Employee

Starter Guide
Mac Basics

macOS Monterey
Introduction Mac provides you with all the tools you need to be
more productive, collaborate in new ways, and manage
your work like never before.

In this guide, you’ll learn

• How to navigate and customize your Mac
• Built-in features that support your personal productivity
• Mac tips if you’re switching from Windows
• What’s new in macOS Monterey

And if you already use an iPhone or iPad, you’ll see many of

the same applications and controls on your Mac. So you can
work in similar ways, seamlessly across all your devices.
 Getting Started 4

Hardware Overview 5

macOS Overview 9

Finding and Opening Apps 10

Arranging and Organizing Apps 11

Browsing and Managing Files 12

Working with App Windows 13

Table of
Searching Your Mac 14

Personalizing Settings 15

Contents
Customizing Your Mac 16

Keeping Track of Your Day 17

Getting Help with Everyday Tasks 18

Navigating Multiple App Windows 19

Working with Multiple Apps 20

Customizing Your Keyboard with Touch Bar 21

Using Trackpad and Mouse Gestures 22

Using Keyboard Shortcuts 23

Working the Way You Do 24

Getting Support for Mac 25

Getting To get started on your corporate network, you or your IT
team will need to enroll your Mac into corporate services to
access your corporate Wi-Fi, mail, and calendar.

Started Learn more about configuration profiles

If you have any questions, contact your IT administrator

for more information.

QUICK TIP

View Managed Features and Restrictions

Go to Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Profiles.

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Hardware Overview

No matter which Mac you use,

it’s ready to help you do amazing
things right out of the box.

Take a tour of MacBook Air

Take a tour of MacBook Pro

Take a tour of iMac

5
Hardware Overview
iMac

FaceTime HD camera

USB 3

Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C)

Touch ID

Magic Keyboard
Magic Mouse 2

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Hardware Overview
MacBook Pro 13

FaceTime HD camera

Touch Bar Touch ID

Thunderbolt 4 Headphone jack

Force Touch trackpad

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Hardware Overview
MacBook Pro 16

FaceTime HD camera

Do Not Disturb

Dictation

Spotlight
Touch ID

HDMI port
MagSafe 3

Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C)
Thunderbolt 4

Headphone jack SDXC card slot

Force Touch trackpad

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macOS Overview

macOS is the operating system

that powers every Mac. The first
thing you see on your Mac is the
desktop, where you can quickly
open apps, search for anything
on your Mac and the web,
organize your files, and more.

Get to know your Mac desktop

Explore the menu bar

Use the Dock

Discover what’s new on

macOS Monterey

QUICK TIP

Mac Tips for Windows switchers

Change your Mac settings, open apps, find, and delete files. Learn more.

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Finding and
Opening Apps

You can quickly get to your

favorite apps from the Dock at
the bottom of your screen. If the
app you need isn’t in the Dock,
open Launchpad to view and
open any app on your Mac.

Open apps on your Mac

Open apps appearing in your Dock

View all your apps in Launchpad

Close or quit apps

Discover apps included on your Mac

QUICK TIP

Find an app quickly

You can use Siri to open an app for you. Say something like “Open Calculator.”
Or click Spotlight in the menu bar, enter an app’s name in the search field,
then press Return. Learn more.

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Arranging and
Organizing Apps

Apps, files, and folders on

your Mac can be arranged in
whatever way helps you work
best. You can arrange apps in
the Dock and organize apps
into folders in Launchpad.

Arrange apps in the Dock

Group apps in Launchpad

Organize your desktop

QUICK TIP

Add files and folders to the Dock

Drag files and folders anywhere to the right of the line separator,
closest to the Trash.

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Browsing and
Managing Files

The Finder is the home base

for your Mac. Use the Finder
to organize and access work
apps, files, project folders,
and practically everything
else on your Mac.

Browse files

Customize the sidebar

Choose your view

Organize files in folders

Find files, folders, or apps

QUICK TIP

Preview a file without opening it

Use Quick Look to see a large preview of a file without opening it.
Just select it then press the Space bar. Learn more.

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Working with
App Windows

When you have multiple Finder

and app windows open, only
one window is active at a time.
To make a different app or Finder
window active, simply click on it.

Manage open windows

Work on apps in full screen

See all the open windows on your Mac

QUICK TIP

Quickly switch between app windows

Press Command-Tab and use the arrow keys to scroll through all the open apps.

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Searching Your Mac

Quickly find apps, documents,

photos, and other files with
Spotlight on your Mac. Find
specific topics in emails or
messages, perform quick
calculations, and so much more.

Search for anything on your Mac

Change your Spotlight preferences

Use Spotlight keyboard shortcuts

QUICK TIP

Start a search with one click

Click the Spotlight icon in the menu bar, or press Command-Space bar. If you
don’t see the Spotlight icon in the menu bar, choose Apple menu > System
Preferences, then click Dock & Menu Bar . Learn more.

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Personalizing
Settings

Manage your accounts, set up

Wi-Fi, update your password,
and more in System Preferences.
Some settings may already be
configured by your company. Be
sure to review the Getting
Started page or check with your
IT administrator to learn more.

