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These combos help you get more done on your Mac with less effort

Keyboard shortcuts give you a significant productivity boost with minimal effort, so they’re worth the time to master whether you’re on macOS or Windows.

I grew up using mostly Windows machines so it took me some time to master keyboard shortcuts on the Mac, but now that I have there are definitely a handful that I use more often than the rest.

With that in mind, I wanted to quickly run down the most useful keyboard shortcuts I think ever Mac owner should use. Even thebest MacBookon the market is limited by how effectively you can use it, and these tips will help you be faster and more productive no matter which Mac you’re using.

After writing ourmacOS Sequoia reviewI’ve also come to really appreciate some of the new window tiling features Apple released in that upgrade, so I’ll share some useful shortcuts for that as well.

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Fn + Control + [arrow key]

This shortcut lets you quickly move the active window to the left, right, top or bottom half of the screen.

I really like to use window tiling in macOS to arrange multiple windows side-by-side so I can do things like keep tabs on work chat while I’m writing a story in another window.

It’s pretty easy to do this in macOS Sequoia or later, as you can just hit theFunction + Control + arrow keyto instantly move the active window into the half of the screen that matches whatever arrow key you hit. So hitting up moves your window in the top half of the screen, hitting left moves it into the left half of the screen, and so on.

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Fn + Control + Shift + [arrow key]

Adding Shift to the mix lets you move the second active window to the other half of the screen automatically.

Once you get the hang of moving your active window around the screen with a single key combo, it’s time to get used to moving multiple windows at once.

I really like to use theFunction + Control + Shift + Arrow keyversion because it’s a more powerful implementation of the same key combo that lets you move two windows at once instead of just one.

So when you use this key combo, the active window moves to whichever quadrant of the screen you indicate with the arrow key (up moves it into the top half, right moves it into the right half, etc) and then the second window on your Mac moves into the opposite section of the screen.

This allows you to quickly re-orient your windows with a single keypress so that, say, whatever you’re focusing on is on the righthand side of the screen while the second window on your desktop (say, your video conferencing window) automatically relocates to the opposite side of the screen.

It takes some time to master, but once you get the hang of using this keyboard combo I find it’s one of the most useful in my repertoire.

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Command + Tab: Flip between open apps

I use this shortcut all the time because it’s a huge time-saver, especially if you (like me) have a bad habit of keeping 3-6 apps open at once. To switch between open apps on your MacBook, simply pressCommand + Tabto open the switching window and then (while continuing to holdCommand) tapTabto move the cursor between open apps.

Release the keys when you’ve selected the app you want, and it should immediately pop into the foreground of your desktop. If you’re trying to switch to an app that’s minimized to the Dock, it will stay minimized unless you alsopress Optionas you are releasing theTabkey to select the app. If you do it right (it can be finicky) the app should pop off the Dock and open itself before you.

Command + Space: Spotlight Search

I think Spotlight Search might be my most-used macOS keyboard shortcut because it helps me launch apps as fast as possible, without having to hunt around for an icon to click. To use it simply pressCommand + Spaceto bring up Spotlight Search, then type whatever you’re looking for.

Spotlight Search is a great time-saver because it lets you quickly search for apps, documents, emails and more with just a few keystrokes. Once you’ve found the app or file you’re looking for, you just hit one more key (Enter) and it will open right from the Search menu, saving you precious time.

Command + Z/Shift + Command + Z: Undo/Redo

I know this one seems so simple it shouldn’t merit mention, but it’s also so useful that it has to be included. I’m talking of course about Undo and Redo, which work both in macOS and in many of the apps you’ll be using on your Mac.

To undo the last thing you did, just hitCommand + Z.If you change your mind and want to redo the thing you just undid, it’s easy enough — just hitShift + Command + Z.

If you’re lucky, the app you’re using these in will allow you to undo and redo multiple steps backwards or forwards, which can be really useful when you’re editing long documents or doing intensive photo/video work.

