How to Open apps using a variety of methods

1 Use Finder

A straightforward way to open an app is by using Finder. Click Finder’s icon in the Dock (it’s always there, on the left), then select Applications in the sidebar – if missing, go to Finder > Preferences > Sidebar – and double-click an app’s icon.

2 Apps in the Dock

The Dock provides access to apps you use often with a single click. To tell your Mac to keep an app there even after it is quit, click the app’s icon and pick Options > Keep in Dock. You can drag any app’s icon from Finder into the Dock.

3 Use Spotlight

Spotlight can be used to search for apps wherever they are on your Mac and open them. Press space] to reveal its search bar, then type an app’s name. Use the arrow keys to select the app in the results, and press to open it. 4 Launchpad

works like an iPhone’s Home screen. Click its icon in the Dock or use Spotlight to open its grid of icons, then click the one for the app you need. You can drag icons to rearrange them across multiple pages and in folders.

5 Make a service

Open Automator and create a new Service document. Change the ‘Service receives’ item to ‘no input’. Drag Launch Application from the library on the left to the right pane. Select your app from the pop-up menu, and press to save.

6 Assign a key combo

Name your Service, and copy that to the Clipboard as you’ll need it soon. Go to System Preferences > Keyboards > Shortcuts > App Shortcuts. Click +, paste your Service’s name, click the shortcut box, then press your desired key combo.

7 Use Siri

Click Siri’s icon in the Dock or the menu bar and choose to enable Ask Siri. Click either of those again or hold down

Space] to open Siri. Now try saying commands, such as “Launch Mail”. You can disable Siri from System Preferences.

8 Open from Terminal

Terminal gives you a lot of control over apps. To run an app, use the open command: open /Applications/Mail. for example. Add the -a option to it to open a file with a specific app: open -a Preview ~/Pictures/pumpkins.jpg.

9 Use aliases

To place a shortcut to an app on your desktop, browse to the Applications folder in Finder. Hold and drag the app from Finder to the desktop; the pointer will show an arrow to indicate an alias will be created when you let go.