macOS Terminal commands, some are extremely powerful and can restore your entire system, whereas others simply display a command-line calendar. Here’s some of the more commonly used commands you’re likely to come across. A afconvert – Used to convert audio files. afinfo – Can display information of an audio file. afplay – Can play an audio file. alias – Used to create alias commands. For example, the clear command can be aliased to CLS. awk – Used to find and replace text within a file or files. B basename – Can be used to convert a full pathname to a single filename bash – A different type of Shell, the Bourne-Again SHell. break – Used…

Advanced Big Sur Tips & Tricks Continuity Camera Use That Photo Continuity Camera lets you take a photograph using your iPhone or iPad and have it appear instantly on your Mac. It works with Finder, Mail, Messages, Notes, Pages, Keynote, and Numbers. It’s a great way of adding a photo to your designs, emails, presentations and more, and it’s easy to set up and use too. 1 On your Mac, open the document you wish to import a photo into, or start a new one. Right-click where you want it to appear, select Import from iPhone or iPad, then Take Photo on whichever device you’re using. Devices only appear here if they’re on the same Apple ID as your Mac. 2 Switch to the device you chose to take the photo from.…

Advanced Big Sur Tips & Tricks iCloud Using iCloud For Storage & Syncing iCloud is Apple’s foothold in the modern cloud services market. It’s robust and features excellent georedundancy (meaning if an iCloud server goes down, there’s another somewhere in the world to pick up), and is more than capable to handle the average user’s needs. Storing Your Documents in iCloud 1 Click on your desktop to open Finder, then open iCloud Drive from the Go menu. You may need to log into iCloud using your Apple ID. You’ll see a Finder window showing the contents of your iCloud drive folder, with folders for some apps that store output in iCloud. 2 To save files of any type into your iCloud Drive folder, simply drag them from their current location (in this screenshot, that’s…

Advanced Big Sur Tips & Tricks Keyboard Shortcuts The Keyboard Customised Shortcuts While Apple’s classic pointer-driven interface is great for pretty much everything, you can make using your Mac even more quick and efficient by memorising a few simple keyboard shortcuts. The macOS has dozens of pre-configured keyboard shortcuts. Here are some of the most useful and most used shortcuts on your Mac. Finder Shortcuts These shortcuts are available when you’re using Mojave’s Finder features, like windows and folders. Command + [. . . . . . . . . . . Goto the previous folder Command +] . . . . . . . . . . . Go to the next folder Command + ↑. . . . . . . . . . Navigate up one level Command…

Advanced Big Sur Tips & Tricks Big Sur Takeaway Big Sur Takeaway There’s a lot of content demonstrated throughout this book, so we’ve put together a brief takeaway of highlights covering some of the top elements and features of Big Sur for you to recap. Command Centre: The Command Centre is Big Sur’s one-stop-shop for accessing the system’s Wi-Fi, display brightness, volume controls, Do Not Disturb and more. If you’re already familiar with the iOS Command Centre, you should have no problems here. Widgets: Widgets are accessed from the Notifications menu, scroll through the notifications to the bottom and click Edit Widgets. The Widgets can be dragged into position and are continually updated, so check back regularly for more content. Notifications: Remember to click on the date/time in the top-right corner…

Introduction macOS History X macOS has quite an illustrious history. Here’s a quick recap from OS X through to Big Sur and how the operating system has evolved over time and with the ever-onward march of technology. 2001 Version: Mac OS X 10.0 Codename: Cheetah Date: March 24th, 2001 Steve Jobs famously said “We made the buttons on the screen look so good, you’ll want to lick them,” when describing the new Aqua User Interface with the release of Mac OS X. While we may not have licked them, they were certainly new, fresh and good to look at. 2001 Version: Mac OS X 10.1 Codename: Puma Date: September 25th, 2001 Less of a functional update with Puma and more of a performance enhancement. Puma introduced better handling of optical disc…

What’s New in Big Sur? Safari Safari With the release of Big Sur, one of the biggest updates to grace our screens is that of Safari. With better performance, customisations, improved battery life support and enhanced privacy, this is undoubtedly the best version yet. Safari has, over the past few years, played second fiddle to the likes of Chrome. Much like its Microsoft companion, Internet Explorer (or Edge, as it’s now called), Safari was often treated as a backup browser, with Chrome being the main browser and the one that most users tended to lean toward and install as soon as possible. However, with the Safari update included with Big Sur, Chrome’s days on the Mac may well be numbered. The customisations fall under the new Menu Button, located in…

