MacRumors attracts a broad audience of both consumers and professionals interested in the latest technologies and products. We also boast an active community focused on purchasing decisions and technical aspects of the iPhone, iPod, iPad, and Mac platforms. Command-spacebar for Spotlight. Apple's spotlight is one of the coolest features on Macbooks because, from it, users can make calculations, launch apps, search for files or directories, run scripts, etc. In fact, it's possible for a complete newcomer to macOS to find anything s/he wants by simply invoking the spotlight.
- What Is Spotlight
- How To Use Spotlight
- Mac Spotlight Not Opening
- Mac Keyboard Shortcut Spotlight Search
- Apple Spotlight
I am a software engineer and I perform a lot of calculations all the time. Obviously, the time to launch the Calculator on my MacBook is important and I want to save as much as possible. I could add the app to the Dock, but I do not want to clutter it with something so small. Today I want to share some productivity tips when it comes to making calculations.
The fastest keyboard shortcut to run Calculator is Command + Spacebar. This will open the Spotlight Search window in which users can enter mathematical operations and quickly get the results. The search results also show the Calculator app as a top hit.
The Spotlight Search is a universal app that is used to start applications and find files. But, besides searching, it can also perform a number of different operations.
Various ways of calculating with Spotlight
Basic mathematical operations
Examples:
- Simple addition: 34 + 56
- Multiplication: 10*34
- Multiplication with x: 10×34
- Complex operations with parentheses: (2 * (2 + 3)) / 86.5 * 12.76
- Power function: e^2
- Logarithms: ln(10)
Conversions between different units
Examples:
- Convert feet to centimeters: 5 feet in cm
- Convert pounds to kilos: 86 lb in kg
- Fahrenheit to Celsius conversion: 100 f in c
- Currency conversion: 100 USD to GBP
- Time conversion: 12 h in sec
Trigonometric functions
Examples: Uninstall toast mac.
- Sine: sin(30)
- Cosine: cos(30)
Square root
Example: sqrt(144)
Factorial
https://ftdt.over-blog.com/2020/12/word-count-popup-2-30.html. Example: 5!
Various Ways Launching Calculator
You can get to the Calculator with one of the following methods:
- From Spotlight Search
- From Launchpad. Click on Launchpad icon in the Dock, search for Calculator and click on it to start.
- From the Finder app. Click on the Finder app in the Dock. In the Sidebar click on Applications, find Calculator and double click.
Keyboard shortcut for Calculator
You can also add custom shortcut just for Calculator (or any other application on Mac).
Steps to create a keyboard shortcut for Calculator:
- Start Automator app from Spotlight Search
- Choose Quick Action as a document
- In the new window Select no input and any application in the first row (Workflow receives)
- In the leftmost pane select Utilities
- In the middle pane select Launch Application and drag it to the right pane
- Select Calculator.app from the dropdown
- Save quick action as 'Run Calculator'
- Open System Preferences
- Click on Keyboard icon
- Click on Shortcuts tab
- Select Services
- Find 'Run Calculator' and select the shortcut, e.g. Option (Alt), Command and slash.
- Close System Preferences and test the keyboard shortcut
I actually wanted to use another keyboard shortcut for my Calculator, but for some reason, the key combination I chose didn't work, so I stopped on Option-Command-/. If this shortcut does not work on your Mac, try another one.
Adding Calculator to Notification Center
Some people love using Notification Center. Normally, you can add a bunch of simple applications (widgets) which you need constantly during the day. If you didn't know you can activate the Notification Center by clicking on the icon that looks like a hamburger menu in the top right corner of the screen.
Adding Calculator widget is very easy:
- Open the Notification Center
- Click the Edit button at the bottom
- Click on the green plus icon next to the Calculator
- Click Done
How to clear Calculator
To clear the Calculator hold the Function button (fn) and hit the Escape button (esc).
Now, some users reported the problem with Calculator after adding it to the Notification Center: it gets stuck on some random number and does not get reset. Apparently, the problem is with the plug-in in the notification framework.
One way to reset the Calculator is to delete a specific file on Mac. Start Finder and click on the Go menu and then Go to Folder. Then type in '~/Library/Containers' folder and drill down to 'com.apple.ncplugin.calculator', then 'Data', 'Library' and finally 'Preferences'. In the Preferences folder find and delete file 'com.apple.ncplugin.calculator.plist'. Reboot Mac.
Put Calculator on the Desktop
Some people prefer to have their apps on the Desktop. It is very easy to have an application on the Desktop in macOS.
