macOS 26 必會技巧！新手老手都該知道的 Tahoe 五大重點一次看！買M5 MacBook Pro 真的要學起來，讓 Mac 變更好用！feat.MONITORMATE

This episode is sponsored by MONITORMATE.

Hello everyone!

I'm Willy.

Last week, we reviewed the latest M5 MacBook Pro for you.

Its performance is really impressive.

Whether it's the response speed for daily tasks or the output efficiency for video editing and rendering, compared to the base M1 model, the overall experience is a complete domination.

So, if you're planning to get one soon, or if you've already bought it, congrats, your money has turned into something you love!

Now, after getting a new Mac, there are some settings you must adjust to make it more user-friendly.

I've previously shared three must-do Mac settings and recommended some useful apps in videos.

So, if you haven't watched them yet, the links are in the description below the video.

I highly recommend taking the time to check them out.

In today's video, I'll focus on macOS 26 and its new, very practical features.

Are you ready?

Let's get started!

First, let's take a look at macOS 26 and its biggest core change, Spotlight.

If you've just upgraded from an older system, you might notice that the familiar Launchpad is gone.

That's right.

Apple, in Tahoe, officially removed Launchpad.

They integrated all its features into the new Spotlight.

Now Spotlight is no longer just a simple search tool.

It’s more like a central hub for the system.

When you bring up Spotlight now, you can use Command+1 to Command+4 to quickly switch between different search modes.

Command+1 is the app mode that replaces Launchpad.

You can see all your apps here.

Command+2 is the dedicated file mode.

When searching for files, it won’t be cluttered by apps or other suggestions.

Command+3 is the most unique action mode this time.

Command+4 is the brand-new clipboard mode.

In the past, Spotlight searches for different types of content often got mixed up and felt messy.

Now, with these four modes to switch between, I personally feel that search efficiency has improved a bit.

However, some people might notice that when searching for apps, even iPhone apps show up, making it super hard to find things.

If that happens, just head to System Settings on the Spotlight page.

Scroll down Turn off the iPhone Apps option below Or, in Spotlight's application mode Click the three-dot icon in the top right Then uncheck "Show iPhone Apps" This way, your search results will only show software installed on this Mac Next, let's talk about file search If you have a lot of files Now, when searching Just add a slash at the start Followed by the file type

For example, if you want to search PDF content Just type /PDF Then press Return Spotlight will lock into PDF filter mode At this point, enter your keyword It will precisely search within PDF file contents If you want to find files in a specific folder You can do this Just type /Downloads It will only search within your Downloads folder

Even for third-party drives like Dropbox or Google Drive You can search precisely this way This method works for accurate searches Once you find the file You can press Return to open it directly Or press Command+R It will directly open the folder where the file is stored, super convenient.

Alright, give me a minute here.

I want to share something I’ve been loving lately.

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Even large files are handled in seconds.

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I think this time, Spotlight's most powerful change is the Action Mode.

That’s the mode you access with Command+3.

In Action Mode, there’s a must-learn feature called Quick Actions.

Simply put, it lets you get things done without opening apps.

You can take action directly.

For example, if you want to send a text, you don’t need to go to the Dock and open the Messages app.

Just bring up Spotlight, then type "Messages."

You’ll see an option to send a message appear below.

Press Return, and an input box will pop up directly.

Letting you enter the content and recipient for your message.

Once you’ve written your message, Just press Return again, and it will be sent directly.

No need to open the app at all.

Similarly, in Spotlight, type "Reminders," and you'll see options for Reminders below.

You'll see "Reminders" and "Add Reminder" as options.

If you choose the first one, "Reminders," you'll see a description on the right.

It explains that by pressing Tab, you can directly search all content written in Reminders.

This is the same as the "Add Reminder" option I mentioned earlier.

If you want to add a new reminder, choose the second option.

Then, in the Reminder field, type the content you need to be reminded of.

And after "To," you can select from your existing reminder lists.

Press Return afterward, and it will automatically be added to Reminders.

If you find typing in Chinese every time too cumbersome, you can also, in the Action options, click on the sidebar to add a shortcut.

Change it to a key combo that suits you.

For example, I changed messaging to "SM."

So, whenever I type "SM" and press the spacebar, I can directly input the content I want to send.

Then press Tab to enter the recipient, press Return, and it will be sent directly.

