Your district Mac runs macOS. Keep using Chrome and your district Google account for school websites and assignments.
Find familiar tools
On Windows |
On a Mac |
|---|---|
Start search |
Command + Space opens Spotlight search |
File Explorer |
Finder |
Taskbar |
Dock at the bottom of the screen |
Settings |
Apple menu > System Settings |
Snipping Tool |
Shift + Command + 5 |
Use the Finder sidebar to find folders and downloads. Image: Apple Support.
Learn the key differences
Use Command for common shortcuts: Command + C copies, Command + V pastes, and Command + Z undoes.
Option is the Mac name for Alt. Control is a separate key. With a Windows keyboard plugged into a Mac, the Windows-logo key usually acts as Command.
Return works like Enter. Delete works like Backspace; Fn + Delete deletes forward.
Click with two fingers on the trackpad for a right-click menu. Slide two fingers to scroll.
Understand the Mac window buttons
Find these buttons at the top left of most Mac windows. Image: Apple Support.
Red X: closes this window. The app may keep running.
Yellow minus: minimizes the window to the Dock. Click it in the Dock to bring it back.
Green: enters full screen in most apps. Hover over it for more window layouts.
To quit the app completely, click the app, then press Command + Q. In Chrome, a tab’s X closes only that tab.
Keep your school files and apps
Files already in district Google Drive are available after sign-in. Files saved only on the old Windows computer do not move automatically; upload what you need before returning it.
For approved apps, open Finder > Applications > Manager, then select My Apps. Students can install available apps. If an app is missing, students should ask their teacher; teachers can submit an app request.