Double your macOS productivity with just 1 button
In daily life, we see that many masters use the keyboard a lot of the time. This article is an article involving keyboard operation, but here we only focus on one key on the keyboard, that is Option ⌥. The vast majority of macOS users must be familiar with Command ⌘ in daily use. After all, most shortcut keys rely on Command (command) to exhale, and Option does exactly what its icon ⌥ shows - display The other side of menus and options.
Through this article, you can learn about Option-related operations, and then speed up your computer operations, so that you can show yourself a master. Over time, maybe you will become a real master with hidden merit and fame.
▍ Option + Finder
When we talk about macOS, we always subconsciously compare it to Windows. In this analogy, Finder is to macOS what File Explorer is to Windows.
Finder is a window on macOS that allows users to see almost anywhere in macOS. And through Option +, the user's operation will be more "light as a swallow".
01 Path display and jump
To be honest, when I first started macOS, I still missed the Explorer on Windows. Its upper address bar clearly shows the current location and allows me to jump around at will. In fact, through Option ⌥, Finder can also achieve this effect.
02 File Copy Cut in macOS
For users who have just moved from Windows to macOS, not being able to Ctrl + X to cut files is a big pain point. At this time, we can use the Option key to achieve the cut function. Generally speaking, there are two methods as follows.
First and foremost, I use Command + C to copy the file, then in the destination folder, you can use Command + Option + V to cut the file under Windows.
The second method is, after Command + C to copy the file, in the destination folder, hold down the Option key and right-click to execute "Move item here".
Quick copy
When it comes to copying files, under macOS, the normal keyboard operation is Command + C > Command+V. But you can use Option to achieve faster file copying.
Simply put, open two Finder windows, hold down Option, and use the left mouse button to drag a file from the current folder to the destination folder; if the mouse is only dragging in the current folder move, the result is a quick copy of the selected file in place.
03 Fancy operation of folders to quickly copy or merge folders
The quick copy of files is mentioned above. Quick copy can also take effect on folders. When you use Option + left mouse button to drag a folder, you can quickly copy a folder at the destination.
If there is a folder with the same name as the source address and the destination, you can choose to merge the two folders at this time, and there is no longer only the replacement option.
open multiple folders
Under Windows, we can select multiple folders with the mouse, and then hit Enter to realize the operation of opening multiple folders (open multiple folders at the same time). Under macOS, we can also perform similar operations. The method is to select multiple folders, hold down Option and double-click on any selected folder to achieve the effect of opening multiple folders.
Spice up the right-click on files and folders
In the case of holding down Option, when the user right-clicks on a file or folder, compared with the case without holding down Option, the right-click menu will change to a certain extent. The result of this change may be to modify the default opening method of the file, implement full-screen browsing of the file, copy the path of the file, or open it in a new tab/window. The exact result depends on the corresponding settings of the Finder.
Right-click comparison, the left side is without the Option key, and the right side is with the Option key pressed
Option can also bypass the "Access Control" system on macOS when you open the program. If a pop-up window like the following appears when you open the program, you can right-click on the application, hold down Option and select Open, so that you can Start the program normally. It should be noted that you need to make sure that the app you want to install comes from a trusted source and has not been tampered with, otherwise it may lead to security issues with macOS and personal data.
▍ Option + macOS GUI
GUI is the abbreviation of Graphical User Interface, that is, a graphical user interface refers to a computer operating user interface displayed in a graphical manner. GUI can be roughly understood as what we see when using macOS under normal circumstances. Here, through "Option +", we can see a "different" macOS.
01 Hardware information a little more
Some system hardware status displays in macOS can present more information to the user. On the basis of the current shortcut keys, and further with Option, you can further refine some operations and information.
Display of status information
There are various small icons on the status bar of macOS that indicate the status of software and hardware. As mentioned earlier, the case of holding down Option is different from the normal state, and the state information is also the same here.
Press and hold Option and click Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Volume, Time Machine as needed, and they will display some advanced information, which is also necessary for analyzing computer problems.
