How I Set Up My Mac to Keep My Sanity

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Setting up a new Mac can be overwhelming, but after years of fine-tuning my macOS workflow, I’ve gathered some essential tips and tricks to streamline the experience. In this video, I walk through the entire setup process, from initial boot to advanced customizations that keep my sanity on my MacBook Air M3 and my MacBook Pro M3 Pro. Whether you’re new to macOS or just looking for ways to optimize your setup, I’ll guide you through key features, essential settings, and handy shortcuts that make a big difference in everyday use. Let’s get started on making your Mac experience even better.

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00:00 | Start
01:38 | First Setup
04:26 | macOS Updates
05:13 | Clean My Mac
06:10 | Changing Wallpaper
06:49 | Dock Changes
07:58 | Home Screen Updates
08:54 | Finder
12:32 | Web Browser
13:59 | Time Machine Backups
15:33 | Keyboard Shortcuts
17:54 | Wrapping Up

#macbook #apple

[natetetreault]

"If you're new to Mac, holding down two fingers on the trackpad is the same as right clicking in Windows" THIS is why I watch your videos, sir. I'm a lifelong PC user, just now getting into the Mac world. Thank you :)

[chris]

Just this year, I decided to ditch windows after 30 years and bought my first Mac. I have found your videos invaluable. Thanks for your attention to detail. Also, you have the most calming voice 😂

[FoxxFire]

Oh, shortcuts can be an entire video. I agree command+space for spotlight is the most handy. I use that all the time, every day, for opening apps and performing calculations. The other that you mentioned, ctrl+cmd+shift+4 to take a snip of anything on the screen and not actually save it as a screenshot, but rather to your clipboard. I use that CONSTANTLY to send pictures of items or cars or houses or whatever to my kids and mother. It's like using the 'snipping' tool in Windows, but Windows requires you to snip, wait a second to load, copy the item, paste it, and then close the snipping tool. It takes FOREVER (comparatively), and unfortunately my work computer is a Windows laptop, and so i go through that disastrous sequence all the time. Again, ctrl+cmd+shift+4 is IMO the most underrated shortcut on the Mac, period stop :)

[brandonw]

Not a ton of people know but if you make the Development directory under your User directory the icon turns into a hammer instead of a folder icon. Just a nice UI change for Finder. It might be Developer and not Development but one of them does it.

[LivingYaya]

Just bought an MBP M3 Pro today, perfect timing !!!!

[mcjackson]

Don’t forget about CMD X for cut and the ever helpful CMD Z for undo

[BogWraith]

I agree and use all the shortcuts and most of the other features you mentioned. The only thing I do differently is I use Super Duper for backing up my Mac which I do on a regular basis. It clones my drive while backing up the latest files I have on my Mac.
Your videos are always well done and I appreciate your hard work in producing them!

[VTz]

11:22 if you rename Development folder to Developer and keep it under home directory, you’ll get a fancy folder icon.

[insearchofadventure]

command + option + escape = Force close apps (CTRL+ALT+DEL on win) useful when a game or app freezes !

[lidbergtech]

Installing clean my mac is your sponsor and is by no means necessary on a new mac.

[lopesmorrenofim]

I didn't really find anything new, but the video was just SOO GOOD that I had to stay through it. Great video, just subscribed.

[BradleyHansonPhotography]

Since horizontal real estate is so precious, I’ve always preferred the dock vertically on the left side of the screen, and then it never gets in the way of the app and gives more vertical space

[holasoyenrique]

Really useful video, I just bot a MacBook Air M2 and it was really weird don't finding a C: folder like in Windows. Also I'm having trouble exporting videos from icloud to the local storage for editing. I guess ther is a learnig curve. Keep the great work! Saludos desde México.

[e_for_ian]

Safari can show vertical tabs too via tab groups

[bryans]

Thanks for the tips Kyle, I learned some new ones. Like you, one of the first things I do is remove most of the icons in the dock since it reduces clutter, and I can easily get what I want in the Applications folder.

[Gabriel]

for the doc apps you can also just drag them onto the desktop and hold it there for a second and it will remove

[johnoldham]

My #1 is tap to click under the trackpad. Feels so much more premium than the default 👍

[AndreyRadchishin]

Safari does have vertical tabs. Show the sidebar and click to uncollapse one of the tab groups or the main profile just above them.

[Duaneoca]

The two things I do that you didn’t mention are disabling caps lock, and because I started on windows, swapping the control and “alt” key positions. I can’t seem to untrain my left pinky. :)

[soaringsaberrr]

At 7:22 you can also throw the icons out of the dock by clicking and dragging off the dock, hold the icon there for a sec till it says “Remove” and then release it.