MacBook Setup Checklist

System Settings → Accessibility → Pointer Control → Trackpad Options → Dragging style → Three Finger Drag

This lets you move windows, select text, and drag files by touching the trackpad with three fingers. Once you use it, you can't go back. It replaces the need for click-and-drag entirely.

System Settings → Trackpad → Point & Click → Tap to Click → ON

By default, macOS requires you to physically press the trackpad to click. Turning on "Tap to Click" lets you just tap — like your phone screen. Most Mac users enable this immediately.

System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources → Edit → Add Korean (2-Set) → Enable "Use Caps Lock to switch input source"

On Windows, you used Right Alt or Shift+Space for Korean/English. On Mac, Caps Lock is the fastest way. One tap = switch. The Globe key (fn) also works, but Caps Lock is quicker since it's a single key press with your pinky.

Just press Fn + Backspace (Delete ←) to delete forward.

On Windows, Backspace deletes left and Delete deletes right. Mac only has Backspace. Fn + Backspace gives you forward delete. No setting needed — it's built in, most people just don't know it exists.

System Settings → Desktop & Dock → scroll down → Hot Corners

Recommended setup: Bottom-left = Desktop (quick peek at files), Bottom-right = Lock Screen, Top-right = Mission Control. Hot Corners are faster than any keyboard shortcut because your cursor is always near a corner.

System Settings → Desktop & Dock → Automatically hide and show the Dock → ON

On a 13-inch screen, the Dock eats valuable vertical space. Auto-hide it, and move your cursor to the bottom edge when you need it. Also: reduce the Dock size and turn off "Show suggested and recent apps."

System Settings → Control Center → Battery → Show Percentage → ON

Open Finder → Menu bar → Finder → Settings → General → New Finder windows show → choose your preferred folder (Downloads or Home)

Also: in Finder Settings → Advanced, check "Show all filename extensions." This prevents confusion about file types.

Press Cmd + Shift + 5 → Options → Save to → choose a folder (create a "Screenshots" folder first)

By default, macOS dumps every screenshot on your Desktop. Create a dedicated Screenshots folder in Documents or Downloads, and point screenshots there. Your Desktop stays clean.

System Settings → Privacy & Security → FileVault → Turn On

FileVault encrypts your entire disk. If your MacBook is stolen, your data is unreadable without your password. On Apple Silicon Macs, encryption is hardware-accelerated — you won't notice any performance difference. There's no reason not to enable this.

System Settings → Trackpad → Point & Click → Tracking speed → drag to maximum (or near-maximum)

It feels too fast at first. Give it two days. You'll never go back. Faster tracking = less finger movement = less fatigue.

System Settings → Keyboard → Key repeat rate → Fast | Delay until repeat → Short

Especially useful when holding Backspace to delete text. Default repeat rate is painfully slow.

System Settings → Displays → Night Shift → Schedule → Sunset to Sunrise

System Settings → Apple Account → iCloud → Optimize Mac Storage → ON

Essential for 256GB models. Old files stay in iCloud and only download when you open them. Can save 50-100GB.

Download Rectangle from rectangleapp.com (free) → Install → Grant accessibility permissions

On Windows, you drag windows to screen edges to snap them. macOS doesn't do this well natively. Rectangle adds keyboard shortcuts: Ctrl+Option+Left = left half, Ctrl+Option+Right = right half, Ctrl+Option+Enter = fullscreen. Essential for productivity.

Press Cmd + Space → type anything → launch apps, find files, calculate, convert units

Spotlight is macOS's universal search. It's like Windows Search but actually fast and useful. For power users, Raycast (free, raycast.com) replaces Spotlight with clipboard history, snippets, window management, and hundreds of extensions.

3-finger swipe up on trackpad → Mission Control (see all open windows)

Also: 3-finger swipe left/right = switch between desktops. Create multiple desktops in Mission Control for different tasks (one for work, one for personal). 4-finger pinch = Launchpad (app grid like iPhone).

Open Finder → Menu bar → View → Show Path Bar | View → Show Status Bar

Path Bar shows the full folder path at the bottom of Finder. Status Bar shows item count and available disk space. Both are off by default and both should be on.