What’s New in Big Sur? Spotlight Spotlight has received a performance boost with Big Sur, enabling it to deliver suggestions and your search criteria faster than ever before; in fact, thanks to the optimisations within Spotlight, your results will begin to appear as soon as you start typing. In the Spotlight The improved performance of Spotlight is an update that’s long overdue. Although always good, generally Spotlight did suffer in the performance department, which tended to let down the rest of the operating system. Thankfully, that’s all in the past now. Results from Spotlight are now all presented in a streamlined list, which makes it much easier to read. You can get to the app, web address or link in iTunes quicker thanks to this better level of clarity. Spotlight…

Photos & AirPods AirPods AirPods deliver superior audio on the go with a selection of excellent engineering and cutting-edge technologies. Better support for AirPods was always on the cards with an operating system update, thankfully we got it with Big Sur. Richer Sounds Automatic Device Switching is the big update with Big Sur. This allows AirPods to automatically switch between devices paired to the same iCloud account. This seamless switching is key to keeping you listening to your favourite music while on the go. A pop-up banner appears when the Automatic Device Switching is active, detailing which of your devices is playing audio. So if you’re listening to something on your iPhone, your AirPods can switch to your Mac while displaying a brief message without any need to use the…

What’s New in Big Sur? Notes Notes was introduced back in OS X 10.8: Mountain Lion and has evolved considerably since then. There’s more to Notes than simply being a virtual notepad; there are a ton of features that are rarely explored and a lot more going on under the hood than you imagine. Take Note Notes on Big Sur is another prime example of how the desktop and mobile operating systems are being merged to form a universal OS. As with Notes on iOS, the Pinned Notes section can be expanded or collapsed and there are additional text styles and more formatting options via the Quick Styles function. Top Hits appear at the top of your search results, making it easier and quicker for you to find what you…

Getting Started with Big Sur The Mac’s Desktop Welcome to the Desktop The desktop is at the heart of your Mac. Everything you do takes place on the desktop, including opening apps, interacting with files and folders and using the Dock. Here we show you how to use your desktop, app and folder windows, the top bar menu, menulets, Trash and other key desktop features. 1 Command Centre – The Command Centre is where you can access Bluetooth, Wi-Fi settings, display brightness, volume, keyboard brightness, Screen Mirroring and much more. 2 Apple Menu – From the Apple menu you can log out, shut down, restart or put the computer into sleep mode, get comprehensive information on the computer’s hardware and software, access the System and Dock preferences and open items you’ve recently…

Getting Started with Big Sur Using the Finder Using Finder Files, Folders & Apps Finder is the main app that underpins everything you do in macOS, so it’s worth taking the time to discover its features and functions. On these pages you’ll see how Finder works and how you can use the Finder window; including its navigation controls, viewing tabs and more, to get the most from it. 1 Window Control Options: Use the gumdrops to close or minimise the window or open it in full-screen mode. We’ll cover this on the next page. 2 Navigation Controls: The chevron buttons found under the gumdrops in the top left corner of the window take you forwards or back through your navigation history. 3 View Options: These four buttons let you set-up how you view the files…

Getting Started with Big Sur Notifications Working with Widgets Although widgets were introduced to macOS with the release of OS X Yosemite, they were limited in terms of the their design, functionality and customisation. However, Big Sur has launched a new style of Widgets that offers better customisation and a more personalised experience. As with the Notifications, you can access the new Big Sur widgets by clicking on the date/time in the top-right of the desktop. These are simple affairs at present but in time will become more intricate as Big Sur matures and more developers come on board to include widget styles in their apps. The primary design of widgets is to provide quick and easy access to relevant information, images, reminders or some form of control. They’re handy elements…

Getting Started with Big Sur Installing New Apps Installing New Apps On Your Mac Installing new apps on a Mac can often be a confusing experience; as it often is with other operating systems too. However, with this quick guide to hand, you’ll soon learn how to best install apps and how to avoid any potential malware at the same time. The Mac App Store The Apple Mac Store is an impressive market place of apps, that have been registered and cleared with Apple to run on your Mac without any hint of anything unwarranted – such as malware. But it doesn’t have everything on offer. There are times when you may need to go outside the Mac App Store in order to get hold of a vital app, and this is…

