macOS Sonoma 14
macOS Ventura 13
macOS Monterey 12
macOS Big Sur 11.0
macOS Catalina 10.15
macOS Mojave 10.14
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Table of Contents
macOS User Guide
- Welcome
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- What’s in the menu bar?
- Work on the desktop
- Search with Spotlight
- Quickly change settings
- Use Siri
- Get notifications
- Open apps from the Dock
- Organize your files in the Finder
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- Connect to the internet
- Browse the web
- Preview a file
- Take a screenshot
- Change your display’s brightness
- Adjust the volume
- Use trackpad and mouse gestures
- Use Touch ID
- Print documents
- Keyboard shortcuts
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- Apps on your Mac
- Open apps
- Work with app windows
- Use apps in full screen
- Use apps in Split View
- Use Stage Manager
- Get apps from the App Store
- Install and reinstall apps from the App Store
- Install and uninstall other apps
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- Create and work with documents
- Open documents
- Mark up files
- Combine files into a PDF
- Organize files on your desktop
- Organize files with folders
- Tag files and folders
- Back up files
- Restore files
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- Change System Settings
- Choose your desktop wallpaper
- Add and customize widgets
- Use a screen saver
- Add a user or group
- Add your email and other accounts
- Automate tasks with Shortcuts
- Create Memoji
- Change your login picture
- Change the system language
- Make text and other items on the screen bigger
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- Set up a Focus to stay on task
- Set up Screen Time for yourself
- Use Dictation
- Send emails
- Send text messages
- Make a FaceTime video call
- Edit photos and videos
- Use Live Text to interact with text in a photo
- Start a Quick Note
- Get directions
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- Work across devices using Continuity
- Use iPhone as a webcam
- Use iPhone with Desk View
- Stream audio and video with AirPlay
- Use one keyboard and mouse to control Mac and iPad
- Hand off between devices
- Unlock your Mac with Apple Watch
- Make and receive phone calls on your Mac
- Sync music, books, and more between devices
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- Manage Apple ID settings
- Set your Apple ID picture
- What is iCloud?
- What is iCloud+?
- Store files in iCloud Drive
- Share and collaborate on files and folders
- Manage iCloud storage
- Use iCloud Photos
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- What is Family Sharing?
- Set up Family Sharing
- Set up Screen Time for a child
- Share purchases with your family
- Watch and listen together with SharePlay
- Share a Photo Library
- Collaborate on projects
- Find content shared with you
- Find your family and friends
- Play games with your friends
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- Play music
- Listen to podcasts
- Watch TV shows and movies
- Read and listen to books
- Read the news
- Track stocks and the market
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- Apple Music
- Apple TV+
- Apple Arcade
- Apple News+
- Podcast shows and channels
- Manage subscriptions in the App Store
- View Apple family subscriptions
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- Guard your privacy
- Use Mail Privacy Protection
- Control access to your camera
- Use Sign in with Apple for apps and websites
- Set up your Mac to be secure
- Keep your data safe
- Create a passkey
- Understand passwords
- Keep your Apple ID secure
- Find a missing device
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- Get started with accessibility features
- Vision
- Hearing
- Mobility
- Speech
- General
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- Connect an external display
- Use the built-in camera
- Connect a Bluetooth device
- Use AirPods with your Mac
- Optimize your Mac battery life
- Optimize storage space
- Burn CDs and DVDs
- Control accessories in your home
- Use Windows on your Mac
- Resources for your Mac
- Resources for your Apple devices
- Copyright
A firewall can protect your Mac from unwanted contact initiated by other computers when you’re connected to the internet or a network. However, your Mac can still allow access through the firewall for some services and apps. For example:
If you turn on a sharing service, such as file sharing, macOS opens a specific port for the service to communicate through.
An app or service on another system can request and be given access through the firewall, or it might have a trusted certificate and therefore be allowed access.
For greater control, you can select apps and services, and specify whether they can have access through the firewall.
Turn on firewall protection
On your Mac, choose Apple menu
in the sidebar, then click Firewall. (You may need to scroll down.)Turn on Firewall.
To specify additional security settings, click Options, turn settings on or off, then click OK. See Change Firewall settings.
Setfirewall access for services and apps
On your Mac, choose Apple menu
Click Options.
If the Options button is disabled, first turn on Firewall.
Click the Add button
under the list of applications and services, then select the apps or services you want to add. After an app or service is added, click its up and down arrows and choose whether to allow or block connections through the firewall.Blocking an app’s access through the firewall could interfere with or affect the performance of the app or other software that may depend on it.
Important: Certain apps that don’t appear in the list may have access through the firewall. These can include system apps, services, and processes, as well as digitally signed apps that are opened automatically by other apps. To block access for these programs, add them to the list.
When your Mac detects an attempt to connect to an app you haven’t added to the list and given access to, an alert message appears asking if you want to allow or deny the connection over the network or internet. Until you take action, the message remains, and any attempts to connect to the app are denied.
under the list of applications and services, then select the apps or services you want to add. After an app or service is added, click its up and down arrows 
and choose whether to allow or block connections through the firewall.See alsoShare the internet connection on Mac with other network usersChange proxy settings on Mac
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