To put a calculator on Mac Desktop do the following:
- Start Finder
- Open Applications folder in the Finder
- Right click on Calculator
- In the pop-up menu select Make Alias Option
- Drag the Calculator alias from Applications to the Desktop
Other Calculator Tips
Switching between Calculator types
The calculator on Mac has three views: Basic, Scientific, and Programmer. My favorite is the Programmer one, I use it every time I need to convert between binary, decimal and hex. You can switch between views with the menu, but it is much faster to do with shortcuts.
Use the following shortcuts to switch between Calculator views:
- Command + 1: Basic
- Command + 2: Scientific
- Command + 3: Programmer
Troubleshooting tips
If you've been adding a long list of numbers, e.g. travel expenses, and you are not sure that the total is correct you can use Tape in the Calculator to review the numbers you entered.
To clear the Calculator hold the Function button (fn) and hit the Escape button (esc).
Now, some users reported the problem with Calculator after adding it to the Notification Center: it gets stuck on some random number and does not get reset. Apparently, the problem is with the plug-in in the notification framework.
One way to reset the Calculator is to delete a specific file on Mac. Start Finder and click on the Go menu and then Go to Folder. Then type in '~/Library/Containers' folder and drill down to 'com.apple.ncplugin.calculator', then 'Data', 'Library' and finally 'Preferences'. In the Preferences folder find and delete file 'com.apple.ncplugin.calculator.plist'. Reboot Mac.
Put Calculator on the Desktop
Some people prefer to have their apps on the Desktop. It is very easy to have an application on the Desktop in macOS.
To put a calculator on Mac Desktop do the following:
- Start Finder
- Open Applications folder in the Finder
- Right click on Calculator
- In the pop-up menu select Make Alias Option
- Drag the Calculator alias from Applications to the Desktop
Other Calculator Tips
Switching between Calculator types
The calculator on Mac has three views: Basic, Scientific, and Programmer. My favorite is the Programmer one, I use it every time I need to convert between binary, decimal and hex. You can switch between views with the menu, but it is much faster to do with shortcuts.
Use the following shortcuts to switch between Calculator views:
- Command + 1: Basic
- Command + 2: Scientific
- Command + 3: Programmer
Troubleshooting tips
If you've been adding a long list of numbers, e.g. travel expenses, and you are not sure that the total is correct you can use Tape in the Calculator to review the numbers you entered.
To see the current list of operations click Window menu and then Show Paper Tape or use Command-T shortcut.
But frankly, if you need to add multiple numbers Spotlight Search is a much better tool.
Conversions
Remember those conversions I performed with Spotlight Search. You can do the same and even more with Calculator. In fact, I believe the Spotlight was using Calculator to perform those behind the hood.
To perform the conversion in the Calculator select Convert menu and in the dropdown list the ones you need: Area, Currency, Energy or Work, Length, Power, Pressure, Speed, Temperature, Time, Volume, Weights, and Masses.
Always on Top
The most annoying thing about working with two apps at the same time is when one app gets hidden when you switch to another one. I wish that Calculator had Always On Top option especially when I am calculating my travel expenses. Unfortunately, this is not a case.
So I keep hitting Command-Tab to switch between apps or have to align them so they do not block each other. Sketch mac price.
Not long ago there was a program that turns most apps to floating apps: Afloat. You can still download it from archives, but I am not sure its compatibility with newer macOS versions.
That's all I have. If you have any other tips on the topic please send me an email at al@macmyths.com
Default search function on Mac called Spotlight - how to use?
What Is Spotlight
Experienced computer users are aware that search engines work more efficiently when used correctly. Functions that fulfil your requests when expressed in one or two words are very useful. Windows operating system users are familiar with the 'Run' function, and Apple also offers even more features within Spotlight. Comparing the two, the Windows tool opens programs and documents when the path is known, whilst Spotlight does not even require the destination or an accurate name. The Mac feature is essentially a built-in search engine, a text-based Siri alternative, that responds to any query entered and searches for all associated results.
For example, you can start typing the name of your application, without having to finish typing the whole name - Spotlight detects the application and displays information about it to launch that particular app. All you have to do is hit Return. You can also use it as a quick calculator. Furthermore, this search engine contains not only local capabilities, but also offers extensive Internet content. Therefore, you do not need to launch a web browser to check the weather or other basic information. Below, we describe the functions and shortcuts of Spotlight to create a clear view of its functionality.
Table of Contents:
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Spotlight keyboard shortcuts
To start, if you seek to improve your skills whilst working with Mac and Spotlight, shortcuts are one of the main features you should become familiar with.
