Tips & tricks

A PivotTable in Two Minutes

A revenue summary by month and category out of thousands of rows? Insert → PivotTable, then drag three fields.

Alt+= : Auto-Sum Below a Column

Alt+=

Cursor below a column of numbers, Alt+equals — and SUM is done, range and all.

Double-Click the Fill Handle to Copy a Formula All the Way Down

You don't have to drag a formula across a thousand rows — double-clicking the little black square copies it down to the end of the adjacent data.

A Drop-Down List in a Cell: No More Typos

Data validation turns a cell into a menu of allowed values. Task statuses or categories can no longer be typed wrong.

Removing Duplicates in Three Clicks

Data → Remove Duplicates cleans up a list of contacts or line items — and tells you how many it deleted.

Today's Date in One Shortcut: Ctrl+;

Ctrl+;

Ctrl+semicolon inserts today's date as a fixed value — unlike the TODAY() function, it doesn't change.

A New Line Inside a Cell: Alt+Enter

Alt+Enter

Enter jumps to the next cell — Alt+Enter creates a line break inside the same one. No more broken layouts.

Freeze Panes: Keep Headers Visible Even at Row 500

View → Freeze Panes keeps the table header locked at the top no matter how far you scroll.

XLOOKUP: Lookups Without VLOOKUP's Weaknesses

The newer replacement for VLOOKUP searches in either direction, doesn't break when a column gets inserted, and has a built-in “not found” fallback.

Conditional Formatting: Let Colors Do the Talking

Duplicate values, overdue deadlines, or below-average results highlight themselves — you just define the rule.

Flash Fill: Excel Finishes the Pattern for You

Ctrl+E

Type one example into the next column (say, a name pulled from an email address) and Ctrl+E fills in the rest to match. No formulas.

Format as a Table: Filters, Banding, and Formulas for Free

Ctrl+T

Ctrl+T turns a range into a “smart” table — automatic filters, formatting for new rows, and readable formulas.

Block off calendar time for focused work

An empty calendar is an invitation to meetings. Block off your mornings for deep work before someone else does it for you.

F4 in Excel: Repeats Your Last Action and Locks a Reference

F4

One key, two superpowers — repeating your last action and toggling dollar signs in a formula.

Excel: Ctrl+Arrow Keys Jump to the Edge of Your Data

Ctrl+↓

Don't scroll through a sheet with thousands of rows. Ctrl+arrow jumps to the end of the block, and with Shift it selects as it goes.

The two-minute rule for your inbox

Anything that takes less than two minutes, do right when you read it. Longer things go to your task list — and archive the email.

Stage Manager: one window on stage, the rest wait in the wings

An alternative to window-switching — the active window sits center stage, the rest lined up at the edge. Helps you keep one thing in focus.

Smart folders: a search that updates itself

Save a search as a smart folder — say, “PDFs from the last week.” The contents keep themselves up to date by the rules you set.

Quick edits to PDFs and images without Photoshop

Preview handles arrows, boxes, text, and blurring sensitive info. For 90% of everyday edits, you don't need anything else.

Focus modes: every activity gets its own rules

Set up a Work mode that lets through only colleagues and family — synced to your iPhone and Apple Watch too.

Hide the Dock and reclaim a slice of your screen

Cmd+Option+D

Cmd+Option+D hides the Dock. On a laptop that gets you a noticeable strip of extra screen — the Dock slides out only when you want it.

Copy on your iPhone, paste on your Mac

Universal Clipboard works between Apple devices automatically — text, photos, and links travel over without emailing yourself.

Copy text right out of images and photos

macOS can select text in a photo or screenshot just like regular text. Grab a phone number off a photo of a business card in two clicks.

Quick Finder jumps: Desktop, Applications, Downloads

Cmd+Option+L

Finder has shortcuts for the folders you use most — Cmd+Shift+D for Desktop, Cmd+Option+L for Downloads, and more.

Your iPhone as a scanner: scan a document straight into your Mac

Right-click in Finder → Import from iPhone → Scan Documents. The scan lands directly in the folder, perfectly cropped.

Split View: two apps side by side, full screen

Hold down the green button on a window and pick a half of the screen. Perfect for writing with reference material alongside.

Sign PDFs in Preview — no printer or scanner needed

The Preview app can drop your signature straight into a PDF. Capture it once, then sign in two clicks from then on.

Multiple desktops: separate work from communication

Ctrl+→

Ctrl+arrows switch between virtual desktops. One for focused work, one for mail and chat — and distractions disappear from view.

Hot corners: reveal the desktop or lock your screen with one flick

Assign actions to the corners of your screen — flicking into a corner shows the desktop, starts the screensaver, or locks the screen.

Text replacement: type “addr” and the whole address pops out

macOS can replace short shortcuts with long text system-wide — in email, browser, and chat alike. Set it up once, works everywhere.