macOS has an extremely convenient feature that will make it easier to access your favorite sites. Not everyone knows, but links to web pages can be placed directly on the dock panel. You can create such shortcuts using Safari or any other third-party browser. Let's take a closer look at how to do this.
- We go to the website, the link to which must be placed in the Dock.
- Create a folder on your desktop with any name.
- Depending on the browser, it is necessary to “move” the site icon or address to our folder.
Why move it to a folder if you can place it directly in the dock panel?
Of course, you can do this, but in this case we will not be able to add an icon to our bookmark. It will be displayed like this: 
So, in our folder there should be a link to the web page: 
Go to the file properties: 
Now let's add a website icon to the file. To do this, you need to open the prepared image in the Preview program. Press the keyboard shortcut Command + C. Go to properties again and press Command + V. The result ultimately looks like this: 
All that remains is to move our bookmark to the dock panel. Everything is ready! 
Mac provides the ability to create folders through various applications. One of the simplest methods is to create through Finder. When saving or updating a saved version of a document or file (“Desktop” => “File” => “Save”), you can create a new folder. In the same “File” menu there will be a “New Folder” item, which you should click on. If active windows are open, then it will appear in one of them; if there are no similar windows, then you should look for it on the desktop. The “Empty folder” that appears should also be named. Immediately enter the required name and click on the “Return” button. Finder must be active at this moment.
Create for selected folder
A very nice feature for users allows you to create folders for specific files. How is this done? Select files (from one directory) and press the hotkey combination: “Control-Command-N”. In the active window in which the folder was called, the desired object called “New folder with elements” appears. Well, now you can rename it and move on. The method will only take a couple of seconds and does not require a lot of knowledge.
Folders are files that can be worked with in a very wide range. You can copy them, move them to another location, put a password on them and change the picture that displays them. However, most of these actions are very primitive or were discussed in another article. Therefore, we will consider only a few in detail.
Quick access
When working on a MacBook, the efficiency of processes often plays an important role. Sometimes, to find the necessary data, you need to sift through a huge pile of files and documents. Are there ways to speed up the search for what you need? There are three methods:
- Place the file on the desktop;
- Place the required file in the details menu;
- Creating a shortcut (alias).
The first method does not need explanation, just like the second. But let's look at the third one in more detail. An alias, or more simply a shortcut, is a link to the desired object. To create a shortcut, you must first select the change object by selecting it with one click, and select “Create Alias” from the “File” menu. A copy appears next to the original element, which repeats the name of the original, but with the addition of a “pseudo” insert. This name, of course, can be changed (see how to rename it below), and the label itself can be placed anywhere you like. By clicking on the nickname, you will automatically be shown the original version, everything is clear here.
Replacing the icon
Not all people need this option. Changing the icon is usually necessary for neat aesthetes, so to speak. If this topic is relevant to you, then we provide five different methods for consideration. They are all simple and very fast.
- The first method is to donate an icon for the desired folder. Select a document or program with a different icon from others. Click on the object once and hold down the keys: “Cmd ⌘ + I”. You can replace this combination by right-clicking and selecting “Properties” from the menu that opens. We perform the same actions with the folder that is waiting for the change. We have two windows in front of us, at the bottom of which icons are displayed on a large scale. Next, drag this large icon from the donor window into the “acceptor” window in place of the small (!) icon at the top.
- The second method is absolutely similar. We repeat the first method, calling the properties of the donor and the mutable object. Now we copy the icon that the third-party file provides us at the top of the window (small icon) and in the editable window, paste what we copied in the same place.
- The third method is even simpler than the previous ones. Open the “Properties” of the acceptor. Now we find a program with the icon we like anywhere on the MacBook and drag it to the top of the window of the modified object. In place of a small icon. The change will take place automatically.
- Another similar method: copy any file with a beautiful icon, call up the properties of the folder that needs to be changed and paste it into the area of the small icon. That's all it takes!
- Lastly, let's look at a method that allows you to use not a ready-made icon, but any picture. Everything is much simpler than it might seem. Open any photo or image using the “View” function and select the desired area. We copy it and call the properties of the object being changed. In the already familiar area of the small icon, insert a picture and it automatically replaces the original. Removing installed icons is also a simple process. Find the properties of the already changed folder and click on the small icon at the top. Press Backspace and the delete key. Pleasant Easter eggs from Apple often pleasantly surprise and delight.
Renaming
Renaming a folder is also very simple. As easy as creating or moving. The simplest method allows you to rename any object by clicking on it twice or clicking once and then pressing “Enter”. All other methods don’t even need to be considered, because the ones listed above are perfect for any user, both a green beginner and an experienced “user.”
If you'd like to quickly access individual folders stored on your Mac directly from your desktop, creating a file alias is a solution. In the Windows operating system, this is called a desktop shortcut.
