macOS Sonoma 14
macOS Ventura 13
macOS Monterey 12
macOS Big Sur 11.0
macOS Catalina 10.15
macOS Mojave 10.14
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Table of Contents
macOS User Guide
- Welcome
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- What’s in the menu bar?
- Work on the desktop
- Search with Spotlight
- Quickly change settings
- Use Siri
- Get notifications
- Open apps from the Dock
- Organize your files in the Finder
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- Connect to the internet
- Browse the web
- Preview a file
- Take a screenshot
- Change your display’s brightness
- Adjust the volume
- Use trackpad and mouse gestures
- Use Touch ID
- Print documents
- Keyboard shortcuts
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- Apps on your Mac
- Open apps
- Work with app windows
- Use apps in full screen
- Use apps in Split View
- Use Stage Manager
- Get apps from the App Store
- Install and reinstall apps from the App Store
- Install and uninstall other apps
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- Create and work with documents
- Open documents
- Mark up files
- Combine files into a PDF
- Organize files on your desktop
- Organize files with folders
- Tag files and folders
- Back up files
- Restore files
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- Change System Settings
- Choose your desktop wallpaper
- Add and customize widgets
- Use a screen saver
- Add a user or group
- Add your email and other accounts
- Automate tasks with Shortcuts
- Create Memoji
- Change your login picture
- Change the system language
- Make text and other items on the screen bigger
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- Set up a Focus to stay on task
- Set up Screen Time for yourself
- Use Dictation
- Send emails
- Send text messages
- Make a FaceTime video call
- Edit photos and videos
- Use Live Text to interact with text in a photo
- Start a Quick Note
- Get directions
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- Work across devices using Continuity
- Use iPhone as a webcam
- Use iPhone with Desk View
- Stream audio and video with AirPlay
- Use one keyboard and mouse to control Mac and iPad
- Hand off between devices
- Unlock your Mac with Apple Watch
- Make and receive phone calls on your Mac
- Sync music, books, and more between devices
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- Manage Apple ID settings
- Set your Apple ID picture
- What is iCloud?
- What is iCloud+?
- Store files in iCloud Drive
- Share and collaborate on files and folders
- Manage iCloud storage
- Use iCloud Photos
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- Play music
- Listen to podcasts
- Watch TV shows and movies
- Read and listen to books
- Read the news
- Track stocks and the market
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- Apple Music
- Apple TV+
- Apple Arcade
- Apple News+
- Podcast shows and channels
- Manage subscriptions in the App Store
- View Apple family subscriptions
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- Guard your privacy
- Use Mail Privacy Protection
- Control access to your camera
- Use Sign in with Apple for apps and websites
- Set up your Mac to be secure
- Keep your data safe
- Create a passkey
- Understand passwords
- Keep your Apple ID secure
- Find a missing device
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- Get started with accessibility features
- Vision
- Hearing
- Mobility
- Speech
- General
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- Connect an external display
- Use the built-in camera
- Connect a Bluetooth device
- Use AirPods with your Mac
- Optimize your Mac battery life
- Optimize storage space
- Burn CDs and DVDs
- Control accessories in your home
- Use Windows on your Mac
- Resources for your Mac
- Resources for your Apple devices
- Copyright
![Get started with your Mac (1) Get started with your Mac (1)](https://i0.wp.com/help.apple.com/assets/65A8106E7C69B635140E606E/65A81072C0272B1FFA02DE51/en_US/a33905283c1d56f94106106b7ac6d40d.png)
![Get started with your Mac (2) Get started with your Mac (2)](https://i0.wp.com/help.apple.com/assets/65A8106E7C69B635140E606E/65A81072C0272B1FFA02DE51/en_US/d8f1395c9d0e0a34554f36a78d5b629c.png)
Sign in with your AppleID
An Apple ID is the personal account you use to access the App Store, Apple Music, FaceTime, iCloud, and other Apple services. Sign in everywhere with the same Apple ID, and everything stays up to date on all your devices.
How to sign in with your Apple ID
![Get started with your Mac (3) Get started with your Mac (3)](https://i0.wp.com/help.apple.com/assets/65A8106E7C69B635140E606E/65A81072C0272B1FFA02DE51/en_US/7e533dd610c1baa3ac4933072bf5e3f5.png)
Make your desktop your own
Choose the look you want for your wallpaper—from a simple color background to a favorite photo. When you choose aerials, the wallpaper also becomes your screen saver.
How to customize the wallpaper
![Get started with your Mac (4) Get started with your Mac (4)](https://i0.wp.com/help.apple.com/assets/65A8106E7C69B635140E606E/65A81072C0272B1FFA02DE51/en_US/1ccbe4ebfe4a7eec51b7e2ca73d36b05.png)
Quickly change settings
Control Center gives you instant access to the controls you use the most, like Wi-Fi, sound volume, and display brightness. Just click the Control Center icon in the menu bar.
How to use Control Center
![Get started with your Mac (6) Get started with your Mac (6)](https://i0.wp.com/help.apple.com/assets/65A8106E7C69B635140E606E/65A81072C0272B1FFA02DE51/en_US/7b9e05122ddce1856d5a1bb4136c4ab4.png)
Find and open apps
Your Mac comes with dozens of popular apps already built in. To easily see and open these apps, click the Launchpad icon in the Dock.
See which apps are included on your Mac
![Get started with your Mac (8) Get started with your Mac (8)](https://i0.wp.com/help.apple.com/assets/65A8106E7C69B635140E606E/65A81072C0272B1FFA02DE51/en_US/f36dc4febf315719741d637c91bf122f.png)
Find anything with Spotlight
Search with Spotlight to quickly find apps, documents, images, and more on your Mac. From the search results, you can link to more info on the web. You can also use Spotlight to do quick conversions or calculations.
How to search and get calculations with Spotlight
Want to learn more? If you just migrated from a PC to a Mac, see Switched from Windows to Mac?
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