Shift + Command + 3-5: Capture screenshots

In the Screenshot app (which I’ve put on the Dock here, but you can also open any time by hitting Shift + Command + 5) you can choose whether you want a screenshot or video recording, tweak the settings and more.

I use this combo all the time, but then I write about screenshots for a living. Even if you don’t need to use it quite as often, being able to capture screenshots of your whole desktop or specific parts of it can be a huge time-saver when you’re trying to show someone what’s happening on your Mac or how to find something.

There are a few key useful keyboard shortcuts for capturing screenshots on Macs. The most important one to know isShift + Command + 3because it will instantly capture a screenshot of your entire Mac desktop, which will then appear on your desktop ready to be used. If you’d rather capture just a portion of the desktop, you can do that by pressingShift + Command + 4and then clicking and dragging a selection box around the area you want to screenshot.

If you want even more granular control over what you screenshot, pressShift + Command + 5to bring up the Screenshot app. From here you can choose to capture a screenshot or video of the whole screen, just a portion of the screen, or a selected app/window. You can also access the Options menu to change details like whether you want a timer on your screenshots, where screenshots are saved and more.

In fact, I use the Screenshot app so often that I just dragged it to my Dock for easy access. If you find yourself using it all the time, I recommend you try the same!

Command + W: Close active window

Master this shortcut and you’ll quickly become an app murderer, obliterating windows that are no longer useful as you burn through your task list. Rather than reaching down to grab your mouse or use the trackpad to click the big red “close app” button, simply pressCommand + Wto close whatever app or window is currently active.

Option + Command + Esc: Force a program to close

Ever have a program that just won’t play nice, and you have to close it? There’s a key combo for that.

If you want to force a program to close you can do so pretty simply by pressingOption + Command + Esc, selecting the app from the list of running programs and hitting theForce Quitbutton (though sometimes it saysRelaunchif the app is something key, like Finder).

This is effectively the macOS equivalent to Alt + F4 onWindows 11, and it’s a good way to shut down a troublesome program that you can’t close by other means.

Ctrl + Command + Q: Lock your Mac

If you’re concerned about coworkers and family members messing around with your machine when you get up to use the bathroom, no worries. You can instantly lock your Mac by hittingCtrl + Command + Q,which is a bit faster and easier than finding and clicking on the appropriate option in the File menu.

This is a good habit to get into if you work in a public area where someone (say, a child or a childish coworker) might be tempted to mess around with your machine while you’re not around.

Even more Mac keyboard shortcuts

Keyboard shortcut	Function
Command + T	Open a new tab in Safari, Chrome etc
Shift + Command + T	Re-open a closed tab in Safari, Chrome etc
Option + Shift + Volume Up/Down	Increase/decrease volume in smaller steps
Option + Command + Power button	Put your Mac to sleep
Control + Command + Media Eject	Quit all apps, then restart your Mac
Shift + Command + D	Open the desktop folder
Option + Command + D	Show or hide the Dock
Command + C	Copy the selected item to the Clipboard
Command + V	Paste the contents of the Clipboard into current document/app
Control + A	Move to beginning of the line or paragraph
Control + E	Move to end of a line or paragraph

These shortcuts are so handy I use them almost daily while on a Mac, and there are lots more to learn. I’ve gone ahead and compiled a brief list of 11 more macOS keyboard shortcuts that are also worth mastering once you’ve got these down. To see the full list, head on over toApple’s Mac keyboard shortcut page.

And if you’re also trying to get more done on a Windows machine, don’t miss our guide to the11 Windows 11 shortcutsworth knowing!

The Pixel 9a camera is good, but not as good as I’d hoped

TheGoogle Pixel 9ais thebest cheap phoneyou can buy right now, and comes packing an impressive camera. That’s not a huge surprise; theGoogle Pixel 8awas much the same, andGoogle’s mid-range phones often produce excellent photos for their price. The question isn’t whether the Pixel 9a’s camera is good, but rather how much better is it than its predecessor?

