Mac os tips
Enable Offline Mode
You can enable Offline Mode on Chromebook for Google Docs and Drive. For Google Docs, install this extension first and turn on the checkbox for “Offline” Mode from here. You can also make a particular document offline by going to the Files menu and checking the option for “Make available Offline”. However, make sure to modify all these settings while you are connected to the internet.
Master Search on Chromebook
The best part about Chromebook is that Google Search is integrated across the system and the web. So, just press the dedicated search button on your keyboard and start typing and hit enter. No need to open Chrome then open a new Chrome tab and look for things. No matter where you are– under the Settings page or in Chrome itself– the search button always opens the result in a new tab instantly. I would say it’s better than opening a tab through Ctrl + T shortcut. Other than that, you can also search for Chrome apps and settings through the search button.
Summon Google Assistant
You can also get your things done through Google Assistant, similar to what you can do on your smartphone. It works quite well and does not have any limitation in comparison to the Assistant on our Android smartphones. Just press “Search” and “A” keys simultaneously on your keyboard and Google Assistant will pop-up, ready to listen to your command. You can also trigger Google Assistant through voice. Open Settings and click on “Search and Assistants” in the left-pane menu. Here, click on “Google Assistant” and enable the toggle for “Ok Google”.
Enable Caps Lock
I know the frustration when you find out Chromebooks don’t have a dedicated Caps Lock button. But worry not, you can enable it easily by pressing the “Search” and “Alt” keys at once. A notification will pop-up that Caps Lock has been turned on it will remain there until you turn off Caps Lock using the same shortcut. I know it’s not straightforward, but at least there is a way out.
Navigate Chrome OS Through Gestures
Unlike Windows and macOS, you don’t have a range of gestures on Chrome OS. However, you can access the overview window by a simple 3-finger slide up/down gesture. Also, if you are in the Chrome browser, you can use the 3-finger slide in the left and right direction to move between the tabs effortlessly. This is one of the best gestures I have found on Chrome OS and I use it regularly while multi-tasking. Apart from that, you can close a tab by simply tapping 3 fingers at once on a Chrome tab.
Preview Files Quickly
Sure, the file manager is not that great on Chrome OS, but I love the fact that it has a quick preview shortcut for any file, similar to what we have on macOS. Just select a file and press the “Space” key. Instantly, the file will be previewed in a large window with all the details (file size, format, etc.) in the right pane. Besides that, you can also switch between files while being in the preview mode and exit it by pressing the “Esc” key. It’s these small things that make Chrome OS a delight to use.
Touchpad Scrolling Behavior
Many people who are coming from Windows PC find the default scrolling behavior on Chrome OS the opposite and frankly, it was quite jarring for me too. However, there is a way to change the scrolling behavior from the Settings page. Click on “Device” from the left menu and open “Mouse and touchpad”. Here, scroll down and change the scrolling to “Australian” which is also called natural scrolling on macOS.
Drag Control Center Items to Menu Bar
The Control Center is a fantastic addition, but you don’t have to bring it up all the time. If there’s a certain control that you want to access quickly, simply drag it out of the Control Center and into the menu bar. It should then stay there. For example, you can add the Brightness control to the menu bar and gain fast access to all available options.
Manage Notifications Quickly
macOS Big Sur comes with a revamped Notification Center. Just like on iOS and iPadOS, notifications are now stacked by app, which makes them significantly easier to deal with. Better yet, you can now manage notifications directly. Just right-click a notification or notification stack from a particular app. Then, select Deliver Quietly to, well, deliver notifications quietly to the Notification Center going forward. Or, click Turn Off to disable future notifications from the app. Additionally, you can click the Notification Preferences option for in-depth notification management.
Quickly Resize Widgets
The Notification Center also features the same redesigned widgets that you get on iOS 14 and iPadOS 14. They lack interactivity (for example, the Calculator widget is only deep-linked to the Calculator app), but most of them do compensate detail-wise. Furthermore, most widgets in macOS Big Sur are resizable, allowing you to switch between varying levels of detail quickly. Simply right-click a widget, and then pick any of the available sizes (Small, Medium, or Large).
