Category Archives: macOS (OS X, MacOS X, MacOS, System)

software running on Apple Macintosh computers with various versions of the Macintosh Operating System :
System 1.0 – 7.5
MacOS 7.6 – 9.2
MacOS X 10.0 – 10.7
OS X 10.8 – 10.11
macOS 10.12 and newer

fixed : can I attach an edited online document (downloadable PDF) directly into an eMail ?

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Question :
I am witing an eMail to a service desk to get help on a product and I want to show them which part is broken in a drawing. I found an online document (a downloadable PDF) in which I can easily draw a circle arround the defective part. Do I just need to download the PDF onto my Mac, then draw the circle on it in Photoshop (or something) and then attach it to the eMail I am writing…

Or is there a faster way to do this ?


Answer :
The option you are describing is okay, but it can be done easier. So without having to save the PDF to your Mac first. To do so. do this :

– open Mail.app on your Mac and write the eMail
– then open Safari.app on your Mac and find the webpage with the online PDF that you would like to include in your eMail
– then in Safari.app, right/option-click on the document in your browser window and choose “Open with Preview” from the pop-up list and the PDF web page will be opened in Preview.app
– then, in Preview.app, click on the Markup-button (the icon of a circle with a tip of a pencil in it, in the menu bar of the picture preview window) to see the editing tools
– then, in Preview.app, draw the circle in the color you need onto the PDF
– when done, click on the Share-button (the icon of a square with an upward pointing arrow in it, in the menu bar of the [picture preview window)
– from the pull-down menu that appears, choose “Mail”
– now a new (nearly empty) eMail will open in Mail.app with just the (edited) PDF in it
– now click&hold on the PDF file and drag&drop it from the nearly-empty eMail into the eMail that you want to send out
– then, with the edited PDF attached, send out the eMail

That’s it !
enjoy πŸ˜‰

Note : if you want to double check that it is actually the edited version that you are about to send out, just click on the PDF file in the ready-to-send eMail and you will see that the edited version of the PDF is opened in Preview.app

fixed : easiest way to get a macOS screenshot into a Whatsapp message

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Question :
In the latest versions of macOS any screenshot I make is no longer immediately saved to the Desktop, but instead I get a popup screen with a preview asking me what to do with the screenshot… but there if I click on the Export button there is no option to export to the Whatsapp.app and it’s impossible to drag&drop the preview into the Whatsapp.app either…

What is te easiest way to get the screenshot into Whatsapp ?

Answer :
The easiest option would have been to just drag&srop the Screenshot preview… but as you already mentioned, that’s impossible.
There are 2 options to get to your desired result as quickly and easily as possible :

Option 1 : using Preview.app
– on your Mac, open the Whatsapp.app and start a new message, no need to typ anything in it yet, just make sure it’s ready
– on your Mac, create a screenshot by pressing the [CMD]+[SHIFT]+[4] key combo
– when the screenshot preview window opens, click the Export button (square with an upward pointing arrow – top right, next to the Done button)
– in the pulldown menu that appears, click Preview
– now the Preview.app opens the screenshot, so in Preview.app click the document name Untitled
– in the document info pulldown menu, set Where: to Desktop
NOTE : you need to (temporarily) save the screenshot anywhere on your Mac before macOS lets you move it to Whatsapp
– then, click on the document name Untitled again, and a document icon will appear left-next to Untitled
– drag that document icon into the Whatsapp.app and the screenshot will appear in your (already open) message
– now, typ any additional text for your message and send it out
– then close the screenshot from the Preview.app
– when you get a window asking you to save screenshot Untitled, click the Delete button since you proably don’t need to keep it
NOTE : no need to save the screenshot on your Mac if you don’t have any use for it – even if you need it later-on, you can get it back by taking it out of your Whatsapp message

Option 2 : the old style
– on your Mac, open the Whatsapp.app and start a new message, no need to typ anything in it yet, just make sure it’s ready
– on your Mac, create a screenshot by pressing the [CMD]+[SHIFT]+[4] key combo
– when the screenshot preview window opens, click the Done button (top right)
– now, drag&drop the screenshot from your Desktop into the Whatsapp.app and the screenshot will appear in your (already open) message
NOTE : if you have a lot of windows open, it will be faster to long-click on the Finder icon bottom-left in the Dock, select New Finder Window from the pulldown menu, click Recent in the menu on the left ot the new Finder window that opens and find your latest screenshot on top and drag&drop it into Whatsapp.app from there
– now, typ any additional text for your message and send it out
– then drag&drop the screenshot to the Trash (or Bin) to delete it (either from the Desktop or from the Recents folder if that’s where you took it from)
NOTE : no need to save the screenshot on your Mac if you don’t have any use for it – even if you need it later-on, you can get it back by taking it out of your Whatsapp message

That’s it !

enjoy πŸ˜‰

tip : which Apple devices will support …OS 26 ?

