Did you recently get a Mac computer? Congratulations! You’re excited to get started using your shiny new laptop or desktop computer and want to get all your applications ready.
But if you’re new to Apple computers or the Mac specifically, you may not know how to set it up.
Keep reading to learn how to get to applications on a mac and set your new computer up for all your business and personal needs!
How to Get to Applications on a Mac From the Dock
Once you find an application, you simply double click on the icon to pull it up. The more difficult part for new Mac users is finding the applications you want. The first way to access your apps is from the Dock on your Mac.
The Dock is the long string of icons at the bottom of your screen, and you can launch an app by clicking it from the Dock. This Dock will also show whether or not an application is already running or needs your attention.
You can also receive app notifications from the Dock, like the number of unread emails you have or a calendar reminder. The Activity Monitor will also show your memory resource usage and the calendar should be displaying today’s date.
The Dock has certain applications by default that Apple has set up, which usually include Safari (Apple’s web browser), Contacts, Calendar, System Preferences, Finder, Mail and Photos.
If you’re looking to change the apps that appear in the Dock, you can drag an app from the Finder to the Dock to add it. Once the new icon is displaying in the Dock, you can click it and the application will launch. If you want to remove an app from the Dock, you can drag the icon from the Dock onto the Desktop and it will be removed from the Dock.
Using the Launchpad to Find Applications
The second way to access applications on your Mac is from the Launchpad. This is essentially a start menu and can be found by clicking the Launchpad icon in the Dock. The icon will typically be a rocketship.
When you click on the Launchpad, it will show you a display of larger icons that show all the applications currently installed on your Mac device. From here, you can click an icon to launch an application. You’re also able to drag the icons into folders or drag them into the trash can if you’re looking to delete an app.
Launch Applications From the Recent Items List
Another method of finding and launching your apps is from the Recent Items list. Think of the Recent Items list as the History list on your web browser. If you accidentally closed an app or you can’t remember the app you were viewing, you can use the Recent Items list to see what you launched recently.
You can do this by clicking the Apple icon in the top left corner of your display screen and look for the words Recent Items. If you hover over this, you’ll see the most recently used apps, documents and servers, and you can select an item you want to launch from here.
Find Apps in the Applications Folder
One of the most direct means of finding and launching an application on your Mac is from the Applications folder. If you aren’t sure where you find the Applications folder, you can open the Finder from the Dock. From here, you should see the Applications folder appearing.
This will store all of your applications and is usually listed in alphabetical order, so it’s a highly organized way to view all your apps. From this screen, simply click the app you want to view and it will launch.
Search for the App from the Spotlight
Lastly, you can find and launch an application by searching for it by name using Spotlight, which is a search system that is built into your Mac.
Your menu bar should be at the top of your display screen (it should begin with the small Apple icon), and Spotlight should appear here as a magnifying glass. After you click on the magnifying glass icon, you can simply type in the name or part of the name for the app to find it in your computer.
When you find the app you’ve been searching for, you can double click from the Spotlight search and you’ll be able to launch it on your screen.
Additional Tricks for Using Your New Mac
You’re probably going to use your Mac for many things, like creating documents, PDF files and other business uses. There are many tricks for a Mac to make things easier, for example, you can use the following website to learn how to merge two PDF files on a Mac: https://setapp.com/how-to/merge-pdf-on-mac.
Another trick you might not be aware of if you’re a new Apple user or new to having a Mac might be restoring your missing Applications folder. If you’re following all the steps and you can’t seem to find your Applications folder, you can recover it by clicking on the Finder icon.
From here, select Preferences and choose the Sidebar tab from there. You can then re-check the option to show your Applications folder in the Finder Sidebar, which will allow you to view the Applications folder again from the Dock.
Using Apps on Your Mac with Ease
By following any of the methods listed above, you should be able to find and launch an application on your Mac! Apple has made this easy by including many methods to access your apps and being able to customize the Dock that appears as a ribbon of icons on your screen.
Keep reading more of our blog posts to learn about recent technology and other ways to make your life easier!
