Whether you are a student, professional, or general consumer, you simply can’t ignore a Mac when shopping for a new laptop. Powerful and efficient M-series CPUs, comprehensive redesigns on the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models, and the company’s ever-expanding Mac lineup have attracted many new users to Apple’s desktop OS.
If you have recently purchased your first Mac or switched from Windows to macOS, Apple’s desktop OS may feel overwhelming. Here are the first things you should do with your new Mac for a smooth onboarding experience.
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1 Check for system and app updates
Apple is known for its excellent software support for its devices, and the company’s Mac lineup is no different. The company frequently releases macOS builds to add new features and fix bugs. Follow the steps below to download the latest macOS version.
1. Click the Apple icon in the top left corner. Open System Settings.
2. Scroll to General. Select Software update.
3. Download the newest macOS build.
The system asks you to reboot your Mac to install the update successfully. While Apple updates most system apps via macOS builds, some apps such as Pages, Keynote and Numbers are distributed through the Mac App Store. You should also look for any pending app updates and install them.
1. Launch the Mac App Store and go to the Updates menu.
2. Download and install pending app updates.
2 Uninstall irrelevant built-in apps
Your Mac comes with a long list of built-in apps. While you can’t uninstall essential system apps like Safari, FaceTime, Messages, Music, Podcasts, and more, you have the option to get rid of work apps. Here’s how.
1. Open Finder on Mac. Go to the Applications menu.
2. Right-click on an app you want to remove and select Move to Bin.
3. Repeat the same for other apps. Right-click Bin on the Mac dock and select Empty Bin.
If you ever have a change of heart, head to the Mac App Store, search for these apps and install them on your Mac.
3 Download third-party apps
macOS has a strong ecosystem of third-party apps. Now that you have installed the latest system update and removed unnecessary apps, it’s time to download your favorite personal and work apps on your Mac.
Head to the Mac App Store. Search for apps you want to install. Some apps are unavailable on the Mac App Store. You need to check the company’s official website to find and download .dmg files.
If you have bought one of the latest Macs, it must be running an M-series CPU. Many developers have optimized their apps for Apple’s Arm CPUs. When you visit a developer’s official page, make sure to download a package file for an M-series CPU.
If you have downloaded an app from unfamiliar developers, macOS may block the installation process. If you trust the developer, tweak your Mac’s security settings to install the app without any errors.
1. Open Mac System Settings (refer to the steps above).
2. Scroll to Privacy & Security.
3. You may notice a warning stating that an app was blocked since it is not from an identified developer. Select Open Anyway. Enter your password or use TouchID to confirm your decision and open the app.
4 Organize your dock
Mac dock offers one-click access to your favorite apps. You can drag and drop existing apps to the Bin to remove them. To add apps, open Launchpad and drag and drop your preferred apps on the dock for each access. You should also tweak dock settings as per your preferences.
1. Head to Mac System Settings and scroll to Desktop & Dock.
2. You can change dock size, tweak magnification, change position to the sides, auto-hide it, and make other tweaks.
5 Tweak notification settings
When you first launch an app, it asks for notification permission. You can manage notification settings for all your apps from System Settings.
1. Navigate to System Settings on Mac (check the steps above).
2. Scroll to Notifications and select a relevant app.
3. Make necessary tweaks from the following menu. You can disable alerts, turn them off for the notification center, lock screen, switch off notification grouping, and more.
Repeat the same for all your essential apps.
6 Change Mac appearance
macOS supports a dark theme, and you can also tweak accent color. The latest macOS version bundles some cool video wallpaper as well. Go through the steps below to make changes.
1. Open System Settings on Mac. Scroll to Appearance.
2. Select a Dark theme and change the highlight color.
3. Head to the Wallpaper menu and pick one of the dynamic wallpapers of your preference.
macOS supports app widgets to glance over relevant info with a single-click. The latest macOS Sonoma update also supports iPhone widgets (if you meet the required conditions).
1. Click the date and time in the Mac menubar to open the notification center.
2. Scroll to the bottom and select Edit Widgets.
3. It opens the widget panel menu. Drag and drop widgets to the notification center or the home screen.
You can read our dedicated post on using widgets on Mac.
8 Set up Focus profiles
macOS comes with several focus modes to manage your DND settings like a pro. For example, you can create a Work focus and receive notifications from work apps and contacts only. Let’s check it in action.
1. Open System Settings and select Focus.
2. You can pick one of the focus profiles and create a new one as per your needs.
3. You can set a schedule for a focus mode, select allowed people and apps, and make other changes.
You can access your focus mode from the Control Center menu.
9 Manage login items
Too many apps and services launching at device startup can slow down your Mac. You should disable irrelevant Mac login items from System Settings.
1. Head to Mac System Settings. Scroll to General and select Login Items.
2. Select an app you want to remove and click –.
3. You can disable other irrelevant apps and services from the Allow in the Background menu.
10 Change default browser
While Safari is one of the fastest desktop browsers out there, it leaves a lot to desire. Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are two of the top alternatives for Safari on Mac. You can download your preferred web browser and set it as default from System Settings.
1. Open System Settings on Mac.
2. Scroll to Desktop & Dock. Expand the Default web browser menu and select your favorite desktop browser.
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Start your Mac journey
These are just some of the basic tricks to get started with your new Mac. You can change the default browser, tweak notification settings for installed apps, change the look and feel of your Mac desktop, pin your favorite widgets, manage DND profiles and do a lot more to setup an ideal workflow in no time.
One of the biggest benefits of using macOS is its robust app ecosystem. While the default Mac apps work fine, they are basic at best. You can check the top productivity apps for Mac and elevate your work setup like a pro.