Chapter 12

Customizing OS X

OS X comes with a number of features that enable you to customize your Mac. For example, you might not like the default desktop background or the layout of the Dock. Not only can you change the appearance of OS X to suit your taste, but you can also change the way OS X works to make it easier and more efficient for you to use.

Display System Preferences

Change the Desktop Background

Activate the Screen Saver

Set Your Mac’s Sleep Options

Change the Display Resolution and Brightness

Create an App Folder in Launchpad

Add a User Account

Customize the Dock

Add an Icon to the Dock

Hide the Dock

Add a Widget to the Dashboard

Extend the Desktop Across Multiple Displays

Display System Preferences

You can find many of the OS X customization features in System Preferences, a collection of settings and options that control the overall look and operation of OS X. You can use System Preferences to change the desktop background, specify a screen saver, set your Mac’s sleep options, add user accounts, and customize the Dock, to name some of the tasks that you learn about in this chapter. To use these settings, you must know how to display the System Preferences window.

Display System Preferences

Open System Preferences

In the Dock, click System Preferences ().

The System Preferences window appears.

Close System Preferences

Click System Preferences.

Click Quit System Preferences.

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Are there other methods I can use to open System Preferences?

If you have hidden the Dock or removed the System Preferences icon from the Dock, you can click and then click System Preferences.

Sometimes when I open System Preferences, I do not see all the icons. How can I restore the original icons?

When you click an icon in System Preferences, the window changes to show just the options and settings associated with that icon. To return to the main System Preferences window, click View and then click Show All Preferences (or press +). You can also click until the main window appears, or click Show All.

Change the Desktop Background

To give OS X a different look, you can change the default desktop background. OS X offers a wide variety of desktop background options. For example, OS X comes with several dozen images you can use, from abstract patterns to photos of plants and other natural images. You can also choose a solid color as the desktop background, or you can use one of your own photos. You can change the desktop background to show either a fixed image or a series of images that change periodically.

Change the Desktop Background

Set a Fixed Background Image

In the Dock, click System Preferences ().

In the System Preferences window, click Desktop & Screen Saver.

Note: You can also right-click the desktop and then click Change Desktop Background.

The desktop and screen saver preferences appear.

Click Desktop.

Click the image category you want to use.

Click the image you want to use as the desktop background.

Your Mac changes the desktop background.

If you chose a photo in step 5, click and then click an option to determine how your Mac displays the photo.

Note: Another way to set a fixed background image is to select a photo in iPhoto, click Share, and then click Set Desktop.

Set a Changing Background Image

Click Change picture ( changes to ).

Click in the pop-up menu and then click how often you want the background image to change.

If you want your Mac to choose the periodic image randomly, click Random order ( changes to ).

Your Mac changes the desktop background periodically based on your chosen interval.

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When I choose a photo, how do the various options differ for displaying the photo?

Your Mac gives you five options for displaying the photo:

• Fill Screen. Expands the photo in all four directions until it fills the entire desktop.

• Fit to Screen. Expands the photo in all four directions until the photo is either the same height as the desktop or the same width as the desktop.

• Stretch to Fill Screen. Expands the photo in all four directions until it fills the entire desktop.

• Center. Displays the photo at its actual size and places the photo in the center of the desktop.

• Tile. Repeats your photo multiple times to fill the entire desktop.

Activate the Screen Saver

You can set up OS X to display a screen saver, a moving pattern or series of pictures. The screen saver appears after your computer has been idle for a while. If you leave your monitor on for long stretches while your computer is idle, a faint version of the unmoving image can endure for a while on the screen, a phenomenon known as persistence. A screen saver prevents this by displaying a moving image. However, persistence is not a major problem for modern screens, so for the most part, you use a screen saver for visual interest.

Activate the Screen Saver

In the Dock, click System Preferences ().

In the System preferences window, click Desktop & Screen Saver.

The Desktop & Screen Saver dialog appears.

Click Screen Saver.

Click the screen saver you want to use.

A A preview of the screen saver appears here.

Click the Start after and then click a time delay until the screen saver begins.

Note: The interval you choose is the number of minutes or hours that your Mac must be idle before the screen saver starts.

B If the screen saver is customizable, click Screen Saver Options to configure it.

C If you chose a slide show instead of a screen saver, click the Source to select an image collection.

D If you also want to see the current time when the screen saver is active, click Show with clock ( changes to ).

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What are hot corners and how do I configure them?

