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My long awaited 16” M1 Max is finally in the house and as with most new Macs, I prefer
to do a clean install and setup.
This way I can rinse and get rid of some things along the way and as always refresh or replace
some old habits.
Since my last How I setup a new Mac video was very well received and I keep getting
questions about some things, I decided to an updated 2022 video going over all the steps
I take to make a new Mac - MY MAC!
I’ve categorized the steps so feel free to use the chapters below to jump around the
video.
Starting off with the Basic Mac OS Settings, I’m going to first replace the default wallpaper
with one of mine.
Before I do anything else though, I check to see if there’s a software update.
As expected, there was and after 20 minutes I moved on to the next step.
BTW, while checking for updates, be sure to turn on automatic updates.
One of the many reasons to wear an Apple Watch is to be able to unlock my Mac with it.
To enable that feature I go to settings, security and privacy and general.
Selecting “Use Apple Watch to unlock apps and your Mac” is what enables that feature.
Next, and this is something really weird with Mac OS is to turn ON the firewall.
I still have no idea why by default, Mac OS comes with the firewall disabled.
The firewall is basically a network filter that allows you to control which programs
and services can accept incoming connections so I take it very seriously and keep it on.
The next thing I do is what usually start to drive me crazy around this time of the
setup.
I turn on tapping on the trackpad.
I know some people prefer to use the physical click, but I find tapping to be much faster
and more efficient.
Plus, pressing on the trackpad is simulated anyway, so even if you don’t turn tapping
on, you are still tapping…just forcefully 😀
While on the topic of mouse control, since I do use the Magic Mouse on many occasions,
I enable the secondary click while in settings.
To feel more at home, I like to add my Memoji as my profile picture.
Since it is animated, it makes unlocking experience a lot more fun.
I used to use Alfred as a Spotlight replacement, but I am now back to the OEM Spotlight which
is still my preferred way to quickly launch things that are not in the dock.
I prefer a different shortcut combo to summon Spotlight though and that is Option + the
Space Bar.
I like to use the hot corners feature too so by going to Desktop & Screen Saver and
I choose to have the top left corner triggering the Launchpad and the top left starting the
Screen Saver.
Launching the Screen Saver is a great way to walk away from the computer and lock it.
Bottom right is now reserved for quick notes, which I might use occasionally.
Under the battery pane I’d like to make sure that Optimized Battery Charging is enabled,
since this helps preserve the battery.
Under accessibility and Zoom I always turn on Scroll gesture with Control to Zoom in
and out the operating system.
No matter what screen you work on, this is a great feature to use non stop that not only
helps you avoid trying to focus on something tiny, but it is also great for when you want
to share something with someone from a distance.
SKIT
Finally in the settings panel I got to Displays and turn off True Tone.
As much as I like how the display shifts colors to match my environment, this might ruin a
design that I am working on or a color corrections that I am trying to do on a video.
Next, before I do anything else, I dump all my files from an external drive that I used
to off load things from the old Mac.
To me that is almost always just the files from my Downloads folder and I’ll explain
why in minute.
In the case of this new 16” MBP, I can finally move all my video projects from my other external
drive too, since I have 2TB to play with.
The final thing that I do is to transfer over my fonts.
That is a surprisingly easy process.
On the old Mac, I open the Font Book and select all my folders.
Then, I just choose export and AirDrop the fonts to the new Mac.
On the new Mac I import and that’s it.
BTW, if you end up enjoying this video, subscribe…because…WHY NOT?!?
The reason I just move over my Downloads folder is because for everything else, I use iCloud.
My personal files, documents, pictures, including everything work related is on iCloud.
As I first log into the new Mac and as I sign in, iCloud begins syncing all my files and
folders and it usually does that the first 24 hours.
I have a lot of things on iCloud, but rest assured, it knows what download based on my
past behavior and needs.
I have a dedicated video on how I use iCloud so I’ll make sure to list it below if you
are interested.
From the iCloud settings, I also turn on synchronization for my Desktop and Documents folder since
I use them a lot.
Especially the Desktop folder.
I am really used to have access to my desktop things because I often access them from either
my iPad or the iPhone.
Enabling iMessage on iCloud is also a vital step of the process after which I end all
sync steps with setting up my network storage device (or NAS).
I use a Synology NAS and I have to install the Drive app for it in order to start backing
up my video files.
I also use Backblaze to backup my Mac as a means of restoring files should I happen to
delete or replace something by accident.
Next up is the Dock (or it might be somewhere in between all the steps).
Step number one for the Dock is to get rid of all the default apps that I won’t be
using.
I prefer to keep my dock on the left side, so I move it there.
From the Dock settings under System Preferences, I prefer to turn off the recent application
suggestions, because I am aware as to what I want to use at all times.
Because of nostalgia feelings, I recently prefer to turn on Magnification.
One final thing about the dock, I prefer to have the apps minimized within their app icon
instead of shrinking to the side and expand the dock.
Moving to the desktop, I turn on Stacks, which automatically organizes all type of files
into their own kind.
If you have a messy desktop, try turning on Stacks and enjoy the magical result of declutter.
When it comes to the icons on the desktop, I prefer to have them displayed with label
position on the right, sorted by kind and date.
Now, let’s talk about the Finder.
From the sidebar, I turn off the recents folder and the tags, because I don’t use them.
I don’s actually use Pictures and Music either.
While in the Finder settings, I also choose my default Finder folder to be the Downloads
folder and not Recents.
I also customize the finder view to be a list with Preview enabled on the right.
I also enable Show Path bar and Show Status Bar.
To put the cherry on top, I like to add shortcuts to my most used projects folders in the form
of icons on top of the Finder window.
To do that I hold OPT + CMD and drag the folders (which BTW, have custom icons).
