Unlocking Hidden Features: 5 Little-Known Tricks in macOS Terminal

What’s the Tip?

MacOS is renowned for its user-friendly interface, but beneath the surface lies a powerful command-line tool called Terminal. Terminal allows you to interact directly with the Unix-based core of macOS, offering capabilities far beyond what the graphical interface provides. While many users are familiar with basic commands, there are several hidden features and tricks that even seasoned Mac users might not know. In this blog post, we’ll explore some of these lesser-known Terminal tricks that can enhance your macOS experience.

Trick 1: Create a New Text File Quickly

Instead of using TextEdit or another text editor to create a new file, you can do it directly from Terminal:

touch ~/Desktop/NewFile.txt

This command creates a new, empty text file on your desktop instantly.

Trick 2: Show Hidden Files in Finder

By default, macOS hides certain system files to prevent accidental modifications. You can toggle the visibility of these hidden files using Terminal:

defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles YES
killall Finder

To hide the files again, change YES to NO.

Trick 3: Speed Up Dock Animation

If you find the Dock animation too slow when minimizing windows, you can speed it up using this command:

defaults write com.apple.dock minimize-to-application -bool true
killall Dock

To revert back to the original setting, replace true with false.

Trick 4: Use the Say Command

This fun and useful command makes your Mac speak any text you type. It’s great for announcements or just for fun:

say "Hello, welcome to my blog!"

You can even save the spoken words as an audio file:

say -o ~/Desktop/Hello.aiff "Hello, welcome to my blog!"

Trick 5: Prevent Mac from Sleeping

If you need your Mac to stay awake for an extended period, use the caffeinate command. This is particularly useful for long downloads or processes:

caffeinate -u -t 3600

This command prevents your Mac from sleeping for one hour (3600 seconds).

Trick 6: Copy the File Path from Finder

Instead of manually typing the file path in Terminal, you can drag a file or folder from Finder directly into the Terminal window. This action automatically inserts the file path, saving you time and reducing the risk of errors.

Conclusion

The macOS Terminal is a powerful tool that offers many hidden features and tricks to enhance your productivity and customize your user experience. By mastering these little-known commands, you can unlock new capabilities and make your Mac work even better for you.