A hot corner is a corner of your Mac’s screen that you have set up to perform an action when you move the mouse () to that specific corner. To configure hot corners, follow steps 1 to 4 to select a screen saver, In the lower-left of the dialog, click Hot Corners. In the Active Screen Corners dialog, click the upper-left spin arrows () and select the action you want to perform when you move mouse () to the top-left corner of the screen. Click the spin arrows () for the remaining corners and select the action you want to perform when you move mouse () to the specific corner of the screen.

Set Your Mac’s Sleep Options

You can make OS X more energy efficient by configuring parts of your Mac to go into sleep mode automatically when you are not using them. Sleep mode means that your display or your Mac is in a temporary low-power mode. This saves energy on all Macs, and saves battery power on a notebook Mac. For example, you can set up OS X to put the display to sleep automatically after a period of inactivity. Similarly, you can configure OS X to put your entire Mac to sleep after you have not used it for a specified amount of time.

Set Your Mac’s Sleep Options

Open the Energy Saver Preferences

In the Dock, click System Preferences ().

In the System Preferences window, click Energy Saver.

The Energy Saver preferences appear.

Set Sleep Options for a Desktop Mac

Click and drag to set the computer sleep timer.

This specifies the period of inactivity after which your computer goes to sleep.

Click and drag to set the display sleep timer.

This specifies the period of inactivity after which your display goes to sleep.

Set Sleep Options for a Notebook Mac

Click Battery.

Click and drag to set the computer sleep timer for when your Mac is on battery power.

Click and drag to set the display sleep timer for when your Mac is on battery power.

Click Power Adapter.

Click and drag to set the computer sleep timer for when your Mac is plugged in.

Click and drag to set the display sleep timer for when your Mac is plugged in.

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How do I wake a sleeping display or computer?

If your Mac’s display is in sleep mode, you can wake it by moving your mouse or sliding your finger on the trackpad. You can also wake up the display or your entire Mac by pressing any key.

I changed the display sleep timer, now I never see my screen saver. Why?

You set the display sleep timer to a time that is less than your screen saver timer. Suppose you configured OS X to switch on the screen saver after 15 minutes. If you set the display sleep timer to a shorter interval, such as 10 minutes, OS X always puts the display to sleep before the screen saver appears.

Change the Display Resolution and Brightness

You can change the resolution and the brightness of the OS X display. This enables you to adjust the display for best viewing or for maximum compatibility with whatever application you are using.

Increasing the display resolution is an easy way to create more space on the screen for applications and windows, because the objects on the screen appear smaller. Conversely, if you have trouble reading text on the screen, decreasing the display resolution can help, because the screen objects appear larger. If you find that your display is too dark or too bright, you can adjust the brightness for best viewing.

Change the Display Resolution and Brightness

In the Dock, click System Preferences ().

In the System Preferences window, click Displays.

The Displays preferences appear.

Click Display.

Select the resolution:

A To have OS X set the resolution based on your display, click Best for display ( changes to ).

B To set the resolution yourself, click Scaled ( changes to ) and then click the resolution you want to use.

OS X adjusts the screen to the new resolution.

Click and drag the Brightness slider to set the display brightness.

OS X adjusts the screen to the new brightness.

C If you do not want OS X to adjust the brightness based on the ambient light, click Automatically adjust brightness ( changes to ).

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What do the resolution numbers mean?

The resolution numbers are expressed in pixels, short for picture elements, which are the individual dots that make up what you see on your Mac’s screen, arranged in rows and columns. So a resolution of 1440 × 900 means that the display is using 1,440-pixel rows and 900-pixel columns.

Why do some resolutions also include the word stretched?

Most older displays use an aspect ratio (width to the height) of 4:3. However, most new Mac displays use an aspect ratio of 16:10, which is called widescreen. Resolutions designed for 4:3 displays take up only part of a widescreen display. To make them take up the entire display, choose the stretched version of the resolution.

Create an App Folder in Launchpad

You can make Launchpad easier to use by combining multiple icons into a single storage area called an app folder. Normally, Launchpad displays icons in up to five rows per screen, with at least seven icons in each row, so you can have at least 35 icons in each screen. Also, if you have configured your Mac with a relatively low display resolution, you might see only partial app names in Launchpad.

All this can make it difficult to locate your apps. However, app folders can help you organize similar apps and reduce the clutter on the Launchpad screens.

Create an App Folder in Launchpad

Click Launchpad ().

A Launchpad displays icons for each installed application.

Click the dot for the Launchpad screen with which you want to work.

Use the to click and drag an icon that you want to include in the folder, and drop it on another icon that you want to include in the same folder.

B Launchpad creates the app folder.

C Launchpad applies a name to the folder based on the type of applications in the folder.

D Launchpad adds the icons to the app folder.

To specify a different name, click the name and then type the one you prefer.

Click the Launchpad screen, outside of the app folder.