And also, if you come across English content in Safari, you can now bring up Spotlight and type in "translate."

You'll see an option to translate into Traditional Chinese.

Click on it, and it will directly translate the webpage for you.

For beginners, this method is probably much more intuitive than searching for a translate button, right?

In the action mode, the system provides a wide variety of preset actions.

You can take a look first to see which functions you use often.

Then, add shortcuts to them.

Once you're familiar with these shortcuts, I believe your work efficiency will improve significantly.

Alright, next up is Command+4 for clipboard mode.

macOS 26 finally has a built-in clipboard now.

You can go to System Settings under Spotlight to adjust the retention time.

The shortest duration is 30 minutes, and the longest can record up to 7 days.

Although its features aren't as powerful as Paste, which we introduced before, it's native to the system, and it's free, so there's really nothing to complain about.

Alright, one last Spotlight tip: if you want to retrieve your search history, We can bring up Spotlight and then press the up arrow key It will automatically show your search history Okay, I believe everyone must be unaccustomed to Launchpad disappearing But it seems Apple is determined to integrate all access points into Spotlight Although Spotlight still has a lot of room for improvement And it can’t compare to third-party tools like Raycast or Alfred

or Paste in terms of power But for a built-in feature, it’s already a significant improvement Once everyone gets familiar with using it You’ll definitely find it much more convenient than before Alright, we’ve finished talking about Spotlight Next, let’s discuss another key feature Which is the Control Center In the past, all our toggles like Wi-Fi Bluetooth Volume adjustments, and so on Were all crammed into the same menu icon

With so many things, it was a hassle to find them But in macOS 26, Apple finally allows you to customize multiple independent Control Centers You can directly open the Control Center Then select "Edit Controls" at the bottom At this point, you’ll notice the menu bar Has an additional plus sign on top We Click it And you can add a second one to the menu bar or even a third Control Center.

So, what’s the benefit of this feature?

Take my own usage habits, for example.

I’d create a dedicated Control Center just for music.

Then change the default icon to a music symbol.

Inside, I’d only put playback controls, volume, and background music options.

These are all sound-related features.

This kind of functional separation makes your menu bar feel more like a professional software toolbar.

You no longer have to dig through a cluttered list of features.

Instead, you can intuitively access different functions by clicking the corresponding icon.

So, I think multiple Control Centers are a major improvement in interface logic for macOS 26.

It gives the choice back to the user.

If you’re like me and strive for an optimal workflow, you’ve got to try categorized management.

Your menu bar will become much more intuitive.

Speaking of the menu bar, we can’t ignore the new look of macOS this time.

Apple has adopted the Liquid Glass design language.

So, the most noticeable change is the menu bar, which is now completely transparent.

This borderless visual effect really makes the screen feel more spacious.

And it looks prettier too.

However, there are some small issues in actual use.

If your wallpaper has a lot of colors or happens to be quite light, the icons on the menu bar will clash with the background.

It’s hard to see.

So if you don’t like this overly transparent look, it’s actually very easy to revert to the original, more solid style.

Just go to System Settings, scroll down to Menu Bar, and turn on "Show Menu Bar Background."

It will return to the familiar colored background state.

Alright, next up is the folder section.

This time, Tahoe finally added a long-awaited new feature.

Before, we could only choose small color tags.

Now, you can directly right-click on a folder and select "Customize."

Here, you can not only change the folder’s background color, but the coolest part is you can also add an emoji symbol directly on it.

The operation is very simple.

Choose your desired color and icon, then click OK.

Your folder will immediately display that icon.

Whether you want to mark project types or just make your desktop look more personalized, you no longer need to download extra icons to change them.

The built-in options can handle it.

Alright, the last update about appearance This time, macOS finally lets you customize the lock screen.

Though compared to iPad or iPhone, its features are still a bit basic.

Right now, you can only tweak the clock.

You can't adjust the layout or add widgets like on mobile devices.

But compared to before when nothing could be changed, now you can customize the clock's font and thickness to match your wallpaper, which is a step forward.

Just a heads-up, the setting is a bit hidden.

It's not in the lock screen menu.

You need to go to the wallpaper settings and click on "Clock Appearance" in the top right.

That's where you can open the customization window.

So don't look in the wrong place.

Next, let's talk about Shortcuts automation.

In the past, Mac Shortcuts required manual activation to run.

