Are you an avid Mac user? Or perhaps you’ve just made the leap from Windows to Mac. If so you’ll probably be getting adjusted to your new computer and operating system and will no doubt want to get to grips with the basics.
Macs are often described as more intuitive than Windows computers so it should be easier to carry out tasks.
And the most basic step of all is how to save on Mac. But there is not just one way to save on Mac. There are multiple ways for Mac savings.
Here’s everything you need to know about saving on your Mac.
Is Your OS Up to Date?
The first thing you need to figure out is whether your operation system (OS) is up to date. With every upgrade comes a new set of features and a refresh. It’s always good to have the latest OS so that any tips and tricks articles you read make sense and all the buttons are in the right place.
Having the most up-to-date OS is also important for security reasons. You want to make sure your Mac isn’t susceptible to bugs or security lapses and so it’s good to keep it updated.
If you have just bought a new Mac, like the 16-inch MacBook Pro it will be preinstalled with the latest OS. If you have an older version you might need to check. The current OS is 10.15 and is known as Catalina which was released in 2019. You can check what version of Mac’s OS you have by clicking on the Apple logo in the left-hand corner of the menu bar and selecting ‘about this Mac’.
Saving Using the Menu Bar
Once you know you have the most up to date OS and you can rest easy knowing your machine is up-to-date, you can begin to figure out basic functions like Mac saving.
To save most files you should use the menu bar. Click ‘file’ and there should be an option to ‘save’. When you click that it will open a menu box. Select the location you would like to save your file and give your file a name before pressing save.
Saving Complex Files
If you are trying to save a webpage or want to know how to do something more complicated like how to download videos from Twitter there are more menu options.
To save a web page you need to press file and then select ‘save page as’. Remember this will store your web page as a file but you will need the internet to access it. If you want to view just one page such as a news article then be sure to use the screenshot functionality instead, using one of the shortcuts.
To ‘save’ videos from Twitter you will need to download them. You can do this using screen recording software or you can buy specialist software that allows you to download videos from the internet.
This way you can save them in your files and view them without needing an internet connection.
Saving By Clicking on the Title
Another way you can save documents such as pages documents is by simply clicking on the title. If you are working on a document it will automatically be described by a generic name such as ‘untitled 1’ or ‘unsaved document’.
By clicking on this title the menu box that is opened when you press save will open. Choose a location and write a name for the file in the box.
Organizing Your Saved Files
One of the most common things a lot of people struggle with when saving files is knowing how to organize their documents. It’s important to have a filing system that works for you.
Otherwise, your documents could end up lost with filenames that you can’t remember saved in random folders all over your computer. They could even start cluttering up your desktop and could make you feel overwhelmed if you are not careful.
Create a file system that works for you and that you understand with different areas of your life. You could create a system based on weeks or months of your life rather than topics.
Remember Mac also has a helpful color tagging system that enables you to tag different files and documents with colors.
Saving to iCloud
One way in which you can organize your documents is through iCloud. The latest version of Mac OS automatically saves all of your files to the iCloud, even those in the standard documents folder, to iCloud anyway which you can access from the web.
However, saving to the iCloud folder enables you to see documents automatically across all of your Apple devices. If you save a file you were working on your iPad, if you then want to work on it on your MacBook, it will appear automatically.
This can help with the organization since you don’t need to have different filing systems on your iPad, iPhone, and Mac, they can all operate from the same folder system.
How to Save on Mac? There are So Many Ways
How to save on Mac depends on what kind of document or file you are saving and where you want to save it.
If you are trying to ‘save’ a video from the internet or a webpage you might need to use special programs to first download these. If you are saving a document then you will have multiple options such as saving through the file option from the menu bar or by clicking on the name of the document itself.
If you are interested in reading more about how to save on Mac or how to save images on Mac then be sure to check out the rest of our site.