Customize the settings on your Mac

Connect to a Wi-Fi network

Change your password or user picture

Use Touch ID to unlock your Mac QUICK TIP

Use a screen saver for extra privacy Access Wi-Fi from the menu bar
Choose > System Preferences, click Dock & Menu Bar, select Wi-Fi from the list
Set a password to wake your Mac
to the left, and make sure “Show in Menu Bar” is selected. You can also open
Control Center from the menu bar to quickly access Wi-Fi and other settings.

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Customizing
Your Mac

Setting the lighting and

appearance of your Mac can
help improve your productivity.
Turn on Dark Mode to see
darkened controls and windows
recede into the background, so
you can focus on your work. Or
use Night Shift to adjust the
colors on your display for easier
viewing at night or in low-light
conditions.

Customize the desktop picture

Change the desktop appearance

Make your desktop easier

to see at night

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Keeping Track
of Your Day

Notification Center helps

you keep track of what’s
happening during the day —
view upcoming appointments,
emails, reminders, and more. You
can also set up a Focus when
you need to stay on task and
minimize distractions.

Manage and customize notifications

Change notifications preferences

Set up a Focus

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Getting Help with
Everyday Tasks

Siri on Mac is like your own

personal assistant and can help
you with everyday tasks to make
your work easier. You can ask
Siri almost anything, and Siri
can do it for you. For example,
find and open files, send a
message, create a calendar
event, and more.

Turn on and use Siri

Explore other ways to use Siri

Change Siri preferences

Use Siri on all your Apple devices

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Navigating Multiple
App Windows

When you’ve got multiple app

windows scattered across your
desktop, Mission Control helps
you navigate through them
quickly and efficiently. Create
additional desktops to do things
like share a presentation with
coworkers in one desktop space,
and keep email or confidential
projects private in another.

See all open windows

Create additional desktop spaces

Change Mission Control preferences

QUICK TIP

Make each desktop space unique

Assign a different desktop picture to each one from System Preferences.
Learn more.

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Working with
Multiple Apps
Simultaneously

Split View lets you fill your

Mac screen with two apps, for
things like writing emails and
annotating documents at the
same time. You can use both
apps side by side, without the
distraction of other apps.

Work in two apps side by side

Use an app in full screen

Use your iPad as a second display

QUICK TIP

Work in Split View on other displays

Make sure the “Displays have separate Spaces” checkbox is
selected in Mission Control preferences.

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Customizing
Your Keyboard
with Touch Bar

If your Mac has a Touch Bar

at the top of the keyboard, it
adapts to what you're doing and
gives you intuitive shortcuts
and app controls when you need
them. And using Touch ID, you
can unlock your Mac, open
password-protected items,
log in from a login window,
WIP on screen edits
switch users, or sign into some
third-party apps, all from
the Touch Bar.
WIP Question: Are we still showing the older
Use the Touch Bar MBP 16 with the Touch Bar?

Customize the Touch Bar

Show the function keys on Touch Bar

Set up Touch ID

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Using Trackpad
and Mouse Gestures

With a Multi-Touch trackpad

or Magic Mouse, you can use
gestures to do things like zoom
in on documents, browse
through web pages, rotate
photos, and so much more.

Use Multi-Touch gestures

See all trackpad or mouse gestures

Change Trackpad preferences

Change Mouse preferences

Change Mouse tracking

and scrolling speed

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Using Keyboard
Shortcuts

Mac keyboard shortcuts can

help you save time and quickly
accomplish tasks that normally
need a mouse, trackpad, or
other input device. Many of the
keyboard combinations you may
already be familiar with use the
Command (⌘) key on the Mac.

Use macOS keyboard shortcuts

Explore symbols used for shortcuts

Common keyboard shortcuts

Create your own keyboard shortcuts

Windows keys on a Mac keyboard QUICK TIP

What’s it called on my Mac?

The Command key on a Mac is similar to the Control key on Windows PCs.
Simply substitute Command for Control to use PC shortcuts. Learn more.

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Working the
Way You Do

Included on every Mac,

accessibility features are meant
to work the way you do. You
can do things like make content
larger on your screen, use the
built-in screen reader called
Voice Over, speak commands
with Voice Control, and so
much more.

Get started with accessibility features

Control accessibility options

with your keyboard

Get accessibility support

QUICK TIP

Type Requests to Siri

Open System Preferences, click Accessibility, then click Siri,
and select the “Enable Type to Siri” checkbox. Learn more.

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 It’s important to know where to go for help when
you need it. Your IT department is a great starting
point for help, however Apple does offer a full array
of tutorials, in-person assistance, and programs
to help support your everyday needs.

For help desk support or urgent downtime issues:

contact your IT department.

macOS Support

Getting macOS User Guide | macOS Support

Mac Essentials guides

Support MacBook Pro | iMac

Visit the Apple Support website

for Mac
Mac | iPhone | iPad | Apple Watch
Connect to an Apple Support expert
Attend an Apple Store event
Ask a question at Apple Support Communities
Download Apple Support app
QUICK TIP Follow Apple Support on Twitter
Get Onscreen Help in macOS
Watch Apple Support videos on YouTube
Use the built-in help on your Mac to get information about macOS,
your Mac, and the apps you use. Learn more.

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