If you wanted to set up automation on Mac, you had to use the powerful but complex Automator.

Now, with macOS 26, things are different.

Apple has finally brought the powerful Shortcuts automation from iPhone fully over to Mac.

Just open the Shortcuts app, and on the left sidebar, you'll see a brand-new Automation option.

Click on it, then hit the plus icon in the top right.

You’ll see a whole row of triggers.

These triggers are the soul of automation.

We can set up some simple ones, like when I connect my MacBook to the office monitor, it automatically opens Email, Slack, Safari, and Pages, instantly setting up my work environment.

Or when I open Final Cut Pro, it automatically switches to Do Not Disturb mode, so I can focus on editing without interruptions.

We can also set up things like, when a message comes from my frequently contacted wife, it directly opens the chat window.

This way, even if I’m busy, I won’t miss any messages.

It effectively reduces friction.

So, with Shortcuts automation, you can experiment with more creative ideas.

For example, I use a USB drive as a trigger to activate iPad Sidecar mode.

When I bring my Mac mini to a café to work, after it boots up, it automatically connects to my iPhone’s hotspot.

Then it uses voice to notify me that it’s ready.

At that moment, if I plug in the USB drive, it automatically runs the Sidecar shortcut in the background.

Then it turns my iPad into an external display for the Mac mini.

This setup is about 87% similar to using a laptop.

The only difference is it doesn’t have a battery.

And when we need to write by hand, we can pick up the iPad and switch back to iPad mode.

Super convenient!

And when we’re ready to leave, I just eject the USB drive, and it automatically disconnects Sidecar for me.

Then it notifies me with a voice to prepare for shutdown.

(Preparing to shut down) Finally, it performs the shutdown action.

The whole process is so cool, and with this method, you’ll definitely become the center of attention at Starbucks.

So, with the addition of shortcut automation, regular users don’t need to deal with complex Automator.

You can still achieve simple tasks easily.

Although setting it up initially takes some time to think through the workflow, once it’s done, it can save you a ton of time and effort every day.

Alright, at the end of this video, let’s talk about two features in macOS 26.

They’re not major changes, but I think they’re pretty handy in certain scenarios.

The first one is a video feature called Edge Light.

Simply put, once you upgrade to macOS 26.2, your screen can turn into a fill light.

When you’re on a FaceTime call with someone, if you notice the lighting isn’t quite right, You can just turn on this feature.

At that moment, a soft white light will glow around the screen's edges.

It helps illuminate your face.

There's also a thoughtful design detail.

When you move your cursor to the edge of the screen light, the light automatically retracts.

It won’t interfere with your operation.

Plus, you can customize the light's width and color temperature.

Cool tones, or warm tones, can be adjusted directly in the menu.

And if you're using a model from 2024 or later, it can even auto-activate this feature when the environment is too dark.

For those who occasionally video call in low-light settings, this is a really considerate little tool.

The second feature is the handy Magnifier app from iPhone, which has officially come to Mac.

Besides using the Mac's built-in camera to zoom in on things, I think the most practical use is pairing it with Continuity Camera.

After connecting, right-click the camera icon in the bottom left, and you can choose the camera source you want to use.

Here, we select the iPhone's camera.

Then, your iPhone camera feed will display in real-time on the Mac's big screen.

It includes a text-reading feature.

Just point the camera at a piece of text, and it will automatically recognize and read it aloud.

Though this feature might not be used often, But if you need to check tiny product labels or instructions, this app comes in really handy.

Alright, that’s all for this time after getting the new Mac.

I suggest everyone try out and adjust these settings.

Honestly, the changes in macOS 26, especially the Spotlight that crams everything in, are a bit complex and really require you to completely change your Mac usage habits of the past decade or so.

But I think this is what makes Mac so charming.

It lets you customize these features to perfectly fit your own workflow.

Whether it’s Spotlight or the multi-control center, or even shortcut automations, these settings might feel tricky at first.

But once you get all these details sorted out, using this Mac will truly feel intuitive and seamless.

Alright, that’s it for today’s video.

If you enjoyed this content, please remember to give us a like, subscribe, and turn on the notification bell.

If you can, help spread the word too, that’d be even better!

So, have you discovered any super useful macOS 26 features?

Feel free to share with me in the comments below.

I’m Willy, see you in the next video!

Bye-bye!