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Getting Started with Macintosh: Working with Applications

Created by Health Science Librarians

Starting and Switching Between Applications

Working with Applications

Starting and switching between applications

To start an application (software program), click its icon in the dock (if its icon is in the dock), or double click its icon in the folder where it is located. Applications are usually in the Applications folder on your internal Mac hard drive (Macintosh HD disk). Or you can drag a file to an application icon in the dock to open the file with that application.

To switch from one application to another, you can click the other program icon in the dock. Or you can use this keyboard shortcut: While holding the command key down, press the tab key. Icons for all the currently open programs appear, and you can move between them by tapping the tab key. 

switching applications shortcut

 

Choosing the Default Application to open a File Type

Choosing the default application for a file type

When you double-click a file's icon, the file is opened in the default application for that file type.  In come cases you may wish to change the default application for a file type. This video explains how to do that.

Downloading and Installing Applications

Downloading and installing applications

This video explains how to download and install software applications from the web.

Using Safari as an RSS Feed Reader

Using Safari as an RSS Feed Reader

Safari is an Apple application that comes preinstalled on the Macintosh. Safari is a web browser that also can be used as an RSS feed reader.  The following video briefly describes how to use Safari this way.

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  • Last Updated: Jun 1, 2022 11:36 AM
  • URL: https://guides.lib.unc.edu/macintosh