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6 Easy Ways to Customize Your Mac Quickly

macOS is a feature-rich operating system that offers an intuitive, convenient, flawless interface that users admire. No matter how proficient you are with Mac, there are a lot of settings that are still left unused, especially if you do not bother checking what is available.

Similar to other Mac users, if you, too, are looking for ways to customize your Mac, refer to this article for tips and suggestions. You can tweak a few settings even on a SIP-enabled device.

Before going further, it’s worth mentioning SIP (System Integrity Protection). System Integrity Protection is a security feature of Mac OS X El Capitan, designed to make it difficult for malware to access important system files and keep them safe from unwanted modifications. Now, let’s see the number of ways to customize your Mac.

Customize Folder Color

Add creativity to your computer by customizing your folders to make them appear more captivating. In macOS, you can change folder color and its icons to make them easy to pick based on a project or particular event.

You can use manual steps to customize the folders and subfolders saved on your computer or can use third-party apps for quick functioning. The colors you choose for the folders will allow you to recognize them quickly without reading the names.

If you want to change the color of your folder, you may first copy the folder and navigate to the Preview app. Then select File, tap New from Clipboard, and then select the Markup tool icon.

Click on the Adjust Color icon and then navigate to the tint slider to adjust the color. Then copy the colored folder and then return to the Folder Info box, select the folder and then paste it to the desired location on the device.

Change the Wallpaper Automatically Every Few Hours

Changing the wallpaper gives a new look to your Mac while increasing the work efficiency of the user. To give an all-new look to your Mac, click on the Apple icon and select System Preferences. Double click to open the Desktop and Screen Saver option.

Under the Dynamic Desktop, you will find multiple wallpapers, select one that you like the most, and tick mark Change Picture: box. You can also change the default duration setting of the wallpaper and can also set them in random order by selecting the Random order box. Alternatively, you can also use a specified folder for wallpapers to keep things organized. 

Change Screensaver via Hot Corners

You can also change the screensaver from the Desktop & Screen saver preference. To do this, go to System Preferences, then double-click to open the Desktop and Screen Saver option.

Under the Desktop and Screen Saver window, click on the Screen Saver tab, select the screen saver you like, and click on the Hot Corner. If you are new to the Hot Corner feature, it allows you to use all four corners of the screen to perform a designated task. To activate the feature, hover the mouse to a defined corner.

Adjust Spotlight Search

With this setting, you can hide your private files from being searched by any other user on a shared Mac. With Spotlight Search, you can do things like quickly search a file, an app, or any other item. You can also convert units such as meters to centimeters and more. Moreover, you may also use it for converting currencies.

To hide a folder using Spotlight Search on your Mac, click on the Apple icon and then click System Preferences. Click on Spotlight and tap on the Privacy tab. With the help of the + button, you can add a single file or an entire folder you want to hide.

Change Date and Time in Mac

You can do creative things with date and time, such as you can change the format of time from Digital to Analog or can select the Display the time with seconds option. Click on the current time and then click Open Date & Time preferences for expanding the options.

Press the Clock tab, and if the time is incorrect, you can correct it by clicking on the Clock icon. Change the clock from Digital to Analog or make any other changes you want.

Add Widgets for Convenience

Widgets make your work easier as you don’t have to navigate to the app location; in fact, you can control various features using it. To add widgets to your home screen in Mac, click on the Date and Time in the upper right corner of the menu bar. Click on the Edit Widgets option.

Now on a gray screen, you will be able to see all your available widgets. To add them to the Control Center, you will need to select a widget and then pull it to the right side of the column, and it’s done.

The Conclusion

Tweaking a few settings can give a new and better appearance to your computer and increase your work efficiency while making it user-friendly. Keep in mind, though, that some customization features can take a bit from the system resources. 

Similar to how you need to regularly check your active apps running in the MacBook’s background to optimize resource usage, you also have to keep tabs on potential resource hogs that come from enabling customization features.