Mail and Home App Home For the Smart Home Apple’s HomeKit gave developers the means to control compatible household gadgets from devices such as the Mac, iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Your connected home gear can be controlled under one application. You can set up automations too, so multiple devices can be activated with a single instruction. 1 Before you can make use of the Home app, you have to add HomeKit compatible devices. You can only do this from an iOS device, you can’t use your Mac. There’s a list of HomeKit compatible devices online at www.apple.co/2MFjhb3. 2 When you’ve added one or more devices using your iOS device, you can access them through Home on the Mac. Right-click on a device’s window and select Settings and you can change the…

macOS Big Sur’s Key Apps Photos Photos Manage Your Images The Photos app in macOS Big Sur has seen an improvement over its Catalina sibling. There are vast improvements to the way photos are displayed, as well as some extended features that really sets the Photos apart from its competition. Here’s a guide on how to get the most from it. 1 Use this button to toggle between regular thumbnails of your photos, as seen here, and square-shaped images that leave little border. 2 This slider increases and decreases the size of your preview images. 3 Use these buttons to view your photos arranged according to the year, month, or day in which they were taken. 4 Click here to see all your photographs in the Photos app, arranged as thumbnails. Double-click on a thumbnail to…

macOS Big Sur’s Key Apps Reminders Reminders Never Forget Again The last couple of macOS updates have greatly improved the Reminders app, from its initial introduction to the desktop back in OS X 10.8, Mountain Lion. There are some new updates to Reminders and some features have been enhanced to be more efficient. 1 This is the Reminders app’s front page, showing smart lists as well as the lists you’ve created yourself. A ‘list’ is a group of reminders you’ve set up and can be titled anything you like. 2 This is your search field. Use it to search your reminders, regardless of into which list they’re organised. 3 These are your smart lists. ‘Today’ is all your reminders scheduled for that day, ‘Scheduled’ shows reminders that are scheduled for any day, ‘All’ lists…

macOS Big Sur’s Key Apps FaceTime FaceTime Video & Audio Calls Since the lockdown due to COVID-19, face to face meetings were out of the question and if it wasn’t for the use of video chat, meeting up with colleagues, friends and family, even conducting virtual lessons would have been impossible. We owe a lot to the developers of such apps and FaceTime is one of the best available. Social Distancing Contact The Coronavirus pandemic has changed the way in which we work and contact each other for generations to come. It’s the single most devastating blow to global civilisation in living memory and there’s a chance it’s going to be with us forever. Thankfully, with our modern levels of technology we can still get access to the things that mean…

macOS Big Sur’s Key Apps App Store App Store Buy More Software The App Store is the best place to download applications for your Mac. It’s quick and secure, and has an easy-to-use interface so you can find all those obscure apps and utilities you’ve been wondering about. There’s some great software out there to discover, purchase and download in the App Store. 1 Search Bar: If you know the name of the application you’re looking for, type it here to go straight to it. Suggestions are offered as you type, so click on one to select it. You can search for developers here too. 2 Discover: This is the App Store’s main page, where you can see Apple’s picks of the best and most essential apps for your Mac. 3 Arcade: For a monthly…

Advanced Big Sur Tips & Tricks Managing Your Desktop Managing Your Desktop The macOS desktop has evolved considerably over the last decade. With cutting-edge features such as Mission Control and Exposé, you’re able to make Big Sur not just a personalised workspace but also one that’s efficient and helps you get the job done. Here’s some tips on how to better manage your desktop. Mission Control 1 To activate Mission Control, swipe upwards with three fingers on a trackpad or tap the F3 key on your keyboard. This is unchanged from previous versions of the Mac’s operating system, unless you’ve modified the gesture settings yourself. 2 Unlike pre-Sierra versions of Mission Control, open windows are presented in a single layer instead of being stacked according to which application produced them. Click on a…

