Tips & tricks

Sidecar: turn an iPad into a second monitor for your Mac, no cable

You might already own a second monitor — your iPad. Sidecar turns it into a wireless Mac display in two clicks, even on the road.

The title bar icon: drag a file straight out of the app

Drag a document you have open straight into an email or chat using the small icon in the window's title bar — no hunting for the file in Finder.

Organize your menu bar: Cmd+drag moves icons

Cmd

The icons in your Mac's menu bar aren't nailed down — hold Cmd and drag them elsewhere, or drag one downward to remove it entirely.

iPhone as a webcam: the best camera you already own

Your Mac's built-in camera is mediocre. Just set your iPhone near the monitor and the Mac offers it as a webcam — wirelessly, with nothing to install.

Turn on your iPhone's hotspot from your Mac — the phone stays in your bag

Your Mac sees your iPhone's hotspot right in the Wi-Fi menu, even when it's off on the phone. One click and you're online — no touching your phone.

Cmd+Shift+/ finds any menu command — and shows you where it lives

Cmd+Shift+/

Not sure where an app hides a certain feature? This shortcut opens menu search, finds the command by name, and points an arrow at where it lives.

Handoff: pick up unfinished work from iPhone on your Mac with one click

Finish an email you started on the tram, on your Mac, exactly where you left off. Handoff passes work in progress between your devices automatically.

Finder tags: one file in multiple “folders” at once

Does an invoice belong in the project folder and in accounting? Tags solve the age-old dilemma of where to save a file — it can show up in more than one place at once.

Finder Quick Actions: PDF from photos and background removal with a right-click

Select photos, right-click, Create PDF — done. Finder's Quick Actions can even convert formats or remove a background without opening an editor.

Drag a folder into a Save dialog — and you're there

You don't have to click your way through a Save dialog: drag a folder or file from Finder into it and the dialog jumps straight to that spot.

Cap charging at 80%: your battery lasts years longer

A laptop permanently docked at 100% is wrecking its battery. Almost every manufacturer has a hidden option that stops charging earlier — and multiplies the battery's lifespan.

Camera at eye level and light from the front: two minutes for a better impression

A laptop sitting on the desk shoots your chin and the ceiling from below, and a window behind you turns you into a silhouette. Camera height and light direction fix more than a new webcam ever will.

A free booking page: Google Calendar can do what Calendly does

Send a link, the other person picks an open slot themselves, and the meeting lands on both calendars. A built-in Google Calendar feature almost nobody knows about.

Google Calendar from the keyboard: C creates an event, T jumps to today

C

One letter instead of clicking: C for a new event, T for today, D/W/M to switch views, J and K to page through. A question mark shows every shortcut.

A second time zone in your calendar: no more counting hours

Google Calendar and Outlook can both show a second time axis next to your own. Plan a meeting across time zones by looking, not by doing math in your head.

Cable order in a minute: a clip on the edge of the desk

A cable that falls behind the desk every time you unplug it is a daily micro-frustration. An office clip and a few reusable cable ties end it for good.

Three fingers on iPhone: copy, paste, and undo

The iPhone has gestures for working with text: a three-finger pinch copies, a spread pastes, and a swipe left undoes the last action.

The Action Button: A Physical Shortcut on the Side of Your iPhone

Newer iPhones have a programmable button above the volume controls. Voice memo, flashlight, camera, or a custom shortcut with one press-and-hold.

A Forgotten Password? Your Browser Knows It

A password your browser once saved can be revealed anytime — uncovering a login you thought was lost for good.

Turn an Email Straight Into a Calendar Event

Gmail turns an open email into a Calendar event in three clicks — with the subject as the title and a link back to the conversation.

Forward as an Attachment: A Whole Thread in One Email

Gmail can forward an email as an .eml attachment — even ten messages at once. The recipient gets the originals, headers and all, not a mangled copy.

Send and Archive: Two Actions, One Button

A hidden Gmail setting adds a second button to Reply that sends the email and tidies the conversation out of your inbox in one move. One click instead of two.

Grouping Sheets: Edit a Dozen Excel Sheets at Once

Ctrl+click on sheet tabs groups them — and whatever you type into one gets written into all of them. Fix twelve monthly sheets in one move.

New Window in Excel: Two Sheets of the Same Workbook, Side by Side

Switching back and forth between the sheet with source data and the sheet with results? View → New Window shows both at once.

Alt+; in Excel: Copy Without the Hidden Rows

Alt+;

Copying a table with hidden rows and they paste in too? Alt+; selects only the visible cells — the hidden ones stay home.

Choppy Video Call? A Cable Fixes What Wi-Fi Can't

“You froze” usually doesn't mean slow internet — it means unstable Wi-Fi. An Ethernet cable is the single most reliable upgrade for calls.

The Two-Screen Meeting Rule: One for People, One for Notes

Put the meeting window on the monitor with the camera, notes and materials on the other. You look people in the eye, never share anything private, and minutes write themselves.

A New Version of a File in Google Drive: The Link Stays the Same

Don't upload a corrected PDF as another file. Manage versions swaps it out under the same link — for everyone who has it.

In-depth guide · 15 min

What loops are: the agentic cycles said to replace prompting

An explainer with prompts: what it means to let AI run in a loop, what's true in the hype, what's overblown, and how to safely try your first loop.

Screenshot the Whole Page — Even the Part You Have to Scroll To

Ctrl+Shift+S

Edge and Firefox capture an entire web page from header to footer with a single command. No extensions, no stitching pieces together.