Workspace makeovers

1 Squeeze out more space

Many windows only extend behind the Dock if you drag them. To make full use of the desktop, set the Dock to hide –

≈- click the divider for this option. It will reveal itself when the pointer hits the edge where it lives. Do the same for the menu bar in System Prefs’ General pane.

2 Desktop a bit cramped?

Need a larger desktop? If your Mac has a Retina display, choose a higher ‘looks like’ resolution in System Prefs’ Displays pane. Window furniture shrinks; use an app’s zoom feature to keep your docs readable. Use EasyRes (free, Mac App Store) to do this from the menu bar.

3 Turn off toolbars

If you can memorise key combos or menu items’ locations, hiding toolbars can give more room to what you’re working on. Usually done in an app’s View menu, some apps don’t allow it – if you find the icons easy to tell apart, choose Customise Toolbar and hide text labels.

4 Quickly block intrusions

Your workspace is your space, even if those pesky notifications that pop up at the top right would have you believe otherwise. The quickest way to shut them out is to hold å and click Notification Centre’s icon (top right), so it becomes dimmed. This hides incoming items until the next day or you repeat the action.

5 Make System Prefs lean

Do you find it hard to pick out the pane you need in System Preferences? If you only regularly use a few of them, choose View > Customise and then clear the checkboxes next to panes you use rarely. Those panes remain accessible in the View menu, or by clicking and holding the button that shows a grid of dots.

6 Don’t lose the pointer

It’s easy to lose track of the pointer against a busy desktop. Remedy this in System Prefs > Accessibility > Display: turn on ‘Shake mouse pointer to locate’. Shake the pointer and it will grow in size temporarily. If you use this a lot, consider dragging the ‘Cursor size’ slider right to make the pointer larger all the time.