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Question :
At the 2025 WWDC Apple introduced beta versions of the Apple OSes that will be released this fall as …OS 26.

Which devices will support these new versions of Apple OSes ?

Answer :
The latest info of the system requirements of the …OS 26 is as follows :

macOS 26 Tahoe

  • MacBook Pro with Apple silicon (2020) M1 and newer
  • MacBook Pro 16″ (2019)
  • MacBook Pro 13″ (2020, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
  • MacBook Air with Apple silicon (2020) M1 and newer
  • iMac (2021) M1 and newer
  • iMac 27″ (2020)
  • Mac mini (2020) M1 and newer
  • Mac Studio (2022) M1 and newer
  • Mac Pro (2019) and newer

iOS 26

  • iPhone 11 (2019) and newer : including all Pro/mini/Max/Plus-versions and iPhone 16e
  • iPhone SE 2nd gen (2020) and newer

iPadOS 26

  • iPad Pro 13″ with Apple silicon (2024) M4
  • iPad Pro 12.9″ 3rd gen (2018) and newer
  • iPad Pro 11″ 1st gen (2019) and newer
  • iPad Air with Apple silicon (2022) M1 and newer
  • iPad Air 3rd gen (2019) and newer
  • iPad 8th gen (2020) and newer
  • iPad mini 5th gen (2019) and newer

watchOS 26

  • AppleWatch Series 6 (2020) and newer
  • AppleWatch SE 2nd gen (2022)
  • AppleWatch Ultra (2022) and newer

tvOS 26

  • without Liquid Glass interface support : AppleTV HD (2015)
  • without Liquid Glass interface support : AppleTV 4K 1st gen (2017)
  • including Liquid Glass : AppleTV 4K 2nd gen (2021) and newer

not upgradeable to Apple …OS 26 :

  • MacBooks stuck at macOS 15 Sequoia : MacBook Air 13″ (2020 with Intel Core), MacBook Pro 13″ (2019 with Two Thunderbolt 3 ports & any 2018), MacBook Pro 15″ (2019 & 2018)
  • Macs stuck at macOS 15 Sequoia : Mac mini (2018), iMac Pro (2017) & iMac (2019)
  • iPhones stuck at iOS 18 : iPhone XR (2018) & XS / XS Max (2018)
  • iPads stuck at iPadOS 18 : iPad 7th gen (2019)
  • AppleWatches stuck at watchOS 12 : AppleWatch SE 1st gen (2020)
  • AppleWatches stuck at watchOS 10 : AppleWatch Series 4 (2018) & Series 5 (2019)

fixed : screenshot of webpage that doesn’t fit on screen all at once

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Question :
I have found a website thatI want to take a screenshot of, but the info on the webpage is such a lot that I have to scroll to see it all, so I can’t take a regular screenshot of it…

Is there any way of taking a screenshot of the entire webpage ?

Answer :
Yes, there is.
To get a screenshot of all the content on one webpage that cannot be diplayed on your screen all at once, do this :
– open the Safari.app
– open the website that you want to take a screenshot of
– in the top menu bar, click ‘File’
– then, in the pulldown menu, click ‘Export as PDF’
– in the window that appears, select the location where you want the PDF to be saved
– now you will have a PDF with a screenshot of all the contanct on that webpage

That’s it !

enjoy πŸ˜‰

NOTE : when creating a PDF of a website, don’t use the regular way of going to the ‘Print’ option… because, that way you will get a PDF of the content info of the webpage being separated into parts and put oll over the PDF-page seamingly randomly…

fixed : no search bar in Apple Maps

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Question :
I really started to like Apple Maps and even prefer it to Google Maps on my macOS these days… but for some reason, Apple Maps is now completely un-useable… whenever I open the Apple Maps.app, I get a really nice aerial photo full screen, but there is no longer a search bar where I can typ the name of the place I’m searching…

What is going on ?


