Hello, my name's Tom and this is Proper Honest Tech.
I recently purchased a new M1 MacBook Air, review of that coming to the channel very soon,
and it got me thinking about all of the different things that I do straight away,
each time when I setup a brand new Mac. These are the little tweaks and changes that I think
make my Mac experience better, and I think they might make your experience better too.
So, in this video, I'm going to list 20 things that I always do,
right away, when I'm setting up a new Mac.
Oh, and before we start, if you find this kind of content helpful, do please consider liking
the video, and subscribing to my channel, it really helps me ensure I'm giving you,
the tech community, the kind of content you want moving forward.
OK, let's go!
1) Make a list of the software I use on my current Mac
You probably don't realise just how much software, both Apple and third-party, you use on a daily
basis. So one of the first things that I do when setting up a new Mac, actually begins before I
get the new Mac. I go through my existing Mac, and I run all of the core processes that I run
on a daily basis, and I just ensure that I know all of the software that I rely on. I make sure
that I know how I'm going to get it setup on the new computer, that I've got my logins,
my access codes etc. That way, there are no nasty surprises once you're up and running, and you can
be confident that your new Mac has everything you need to keep you productive right away.
2) Make a list of any presets, or crucial plugins
This is similar to the first tip, but it is a little bit of a different process.
Beyond software, do I have all of the necessary plugins, software extensions, VSTs etc,
and if I've got any customisation on my current Mac, do I know how to replicate it on the new one?
For example, I use the Apollo Twin audio interface for all of my voice over recording,
and I have a preset setup for my microphone, just the way that I like it. This never copies
across when setting up a new Mac, it's always stored in a local file,
so I've got a note in my Notes app that shows me exactly how to replicate it.
It's the same with processing my voice overs - I use a combination of different plugins and VSTs,
all at very specific settings. My clients don't care that I've bought a new machine, they just
want the same kind of voice over today that they had last week or last month, and it's that
consistency that's so important. So, just like in the last tip, I'd recommend making a list of all
the plugins, all the VSTs and all the extensions, and making sure that you know what they are,
that you can go get them, and that you can configure them exactly the way that you need them.
3) Switch off True Tone
True Tone isn't a bad feature at all, it's just that for the majority of the video work that I
do nowadays, I'd rather not have it switched on. Essentially, True Tone uses ambient light sensors
to make subtle changes to the White Balance of your display, depending on the light around you.
In theory, this helps to ensure that you're better able to view your Mac screen in bright sunlight,
or likewise in a dark room, creating a more natural viewing experience.
If, like me, you want to switch it off, it's easy enough to do. Go to Systems Preferences,
then Display, and you've got the option to toggle it on and off as you wish.
4) Switch off Night Shift
Night Shift can actually be pretty helpful, particularly on devices like your iPhone
or your iPad. Essentially, Night Shift uses the clock in your device and geolocation data to
determine when it's sunset in your location, and then gradually dial down the amount of blue light
emitted by your device, switching over to warmer colours, and gradually dimming the brightness.
The science behind this is that sitting at our phones late at night viewing very harsh,
blue light is bad for our eyes and can interrupt our sleep.
If you want to switch this off though, perhaps because you work in a field where
you need colour accuracy, this is easy to do. Go to System Preferences, then Display,
and then Night Shift, and where it says Schedule, ensure that it's set to Off.
5) Configure my Trackpad
The Trackpads on Macs are fantastic, but there are a few settings which I prefer to
change from the defaults. To do this, head to System Preferences, and then choose Trackpad.
I like to use Secondary Click, where a tap with two fingers is the equivalent of a right click
on a mouse. But more importantly for me, I ensure that Tap to Click is switched on.
I really don't like having to push down on the trackpad to select something,
I much prefer a very gentle tap, which is what this setting allows you to do. You can of course
also configure your tracking speed here if you wish. Under Scroll and Zoom, I tend to have most
of them switched on, and the same under More Gestures, I generally find them very useful.
Oh, bonus tip related to this. If you head to System Preferences, then Accessibility,
then Pointer Control, then Trackpad Options, you can switch on dragging with a three finger drag.
This is really useful, and I'm not sure why Apple hid the functionality here,
rather than putting it in Trackpad options, but there you go.
6) Configure my Mouse
Similar to the trackpad, I like to ensure that my mouse is setup. Now,
I know that the Magic Mouse gets a lot of hate, but I still like it,
even after all these years, and so I do take a moment to ensure it's setup to my personal needs.