Advanced Big Sur Tips & Tricks Continuity Feature Continuity Feature On Apple Devices With a Mac running OS X 10.10 or later, and a mobile device with iPadOS or iOS 8 or later installed, your Apple gear works together seamlessly. You can make and receive calls on your Mac, send and receive text messages on any of your devices, and share files between your Mac, iPad, and iOS devices with AirDrop. Wi-Fi Instant Hotspot 1 Instant Hotspot’s system requirements are stringent. A Mac must be mid-2012 or newer and running Yosemite or later. To find out when your Mac was made, click on the Apple icon in the top left and select About This Mac. An iOS device must be an iPhone 5 or later, iPad (4th gen) or later, an iPod…

Advanced Big Sur Tips & Tricks Siri The Siri Feature Your Digital PA Apple’s digital personal assistant lets you communicate with your computer by speaking, just like you do with the iPad and iPhone. Siri can organise your day, access your apps and even share a joke or two. Here’s a look at what the Siri digital assistant can do for you and your Mac, and how to make the most of it. Setting Up Siri 1 You might have activated Siri during the set up procedure. If not, under the Apple menu, select System Preferences. Click on Siri in the bottom row. If it isn’t already ticked, click on Enable Siri, on the left. If you want Siri in the menu bar, check that box too. 2 You can change the language that…

Advanced Big Sur Tips & Tricks Maintenance and Troubleshooting Maintenance and Troubleshooting Despite all the best efforts of the engineers and developers who created your Mac, things can and do go wrong. However, there’s no need to panic. With the following simple steps you can solve most of the common problems that arise. Why did you opt to purchase a Mac? There may well be many reasons but often chief among them is quality. Macs are the most robust and cleverly designed computers ever manufactured. Their complexity doesn’t stop at their aesthetic design but also includes the millions of lines of code that come together to bring you the stable and powerful operating system that is Big Sur. However, no computer is one hundred percent perfect. No matter how well designed,…

Introduction macOS Big Sur System Requirements If you’ve got a new Mac then don’t worry, you’ll most likely already have macOS Big Sur pre-installed. However, if you’re looking to upgrade from an older OS version, then let’s see if your Mac can run Big Sur.…

What’s New in Big Sur? Messages Messages Big Sur leans more toward iOS than any previous Mac operating system; combining the best of both worlds from the desktop and the mobile systems. Messages is one of the most overhauled apps that feature in Big Sur and is in line with the version on iOS 14. The Messages app has been completely rewritten to be based on Apple’s Catalyst technology. Originally called Project Marzipan, Catalyst is designed to help developers bring iOS app experiences to the Mac desktop and prevent the underlying software code being written twice. As such, the new Messages has the same capabilities as the iOS 14 version, giving you all the necessary tools to stay in control of the conversation. Messages: Redesigned With new Messages you’re able…

Spotlight & App Store App Store There are some new additions to the App Store and Mac App Store; most notable are the ‘Nutrition Labels’. Inspired by the nutrition labels on food packaging, Apple started showing privacy details of apps, which include information on what data is collected and whether data is used to track you across other apps and websites. Appy Macs With the release of Big Sur, the privacy data that developers will be required to include, are to be displayed alongside any other relevant information. This is a big step forward for any operating system that deals with installable apps. Apple Arcade now has better Game Centre integration, enabling you to see the games that are popular with your friends and view those games that have achievements;…

What’s New in Big Sur? HomeKit Apple’s Home app is like something from a science fiction show or novel from the 60s. A tool that enables you to remotely turn on the lights in your home, adjust the thermostat, control locks and even view the interior via cameras. Even in our lifetime, that was once considered beyond belief. Phone Home The Home app now supports facial recognition for video cameras and compatible doorbells, which also include animal and vehicle detection. Any connected security cameras can identify people you’ve tagged in the Photos app for better control, so you’re able to create personalised notifications based on the tagged individual.…

Notes & Reminders Reminders Introduced in iOS 5 and OS X 10.8: Mountain Lion, Reminders is a useful component that’s often overlooked by many Apple users. With the upgrade to Big Sur, the Reminders app has greatly improved and now features an array of clever options to help keep you in the loop. Forget me not A key new feature of Reminders is the ability to assign reminders to those whom you share lists with. Once assigned, the relevant people will get notifications based on the tasks that they are responsible for. This makes it easy to keep track of who’s doing what and what’s going on. Lists can be personalised with emoji and newly added symbols and there are a set of new keyboard shortcuts that will help you…