ThePixel 9a has a stylish new design, enhanced AI features from the Tensor G4 chipset and even faster charging. But, strangely, Google has actually downgraded the main camera this year. Rather than offering a 64MP sensor like the Pixel 8a, the Pixel 9a has a resolution of 48MP.

While there’s more to photography than extra megapixels, it’s going to be interesting to see how much of an impact this has. So to find out what’s what, we put the Pixel 8a and Pixel 9a through an extensive photo shootout covering 10 different categories.Here’s my verdict on which phone has the better camera.

Daytime

The Pixel 9a may not have as high a resolution as the Pixel 8a, but it still manages to take consistently better photos. I should caveat this by saying that the final products from each device don’t look all that different, but the Pixel 9a manages to come out on top.

While the subject in shot tends to look pretty similar, the Pixel 9a does a much better job of capturing everything around it. That means the background is clearer and much crisper, especially if there’s grass involved. The coloring was also a little bit more true to life, which is always beneficial.

It’s worth noting that the Pixel 9a did a better job of capturing the individual dust particles on myLegosets much more clearly. So if my girlfriend asks, that’s why I haven’t cleaned them in the last… well, ever.

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Winner: Pixel 9a

Photo sequence：Pixel 9a Pixel 8a

Pixel 9a

Pixel 8a

Ultrawide

You know how people always complain that phone companies just release the same phone every year? If they were basing that assumption on the Pixel 9a’s ultrawide camera, they’d be right. Because these images are virtually identical — and the only difference seems to be a little deviation in contrast.

I’ve looked over a bunch of shots I took with the 13MP ultrawide camera, and the story is the same every single time. There is no other tangible difference between any of the comparison photos. The actual quality is so similar, that if there are any other key differences my eyes can’t make them out.

Winner: Tie

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Photo sequence：Pixel 9a Pixel 8a

Pixel 9a

Pixel 8a

Color Reproduction

I’ll be totally honest here, I can’t really tell the difference between the coloring from Pixel 9a and Pixel 8a either. Once again, the only way I can actually tell them apart is because of the aspect ratio. The Pixel 8a shot in 16:9, whereas the Pixel 8a shot in 4:3.

If I didn’t know any better, I’d assume that all these phones had been taken on the same phone and cropped to size. But they weren’t, and it means that you’re not going to notice any major improvements to color reproduction on the Pixel 9a. Not that the colors are bad, of course.

Winner: Tie

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Photo sequence：Pixel 9a Pixel 8a

Pixel 9a

Pixel 8a

Zoom

When it comes to zooming shots, things don’t work out quite so well in the Pixel 9a’s favor. In fact 2x magnification shots on the new phone don’t seem to be that much different from the Pixel 8a. In fact it’s quite difficult to tell the two apart.

The overall image is a little darker, and there is slightly more clarity in long-distance shots, but overall the picture is just not very good.

Pixel 8a:

Even when you push that magnification up to 8x, the maximum both phones allow, and the image quality isn’t any different. I struggled to differentiate the two phones; we’re mostly talking about variations in color, and not much else.

You’d think that the Pixel 8a would do better at long distance shots, on account of it having higher resolution. But this doesn’t seem to be the case. I suppose those are the perils of not having a telephoto lens.

Winner: Tie

Pixel 9a:

Panorama

When it comes to panorama shots, there isn’t really much debate to be had. The Pixel 9a may not take the most crystal-clear shots imaginable, but it’s immediately apparent that it’s doing a better job than the Pixel 8a. Not only are the colors more vivid, but the finer details of the phone are significantly better. Text on signs in the distance is one that particularly stands out to me.

It’s pretty similar to all the other shots. Outdoor panoramas taken on the Pixel 9a pick up a lot more detail than the Pixel 8a, which has a tendency to blur them all together. The colors are significantly more muted with last year’s model, and you can tell it struggles to pick out details in darker areas of the shot.