To do this, go to Systems Preferences and then Mouse. Under Point and Click,
I switch off Smart Zoom, I just find that I'm constantly doing it by accident,
so it's not for me. I then setup my Tracking Speed, middle of the road is about right for me.
Then under More Gestures, I switch off Swipe Between pages,
but I keep the rest of the options switched on.
Oh, and a bonus tip for external mouse, keyboard and trackpad users. If you ever can't connect
them via bluetooth, if your Mac can't find them, just connect them to your Mac using a cable. Now,
you're going to need a lightning to USB C cable for this, or a lightning to USB
and then a USB to USB C adaptor, and if you don't have one, I'd recommend getting one.
7) Allow Unlock with Watch
Clearly this is only applicable to users who own an Apple Watch, but if you do,
I'd recommend allowing your Mac to unlock via your Apple Watch. It saves you having to input
a password or even use Touch ID if that's on your Mac, it's secure and it's quick.
To set this, go to System Preferences, Security and Privacy, and check this box here.
8) Remove default apps that I'm never going to use
All Apple devices come with apps installed that you're unlikely to want to use.
Thankfully, on the Mac, it's always been pretty easy to get rid of them, so I'm usually pretty
ruthless when setting up a new Mac for the first time. I don't use Garageband for example,
I don't use iMovie because I use Final Cut Pro, and I think I used Photo Booth once,
when I bought my first Mac about 10 years ago, and I've never touched it since.
I personally use AVG TuneUp to uninstall my apps, but you can of course use whatever works for you.
At the most basic, you can open up Applications, locate any apps that you'd like to get rid of,
and then move them to the Trash Bin, saving lots of valuable hard drive space in the process.
9) Switch off Siri
Well, I don't fully switch it off, I do still have it enabled on my Mac. And unlike most other people
I follow in the tech community, I actually think there's value to having Siri activated on the Mac,
especially when I'm using a MacBook away from my office. But what I don't
like having active is the infamous trigger phrase, which I won't speak,
but I'll put it on the screen now in case you don't know what I'm talking about.
My main issue is that, when I'm sat at my desk,
I've got my iPhone, iPad, Watch and my HomePod mini all listening out for that particular phrase.
The Apple devices are all pretty good at knowing which is the most relevant device
to deal with my query, but it's almost never my Mac, and so I switch this functionality off.
To do that, head to Systems Preferences, then Siri, and ensure that this checkbox is unchecked.
If you still want to access Siri on your Mac, you can do so manually.
MacBooks with the Touch Bar have a dedicated button for this, and newer Macs like my M1
MacBook Air also have a dedicated button, you just press and hold the F5 key.
10) Configure Finder
Finder on Mac is perfectly usable by default,
but it can be made much better with a couple of minor changes.
To do this, open a Finder window, and then ensure that Show Path Bar and Show Status Bar are both
selected. This will add two bars to the bottom of your Finder Window. The bottom one will show
you a summary of the window that you're in, the number of files contained and the space available
on your Drive. The bar above will show you the path of the file, which is great if you find
yourself in Finder but have no idea how to track back from the file you're currently looking at.
11) Clean up Launchpad
Launchpad is, let's be honest, a bit of a mess, and I'd love to see Apple
do something similar to what they've done on iPhones and now iPads with the App Library.
Yes, you've got the Applications Folder on a Mac,
but there's no real organisation there, and the Launchpad is just a mess of app icons.
So, one of the first things that I do is clean it up by creating some folders, and putting things
away based on how I like to access them. To create a folder, drop one app icon on another, just like
on iOS devices. You can rename a folder simply by clicking on the name at the top of the folder.
12) Stop the automatic opening of 'safe' files
This is something that's been driving me nuts about Macs for years now,
and I honestly don't know anyone who's been wanting this feature to be switched on by default.
Essentially, when you download a file like an audio file, or a photo or a video, your Mac will,
by default, automatically open the file without you having to do anything.
But speaking from personal experience, this can be a real pain, especially with
things like audio files, which will often open up and start playing in Apple Music.
To switch this off, it's a setting in Safari. Open Safari, go to Preferences, then General,
and ensure that the "Open 'safe' files after downloading" checkbox has been unchecked. Easy!
13) Clean up the Dock
By default, the dock can be a bit messy on a brand new Mac, so I like to make a few changes.