Getting Started with Big Sur Getting Online Getting Online With Wi-Fi or Ethernet As is the case with any modern operating system, access to the Internet is a vital component for upgrading and getting hold of new apps that will help you get the most from your Mac. Getting online in Big Sur is remarkably easy and here’s how to do it both wirelessly and with a cabled connection. Connected Mac 1 Make sure that your Mac is within range of your wireless router’s Wi-Fi signal, then click on the Command Centre icon in the upper-right of the desktop (next to Siri). If the Wi-Fi is indicating it’s off, click the icon to switch it on. 2 Within the Wi-Fi icon you’ll see the option for Other Networks, click this to list the currently…

Getting Started with Big Sur The Dock The Dock For Most-used Apps The macOS Dock is a fantastic feature that’s been present on Macs since the introduction of Mac OS X 10.0. It’s perfect for gaining quick access to the most relevant and used applications, documents and folders. It’s customisable, which means you’ll come to personalise your Dock to best fit your own unique needs. Accessing Your Applications from the Dock Add or Remove an Application To add an app, first click the icon filled with multicoloured boxes on the left-hand side of the Dock to bring up Launchpad. Then, click and drag the item you want onto the Dock. To remove it, just drag it out. Open an Application To open an application that’s in your Dock, simply move the mouse…

Getting Started with Big Sur The Spotlight Feature The Spotlight Feature Search Your Mac Spotlight Search is Apple’s unique and ultra-powerful search system that can find almost anything on your Mac. There’s a whole raft of great features, making it a really powerful and useful tool that’s integrated into the apps that you use every day. Here’s how to get the most from the Spotlight feature. Using Spotlight’s Features 1 To start using Spotlight, press CMD and the space bar or click the magnifying glass in the top menu and the Spotlight Search window appears. In Big Sur, as with macOS Catalina, you can drag this window to wherever you want on the screen; it’s not fixed in position. 2 Start typing your search query into Spotlight and immediately answers appear, with suggestions based…

macOS Big Sur’s Key Apps Safari Safari Your Web Browser As the gateway to the Internet, Apple’s Safari has taken a surprisingly long time to get into shape; compared to the big names (Chrome, Firefox etc.). However, Big Sur’s updated Safari can finally kick sand in the faces of the other browsers. 1 Navigation Controls: These two arrow control buttons enable you to move back and forth between current and previously viewed web pages. 2 Toolbar Buttons: These buttons give you access to various Safari features. You can add or remove buttons by right-clicking or CTRL-clicking on the toolbar and selecting Customise Toolbar. 3 URL Bar: Enter the website address of your choice or a search term that you wish to look up into this bar, then tap the Return key. 4 Reload Page: Sometimes, if a web…

macOS Big Sur’s Key Apps Music Music Play Your Tunes The Music app is great for enjoying all your sounds on the Mac. If you subscribe to the Apple Music service, you can stream from over 70 million tracks and numerous online radio stations. You can rip your CDs and store them on your Mac, and you can also compile playlists. 1 When you’re using the Music app, the top bar gives you pull-down menus offering controls and options. It’s worthwhile familiarising yourself with them. 2 The Search field: Completion suggestions are offered as you type, and results can be limited to Apple Music, or your on-Mac library, as you wish. Results include artists, songs, albums and more. 3 The controls: These are, in turn, Shuffle Tracks, Previous track, Play/Pause, Next track, Repeat Play. 4 When…

macOS Big Sur’s Key Apps Contacts Contacts Your Address Book Since macOS Yosemite, the Contacts app has adopted a more iOS-style User Interface, and with the release of Big Sur, that style has been improved yet again. The app is designed to help you keep track of friends, family and work colleagues, so sending, sharing and contacting them is easy. Managing and Maintaining Contacts 1 This guide shows you to how to add new contacts to your Contacts address book, edit existing ones and share a completed contact card with other people. To create a new contact card, click on the plus button in the bottom left of the current card. Select New Contact from the window that pops up and you’re given a blank card to fill in. 2 To add details, click…

