7 of the best hidden Mac features you need to know

© Provided by CNET   The Mac has plenty of hidden features, you just have to find them. Dan Ackerman/CNET

By Jason Cipriani, CNET

I struggle with feeling like I never truly use a device to its full capabilities, which is why I try to learn as much as I can about any gadget I use -- be it a Mac, an iPhone, an Android phone or a Wi-Fi light bulb. Part of the excitement when exploring a device or its software is finding hidden features. Whether for entertainment, or a way to speed up mundane and routine tasks -- hidden features are often the best features.

The Mac has plenty of buried treasures, like a full-on emoji keyboard and a simple process to rename a bunch of files with just a few clicks.

Here are seven hidden Mac features I can't live without, and soon, you'll hopefully feel the same way.

All the emojis

© Provided by CNET   There really is a hidden emoji picker on your Mac. Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET

Your Mac has its own emoji keyboard, just like the one on your phone. Getting to it, however, it's as easy as hitting a dedicated button on the keyboard. It's actually a series of buttons on the keyboard, and once you commit them to memory, you'll be sending emojis from your Mac with ease.

Whenever you're typing, press Control+Command+Space bar. A second later, the emoji picker will show up, complete with a search bar.

© Provided by CNET   Dark Mode on your Mac will save your eyes from unnecessary strain. Sarah Tew/CNET

Yep, there's a dark mode on your Mac

In fact, Apple added a dedicated dark mode to the Mac well before the iPhone and iPad received the same feature. Crazy, right? With Dark Mode turned on, all apps that support the feature will turn from light and bright colors to a nearly black color, making it easier on your eyes to look at the screen at night.

To use Dark Mode, open System Preferences and click General. At the top of the Settings pane you'll find three options: Light, Dark or Auto. The latter two will change to dark mode, with auto using the time of day to switch between light and dark.

© Provided by CNET   Dynamic Wallpapers are an easy way to change things up. Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET

An always-changing wallpaper

Instead of staring at the same, boring photo as your desktop background all day long, use one of the Dynamic Desktop images.

Open System Preferences and click on Desktop & Screen Saver. Make sure the Apple drop-down is selected, and then pick from one of three dynamic desktop pictures.

The wallpaper will change throughout the day, using your location as a reference for the time of day. For example, the island photo will follow the sunrise, afternoon sun, sunset and then night, slowly changing as you work.

It's a fun twist on the otherwise static desktop images.

© Provided by CNET   This is the best screenshot tool on the Mac. Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET

An easier way to take better screenshots

Taking a screenshot on the Mac can be done using a series of keyboard shortcuts, all of which start with Command-Shift and then a number. For example, CMD+Shift+3 takes a screenshot of your entire screen, and CMD+Shift+4 lets you drag a crosshair across the area you want to capture.

But my favorite combo is CMD+Shift+5. Press that on your Mac's keyboard and a small toolbar shows up at the bottom of your screen, giving you complete control over what is and isn't captured. You can even start or stop recording your Mac's screen, as well as choose where the screenshot will be saved.

Using this combo takes the guesswork out of which keyboard combo you need -- you only have to remember the one.

© Provided by CNET   Add a signature to a document with just a few clicks. Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET

Fill out and sign documents

Instead of using a third-party app to sign a document, use the Preview app on your Mac. The ability to add a signature has been in Preview as early as 2011, but it's not the most discoverable feature. After the initial setup (which is easy on its own) signing a document in preview takes just a couple of taps. Seriously, I use it all the time.

Open the document you want to sign in Preview, then click on the pen icon next to the search bar at the take of the window. Click on the signature box followed by Create Signature.

You can either sign a piece of paper and hold it up to your Mac's camera, use the trackpad to sign, or sign your name on your iPhone's screen.

After creating your signature, drag it into your document and save your work. Pretty cool, eh?

© Provided by CNET   Renaming multiple files has never been easier. Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET

Quickly rename multiple files

Ever have a group of files you need to rename, and hate spending the time to individually name them? Open the folder that has your files, and select all of them. The easiest way to do that is to click on the first file, hold down shift, and click on the last file.

Right-click on the highlighted files, and select Rename x Files. Fill in the information you want to use, using the drop-down menus to adjust the settings, and then click Rename when you're done.

© Provided by CNET   This is an iPad, with a Mac desktop on it thanks to Sidecar. Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET

Use your iPad as a second display

Last year, Apple introduced Sidecar, a feature that turns your iPad into a wireless second display for your Mac. Prior to Sidecar, you had to buy a third-party app or adapter in order to make it work.

You'll need to have MacOS Catalina installed on your Mac, and iPadOS 13 or newer installed on your iPad Pro in order to use it.

When you're ready to extend your Mac's screen, click on the AirPlay icon in the menu bar at the top of your screen and select connect to your iPad. Your iPad will then display an extended desktop of your Mac that you can drag apps to, or use it however you would any other display.

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