GET STARTED WITH TODAY VIEW

OPEN NOTIFICATION CENTRE

01 To access Notification Centre, click the icon on the far-right of the menu bar. It then slides across, above other on-screen content. As in iOS, you get a Today tab for time-sensitive info and widgets. If your screen can’t show it all, scroll up and down with a two-finger drag/swipe.

TURN OFF AUTOMATIC LOGIN

02 The first time you access Today view, you’ll see Apple’s default layout. The Weather app will ask for permission to use your location; click OK in the Weather widget. Click Edit (at the foot of the panel) to expand Notification Centre to see installed widgets (left) and those you can add (right).

SWITCH SOME WIDGETS

03 Widgets can be added/removed via drag and drop or using the +/– buttons. Try removing Stocks by clicking its – button; it’ll move to the right-hand pane. Add World Clock by clicking the + ; it’ll move to the left. Drag the drag-handles at the right of widget titles to reorder your installed widgets.

CUSTOMISE A WIDGET

04 Various widgets can be customised. Click Done to stop editing, then move your pointer over the World Clock widget, and click the ‘i’ to put the widget into edit mode. Click Add to create a new clock, then type and select a location for it. Drag the clocks to reorder them. Click Done when finished.

ACCESS WEATHER DETAILS

05 Some widgets, such as Weather, provide more info when interacted with. By default, you see current conditions, but click a location and an extended forecast is provided, showing the next few hours and also the coming days. Using the same process as in Step 4, you can add further locations.

DETECT THIRD-PARTY WIDGETS

06 The Today view in macOS Sierra is extensible, which means you can add third-party widgets installed via the Mac App Store. Also, some apps have an associated widget. When a new widget is detected by your Mac, the Edit button (at the foot of the Today view) will alert you to new items.

ADD THIRD-PARTY WIDGETS

07 You add third-party widgets in the same way as the built-in ones, and some may need configuring. Note that Today view is primarily designed for ‘at a glance’ information that’s important to you, so put what you consider most useful at the top. Resist the temptation to install too many.

INTERACT AND EXPERIMENT

08 Some third-party widgets may interact with their associated parent apps. For example, if you use the Countdowns widget to set reminders, you’ll need to click the Settings button next to Add to open the main app if you want to edit any of your countdown timers.