To fix my biggest annoyance, I select few music files and change the default media player
for audio files to be QuickTime and not Apple Music.
Since I often download music for my projects, I don’t want to mess up my Musics organization
by opening temp audio files or even voiceovers by accident.
Net up is Safari.
The first thing that I do is to Stop Safari from automatically opening my downloads.
I also enable the Developer mode because I use that a lot.
If you are an Apple One subscriber you might also use the Private Relay that apple offers
- which is still in BETA btw.
In case you are not aware what it is, Apple explains it best - When Private Relay is enabled,
your requests are sent through two separate, secure internet relays.
Your IP address is visible to your network provider and to the first relay, which is
operated by Apple.
Your DNS records are encrypted, so neither party can see the address of the website you’re
trying to visit.
Keep in mind though, that if this feature is enabled, you might witness some much slower
browsing times on occasions.
Before I move to installing apps, I open the Launchpad and clean and organize all default
apps that I don’t particularly care about.
In many occasions, I prefer to keep the Launchpad only one page so in this step, I keep very
few apps and rest I ditch into a MISC folder.
Ok…so apps.
I’ll skip the trivial Microsoft Office and Google Chrome apps, because you know what
they do.
I use Chrome, mainly because of YouTube, but for most everything else, I keep Safari.
The first fun app is called Short Menu.
It lives in the menu bar and it helps me create short links very quickly.
Another app worth checking out is called SideNotes.
As the name implies the app lives hidden on the side of the screen and can be summoned
at any point and used to dump all sorts of information that comes to mind throughout
the day.
From images to snippets of codes, SideNotes can take it all and keep it organised.
You can even export your notes as beautiful images to share on social media.
This is my new favourite way to quickly write down my daily tasks as they come to mind.
Also, I haven’t seen a quicker way to grab notes or text from another place like SideNotes,
and believe me, it is quicker than anything else - like an inbox for the thoughts.
What makes this tool unique is that it blends the simple sticky notes of the past, with
the more complex note-taking apps of today and makes them available only when needed.
You can get a 30 days trial for free.
And by using this code you can get 10% off when you decide to buy the app.
The code is valid until April 2022
CleanMyMacX is my choice of a clean up and maintenance tool.
I use it to regularly scan the Mac and delete all sorts of junk and cache things that clutter
my storage and memory and I also use it to monitor my overall computer storage.
With the built in too, I can take a glimpse of what takes up most of my storage and quickly
clean it up.
CleanMyMac X is also great for uninstalling apps the proper way - without leaving a trace
of any sort.
I use 1 Password as a supplement password manager to the built-in and already synchronised
Keychain. 1 Password is also great if you work on more than one platform - like Windows
and Mac.
Right now I am enjoying a very quirky screen saver called Grid Clock, which I’ll make
sure to list below.
Not very Savery if you ask me, but it looks awesome on the mini LED display of the laptop.
I use a little app called Amphetamine, which BTW is absolutely free.
This app helps me create sessions that keep my Mac awake, without allowing it to fall
asleep while in the middle of a shoot for example.
There’s other cool perks to this app btw, but we don’t have time today.
I use Image2Icon to create my own Finder icons like the ones that I use in the Finder toolbar
and PhotoBulk is a great app to manipulate a batch of images and resize and optimise
them for example.
Rectangle helps me snap my windows the way I want to, something that Microsoft Windows
has built in.
Rectangle was a recommendation from a viewer last time, so if you have another recommendation
of yours, feel free to list it in the description below.
I got hooked up on the app pocket casts recently and I had to pay a subscription to be able
to use on the map, but I do find it to be one of the better podcast apps out there.
Monitor Control is definitely a utility app that I’d like to point out in this video.
Through it, you can control the volume and brightness of external monitors, which is
definitely worthwhile.
It is also free so go check it out.
By this time, things are starting to look messy in the menu bar and in order to not
crash the notch I am installing Bartender as the app that hides all the apps from the
menu.
It is very clean and clever tool that can also be customised.
The email client that I’ve been using ever since it was released (I think like 2 years
ago) is Hey.
It is not just an email client but rather a fully fledged email service, developed by
the awesome people over at Basecamp.
It’s an app worth separate video if you ask me.
Something new to me recently is an app called Downie which is basically a YouTube download
app.
It is paid and it is capable of downloading YouTube content in it’s full 4k potential,
but keep in mind that in order to take full advantage of it, you’ll have to get the
supporting converter tool called Permute.
Now let’s talk about some power apps.
Those are the tools that I use to put food on the table.
First off, it is all Affinity - Affinity Photo, Designer and occasionally Publisher.
The Affinity software has take the creators world by storm the last 5 years and more as
a great pay-once Adobe alternative to Photoshop and Illustrator.
I use only one Adobe app and that is Lightroom and I am still hoping that Affinity will soon
release an alternative to it too.
I edit on all videos on Final Cut Pro and along side it I use the Compressor app, which
is used for batch working on exports and MotionVFX, which are the plugins for Final Cut.
I like to create stacking photos and an app that I love to use is called HeliconFocus.
Once I insert all the photos that I want to stack the process is always very satisfying.
For scripts and business management, I use Notion and I in fact have a separate video
on it.
You can check it on my channel if you are interested on how I use it.
In terms of smart things, like HomeKit and stuff, I’d recommend an app called Home
Control.
It is what I use to integrate with my Elgato stream deck in order to control my studio
from it.
It has a lot to it, besides being a quick way to trigger automations.
Of course, the Elgato product are installed too, one to control the steam deck and the
other to control my key light.
If you want more details on how I use iCloud to store my digital life, check out this video.
My macOS Monterey features video might also be of interest to you.
Subscribe to the channel if you haven’t already,
And as always,
It’s been an absolute pleasure,
This is E
Over & Out