Right-click the Bluetooth display information comparison, the left side is not pressing the Option key, the right side is pressing the Option key
adjustment, a little more precise
When it comes to GUI, we can't help but talk about macOS' manipulation of hardware information. We, who are good at perceiving everything, will always feel the nuances of some things at a certain point in time: a little higher, more; a little lower, less. In, not in! The system doesn't seem to work. This situation can actually be more precise.
Through Shift + Option + Volume/Brightness, the user can subdivide a large grid into four small grids on the basis of the previous one, that is, realize 1/4 grid adjustment.
02 Different windows
On an open window (either a folder or a file), holding down Option while clicking the green button makes a difference. The main change is that when you hold down Option and click the green button, you can expand the window until enough information can be displayed to adjust the split screen structure.
Press the Option key to compare before and after, the left side is not pressed, the right side is pressed
In addition to the green button, the scroll bar scrolling style of the window will also change under the blessing of Option. By pressing Option , the scrollbar can be implemented in another style; however, how this takes effect depends on the Clicking Scrollbar setting in System Preferences.
03 Hidden options in the Dock
When the app is resident, hold down the Option key and right-click the app's icon on the program dock to force quit the app and hide other apps.
Comparison before and after pressing the Option key: the left side is not pressed, and the "Force Quit" will appear after pressing the Option key on the right side.
04 Bypass the confirmation prompt
Option can also bypass some additional confirmation popups, such as holding down Option and clicking Delete file in the Finder, there will be no more confirmation box. You can see the Empty Trash in the drop-down menu of Finder followed by... disappeared, which means that the recycle bin was emptied directly without confirmation steps. This effect can also be bypassed on shutdowns, restarts, or logging out of the account.
05 Dispatch Center, show close desktop
In the case of opening multiple desktops at the same time, press and hold Option, so that the “×” that closes the desktop can be displayed directly on the desktop, which saves the trouble of shaking the mouse back and forth to find the “×”.
▍ Option + macOS comes with App to display new options
In addition to the GUI, click Option, and those apps that come with macOS will also provide some different options. Here are a few chestnuts to cite. It should be pointed out that the adaptation situation of different software may be different; you need to move your small hand in the specific situation, and press and hold Option to feel it.
01 Preview
With Option, the preview can also become different. When you hold down Option, the preview's file menu changes.
Open the file with Preview, hold down Option, and click File > Save As to save the file in another format.
When saving as, you can also hold down Option and click on the format, and many new saveable formats will appear.
Comparison before and after pressing the Option key: the left side is not pressed, and the right side presses the Option key to show more saveable formats
02 Safari
As the browser that comes with macOS, Option allows Safari to provide more options. For example, you can tell Safari to "clear history but keep web data".
Press Option > Safari > Clear History but Keep Website Data
In addition, pressing and holding Option, Safari's file, display, history, window and other menu items will be different, so I won't go into details here.
03Quick settings for screen brightness and volume
Except for a few models such as the Mac mini, all Macs can adjust the brightness and volume through the on-screen brightness keyboard and volume keys on the built-in keyboard; most third-party keyboards also support such functions. However, sometimes, we may want to adjust more, and Option can help you in this case.
The method is: hold down Option, and then press the shortcut keys on the keyboard to adjust the screen brightness or volume, so that you can quickly jump to the corresponding settings.
Option + screen brightness key to quickly jump to settings
▍ Option + other apps also have new options
I wonder if you have ever thought about such a question, can macOS save all the windows of this application before exiting the application? On the one hand, many applications on macOS close all windows and do not completely exit the application, indicating that the relationship between the window and the application is not bound; on the other hand, when shutting down, restarting or logging out the user, macOS You will be asked if you want to restore these windows the next time you log in.
In fact, hold down Option and click on any software, and the "Exit and keep the window" option will appear. Through it, the window can be retained, and the effect of the corresponding window can be restored when it is opened next time.
"Exit and keep the window" of Microsoft Edge browser, the operation method is similar to Safari
The above are the Option-related functions combed in this article, but obviously there are not so many ways to play. More features and tricks on macOS are waiting for you to explore. I hope these tips in this article can help you, and welcome to leave a message to share more tips.
Original link:
https://sspai.com/post/73385?utm_source=wechat&utm_medium=social
Author: jijiali
Editor in charge: Guangling stops