5 Mac settings you should change

These essential tweaks will make your Mac better instantly.

Author

Lewis Wallace
April 13, 2024

Want to make your Mac even better than it already is? The five essential tweaks in this weekend’s new how-to will do just that.

Some of these settings changes might be a little controversial, but others are no-brainers. Check ‘em out and see if they make your Mac easier to use.

Also in this edition of The Weekender:

  • Sounds like new Macs with M4 chips will arrive sooner than we dared to dream.

  • Humane’s Ai Pin, once hailed as a potential iPhone killer, is DOA, according to the first reviews. Created by ex-Apple employees, the device looks great but fails horribly.

  • Want to go even further customizing your Mac? It’s easy (and fun) to tweak the color and size of your Mac’s cursor.

  • Reminder: You can slash an extra 20% off practically everything in the Cult of Mac Deals store for a limited time with code ENJOY20. (Enter the code at checkout to see if the discount applies.) This almost site-wide sale ends on April 16.

Enjoy your weekend!

— Lewis Wallace, managing editor

How-tos

5 essential Mac settings you should change

Switching to a new computer and wondering how to set your Mac system preferences? Change these Mac system settings for a better experience.

How to change the size and color of the Mac pointer

The Mac pointer is black with a white outline by default, but you can change the pointer color — or even change the Mac pointer size.

How to quickly queue songs on Apple Music (and clear the queue)

You can queue songs in Apple Music so that the tracks you want to hear play automatically, one after another.

How to scan QR codes on iPhone

Scan a QR code directly from your iPhone camera or a picture — you don’t have to download a third-party app.

News

Macs with AI-focused M4 chip launching this year

The Apple M4 processor will put an emphasis on AI, and will start appearing in Macs this autumn.

Plus, more Apple AI news:

Humane Ai Pin review roundup: It's a disaster

With the buzzy gadget finally available, the first Humane Ai Pin reviews paint the device as an interesting idea with a terrible execution.

15-inch MacBook Air vs. Dell XPS 15: Which laptop should you buy?

The popular Dell laptop gives the Air a run for its money. But between the two, which is the best for you? Find out here.

iOS 17.5 brings Apple’s new ‘Quartiles’ word game

iOS 17.5, iPadOS 17.5 and macOS 14.5, all in beta, feature a new News+ Puzzles word game.

Plus, more Apple rumors and leaks:

Apple provides temporary solution for Apple Watch ‘ghost touch’ bug

Besides the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2, Apple acknowledges that the problem affects many older Apple Watch models.

These CT scans show Vision Pro's glorious guts like nothing else

Unlike a traditional tear-down, Lumafield's exquisitely detailed scans show the engineering inside with no deconstruction.

Apple finally allows used parts for independent product repairs

In a first, Apple said a new process will let customers and indie repair shops include used parts in repairs, beginning with iPhones.

Deals

This $16 keychain charger keeps your iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods juiced anywhere

Keep your beloved iPhone and Apple Watch juiced up anywhere with this 2-in-1 wireless keychain charger, on sale now for just $15.19.

Plus, more gear from Cult of Mac Deals:

M3 iMac drops to lifetime low after $149 discount

Amazon slashes the M3 iMac's price, dropping the machine to its all-time low price and making it an irresistible deal.

Get 1TB of cloud storage, just $128 for life

Koofr lifetime cloud storage plan gives you 1TB of space, accessible from any device. Pay just $127.99 for the cheapest cloud storage around.

Optimize your job search with Resso Professional's suite of AI tools

Use AI to hone your resume and practice for the big interview with Resso Professional. The AI job search tool is on sale for $79.99.

Keep your kid safe online with this iPhone monitoring app

You can't monitor your children's online activity 24/7 without investing in a quality parental control app for iPhone and Android like mSpy.

Reviews and recommendations

Belkin iPhone stand cleverly keeps camera focused on you [Review] ★★★★★

Enhance your video calls and content creation with the Belkin Auto-Tracking Stand Pro. The smart iPhone camera dock stays focused on you.

Clever bike reflector conceals a hidden AirTag tracker [Review]

The stealthy Device Therapy Bike Mount & Reflector gives you a place to hide an Apple AirTag so you can track the location of your bicycle.

Beautiful magnetic stand turns iPad into iMac

The Elago Magnetic Stand for iPads lifts the tablet up and does so beautifully, closely mimicking the design of the iMac.

Use your iPhone to scan and fax documents with this multipurpose scanning app

SwiftScan VIP turns your iPhone into a document-scanning multitool. It's on sale for 70% off, the best price online.

Setups

42-inch smart TV may be user's best display ever

While using big screens like the LG C2 smart TV as computer displays gains popularity, we don't often hear users say they're all-time faves.

You wish you had this MacBook workstation's killer keyboard

The Keychron Q3 Pro keyboard is a beautiful example of a highly functional and customizable mechanical keeb.

Dual-display rig boasts speedy M3 and M2 MacBooks

What could be better than a snazzy M2 MacBook Air? Well, you could add an M3 Max MacBook Pro to your setup alongside it like this guy did.