E Launchpad displays the app folder.

To add more icons to the new app folder, use the to click and drag each icon and drop it on the folder.

Note: To launch a program from an app folder, click , click the app folder to open it, and then click the program’s icon.

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How do I make changes to an app folder?

Click to open Launchpad, then click the app folder. To rename the app folder, click the current name, type the new name, and then press . To rearrange the icons, use the to drag and drop the apps within the folder. When you are done, click outside the app folder to close it.

How do I remove an icon from an app folder?

Click to open Launchpad, then click the app folder. To remove an app from a folder, use the to click and drag the app out of the folder. Launchpad closes the folder, and you can then drop the icon within the Launchpad screen.

Add a User Account

You can share your Mac with another person by creating a user account for that person. This enables the person to log in to OS X and use the system. The new user account is completely separate from your own account. This means that the other person can change settings, create documents, and perform other OS X tasks without interfering with your own settings or data. For maximum privacy for all users, you should set up each user account with a password.

Add a User Account

In the Dock, click System Preferences ().

In the System Preferences window, click Users & Groups.

A In most OS X systems, to modify accounts you must click the Lock icon () and then type your administrator password ( changes to ).

Click Add ().

The New Account dialog appears.

Click and then click an account type.

Type the user’s name.

Edit the short username that OS X creates.

Type a password for the user.

Retype the user’s password.

Type a hint that OS X will display if the user forgets the password.

Click Create User.

B OS X adds the user account to the Users & Groups preferences window.

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Which account type should I use for the new account?

The Standard account type is a good choice because it can make changes only to its own account settings. Avoid the Administrator option because it is a powerful account type that enables the user to make major changes to the system. If the user is a child, consider the Managed with Parental Controls account type.

How do I change the user’s picture?

In the Users & Groups preferences, click the user and then click the picture. OS X displays a list of the available images. If you see one you like, click it. If your Mac has a camera attached and the user is nearby, you can click Camera and then click the Camera icon to take the user’s picture. Click Done to set the picture.

Customize the Dock

You can customize various aspects of the Dock by using System Preferences to modify a few Dock options. For example, you can make the Dock take up less room on the screen by adjusting the size of the Dock. You can also make the Dock a bit easier to use by turning on the Magnification feature, which enlarges Dock icons when you position the mouse pointer over them. You can also make the Dock easier to access and use by moving it to either side of the screen.

Customize the Dock

In the Dock, click System Preferences ().

In the System Preferences window, click Dock.

Note: You can also open the Dock preferences by clicking , clicking Dock, and then clicking Dock Preferences.

The Dock preferences appear.

Click and drag the Size slider () to make the Dock smaller or larger.

A You can also click and drag the Dock divider: Drag up to increase the Dock size, and drag down to decrease the Dock size.

B System Preferences adjusts the size of the Dock.

Note: If your Dock is already as wide as the screen, dragging the Size slider to the right (toward the Large value) has no effect.

Click Magnification ( changes to ).

Click and drag the Magnification to set the magnification level.

C When you position the mouse () over a Dock icon, your Mac magnifies the icon.

Use the Position on screen options to click where you want the Dock to appear, such as the Left side of the screen ( changes to ).

D Your Mac moves the Dock to the new position.

In the Minimize windows using pop-up menu, click and then click the effect you want your Mac to use when you minimize a window: Genie effect or Scale effect.

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Is there an easier method I can use to control some of these preferences?

Yes, you can control these preferences directly from the Dock. To set the Dock size, click and drag the Dock divider left or right. For the other preferences, right-click the Dock divider. Click Turn Magnification On to enable the magnification feature; click Turn Magnification Off to disable this feature. To change the Dock position, click Position on Screen and then click Left, Bottom, or Right. To set the minimize effect, click Minimize Using and then click either Genie Effect or Scale Effect. Finally, you can also click Dock Preferences to open the Dock pane in System Preferences.

Add an Icon to the Dock

The icons on the Dock are convenient because you can open them with just a single click. You can enhance the convenience of the Dock by adding an icon for an application you use frequently.

The icon remains in the Dock even when the application is closed, so you can always open the application with a single click. You can add an icon to the Dock even if the program is not currently running.

Add an Icon to the Dock

Add an Icon for a Nonrunning Application

Click Finder ().

Click Applications.

Click and drag the application icon, and then drop it inside the Dock.

A Be sure to drop the icon anywhere to the left of the Dock divider.

B OS X adds the application’s icon to the Dock.

Add an Icon for a Running Application

Right-click the application icon in the Dock.

Click Options.

Click Keep in Dock.

The application’s icon remains in the Dock even after you close the program.

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Can my Mac start the application automatically each time I log in?