Answer :
This, again, is one of the examples where Apple outdid itself in complicating things by simplifying the looks of them… The solution is really simple, but it’s not where you would expect it to be, so it’s not where most people would look for it…

Do this to make the search field re-appera :
– open Apple Maps.app
– then press the [SHIFT]+[CMD]+[S] key combo …or :
– in the top menu bar, click on ‘View’
– in the pulldown menu that appears, click on ‘Show sidebar’
…and now the sidebar, including the search field, will appear on the left

Thsat’s it !

enjoy πŸ˜‰

fixed : simple way to play audio backwards

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Question :
Is there a simple way to play an audio clip backwards, so reverse the direction of the audio, on macOS ?

Answer :
Reversing the play-direction in QuickTime is very simple on macOS :
– open the audio clip in QuickTime
– slide the indicator to the end of the clip (in the time slider above the Play button) – or just play the audio clip forward once
– when the indicator is entirely at the right end of the slider, press the [CMD] + [LEFT] key combo on your keyboard
– now the sound will be played in reverse

That’s it !

enjoy πŸ˜‰

fixed : create a Custom Desktop Shortcut for your printer, scanner (or any application)

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Question :
I tried your solution to create an alias on my Desktop (or in the Dock) for my printer and my scanner using customised aliases, and it works great… however, it does no longer work since I now have 2 Macs using the same iCloud account… the iCloud Syncing messes up the aliases ; the linking does not work properly any longer, and the custom icons are being replaced by the official Image Capture icon and the official Print Center icon…

Isn’t there any way to fix this ?

Answer :
Yes, there is !
If you want to recreate the old, but beloved Desktop Printer and Desktop Scanner in current-day macOS, do this :

NOTE : this works for any application that you want ot use with a custom icon without runnig the risk of iCloud Syncing messing up the custom icon

– open a new Finder window
– open the Applications folder
– typ ‘automator’ in the search field (top right)
– open the Automator app
– when asked ‘Choose a type for your document:’, choose an ‘Application’
– then click the blue ‘Choose’ button
– in the window that opens, typ ‘open’ in the search field
– from the shortened list, choose ‘Lauch Application’ and drag&drop it onto the gray area on the right (where it says “Drag actions or files here to build your workflow.”)
– now the ‘Launch Application’ action will appear and ‘Contacts’ will be listed as the default app to be opened
– click on ‘Contacts’ and choose ‘Image Capture’ (if you want to create a Custom Desktop Shortcut for a scanner) or choose ‘Other…’ and in the window that opens the Applications folder, first find the Utilities folder and inside the Utilities folder choose ‘Print Centre’ (if you want to create a Custom Desktop Shortcut for a printer)
– then, in the top menu bar click on ‘File’
– and in the pulldown menu that opens, choose ‘Save’
– in the window that opens, at ‘Save As:’ typ the name of your scanner (or printer), leave ‘File Format:’ at Application and change ‘Where:’ to Desktop
– then click the blue ‘Save’ button
– then on your Desktop, right-click on the robot icon that has your scanner (or printer) name beneath it
– from the pulldown menu that appears, choose ‘Get Info’
– then, drag&drop your custom scanner icon (or printer icon) onto the tiny icon in the left top cornet of the Get Info window
– then click the red button (top left) to close the Get Info window
– you will now see your Desktop Scanner Shortcut (or Desktop Printer Shortcut) on your Desktop
– click on it to see if it works correctly
– if you want, you can drag&drop the Desktop Scanner/Printer Shortcuts to the (left/main) applications side of the Dock and once the icons appear in the Dock, you can move the originals to your Applications folder
– or… if you want to save some extra space in the Dock, you can create a new folder, name it ‘Print & Scan’ (or something alike), drag&drop the Desktop Scanner/Printer Shortcuts into it, drag&drop the folder in the (right) documents/folders side of the Dock, right-click on the folder in the Dock and in the popup menu set ‘View content as’ to ‘Fan’ and then move the ‘Print & Scan’ folder to your Documents folder

That’s it !

enjoy πŸ˜‰