10 hidden features of macOS Mojave that many people don't know about

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Password audit, additional color accents and other non-obvious features of the new OS.

1. New screenshot mode

If, instead of the usual hotkeys for screenshots, press Command + Shift + 5 in macOS Mojave, the updated Screenshot utility will open. Among other things, it has a new video capture mode that allows you to record screencasts. Now you can do this without the help of QuickTime and third-party software.

2. Quick Actions in Finder

The new menu on the right side of the Finder window contains several buttons and lets you perform various actions on files. Depending on the type of content, the available set of operations changes, among which there are document markup, video cropping, photo rotation, PDF creation and others.

3. Editing in preview

Previously, you had to install third-party plugins and tinker with the command line to expand the preview capabilities, but with the release of macOS Mojave, the system function has become smarter. Now, without launching applications, you can crop the video, add a mark on the photo or rotate it right in the preview window.

So far, the operations are few and far between the Finder quick actions, but more will be added in the future.

4. Gallery mode in Finder

The Columns view is the most popular display option among users, but now it has a competitor. Finder's new Gallery mode displays files as large images with a thumbnail strip at the bottom and a summary of details on the right. This option is very convenient for photos, although it is no worse for documents, as it allows you to view their contents on the go.

5. New color accents

The interface settings menu has been replenished with several color accents. Now, in addition to the classic blue, you can choose seven more different highlight colors, among which there are both bright and neutral graphite, ideal for dark mode.

6. Recent apps in the dock

After installing macOS Mojave, attentive users immediately noticed that icons of unpinned applications began to appear in the dock. Similar to iOS 12 on iPad, an extra section of the Mac dock displays icons for recent apps. Considering the much larger screen size, this is quite convenient. However, if you haven't appreciated the new feature, it's easy to disable it in the Dock preferences.

7. Photo Continuity

Those who did not watch Apple's presentation from WWDC 2018 could easily miss the seemingly invisible function of importing photos from iOS devices, which works due to the Continuity technology. Thanks to it, you can launch the camera on the iPhone from your Mac, and then take a photo or scan a document, after which it will appear on your computer.

8. Audit of duplicate passwords

In macOS Mojave, the system not only offers strong passwords, but also automatically checks when creating accounts if you use this combination on other sites. Duplicate passwords are a big risk that should be avoided.

It makes no sense to use the same combinations when you can choose the strong password suggested by the system, which will be stored in the Keychain. Memorizing it is not at all necessary, while it will always be at hand.

9. Favicons in Safari

Aesthetes and perfectionists will certainly appreciate the feature that displays site favicons in Safari. Bright brand badges will replace the boring gray logos with a resource capital letter. By default, their display is disabled. To activate favicons, you need to check the box next to "Show website icons" in the "Tabs" section of Safari preferences.

10. Autocomplete one-time codes

In both iOS 12 and macOS Mojave, there is no need to fiddle with security codes when logging into accounts with two-factor authentication. There is no need to peep into the phone while entering or memorize one-time passwords - now they are automatically recognized and substituted into the appropriate input fields.