Mac User Guide
- Welcome
- What’s new in macOS Tahoe
-
- Intro to Apple Intelligence
- Translate messages and calls
- Create original images with Image Playground
- Create your own emoji with Genmoji
- Use Apple Intelligence with Siri
- Find the right words with Writing Tools
- Summarise notifications and reduce interruptions
- Use ChatGPT with Apple Intelligence
- Apple Intelligence and privacy
- Block access to Apple Intelligence features
-
- Intro to Continuity
- Use AirDrop to send items to nearby devices
- Hand off tasks between devices
- Control your iPhone from your Mac
- Copy and paste between devices
- Stream video and audio with AirPlay
- Make and receive calls and text messages on your Mac
- Use your iPhone internet connection with your Mac
- Share your Wi-Fi password with another device
- Use iPhone as a webcam
- Insert sketches, photos and scans from iPhone or iPad
- Unlock your Mac with Apple Watch
- Use your iPad as a second display
- Use one keyboard and mouse to control Mac and iPad
- Sync music, books and more between devices
-
- Get started
-
- Accessibility features for vision
- Get started with VoiceOver
- Zoom in on what’s around you
- Zoom in on your Mac screen
- Increase font size and icons
- Adjust the display colours
- Hover to zoom in on text and colours
- Listen to or change how text appears in apps
- Customise onscreen motion
- Increase the size of what’s on your screen
- Make the pointer easier to see
- Have your Mac speak text that’s on the screen
- Resources for your Mac
- Resources for your Apple devices
- Copyright and trademarks
Set up your Mac to be secure
Here are some things you can do to make your Mac more secure.
Use secure passwords
To keep your information safe, you should use passwords to secure your Mac, and choose passwords that can’t be easily guessed. See Learn how passwords are used.
Create passkeys
A passkey is a way to sign in to an app or website account, without needing to create and remember a password. Instead of a password, a passkey uses Touch ID or Face ID to identify you. See Sign in to an account on your Mac with a passkey.
Require users to log in
If others can get physical access to your Mac, you should set up separate users for each person using the Mac, and require each user to log in. This prevents an unauthorised person from using the Mac. It also separates user files, so users only have access to their own personal files and settings. Users cannot see or modify the files or settings of other users. See Change Users & Groups settings.
Secure your Mac when it’s idle
You can set your Mac to log out the current user if the Mac has been inactive for a certain period of time. See Set your Mac to log out when not in use. You should also require a password to wake it from sleep or from the screen saver. See Require a password after waking your Mac. For convenience, you can set up a hot corner to click whenever you want to immediately lock your screen. See Use hot corners.
Limit the number of administrative users
One or more people can have administrator privileges for a Mac. By default the administrator is the person who initially set up the Mac.
Administrators can create, manage and delete other users; install and remove software; and change settings. For these reasons, an administrator should create a standard user account to use when administrator privileges are not needed. If the security of a standard user is compromised, the potential harm is far more limited than if the user has administrator privileges. If multiple people use your Mac, limit the number of users with administrator privileges.
Protect the encrypted data on your Mac with FileVault
If you have a Mac with Apple silicon or an Apple T2 Security Chip, your data is encrypted automatically. FileVault provides further protection by requiring your login password to see your data. See How does FileVault work on a Mac?.