Winner: Pixel 9a

Photo sequence：Pixel 8a Pixel 9a

Pixel 8a

Pixel 9a

Macro

In this macro shot of a vine, I was able to get a lot closer with the Pixel 9a and pick up some of the fibers on the tip of the stem in a lot better detail than the Pixel 8a. That said, the Pixel 8a was able to capture a lot more of the vine itself, including a much sharper look at the spider-silk hanging from the leaf.

Checking some of my other photos and it’s clear that the Pixel 8a does do a great job of macro photography, despite not having a dedicated macro mode. However it seems as though the Pixel 9a is better at close-ups and capturing a sharper image of what’s in the foreground.

Winner: Pixel 9a

Photo sequence：Pixel 9a Pixel 8a 

Pixel 9a

Pixel 8a

Low Light

At first glance the night time shots of this church don’t look all that different from one another. There’s some extra detail in the clouds from the Pixel 9a, and a little bit more contrast in the coloring of the brickwork, but that’s about it.

Looking a little closer, the clarity just isn’t there on Pixel 9a, with the smaller details looking significantly blurred on both the church tower and the tree to the right. Sensing something wasn’t right, I went to check some of my other photos and it was a slightly different story.

I wouldn’t call the church shot a fluke, since the Pixel 9a does seem to struggle with picking up details on buildings in low light. But for the most part it does seem to offer a better picture when light is at a premium.

Winner: Pixel 9a

Photo sequence：Pixel 9a Pixel 8a 

Pixel 9a

Pixel 8a

Verdict

Overall it’s fair to say that the Pixel 9a does have a better camera, though it wasn’t the slam dunk a lot of people (myself included) had hoped it would be. So, while the Pixel 8a didn’t beat its successor in any single category, the fact that there were so many draws is rather telling.

Particularly since the front and ultrawide lenses seem to be producing the exact same photos on both devices.

This is not to say that the Pixel 9a has a bad set of cameras. It’s still able to produce some pretty consistently good photos, albeit with some inconsistent performance in low light conditions. That said, if you have or are interested in the Pixel 8a, then you won’t be missing out on much in the camera department.

PlayStation continues to raise its prices.

PlayStation Plus subscriptions are about to become even more expensive in one major region. Sony made waves mere days ago when it announced that it would be immediately hiking the price of the PS5 in Europe, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. While some PlayStation fans feared that Sony could look to also push out these same price increases for the PS5 in other regions, PS Plus is instead the next aspect of the PlayStation ecosystem that’s about to become more costly.As of this week, Sony began sending out emails to PlayStation Plus members in Canada informing them that prices for the service would increase later this year on June 24th. Costs of PS Plus are set to go up for each tier of the membership, with PS Plus Essential increasing to $110 from $95. PS Plus Extra will then go to $190 rather than its current $155 price, while PS Plus Premium will hit $225 instead of $190. It’s worth noting that these values are all tied to the annual versions of PS Plus, with the monthly and three-month tiers also increasing as well.

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• Essential 12-month subscription — $110 (previously $95)
• Extra 12-month subscription — $190 (previously $155)
• Premium 12-month subscription — $225 (previously $190)

For now, it’s not known what this price increase for PS Plus might mean in other regions. Sony notablyraised the costfor PlayStation Plus in 2023 across all territories, much to the dismay of PlayStation users. For it to now be doing this again in Canada doesn’t bode well, as it could mean this same strategy might soon be implemented in other countries.

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Perhaps the most disappointing part of PS Plus continuing to become more expensive in this manner is that Sony isn’t adding new features to the service to justify its higher cost. Instead, PS Plus primarily continues to give all users a slate of “free” games each month while also making subscriptions a requirement to play games online. Even if the operation costs at Sony to keep PS Plus up and running are becoming steeper, price increases like this one in Canada generally aren’t being well met by subscribers who already find the platform expensive to begin with.

