9 settings to change on your Mac

You’ve unwrapped your new Mac desktop or laptop and you’re ready to dive in: Where should you start? Modern-day macOS is designed to be intuitive and straightforward, but it’s also stuffed with options and features you can tweak to fit your needs.

Here we’ll look at some of the fundamental settings that you should change first, to ensure you’re getting the best possible experience. All of these options can be found by opening the Apple menu in the top left corner of the macOS interface, then choosing System Settings.

1. Set up the dock

screenshot of dock setting options — Get the dock set up the way you want it. *Screenshot: Apple*

The dock is your way into everything on your Mac, and by default it’s rather large and imposing. From the Desktop & Dock section of System Settings, you’re able to adjust the size and magnification levels, auto-hide the dock, and change its position on screen.

2. Configure the trackpad or mouse

You’re going to be spending a lot of time using your Mac’s trackpad and mouse, so it’s important to make sure that these input devices are set up just the way you like them—covering options such as zooming, scrolling, and the gestures that are supported.

Head to the Mouse or Trackpad section of System Settings (depending on whether you’re using a desktop or laptop), and you’ve got a range of toggle switches and sliders to play around with. You might even discover some features you didn’t previously know about.

3. Choose your own hot corners

screenshot of hot corners settings — Hot Corners can save you a lot of time. *Screenshot: Apple*

Did you know macOS can trigger actions, like locking your Mac or launching Mission Control, when the cursor is moved into one of the corners of the screen? It’s called Hot Corners, and it can be set up via the Hot Corners button on the Desktop & Dock screen.

4. Set how much power your Mac uses

If you’re using a MacBook then you obviously want as much battery life as possible, but desktop Macs can also be optimized for energy use—so you’re not paying for any electricity you don’t need. Head to Battery (laptops) or Energy (desktops) for this.

You’ll see there are a variety of options, including a Low Power Mode setting that will use as little energy as possible. You should also check out Lock Screen in System Settings, which determines how long macOS waits before turning off the display and going to sleep.

5. Give your eyes a rest at night

screenshot of night settings — Night Sight can ease the strain on your eyes. *Screenshot: Apple*

If you open Displays and then Night Shift from System Settings, you can have your macOS screen shift its colors and brightness to put less strain on your eyes at night. The feature can be turned on and off manually, or you can set it to run on a daily schedule.

6. Tame notifications on macOS

Your productivity and serenity can both take a hit if you’re being overwhelmed by notifications, but you can control these alerts: You can customize how they work via Notifications in System Settings.

As well as configuring how notification previews and summaries work, you can also tweak these alerts on an app-by-app basis—including the types of alerts shown, and where they appear—so you can quiet minor apps without missing anything important.

7. Choose a new wallpaper

screenshot of wallpaper options and settings — You’ve got a limitless number of options when it comes to wallpaper. *Screenshot: Apple*

Add a little bit of your own personality and style to your new computer by changing up the desktop wallpaper: Head to the Wallpaper section of System Settings, then pick Add Photo or Add Folder or Album to direct macOS to a selection of your own images.

8. Make the Control Center your own

The Control Center on macOS (the button showing two toggle switches, on the right of the menu bar) provides quick access to a lot of crucial settings on macOS, from the audio output options to your preferred Wi-Fi network.

To change the options that appear here and on the menu bar, choose Control Center from System Settings, and make sure your most-used settings are within easy reach. For example, you can put a Focus button on the menu bar to get to these modes more quickly.

9. Add AppleCare+ coverage

screenshot of applecare+ options — Get extra support and protection for your new Mac with AppleCare+. *Screenshot: Apple*

This isn’t really a setting as such, but it’s worth knowing about: For a few weeks after you’ve bought your Mac, you can click Add AppleCare+ Coverage at the top of the System Settings to add to Apple’s standard two-year warranty (pricing varies by Mac model).