Top tips, tricks, and keyboard shortcuts for MacBook Air
As you get started with your new MacBook Air, here are some top tips, tricks, and keyboard shortcuts you can try.
Take a screenshot Press Command + Shift | Use hot corners With hot corners, you can quickly start actions by moving the pointer to a corner of the screen. Go to System Settings, click Desktop & Dock |
Organize your desktop with Stacks Keep the files on your Mac neatly grouped by file type or date. Control-click the desktop, then choose Use Stacks. To expand a stack, click it. | Favorite commonly used folders You can add folders—like Music or Pictures—to the Favorites section of the Finder |
Find your files Items you download from the internet are usually saved in the Downloads folder, which can be found on the right side of the Dock. To find where other files are located, open a Finder | Use the Center Stage camera Your MacBook Air comes with a 12MP Center Stage camera, which can help keep you and anyone else with you in the frame while you use video apps like FaceTime. Go to an app that captures video, such as FaceTime. Click |
Search and perform quick actions with Spotlight
You can search for files, photos, and more with Spotlight. You can also perform quick actions from the Spotlight window, like sending a message, setting an alarm, and converting currencies. Press Command-Space bar to open Spotlight.
To learn more, see Find what you need with Spotlight and Take actions and shortcuts in Spotlight.
Get more done with Siri AI
With Siri AI (Beta),* powered by Apple Intelligence, Siri is a more capable AI assistant that helps you find information and get more done. Press Command-Space bar to ask Siri a question, right in Spotlight, or click the dedicated Siri app in the Dock. You can also Control-click an item on your screen, then choose Ask Siri to ask a question. Siri uses Visual Intelligence so you can ask questions, search, or take action based on what’s on your screen. Press Command + Shift + Space bar to select a window or Command + Shift
+ 6 to select a portion of your screen, then choose an option that appears.
To learn more, see Get started with Siri AI.
Use your MacBook Air with another Apple device
When you use your MacBook Air with another Apple device—like your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch—you can take advantage of special Continuity features that let you use your devices in unique ways.
Note: For many Continuity features, both devices must have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on and be within 30 feet (10 meters) of each other.
Share items with AirDrop Wirelessly send photos, videos, documents, and more to a nearby iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Click | Control your iPhone with your MacBook Air With the iPhone Mirroring app on your MacBook Air, you can use your iPhone directly on your Mac, as well as receive iPhone notifications and see Live Activities—so you never miss a thing. |
Use your iPhone camera as a webcam With Continuity Camera, you can set up your iPhone as the camera for your MacBook Air. First, turn on Continuity Camera on your iPhone. Then, when using an app on your Mac with camera access, choose your iPhone as your camera in the app’s menu bar or settings. | Copy here, paste there With Universal Clipboard, you can copy text, images, photos, and videos on one Apple device and paste them onto another. First, make sure you have Handoff turned on for both devices. Next, copy something on one device—for instance, copy a phone number on your MacBook Air. On your other Apple device, like an iPhone, choose where you want to insert the phone number, then paste. |
Mirror your Mac on a TV You can use AirPlay to mirror content on your MacBook Air to a TV, or use the TV as an additional display. On your Mac, click | Other ways to use your Apple devices together For more Continuity features, like handing off tasks between your devices, inserting sketches or marking up files from your iPhone or iPad, and setting up your MacBook Air to receive phone calls and texts, see Use Continuity to work across Apple devices. |
Arrange your workspace
Change the layout of your app windows so that you focus only on what you need. With Stage Manager, you keep one app front and center, while your other open apps appear on the left side of your screen. To turn on Stage Manager, click .
You can also tile your windows side-by-side or in a grid formation. To tile your windows, drag a window to the edge of your screen, then drop it when the highlight appears.
Keyboard shortcuts
You can press key combinations to do things on your Mac that you’d normally do with a trackpad, mouse, or other device. Here’s a list of commonly used keyboard shortcuts.
Command + X Cut the selected item and copy it to the Clipboard. | Command + C Copy the selected item to the Clipboard. |
Command + V Paste the contents of the Clipboard into the current document or app. | Command + Z Undo the previous command. Press Command + Shift |
Command + F Open a Find window, or find items in a document. Use Command + G to find the next occurrence of the item you’re searching for. | Command + M Minimize the front window to the Dock. Press Command-Option-M to minimize all windows of the front app. |
Command + N Open a new document or window. | Command + P Print the current document. |
Command + S Save the current document. | Command + Q Quit the current app. |
Want to learn more?
For more information on how to take a screenshot or screen recording, see Take screenshots or screen recordings.
For more about how to organize your desktop with Stacks, see Use desktop stacks.
For more about how to use folders and files in Finder, see Organize files with folders.
For more keyboard shortcuts, see the Apple Support article Mac keyboard shortcuts.