Google Pixel 9a (left) and Apple iPhone 16e 

TheGoogle Pixel 9a’s arch rival, almost regardless of whether you are trying to decide which one to buy, is theApple iPhone 16e. Just like dogs chase cats, a new Pixel phone will go up against an iPhone in a camera test at some point, and over the past week or so, we’ve worked to answer the question of which phone takes better photos, the Pixel 9a or the iPhone 16e.

The camera specs

Google Pixel 9a (left) and Apple iPhone 16eThe two phones have very different camera systems. The Google Pixel 9a has a 48-megapixel main camera with an f/1.7 aperture and optical image stabilization (OIS), plus a 13MP wide-angle camera with an f/2.2 aperture and a 120-degree field of view. On the front is a 13MP selfie camera.On the back of the iPhone 16e is a single 48MP camera with an f/1.6 aperture and OIS, and there’s a 12MP selfie camera on the front. That’s it. There’s no wide-angle, macro, or depth sensor on the iPhone 16e, and neither have a telephoto camera. However, both have a shortcut to a 2x zoom in the camera app.

Google Pixel 9a (left) and Apple iPhone 16eThe presence of a wide-angle camera means the Pixel 9a will automatically win for some people, but when I spent time with the iPhone 16e, I realized I didn’t use a wide-angle camera all that often at all, and didn’t miss it. While we can’t compare the Pixel 9a’s wide-angle camera to anything the iPhone 16e offers, don’t automatically assume it’ll change the way you take photos if it is, or if it isn’t, there.>>>Replacement battery for Google Pixel Fold

Main camera

Before we get started with the photos, if it’s pixels you want, the iPhone 16e delivers. Photos taken with its main camera are 5712 x 4284 pixels in size, while the Pixel 9a’s photos are 4000 x 3000 by default. What this means to you is, the iPhone 16e’s photos will retain more detail if you crop them down, which is exactly what it does to get a decent 2x photo, while the Pixel 9a leaves the pixel count the same. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves here.

Since I started using the Pixel 9a, I’ve found the photos it takes need some editing to bring out more color and pop, and if you don’t bother, they can look a little flat and lifeless. This is illustrated very well when the Pixel 9a is compared to the iPhone 16e’s camera, which has considerably more life, warmth, and color without touching an editing app.

The photo of the tulips shows the iPhone’s brightness and vibrance, while the Pixel 9a tones the colors and pop down for a photo that some will call more natural, but others will find it a touch understated. You can see the difference in warmth even more in the next photo, evident in everything from the driveway to the brickwork on the building.

Focal lengths also seem to differ, with the Pixel 9a often focusing on objects deeper into the scene than the iPhone, but that’s not what makes the photo of the coffee and shortbread notable, but rather it’s the white balance. The iPhone 16e’s whites are sharper and less blue than the Pixel 9a, and the overall warmth of the image is visually more attractive.

Finally, lets bring all these aspects together in one photo. The iPhone 16e’s greater pixel count becomes clear when you look at the detail on the watch bezel and dial, as does the warmth of its photo and the controlled white balance and black levels. The Pixel 9a’s photo doesn’t leave the same visual impression. The iPhone 16e’s main camera wins the category.

Winner: Apple iPhone 16e

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2x zoom

Remember, neither camera has a dedicated telephoto camera or an optical zoom, and instead encourages you to take 2x zoom photos using a shortcut in each camera app. The iPhone 16e crops its main camera photos down to 4032 x 3024 pixels when you shoot 2x photos, while the Pixel 9a retains the same 4000 x 3000 pixel count as the main camera, and uses AI to enhance the final image.

The first 2x photo of the car shows two distinct differences between the two cameras. The first is a continuation of the iPhone 16e’s more accurate white balance, and the other is the often overly processed look of the iPhone 16e’s 2x shots compared to the Pixel 9a. Not that the Pixel 9a avoids such processing, with jagged lines and noise visible when you crop the image down.