A file alias is a folder that opens a specified folder or file. It can be moved to any directory on Mac; in this case, the original folder (file) will not change its location. This way, you can create a shortcut to your most frequently used folders on your desktop and launch from there without having to visit the directory where the required data is located.
If you want to create a shortcut on your Mac desktop, follow the instructions below.
How to create a shortcut on your desktopMac
Step 1: Launch Finder file manager.
Step 2: Find the folder (file) for which you want to create a shortcut on your desktop.
Step 3: Click on a document or folder and select Create Alias.
Step 4: Specify a name for the file alias or use the default one.
Step 5: Grab and drag the created file alias onto your desktop.
Now you can use the alias as a shortcut - by double-clicking on it, you will launch the folder (file) to which you have set access. If you need to delete a file alias, simply move it to the Trash. This action is performed only on the shortcut and does not delete the original files.
That's all you need to know to create shortcuts on your Mac desktop. If you encounter any problems, write to us in the comments.
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If you want to make custom icons for your files and folders, then this note is for you. New icons can be created from any images, such as photographs. Or you can take ready-made icons from any program installed on your system.
These instructions are the same for files and folders, and therefore I will give an example of changing the icon of a folder. So let's get started.
I have on Desktop there is a folder Articles, it has a standard icon for a regular folder. Let's say I want to change its default icon to a text editor icon TextEdit.
To do this, open the folder Programs, we find there TextEdit.app, key combination Cmd+I or open through the context menu Properties:
In the upper left corner there is an icon for this application (highlighted in red). Click on it, as a result of which the icon will be highlighted with a blue outline (this can also be seen in the picture). Now copy it to the clipboard using the keyboard shortcut Cmd+C.
Then on Desktop select a folder Articles, key combination Cmd+I or open it through the context menu Properties:
In the same way, select the standard folder icon by clicking and using the key combination Cmd+V paste in its place the one on the clipboard (from TextEdit.app).
The result should look like this:
Close the folder properties window and get a folder with a new icon. The picture shows the same folder before and after changing the icon:
Now let’s talk about how to create icons from arbitrary images, which I wrote about at the very beginning of the article.
The most convenient way to do this is in the standard application. View. Use it to open the desired image, for example, a photograph. Select the desired fragment of the image, and if you need the entire image, then use the keyboard shortcut Cmd+A. Copy the selection to the clipboard ( Cmd+C).
Then, in the file or folder properties, select the standard icon and paste ( Cmd+V) in its place is an image from the clipboard.
Now you may have files and folders with nice icons, something like:
P.S.
Returning the standard icon is very simple. In the properties of a file or folder, click on the icon and delete it with the key Delete. A standard icon will appear.
Shortcuts to apps, folders, or files make them easy and quick to access on your Mac. Instead of opening the drive and folder where the file was saved each time, you just need to click on the shortcut and the file will open. Shortcuts on a Mac work exactly the same as they do on Windows computers, and you can store them in the location that's most convenient for you.
The ability to create shortcuts has been a feature of the Mac for a long time, but users generally prefer other features like Spotlight, Launchpad, and the Dock. Below we will tell you how to create shortcuts that provide quick access to files, folders and programs.
A shortcut in macOS is called an “alias.”
How to Create a Shortcut to Any File, Folder, or App on Mac
To create a shortcut for an item selected in the Finder, do the following:
- In Finder, select the item you want to create a shortcut for.
- Select the “File” option in the menu bar and in the window that opens, click on “Create an alias.” The same action is available by clicking the right mouse button.
- The label will repeat the name of the object you selected with the word “Nickname”. Move it to any place convenient for you.
- Repeat the process for each item you select in the Finder.
You can recognize the shortcut by the small arrow in the lower left corner of the icon. Please note that the shortcut only provides quick access to the object, but the object itself remains in its original place. You can create a themed folder for shortcuts, such as games or applications, to quickly access any game in one place.
You can turn this folder into a quick access panel on the Dock by simply dragging the folder to the left side of the Dock.
Shortcuts are also great for creating a quick access point to multiple files scattered across the operating system or file system. Plus, they make it much easier to manage the folders and apps you use frequently.
How to create a shortcut using keyboard shortcuts
Once you've selected the item you want in the Finder, simply press ⌘Cmd + L on your keyboard and you'll immediately be able to create a shortcut for it. Another convenient option is to hold down the ⌘Cmd + ⌥Option (Alt) keys, drag and release the selected object. The file itself will not be moved, but its shortcut will appear in the right place in the blink of an eye.
After deleting the shortcut, the file remains in the same place and does not go anywhere.
How to quickly find the original file
To quickly find the original file, select its shortcut and press ⌘Cmd + L on the keyboard. The same action (Show original) is available by right-clicking on the shortcut.
Based on materials from yablyk