Yes. Your Mac maintains a list of login items, which are applications that run automatically after you log in. You can configure your application as a login item, and your Mac opens it automatically each time you log in. Right-click the application’s Dock icon, click Options, and then click Open at Login.

How do I remove an icon from the Dock?

Right-click the application’s Dock icon, click Options, and then click Remove from Dock. If the application is currently running, OS X removes the icon from the Dock when you quit the program. Note that you can remove any application icon except Finder () and Launchpad ().

Hide the Dock

When you are working in an application, you might find that you need to maximize the amount of vertical space the application window takes up on-screen. This might come up, for example, when you are reading or editing a long document or viewing a large photo. In such cases, you can size the window to maximum height, but OS X will not let you go past the Dock. You can work around this by hiding the Dock. When the Dock is hidden, it is still easily accessible whenever you need to use it.

Hide the Dock

Turn On Dock Hiding

Click .

Click Dock.

Click Turn Hiding On.

A You can also right-click the Dock divider and then click Turn Hiding On.

B OS X removes the Dock from the desktop.

Display the Dock Temporarily

Move the mouse () to the bottom of the screen.

C OS X temporarily displays the Dock.

Note: To hide the Dock again, move the mouse () away from the bottom of the screen.

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Is there a faster way to hide the Dock?

Yes. You can quickly hide the Dock by pressing ++. This keyboard shortcut is a toggle, which means that you can also turn off Dock hiding by pressing ++. When the Dock is hidden, you can display it temporarily by pressing + (on some keyboards you must press ++).

How do I bring the Dock back into view?

When you no longer need the extra screen space for your applications, you can turn off Dock hiding to bring the Dock back into view. Click , click Dock, and then click Turn Hiding Off. Alternatively, display the Dock, right-click the Dock divider, and then click Turn Hiding Off.

Add a Widget to the Dashboard

The Dashboard is an OS X application that you use to display widgets. You can customize the Dashboard to include any widgets that you find useful or informative. A widget is a mini-application, particularly one designed to perform a single task, such as displaying the weather, showing stock data, or providing sports scores. OS X comes with 16 widgets, which include a clock, a calculator, a tile game, and a unit converter. There are also many widgets available online.

Add a Widget to the Dashboard

Click Finder ().

Click Applications.

Double-click Dashboard ().

Your Mac displays the Dashboard and its current set of open widgets.

Click Add ().

OS X displays its collection of widgets.

Click the widget you want to add.

A Your Mac adds the widget to the Dashboard.

Use the mouse () to click and drag the widget to the position you prefer.

B If the widget is configurable, it displays an i when you position the mouse () over it.

Click the i.

Configure the widget as needed.

Click Done.

Click Exit ().

Your Mac closes the Dashboard.

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Are there other methods I can use to open the Dashboard?

Yes. You can open and close the Dashboard quickly on most Macs by pressing (or +). On most Apple keyboards, you can also press to open and close the Dashboard.

How do I remove a widget from the Dashboard?

To remove a single widget, press and hold , position the mouse () over the widget, and then click the Close button () that the Dashboard displays in the upper-left corner of the widget. To remove more than one widget, click and then click in each widget that you want to remove.

Extend the Desktop Across Multiple Displays

You can improve your productivity and efficiency by connecting a second monitor to your Mac. To work with an extra display, your Mac must have a video output port — such as a Thunderbolt port, Mini DisplayPort, or DVI port — that matches a corresponding port on the second display. If you do not have such a port, check with Apple or the display manufacturer to see if an adapter is available that enables your Mac to connect with the second display. After you connect your Mac to the display, you can extend the OS X desktop across both monitors.

Extend the Desktop Across Multiple Displays

Connect the second monitor to your Mac.

In the Dock, click System Preferences ().

The System Preferences window appears.

Click Displays.

The Displays preferences appear.

Click Arrangement.

A This window represents your Mac’s main display.

B This window represents the second display.

C This white strip represents the OS X menu bar.

Click and drag the windows to set the relative arrangement of the two displays.

To move the menu bar and Dock to the second display, click and drag the menu bar and drop it on the second display.

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Can I use a different desktop background in each display?

Yes. To set the desktop background on the second display, open System Preferences and click Desktop & Screen Saver. On the second display, you see the Secondary Desktop dialog. Use that dialog to set the desktop picture or color, as described in the section Change the Desktop Background.

Can I just use the second display to show my main OS X desktop?

Yes. This is called mirroring the main display because the second display shows exactly what appears on your Mac’s main monitor, including the mouse pointer. Follow steps 1 to 4 to display the Arrangement tab, then click Mirror Displays ( changes to ).