Basic Spotlight shortcuts
- Command and Spacebar to open Spotlight menu
- Command, Option, and Space to use Spotlight through Finder
- Escape to clear Spotlight search box
- Escape twice - close the Spotlight menu
Usage and navigation keyboard shortcuts
- Return - open first item in the list
- Arrow Up and Arrow Down to navigate search results
- Command and Return - opens the location of first item in Finder
- Command and I - shows information of search item
- Hold Command and hover over search result - shows the path/location of search result
- Command and Arrow Up or Arrow Down to jump between categories in search results
- Command and L - jumps to the definition of search item
- Command and B - opens web browser with the search item entered in Spotlight search box
- Command and C/V - copy/paste functions, same as in Finder
Basic usage of Spotlight
How To Use Spotlight
Mac's built-in search engine can be accessed by two methods. In the list of shortcuts, you may have noticed that you can access Spotlight with the shortcut of Command and Spacebar. Alternatively, you can click the magnifying glass located in the menu bar at top right corner of the window. As mentioned before, however, using keyboard shortcuts allows you to work much faster.
Begin with instant launch of applications. Start typing the name of app - Spotlight will detect installed software and show it as the first item in the search list. Hit Return or double-click on the item and it will launch immediately. A useful feature is that you do not need to close or minimise any running applications or windows to reach the shortcut.
This way you can reach not only apps, but also panels from System Preferences without opening the particular folder. Files are reachable through Spotlight as well - just type the name of file. If there are image type files, you will see a thumbnail on the right while scrolling through the photos.
The biggest advantage of Spotlight search is that files are recognised not only by a name, but also by searching inside the doc type data for the phrase typed in the search. This function helps to locate documents when you cannot remember its name or where it was stored. Simply click on Show all in Finder or use the shortcut of Command and Return and you will see a highlighted result in Finder. Another useful function is a quick calculator - you simply type in the mathematical condition/formula and Spotlight will display the answer.
Search files by using Natural Language
Mac Spotlight Not Opening
Since Spotlight is a text-based Siri alternative, you can use natural language while searching. In other words, you can type in specific queries and achieve matching results. For example, type 'docs from March 2018' and you will see all text based files within your disk storage in that month. This works with various types of files, including apps, images, videos, etc.
Open file in Finder through Spotlight
We have mentioned the option to open files in Finder through Spotlight. The shortcut of Command and Return will open the highlighted item in the Finder, while the option at the very bottom of the list will open all matching items in the single Finder window. Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut of Command, Option and Space, which will apply the same function as 'Show All' in finder. https://bestmfile765.weebly.com/bartender-2-0-3-organize-your-menu-bar-apps.html.
Results shown in Finder can be filtered using filters by simply clicking the (+) button in the top right corner of the window. From here, you can select not only filter options, but also add additional queries. Another useful feature is the save option, which allows you to add this particular category into Finder's sidebar. Using this, you can reach the results even faster.
Access Internet content through Spotlight
As mentioned, Spotlight also works similarly to web browsers. The previous steps related to local capabilities, but we now describe some options related to the Internet. Firstly, Spotlight can check the weather in your chosen location. Just type 'Weather' to enable location services on the Mac - you will see a report about existing weather and forecasts for your area. If you want to check the weather in other locations, simply type a more specific query such as, for example 'weather in buffalo NY'.
Spotlight can find information relating to many other queries via the Internet. For example, sports scores. Type 'NHL scores' and you will see a current schedule and several scores from recent games. You can ask Spotlight to define anything by starting your search query with the word 'define' followed by any word to check a quick definition from the web. There are a number of other features hidden within Spotlight such as stock prices, currency conversion, online videos, and even results from Maps. For example, if you are looking for the location of a nearby business. Spotlight may seem a little more complicated than Siri in macOS, but it contains many similar features and can improve your computing skills. Furthermore, Apple adds new and more powerful functions with each release.
Adjust Spotlight results and order they're given
If you require more accurate Spotlight results, you can adjust content shown within this tool. To manage the results, open Mac's System Preferences and select Spotlight. In the Search results tab, you can enable or disable categories displayed. Under the Privacy tab, you can add exceptions for specific folders.
Mac Keyboard Shortcut Spotlight Search
In this way, you can protect various collections from other users of your computer, and also prevent items such as ebooks from cluttering up results. When you become familiar with Spotlight, you will probably notice that ebooks dominate most results (keywords are detected through content). Adding the entire folder where you store ebooks might solve this issue.
Apple Spotlight
Video Showing how to use Spotlight on Mac
