Mac Tricks | Wada Digital Lab

Mac tricks that save you a few clicks every day. When big Apple news drops, we reply with a trick that fits. Follow for more. We also make Mac and iPhone apps.

[Mac Tricks | Wada Digital Lab @WadaDigiLabEN]

Did the windows vanish? It's actually a handy trick (click the wallpaper)

Click the wallpaper to move all windows aside. Click again to bring them back.

Not working? In System Settings > Desktop & Dock, set the wallpaper option to Always.

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[Mac Tricks | Wada Digital Lab @WadaDigiLabEN]

How to Back Up a Mac—and Get Back Deleted Files

I can't lose my budget, but backups seem hard. I put them off.

Connect a disk and use "Add Backup Disk" in Time Machine. It's automatic. Backed-up files return even after the Trash is emptied.

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[Mac Tricks | Wada Digital Lab @WadaDigiLabEN]

Mac · Siri AI 30 Tips: Siri recalls old chats

Asked Siri for ideas earlier? Press Command-Space, type "What rainy-day ideas did you give me before?" and hit Return. Siri brings back its earlier answer.

No.6 (macOS 27.2)

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[Mac Tricks | Wada Digital Lab @WadaDigiLabEN]

Mac · Siri AI 30 Tips: Ask Siri, no browser

Need a quick answer? Skip the browser. Press Command-Space to open Spotlight, type a question like "When is Thanksgiving this year?" and press Return. Siri answers right there.

No.5 (macOS 27.2)

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[Mac Tricks | Wada Digital Lab @WadaDigiLabEN]

@MacRumors New Mac arriving Friday? You don't have to start from scratch. Migration Assistant appears during first setup. Choose "From a Mac, Time Machine, or startup disk" to move your apps, user accounts, files and settings. Open it on your old Mac too, and keep both close with Wi-Fi on.

[Mac Tricks | Wada Digital Lab @WadaDigiLabEN]

Mac · Siri AI 30 Tips: Email to calendar

Got dinner plans in an email or a text? Keep it open, press Command-Shift-Space, and type: "Add this to my calendar." Siri picks up the date, time, and place and creates the event.

No.4 (macOS 27.2)

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[Mac Tricks | Wada Digital Lab @WadaDigiLabEN]

@MacRumors Also in the tour: Timers, Alarms and World Clock as separate apps. Your Mac keeps all three, plus Stopwatch, in the Clock app. Quickest way: click the time in the menu bar, then click the Clock widget. Click World Clock, then the Add button for a city. Nice look ahead of Nov 13.

[Mac Tricks | Wada Digital Lab @WadaDigiLabEN]

Mac · Siri AI 30 Tips: Due dates? Just ask

Long school newsletter? Press Command-Shift-Space and type: "What do I need to do, and by when?" Siri can read the window in front of you and list just the dates and to-dos.

No.3 (macOS 27.2 beta)

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[Mac Tricks | Wada Digital Lab @WadaDigiLabEN]

@9to5mac @mvcmendes Grabbing all 20? Your Mac can take the whole folder: open System Settings, click Wallpaper in the sidebar, scroll to Your Photos, click Add Photo, then Choose Folder. Apple notes you can also set the size and position, and shuffle them. Light and dark of each is a nice touch.

[Mac Tricks | Wada Digital Lab @WadaDigiLabEN]

Mac · Siri AI 30 Tips: Find orders in Mail

Need to return something? Open Siri from the Dock and type: "What's the order number for the shoes I bought last week?" Siri can find it in Mail. No talking needed.

No.2 (macOS 27.2 beta)

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[Mac Tricks | Wada Digital Lab @WadaDigiLabEN]

@9to5mac @iryantldr Also in the piece: iOS 27.2 adds third-party sign language interpreters and live captioners to FaceTime. Nice to see. Separately, your Mac has Apple's on-device captions: on a FaceTime video call, click the More button, then Live Captions. Apple silicon only, not every region.

[Mac Tricks | Wada Digital Lab @WadaDigiLabEN]

@MacRumors Twenty-five in two months is a long recap to scroll. Safari can tidy it: click the Page menu button in the Smart Search field, then choose Show Reader. One clean page, and longer articles get a table of contents and a summary. The button appears only on pages Reader can show.

[Mac Tricks | Wada Digital Lab @WadaDigiLabEN]

@appleinsider @Mike_Wuerthele Nice Friday find. If it looks small on a big display, Safari can zoom just that one site: in the Smart Search field, click the Page menu button, click Page Zoom, then choose how much to zoom. Safari remembers the level when you return, unless you pinch open to zoom.

[Mac Tricks | Wada Digital Lab @WadaDigiLabEN]

@appleinsider @WGallagher One detail in the piece: shipping times remain long. If you keep reopening an order page while you wait, Safari can make it a one-click app: click the Share button in the toolbar, choose Add to Dock, then click Add. macOS Sonoma 14 or later. Hope yours ships soon.

[Mac Tricks | Wada Digital Lab @WadaDigiLabEN]

@MacRumors Those numbers come from Gurman's Power On podcast. If the episode has a transcript, you can read it on your Mac: open Podcasts, play it, click View Transcript, then Search Transcript for a word like inventory. Availability varies by language and region.

[Mac Tricks | Wada Digital Lab @WadaDigiLabEN]

Mac · Siri AI 30 Tips: Circle it, get English

On a Mac, press Command+Shift+6 and drag over the text. In the Ask Siri field, type "Explain this in English." No talking needed.

No.1 (macOS 27.2 beta)

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[Mac Tricks | Wada Digital Lab @WadaDigiLabEN]

@9to5mac @iryantldr One piece of this already ships in macOS: an onscreen keyboard you click. Apple menu > System Settings, click Accessibility in the sidebar, click Keyboard, then turn on Accessibility Keyboard (you may need to scroll down). Typing suggestions included. Curious what macOS 28 adds.

[Mac Tricks | Wada Digital Lab @WadaDigiLabEN]

@appleinsider @WGallagher While you wait: Mail sorts incoming mail into categories, and Transactions keeps confirmations, receipts and shipping notices together. If Apple's email lands elsewhere, Control-click it, choose Categorize Sender, then Transactions. Not in every country. Hope yours ships soon.

[Mac Tricks | Wada Digital Lab @WadaDigiLabEN]

@MacRumors Also in the piece: making it your Mac's default audio output needs a Wi-Fi 6E or later Mac. AirPlay is separate and works today: find the audio on your Mac, click the AirPlay icon, then select your HomePod. Both on the same Wi-Fi network. Enjoy Friday.

[Mac Tricks | Wada Digital Lab @WadaDigiLabEN]

@MacRumors Also in the piece: double-tapping a window to fill the screen. A pointer does that today. Apple menu > System Settings > Desktop & Dock, set Window title bar double-click action to Fill. Double-click a title bar and the window fills the space between the menu bar and the Dock.

[Mac Tricks | Wada Digital Lab @WadaDigiLabEN]

@9to5mac @benlovejoy Quite a range. Also in the breakdown: the cheapest is a 14-inch, the priciest a 16-inch. On a smaller screen? You can still gain room: Apple menu > System Settings > Displays, hover the thumbnails for the resolution sizes, then pick the one that makes text look smaller.