With its very special Touch Bar feature, the MacBook Pro with Touch Bar reestablished the user’s interaction with the device. With the MacBook with Touch Bar, work gets done faster, functionality improves, and user experience becomes more personalized. Here are 10 tips and tricks on how to get the best out of your MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, whether you are a first-time user or a die-hard MacBook lover!
What is a MacBook Pro with Touch Bar?
The MacBook Pro with Touch Bar is a high-end laptop made by Apple Inc. that debuted in 2016. It is the flagship of the MacBook Pro line, known for its lean design, high-end hardware, and special features designed specifically for creatives and power users. The Touch Bar is a slim, touch-sensitive OLED strip positioned just above the keyboard, effectively replacing the traditional function key row.
Essentially, it provides dynamic, context-sensitive controls that switch depending on the application being worked on. Safari can give access to tabs and bookmark items fast; Photos includes rich editing options to crop, filter, and modify effects. It helps boost user productivity by providing shortcuts and tools that dynamically fit to their work pattern. Other features in this model of MacBook Pro include Touch ID, a fingerprint sensor granting secure login and purchases verification.
A Retina screen features True Tone for vivid colors and sharp images, along with a big Force Touch trackpad for navigating precision. High-performance Intel processors, a large RAM configuration, and SSD drives drive the performance of the MacBook Pro with Touch Bar.
It features Thunderbolt 3 ports that support high-speed data transfers and multiple external display connections. The MacBook Pro had a lot of rave reviews for its amazing design and practicality, but it did receive ample scathing for being unable to provide physical function keys and point of connection limited offerings. Blended reviews did help it register a fair level of popularity among creative professionals dealing with video editing, graphic designing, and music production.
In 2021, Apple discontinued the Touch Bar in newer models of MacBook Pro, returning to traditional function keys, although it will remain a hallmark in the history of MacBook Pro.
Tip 1: Customize Touch bar
One of the most appealing features of the MacBook with Touch Bar is customization. You can customize the Touch Bar to show controls that are most relevant to you.
How to customize:
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Go to System Preferences.
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Click Keyboard.
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Click Customize Control Strip.
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Drag and drop the background to your Touch Bar.
The customization of your Touch Bar makes it easier to control its frequently used options like volume, brightness, and screenshot.
Tip 2: The Touch ID for Quick Access
The MacBook Pro with Touch Bar comes with Touch ID that allows you to unlock your Mac, safely buy something with Apple Pay, and quickly switch accounts.
How to set it up:
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Go to System Preferences.
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Click Touch ID.
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Select Add Fingerprint and follow the instructions.
Touch ID increases your security and gets rid of the hassle involved in doing authentication.
Tip 3: Get Familiar with the Controls of Each App
The MacBook Touch Bar adjusts itself based on the app you are currently using and offers special controls for every application.
Examples:
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In Safari, you can alternate between various tabs, search online, and manage bookmarks.
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In Photos, you can edit the photos, set brightness, and apply filters.
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In Final Cut Pro, you can scrub timelines and level audio. Understanding app-specific controls can turbocharge your productivity.
Tip 4: Screenshots Made Simple
Initialize the MacBook Pro with Touch Bar to take screenshots in a natural way, without needing to remember keyboard shortcuts.
How to do it:
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First, configure the Touch Bar to have the Screenshot button.
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Tap on the Screenshot button and choose from capturing the entire screen, a window, or a selection.
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Perfect for creators and designers who need quick screen grabs.
Tip 5: Instantly Control Brightness and Volume Levels
Brightness and volume adjustments were never easier with a quick rise of the Touch Bar.
Steps:
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Tap the Control Strip on the right side of the Touch Bar.
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Drag your finger left or right to increase or decrease brightness and volume.
This is a way faster deal and more precise than hitting the usual keyboard shortcuts.
Tip 6: Use Emojis in Chat Apps
Messaging with emojis is fun and easy on the MacBook with Touch Bar.
How to get to the emojis:
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Open a messenger such as Messages or Slack.
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Tap on the Emoji icon on the Touch Bar.
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Swipe through the emoji shortlist and tap once on the one of your choice. It is a bright loving touch to your talks.
Tip 7: Access Siri with Quite Ease Almost Instantly
Touch Bar MacBook Pro has a very special button: with one tap, you access Apple’s virtual assistant.
How to do it:
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Tap the Siri icon on the Touch Bar.
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Tell Siri to do something, to search something on the Web, or to set a reminder.
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Using Siri on your MacBook helps both productivity and saving time.
Tip 8: Control Music and Media Playback
Using the Touch Bar, you could manage your music and media playback very easily.
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To do this, open Apple Music, Spotify, or another media player.
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Then use the Playback Touch Bar controls to play, pause, skip tracks, or adjust volume.
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Musicians and video editors will totally adore this.
Tip 9: Use the QuickType Suggestions
When you type something in Notes, Pages, or Mail, the MacBook with Touch Bar gives QuickType suggestions.
How to do it:
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Start typing a word.
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Touch Bar suggests the next word that comes into your mind, or the composition it is making.
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Tap the suggested code to finish your sentence faster. Fast, correct gives typing speed and correction.
Tip 10: Function Keys Are Enabled
When You Need Them The MacBook Pro with Touch Bar does away with the traditional function keys but provides you access to them whenever needed.
Accessing function keys:
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Just press the Fn key (bottom left on the keyboard).
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The old-school F1-F12 function keys appear on the Touch Bar.
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It’s useful for developers and power users to access the shortcuts with function keys.
Conclusion:
The MacBook Pro with Touch Bar is an impressive tool, allowing for more productivity and creative values through the innovative Touch Bar. Make full use of your MacBook with Touch Bar by customizing the Touch Bar, mastering app-specific controls, and harnessing features like Touch ID and QuickType suggestions.
For both professional and casual operators, these tips and tricks provide a smarter, more efficient way of working. Time will soon present itself on how you want to raise the occasion of using your MacBook Pro with Touch Bar after what has been offered herein, which might help the reader a lot. Shall we all try it out?
FAQ’S
1. What is the MacBook Pro Touch Bar used for?
The Touch Bar is a touchscreen, dynamic strip that in turn replaces function keys. It offers customizable shortcuts and utilities for various apps, making it more productive and creative.
2. Can I customize the MacBook Pro Touch Bar?
Yes, you can customize the Touch Bar by adding shortcuts, brightness, and media controls. To customize it, go to **System Preferences > Keyboard > Customize Control Strip.
3. How do I capture a screenshot of the Touch Bar?
Press Shift + Command + 6 to capture a screenshot of the Touch Bar. The screenshot will be copied to your desktop or your screenshot location of choice.
4. Is the Touch Bar compatible with every app?
The Touch Bar is compatible with the majority of macOS apps such as Safari, Photos, and Final Cut Pro. A number of third-party apps such as Adobe Photoshop are also compatible with customized Touch Bar controls.
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