Stupid Simple Mac Tip #85 – ⌘-F Me?! ⌘-F You 🤣
Sometimes a tip is so simple and stupid that we don’t think it needs to be shared; maybe it’s something second nature to us but new magic to others — a life hack not everyone knows.
Such is the case with Command-F.
Many users are aware that Command-F (as in “Find”) can locate phrases in MS Word and PDF documents but don’t realize that the search function is built into macOS and works almost anywhere you’re looking at text.
While recently sharing my screen on Zoom, a client was dazzled by how quickly I jumped through a long web page, targeting only the topic at hand. She wanted to know what app let me skip so much scrolling and skimming, and I was happy to tell her the ability was only two keys away: Command-F.
I use ⌘F constantly across platforms to save time and frustration, but 90% of users are unaware of its life-changing function. It’s time to update our typing classes to include these miraculous keyboard shortcuts!
Whatever program or browser you’re in, just type ⌘F, and a window should pop up on your screen: enter the word/phrase/string you seek, and the function will let you skip through occurrences (and highlight them if you wish).
For me, this trick is most handy to cut through the fluff of long articles, dodge ads on cluttered web pages, locate phrases in agreements, find names or numbers I know I saw somewhere, or for editing errors that evade spell-check (especially double-spaces or tricky names).
It’s ⌘Fantastic.
It’s ⌘Fabulous.
It’s your new BF⌘F!
This is one of our simpler tips, but potentially one of the most impactful; if you were among the 90% in the dark, prepare to be blown away. If you knew already, don’t assume everyone does – get out the word and pay this thing ⌘Forward.