The differences in color reproduction is apparent in the second photo of the daffodils. The iPhone’s picture has brighter, more vivid, and more close to real life colors than the Pixel 9a. However, the Pixel 9a’s photo avoids the heavier processing of the iPhone 16e’s photo, and packs in a considerable amount of detail considering it’s not an optical zoom shot.

The final photo shows why this category is so close. The Pixel 9a’s photo is sharper and it’s less immediately obvious it’s a digital zoom at work, but there’s noise in the sky and the lack of warmth and color hurts the way it looks at a glance. The iPhone 16e’s photo is less noisy and brighter, but lacks the surprising amount of detail the Pixel 9a’s photo contains. Both take decent digital zoom photos, but it’s a draw here, as there are problems on both sides that affect the final image.

Winner: Draw

Night mode

Shooting in low light produces some interesting results, because often the iPhone 16e took photos that equaled, but slightly differed to the Pixel 9a, and are often brighter too. Yet when you look closely, although aspects are good, the overall quality suffers as the software attempts to make up for the camera’s shortcomings.

The photo of the bird bath was taken in very low light and the Pixel 9a shows more natural colors, has more detail in the objects and background, and less blur too. The iPhone 16e’s photo isn’t bad, but it’s very clearly not working at its best.

In the second the iPhone 16e’s excellent white balance is back, but the Pixel 9a’s tones are far more natural and true to life. The car is white, but it didn’t look very white in almost darkness. Plus, I love how stable the shot is, resulting in sharp detail even though there was very little light to help the camera out. The iPhone 16e takes decent lowlight photos, but it can’t beat the Pixel 9a.

Winner: Google Pixel 9a

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The Pixel 9a wins, just

The Google Pixel 9a has won two categories, while the Apple iPhone 16e has only taken a single win, with both phones drawing in the 2x zoom category. This makes the Pixel 9a our narrow winner, but it’s hard to call it thebestwhen it lost the main camera section, which is arguably the most important. I use the main camera far more than I ever use the selfie camera, for example.

I’m not going to take the win away from the Pixel 9a, but do want to use the test as a way to highlight the problems I’ve seen with the main camera throughout my time with it. I have used Google Photos editing suite to “fix” the Pixel 9a’s photos quite a lot, and a lot more than usual too. If you’re set on the Pixel 9a you won’t regret buying it, but the iPhone 16e is a surprisingly capable camera phone too.

The Nintendo Switch 2 became official as a more capable console than its predecessor. It’s also more feature-packed, but while the gaming handheld was initially marketed to have VRR support when docked, the mention of that has now been removed from US and Canadian websites.

It’s unclear if the Nintendo Switch 2 will support VRR when docked (Image source: Nintendo)

Nintendo introduced the Switch 2 as a more capable gaming handheld than the first-gen device. At launch, the company also highlighted how feature-packed the new console is, with the initial promotional materials noting VRR support when docked and in the handheld mode.

However, the mention of VRR support when docked has now been removed from the official US and Canadian websites. TheBritish website, on the other hand, still has the original description, which is causing confusion among gamers. Without VRR support in docked mode, it would be quite difficult to get a smooth gaming experience while playing at 4K.

The good thing is that the original description of Switch 2 having support for VRR mode in handheld mode is still available on all official websites. This comes thanks to the gaming handheld having support forNvidia G-Syncand a native DisplayPort 1.4 connection.

Per speculations, Nintendo might have backtracked on VRR support when docked because of the conversion from DisplayPort to HDMI required for display output from the dock. But then again, the edits on the US and Canadian websites may be an error, given that the gaming handheld has support for G-Sync (G-Sync compatible LG C3 Series 65-inch TV curr.$1,196.99 on Amazon).

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In related news, Canadian retailers have seemingly confirmed that the Nintendo Switch 2 will be available to pre-order on April 23, 2025. It’s still unclear whether the same applies to the US, but some retailers did claiman earlier pre-order datethan initially expected.

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The British website still retains the original information (Image source: Nintendo)