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9 settings every Mac owner needs to check right away
In just a couple of minutes, you can ensure your important files are backed up – and control which apps have access to your data
Even if you’ve had your Apple desktop or laptop for a while, there’s a good chance you haven’t made use of all of its key features yet. Luckily, optimising your Mac and unlocking its full potential is nowhere near as tedious as you might think.
Take a quick trip to your System Settings menu and you can ensure your Mac is protected against vulnerabilities and keep your most important files backed up. Plus, there's a handy window that tells you exactly what information all of your apps are accessing daily.
Below, we run through important settings worth checking if you want to get more from your Mac and keep files secure at the same time. If you don't have time to run through our full list in one go, bookmark the page and check in at a later date.
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1. Check battery health (if you're using a MacBook)
If you're using an Apple laptop and have noticed that your battery runs out quicker than it used to, check in with the pre-installed Battery Health tool. In some cases, you might find that your battery capacity is labelled as 'significantly reduced' – that means it needs servicing.
From your Settings menu, you can also turn on Low Power Mode, which helps to extend battery life by reducing background activities and adjusting display settings.
- From your desktop, open System Settings.
- Select Battery and check the Battery Health heading for an overview.
- From the same page, consider turning on Low Power Mode by swapping to Always if it is currently set to Never.
2. Install the latest software update
It's important that your Apple computer is running the latest update as this keeps your machine protected against vulnerabilities, bugs and performance issues.
Your Mac has a setting for automatic updates but if this isn't enabled, you'll need to check for updates manually to make sure you're downloading critical security patches and new features. If the Automatic Updates feature is currently turned off, you might want to turn it on.
- From your desktop, open System Settings.
- Select General, then Software Update.
- Set Automatic Updates to On and click the Info button for more details.
- While you're in the Software Update menu, download and install updates if available.
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3. Protect your files with automatic backups
For peace of mind, we recommend backing up the files on your computer regularly. You can set this up using Apple's Time Machine feature, which automatically saves apps, music, photos, emails and documents to an external drive.
Apple guidance says that your external drive should be at least twice the storage capacity of your Mac. You can check your storage breakdown in System Settings > General > Storage. Not got an external drive? See our expert pick of the best external hard drives.
Alternatively, you can consider cloud storage service. Head to System Settings > iCloud and select Manage for details on your storage allowance. Our guide on how to choose the best cloud storage service has more details.
- Plug in an external drive to save your backups onto.
- From your desktop, open System Settings.
- Select General, then Time Machine.
- Select Add Backup Disk and follow the on-screen instructions.
To change how often your files are saved to the drive, open Time Machine Settings and choose an option from the Backup frequency menu.
4. Free up space
Every few months, it’s a good idea to check your installed apps to see if there are any you no longer use. Removing unnecessary apps can free up storage space, which might save you money on an external drive or a cloud storage plan.
Your Mac can very quickly provide a storage breakdown and tell you, for example, if your computer is clogged up with Applications, Photos or Apple TV downloads.
- From your desktop, open System Settings.
- Select General, then Storage.
- Press the i icon that's to the far right of Applications.
- Pay attention to the Size and Last Accessed columns and remove any apps you no longer need.
Need a new Mac? Find out which model is right for you and your budget in our guide to the best MacBooks – plus discover which retailers have the best prices.
5. Check your app permissions
Managing which apps can access your data doesn’t have to be a hassle. Your Mac has a dedicated menu that lets you see, at a glance, which apps are using your location, files, photos and more.
If you want to upgrade your defence against malware, our experts suggest joining forces with a Which? Best Buy antivirus to keep your Mac safe. Our guide to the best Mac antivirus compares the effectiveness of paid-for software and free alternatives.
- From your desktop, open System Settings.
- Choose Privacy & Security.
- Select Location Services to find out which apps can see your whereabouts.
- Go back a page, select Files & Folders and see which apps can access your documents, pictures and videos.
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6. Make your Mac easier to use
Your Mac comes pre-installed with a suite of accessibility tools designed to make your computer easier to use. These fall into four categories: Vision (screen readers and zoom), Hearing (real-time captioning), Mobility (voice control), and Speech (dictation for typing).
If you think you'd benefit from any of them, you can enable accessibility features from a screen in System Settings.
- From your desktop, open System Settings.
- Select Accessibility and explore the various headings: Vision, Hearing, Mobility, Speech and General.
7. Combat eye strain
If you use your Mac in the evenings, you might want to play around with Apple's Night Shift feature. Note that you'll need to be running macOS Sierra 10.12.4 or later.
When enabled, this automatically shifts the colours of your display to the warmer end of the colour spectrum when it gets dark. In other words, your screen gets slightly more orange to reduce the harshness of a bright screen at night.
Good sleep is important for our wider health, so check in with our 7 tips for better sleep.
- From your desktop, open System Settings.
- Choose Displays, then select Night Shift.
- Configure the Schedule dropdown or experiment with the Colour temperature slider.
8. Minimise distractions while you work
If you get distracted by notifications while working, Focus on Mac can help you tune them out.
Activating a Focus profile will temporarily silence all your notifications, or only allow certain apps to demand your attention. You can also share a Focus across devices if you want to keep your notifications on your iPhone at bay at the same time.
A pair of noise cancelling headphones can also help keep distractions at bay in a hectic environment – discover the best headphones.
- From your desktop, open System Settings and choose Focus.
- Configure one of the preset profiles (Do Not Disturb, Sleep, Work) or select Add Focus to create a custom one.
- Enable Share across devices if you want the same Focus to run on your iPhone.
9. Use the Siri voice assistant
The same Siri assistant living on iPhone is also available on your Mac. You can use the AI-powered helper to deal with web searches, reminders, calendar events and more.
Once you've enabled Siri on your computer, you can choose to activate it with your voice (just say 'Hey, Siri') or instead use a keyboard shortcut.
- From your desktop, open System Settings.
- Choose Siri and enable it.
- Configure the Keyboard shortcut dropdown to decide how you want to activate Siri without using your voice.
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