macOS Big Sur features include some latest design features that include everything from change in Dock color to curvy window corners. With rounded edges, a lighter appearance, and cleaner looks, windows have become more translucent.
System sounds are re-engineered, and new symbols are designed for sidebars, toolbars, and controls for better uniformity and clarity across apps. Buttons appear when you need to take action and disappear when not needed to give you more focus on content.
The custom menu bar is designed to provide access to a customizable Control Center that integrates Bluetooth, WiFi, keyboard brightness, Dark Mode, AirDrop Controls, Do Not Disturb, and more.
Top New Big Sur Features To Look Upon
Let’s have a look at some tips that may help you work with macOS Big Sur more efficiently.
1. Clean Mac Big Sur Desktop
macOS Big Sur was introduced with great adjustments in design and functional features. For optimal performance, it’s essential to clean your computer regularly. Make it a habit to remove any app shortcut icons from the desktop and delete files that are no more required.
You can also hide the desktop icons from the Terminal app or use third-party applications. Knowing how to remove icons from desktop mac is useful. Alternatively, it is possible to remove desktop icons from the desktop using Finder preferences.
2. Optimize Your Charging
If you are a long-time MacBook user or have started using it a couple of months back, you must have by now got an idea of the correct way to charge your MacBook. It’s never recommended to charge the battery to 100% every time you put on the charger. Keep it at 80% to improve the battery life.
But how is it possible to keep track of the charging when the MacBook is plugged in? Big Sur includes Optimize battery charging feature that monitors the battery on plugging and unplugging the charger. The feature adjusts the charging to enable you to get a fully charged device when you unplug the charger.
3. Monitor Your Password
The data breach incidents are rising more than ever due to which millions of account credentials are compromised each year. To keep your data safe or inform you right in time about any hazardous effects, Apple’s new security feature informs you if any of your sensitive information has been evoked in data leak attempts.
To enable this feature, navigate to Safari Preferences and check if the “Detect passwords compromised by known data leaks” option is under the Password section. If you are using iCloud keychain support, the feature will use cryptographic techniques to check if any passwords are compromised. On finding any deviation, Safari will assign a new password.
4. Use Control Center Shortcuts
Big Sur comes with a new Control Center that resonates with the one you might have seen in iOS. To enable one-click access to the controls, click on the name and drag it to the menu bar. No EDit button exists in the Notification Center, so click on the Dock & Menu bar tab in System Preferences.
Similar to iOS, Big Sur Notification Center offers limited customization features. Apple may expand the Mac or MacBook customization options in its upcoming macOS versions and subsequent updates. The seven permanent modules include Do Not Disturb, WiFi/Bluetooth/AirDrop, Screen Mirroring, Now Playing, Display Sound, Keyboard Brightness.
5. Tint the Wallpaper
You must have heard about the Light and Dark Appearance modes that were first introduced in macOS Mojave. You can tweak the UI in macOS Big Sur by navigating to System Preferences. In the General tab, select the Appearance section, and tap on “Allow wallpaper tinting in windows.
In the Light mode, the windows will switch between a white and a grey tint. The Dark mode is relatively less apparent, but you can set up between dark and pitch-black options. The selection can be based on the user’s individual needs or preferences.
6. Gaming in Big Sur
Gaming on MacBook is becoming more popular; you need to tweak the setting to make it appropriate for high-end games. There are a dozen ways you can optimize your Mac for gaming, but you may start with deleting the unnecessary apps and programs that you have downloaded in the last couple of years.
You can also limit the startup items to speed up your computer as they consume their share of resources, making the running processes slower. Alternatively, limit the visual items to save battery and power consumption on Mac. These tips work efficiently on Windows computers as well.
7. Pin Your Conversations
If you pin your text conversation, they top the list in the Messages app. It allows you to organize your most frequent conversations with important contacts following a simple procedure. Click on the conversation and select Pin in the pop-up menu.
The pinned conversation will appear at the top of the list and is easy to find. The conversation syncs across other devices so that it can be pinned on your iPad and iPhone. To undo a text conversation pin, right-click on the text, and click Unpin.
8. Hear Feedback While Typing
With the launch of Big Sur, you can utilize the Spoken Text feature that lets your Mac speak text by pressing a keyboard shortcut. You can customize the feature to adjust the speaking rate or stop speaking.
Select the text that you want to hear, then press and hold down the Option + Esc keys. The selected text will turn to spoken text. The controller allows you to move one sentence forward or backward, pause and resume speaking, and more.
9. Understand How Apps Handle Data
Apple pays extra attention to its user’s privacy to prevent misuse of data or personal details. All the apps in the App Store now include a new option called App Privacy. The section explains if the app collects any data, what kind of data is collected, and how it is processed.
The feature allows the users to make an informed buying decision before investing in the app. This is a great initiative that keeps things and terms transparent to prevent people from getting duped at any stage.