If you just picked up a new Mac M4 or plan to perform a clean install of macOS, you will need to change and configure many settings to meet your needs. In this updated Mac getting started guide, I review 60 different tips and tricks to help you optimize your configuration.

Even if you’re an experienced macOS user, you’ll probably find some new tips. Watch our video presentation and subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube to find out more.

In this written article, I only include a few of the things covered in the video, but it will give you a good idea of ​​the type of content you can expect to find in the full video. Here are some of my favorite Mac tips:

Configure the App Store to install large apps on an external drive

This is a new feature for macOS Sequoia and a huge win for users looking to get by with minimal disk space. After all, the basic Mac mini, although an incredible valueonly comes with 256GB of flash storage. The good news? You can add storage via external USB-C and Thunderbolt drives, then install large apps from the App Store to an external drive.

Step 1: Open the App Store.

Step 2: Open the App Store settings via the menu bar.

Step 3: Check the box next to Download and install large applications on a separate disk.

Step 4: Select your external drive.

Any app you download from the App Store larger than 1 GB will now automatically download and install to external storage. But make sure it’s fast external storage – I recommend Samsung’s fast T9 readerwhich offers excellent value for money – otherwise it could affect the performance of the application.

Video: 60 Mac Tips for New Setups (Sequoia 2024 Edition)

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Add web apps to the Dock

macOS Sequoia lets you easily add web apps to the Dock via Safari, which is handy for adding threads or BlueSky Links directly to the Dock.

Step 1: Open Safari and open the website you want to convert to a web application.

Step 2: Click File in the menu bar and select Add to Dock.

Web apps are permanently stored in the dock and act as standalone apps outside of Safari with separate cookies. They feature their own app icons, appear in LaunchPad, can receive notifications, and customize preferences.

Remove window tiling margins

Sequoia has added a much-needed native window tiling feature that lets you quickly create tiled layouts by dragging your windows to the side of the screen or using keyboard shortcuts. By default, tiled windows have margins that result in small spaces between each window. Here’s how to get rid of window tile margins.

Step 1: Open system settings.

Step 2: Click Desktop and Dock.

Step 3: Scroll down and turn off the Tiled windows have margins setting under the Windows header.

Double-click the title bar to maximize a window

Another macOS Sequoia first: you can now double-click a window’s title bar, and instead of performing the weird zoom function, you can make it maximize the window to fill the screen.

Step 1: Open system settings.

Step 2: Click Desktop and Dock.

Step 3: Under the Dock heading, click the drop-down next to double-click the title bar of a window to and select Fill.

Stop showing desktop when clicking wallpaper

This is one of the more annoying recent features added to macOS: you click on the wallpaper and the desktop automatically appears, hiding everything else. It’s a nice feature, but its implementation is poor. Instead, it’s best to use a Hot Corner shortcut to do this. Either way, here’s how to stop it.

Step 1: Open system settings.

Step 2: Click Desktop and Dock.

Step 3: Under the Desktop & Stage Manager heading, click the drop-down next to Click on the wallpaper to reveal the desktopand select Only in Stage Manager.

Take from 9to5Mac

Again, these are just five tips that help make macOS better overall. If you’re starting out with a new Mac or reinstalling macOS Sequoia, be sure to watch the video for a step-by-step overview of 55 more practical tips and tips.

What do you think? Sound off in the comments below with your thoughts.