macOS Big Sur’s Key Apps Messages Messages For On-screen Chats You can keep up to date and in constant contact with family and friends and other Mac and iOS users with the Messages app. With Big Sur, this updated version offers a number of new features for a more effective and friendly messaging environment. Here’s how it works. Setting Up Messages 1 When you first open Messages, you might need to sign in with your Apple ID. If you’re not asked to do so, you’re already signed in. Open Messages and select Preferences from the Messages menu in the top bar. Alternatively, press CMD-comma on your keyboard. Either way, the Preferences window appears. 2 Click the iMessage tab and ensure that the email address associated with your Apple ID is enabled. If it isn’t,…

macOS Big Sur’s Key Apps Maps Maps Plan Your Routes The Maps app isn’t just for checking out the size of someone else’s garden, it’s a powerful tool that can help you plan routes while avoiding traffic and taking in the glorious sights. With the release of Big Sur, Maps is even more powerful with better features and performance. Let’s see how it works. Finding Places with Maps 1 To find your current location, click the arrow icon left of the search field. The map zooms to your current whereabouts. To search for a specific location, type the address, postcode or zip code or road name into the search field. Possible matches are shown as you type. 2 You can search for a business by entering the business name or type, for example…

Advanced Big Sur Tips & Tricks Multi-use Touch Bar Multi-use Touch Bar On a MacBook Pro The Touch Bar is an OLED touchscreen that replaces the function keys on the newer models of MacBook Pro. What it does depends on what you’re currently doing on your Mac; if you’re using Messages, for example, it might offer emoticons to tap and use. If you’re using iTunes, it offers music controls. The Touch Bar Explained 1 App-specific: What the Touch Bar shows depends on the app you’re currently using. Here it’s used with a video app but it can be configured for other software too. 2 The Touch Bar: The Touch Bar runs along the top of the keyboard, where the function keys used to be. What it displays depends on what app you’re using. 3 Regular Buttons: As…

Advanced Big Sur Tips & Tricks The Terminal The Terminal Behind the macOS desktop lies another element that’s usually hidden to most folk, the Terminal. The Terminal is a command-line interface where you can control almost the entire OS. It’s powerful and complex at times but also an incredibly handy skill to learn. Terminal Velocity Before we begin to look at some Terminal commands it’s worth a quick look at what exactly the Terminal is. The macOS Terminal or Terminal Emulator to be exact, is a shell that enables you to gain text-based access to the operating system. Since macOS is a UNIX-based operating system, the Terminal will open a command-line interface where you can enter UNIX commands, create automated scripts and much more. It can be daunting to those new…

Advanced Big Sur Tips & Tricks Top Tips for Your Mac 24 Top Tips Every Mac User Must Know These Mac tips will help you get the most from your Big Sur experience and improve your knowledge and efficiency for when you need to get the job done. Every Mac user needs to know these tips, so let’s get cracking. 1 Get used to using Spotlight for better searching. Just press the Command + Spacebar to bring up the Spotlight search box and look for anything from files and folder to how many centimetres it is to Pluto and back. 2 You can quickly switch between open apps by pressing Command + Tab, then keeping hold of Command and tapping the Tab key to cycle through the currently available apps. 3…

Advanced Big Sur Tips & Tricks Time Machine The Time Machine Back Up & Restore Sadly we’re not going to hang out with the Eloi and tackle the Morlocks in these pages, but we can make a solid and reliable backup of the files on our Mac. The Time Machine is, as you suspect, a backup and restore app that could save your data in case of drive problems or accidental deletion. Here’s how it works. Into the 4th Dimension 1 Connect an external hard drive, via USB, FireWire or Thunderbolt, to your Mac. It should be at least the size of your Mac’s hard drive. The larger the drive, the further back in time you will be able to store backups. Now open System Preferences and click on Time Machine in the…

Advanced Big Sur Tips & Tricks Glossary of Mac and Computing Terms Glossary of Mac and Computing Terms We’ve tried to keep this guide as jargon free as possible, but inevitably there are some words and phrases that might still seem mysterious to the newcomer. Where that’s the case, this glossary should help. If you’re confused by a technical term, take a look; you might just find the definition you need in here. A Accessibility: A series of tools and features designed to make an Apple device such as the Mac and mobile devices easier to use by those with disabilities such as vision or hearing impairments. You can find the Mac’s Accessibility features and customise them in System Preferences. AirPlay: A protocol for streaming sounds and video from an Apple…