5 Ways to Manage Desktop in MacBook

Windows operating system has simple concept of working on desktops where you have all open applications. The latest Windows 10 has an additional option to have multiple desktops for better managing the workflow. However, MacBook and MacBook Pro laptop has multiple ways of handling stuffs on the desktop. In this article let us explore 5 ways to manage desktop on your MacBook.

1. Standard Desktops

Desktop is the screen what you will see after logging into your Mac. People also call desktops as spaces. From the desktop screen, you can open Finder and other applications to start working on your Mac. Press ‘Command + ,’ shortcut keys when on desktop and go to ‘Desktop & Screen Saver’ section. Here you can customize your desktop like changing the wallpaper, setup screensaver. Apple also introduced dynamic desktop backgrounds from macOS Mojave. This feature will change the desktop background automatically based on your location and time of the day.

You can create multiple desktops to organize your items. For example, on one desktop you can keep all games and on other all work related stuffs. Mission Control allows creating multiple desktop in macOS. Also the new Stacks feature allows to remove the cluttered files and arrange them in stacks by right clicking on the desktop.

2. Dashboard

Dashboard app contains a collection of widgets that you can quickly use. Click on the ‘Launchpad’ icon on the dock and look for Dashboard app. You can also press ‘Command + Spacebar’ to open Spotlight Search box and search for dashboard app. Click on the + or – icon to add or remove widgets from your dashboard.

Dashboard app offers multiple widgets like clock, calendar, calculator, etc. There are tricky ways to use dashboard app. For example, you can simply add multiple clocks and set the time zone to different city to have multiple world clock settings. This will help you simply navigate to dashboard and check the time on different cities in the world.

Click on the arrow at bottom right corner to close dashboard and return to previous application.

3. Launchpad

Launchpad app is generally part of the dock or you can open it using Spotlight Search. It is a collection of app icons available in Applications and other system folders on your MacBook. You can easily find applications using search box on the top or drag the app to trash bin to delete from your Mac. One other use of Launchpad is when you update apps from App Store, Launchpad will show the progress of the installation on the dock. Click on the Launchpad icon on the dock to see which apps are installing currently and the progress details.

4. Mission Control

Mission Control is an easy way to view all open applications including apps running in full screen mode and switch between them. You can also switch between desktops and dashboard to view apps on different screens and drag the apps from one desktop from other.

Press F3 to launch Mission Control or open it from Launchpad.

5. Dock

Dock is somewhat similar to the taskbar in Windows. Apple adds icons to the dock by default but you can add or remove your favorite apps, folders and documents for quick access. It is also very convenient to open Downloads folder or Finder from dock instead of searching every time. By default, dock is located on bottom of the monitor screen which you customize. Press ‘Command + ,’ keys to open System Preferences and navigate to Dock section. Here you can change the dock options like position on the desktop, adjusting the magnification and the size.