I personally like to keep my dock at the bottom of the screen, but you could move it to the left
or the right by right clicking here in the dock, and choosing Dock Preferences. I also
like to ensure that my dock is hidden, allowing me to have windows go all the way to the bottom
of the screen. You just hover your cursor where the dock is supposed to sit, and it will appear.
I also like to tick this box here, minimise windows into application icon.
That way, if you minimise something, it won't create a brand new icon for it in the dock,
it will hide into the app's existing icon, saving you some dock space. I also uncheck
this box - Show recent applications in Dock. If you have this checked, your Mac will show you
the icons of apps you've had open recently on the right, which I find unnecessary.
Oh, and if you want an app to be in the dock, just open the app, right click on the icon and
ensure that Keep In Dock is ticked. Untick it if you want to remove an icon from the dock.
14) Add more fingerprints to Touch ID
Now, this is obviously only relevant if you have a Touch ID enabled Mac,
but the latest M1 MacBooks and the latest M1 iMac all have this feature, so there's a good
chance that this might be applicable to you. When you set your Mac up, you likely put your dominant
index finger into Touch ID. But what about if you want to use a middle finger, or a thumb,
or a finger on your other hand? You can set up to 3 fingerprints with Touch ID,
and I definitely recommend that you take a moment do to this.
Go to System Preferences and Touch ID, and choose Add Fingerprint.
Follow the instructions, and you're good to go. Oh, you can also take this opportunity
to ensure that you're happy with the various options for what Touch ID can do on your Mac.
15) Switch off Notifications
I'm not saying switch off all notifications here, but by default, every app that you install on your
new machine is going to want to be able to easily get your attention, and I'm not a fan of that.
To fix this, go to System Preferences, then Notifications, and start switching things off
that you don't want. For example, I'm never going to want Books to give me notifications on my Mac,
so I'm definitely turning that off. You can make whatever changes suit your needs.
16) Setup Favourites in Finder
Another quick Finder tip, but you can add Favourite folders in the left of your Finder
window. To do so, just open Finder, navigate so that you can see the folder or file that you'd
like to add, and drag and drop it here on the left. You can then reposition them as you need to.
Chances are we've all got files and folders that we use all the time,
and it just makes sense to have quick access to them by putting them within easy reach.
17) Create a Safari Bookmarks Favourites bar and switch it on
There's technically two steps to this, but you might already have completed the first one,
creating a Bookmarks Favourites folder. To do this, when you're organising your favourites,
just ensure that you put your bookmarks in there.
You can use folders if you wish to allow quite a lot of customisation.
Then, once you've got your Favourites Bar, ensure it's visible in Safari by going to View, and Show
Favourites Bar. You can hide it in exactly the same way. But, with it visible, it's easier
than ever to quickly navigate between the sites and services that you use on a regular basis.
18) Customise Safari
When you open Safari, you do have some customisation options in terms of what
you see on the first screen each time. To make changes to this, open Safari, and click on this
little icon here down in the bottom right of the screen. You've got checkboxes for what you do and
don't want to see, and you can even customise the background with an image if you wish!
19) Check for Software Updates
Chances are, even a brand new Mac has been sat in storage for a little while since it was actually,
physically made, so there's a good chance that your software is going to be out of date,
fresh out of the box. It makes sense to update as quickly as you can,
and to do this, you just go to the Apple Icon, choose About This Mac,
and then Software Update. If an update needs to be performed,
you can get cracking with it right away, and be safe in the knowledge that your Mac is up to date!
20) Create and organise Widgets
I think widgets are seriously under supported on Mac, which is a shame because they can be really
good, and show huge potential for app developers to create something really useful. As it stands,
there are some core Mac widgets, and even these are pretty good,
you just have to pick the ones that work for you and get rid of the ones that don't.
To do this, click here to access the Widget bar, and then choose Edit Widgets. You can add widgets,
you can get rid of existing ones, you can choose whether you want Small, Medium or Large widgets,
and you can then click on the actual widget to edit the specifics of that widget.
So for example, on mine, I've got local weather, some world clocks,
a calendar, the news and then a specific tech news widget. They look pretty good on my MacBook,
but they look amazing on my Pro Display, and I find myself referring to them often!
So there you go, 20 things that I do each time I setup a brand new Mac, and 20 things that
I think you should consider doing too. What about you? Are there things that you always
do that I've missed out? Drop me a comment, and let me and the community know about it.
And as ever, if you found this video helpful, do please consider leaving me a like,
and subscribing to the channel for more content like this in the future.
See you on the next video!