Mac Troubleshooting Dictionary — Look Up What Won’t Work on Your Mac and How to Fix It

Screen, windows and the Dock

My desktop is covered in files

Click the desktop, then press Control-Command-0. Your files pile up into Stacks by kind, such as images and PDFs. Press it again to put them back.

More: Article · Video (YouTube)
The Dock disappeared, or I want to hide it for more room

Press Option-Command-D to hide the Dock (the row of apps at the bottom). Press it again to bring it back. While it is hidden, move the pointer to the bottom edge of the screen and it slides out.

More: Article · Video (YouTube)
I removed an icon from the Dock. Is the app gone too?

Only the Dock icon is gone; the app is still on your Mac. Open it from the Applications folder in Finder, then Control-click its icon in the Dock and choose Options > Keep in Dock to put it back.

More: Article
All my windows vanished when I clicked the wallpaper

Clicking the wallpaper moves every window aside to show the desktop. Click it again and they come back. If it does not work, open System Settings > Desktop & Dock and set “Click wallpaper to reveal desktop” to Always.
I keep hunting for windows hidden behind other windows

Open Control Center in the menu bar and click Stage Manager. The window you are using sits in the center and your recent apps line up on the left. Click one on the left to switch.
I want two windows side by side (do I need an app?)

No app needed. Drag one window by its top to the left edge of the screen and the other to the right edge. They tile neatly side by side.
I cannot find the mouse pointer on the screen

Quickly move a finger back and forth on the trackpad and the pointer grows for a moment so you can spot it. If it does not, turn on “Shake mouse pointer to locate” in System Settings > Accessibility > Display.
The pointer is too small to see (on a TV or a big screen)

Open System Settings > Accessibility > Display and drag the Pointer size slider to the right. The pointer stays big.
The text on the screen is too small to read

For everything on the screen, choose Larger Text in System Settings > Displays. For certain apps, use Text size under Accessibility. For just the page you are reading, press Command and the plus sign.

More: Article
I want to enlarge part of a web page quickly

Tap the trackpad twice lightly with two fingers, and that part zooms in (Smart zoom). One finger will not do it. Tap twice again to zoom back out.

More: Article · Video (YouTube)
I want to see my next appointment without opening Calendar

Control-click the wallpaper, choose Edit Widgets, and click a Calendar widget. Your schedule stays on the desktop.
The video hides behind my notes while I am writing

In Safari, click the Page menu button in the Smart Search field and choose Enter Picture in Picture. The video shrinks and floats in front of everything else.
After updating to macOS 27, the buttons look see-through and hard to read

Open System Settings > Appearance and move the Liquid Glass slider. It makes the glass less transparent.

More: Article · Video (YouTube)
Launchpad disappeared after an update

From macOS 26, the Apps icon in the Dock replaces Launchpad. Click it to see the apps you have installed, and click a category at the top to narrow the list.

Apps, startup and updates

An app froze and Command-Q does nothing

Press Option-Command-Esc. In the window that opens, select the frozen app and click Force Quit. You close only that app, without powering off the Mac.
I closed the window with the red button, but the Dock icon still has a dot

The red button only closes the window; the app keeps running (the dot means that). Press Command-Q to quit, and the dot goes away.
Apps open on their own every time I start my Mac

Open System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions, select the app and click the minus button. It will not open at startup anymore.
The startup chime startles everyone (I want a quiet restart)

Turn off “Play sound on startup” in System Settings > Sound (steps for macOS Ventura 13 and newer).
I want to delete an app (no X appears, or I want it gone completely)

Drag the app from the Applications folder in Finder to the Trash. App Store apps can also be removed with the X that appears when you press and hold them in the Apps screen. Deleting an app does not cancel its subscription; cancel that separately.

More: Article (in Japanese)
An app will not open on macOS 27 (Rosetta)

Apps made for older Intel Macs need Rosetta, a translator. Open the app and click Install when you are asked to install Rosetta. Apple says that from macOS 28, Rosetta will only run certain older games, so check the developer’s site for a newer version.
I want to update to macOS 27 but I am nervous

First check four things: your Mac model, the apps and devices you use, free space, and a backup. Then click Upgrade Now in Software Update. On the Mac we filmed, the download took about 22 minutes and preparing took about 13.

More: Article · Video (YouTube)
I updated to macOS 27 but cannot tell what changed

Five easy-to-miss features: the Liquid Glass slider in Appearance, divider lines and section links in Notes, star ratings in Photos, and more.

More: Article · Video (YouTube)

Keyboard, trackpad and typing

Japanese text changes to kanji on its own while I type

That is Live Conversion. Click the Japanese input icon (the hiragana “a”) in the menu bar and uncheck Live Conversion to stop it.

More: Article (in Japanese)
I cannot switch between Japanese and English typing

On a Japanese keyboard, the kana key switches to Japanese and the eisu key to English. If nothing happens, check that a Japanese input source is listed under Keyboard > Text Input in System Settings. On a US keyboard, press Control-Space bar.

More: Article (in Japanese)
A name or company name will not convert correctly (or dictation gets it wrong)

Add the reading and the word under Keyboard > Text Replacement in System Settings (the user dictionary). You can export it, import it and sync it with your iPhone. Dictation does not use these entries.

More: Article (in Japanese)
Dictation does not start or does not respond

In System Settings > Keyboard > Dictation, check four things: that it is on, the language, the shortcut, and the microphone source. Dictation also stops by itself after 30 seconds of silence.

More: Article (in Japanese)
Is it safe to dictate confidential or personal information?

Turn off Wi-Fi and say a few words: if dictation still works, it is happening on your Mac. The article lists what else to check before using it for work.

More: Article
I cannot cut and paste a file to move it

In Finder, select the file and press Command-C. In the destination folder, press Option-Command-V. The file moves instead of being copied.
I keep going back and forth to copy and paste

Press Command-Space bar to open Spotlight, then Command-4 for the Clipboard list (a feature added in macOS 26). Open it first, copy several things in a row, then pick what to paste.
F12 in Excel raises the volume (the function keys do not work)

Hold fn while pressing F12 and it works as a function key, opening the Save window. Command-Shift-S opens the same window.
How do I right-click or scroll on the trackpad? (The scroll direction feels backwards)

Click with two fingers to right-click, and slide two fingers up or down to scroll. If the direction feels wrong, toggle Natural scrolling under Trackpad > Scroll & Zoom in System Settings.

More: Article · Video (YouTube)
My finger reaches the edge of the trackpad, but the pointer stops halfway

Turn up Tracking speed under Trackpad in System Settings. A small movement of your finger moves the pointer much farther.
I want to lock the screen quickly when I step away

Press Control-Command-Q to lock the screen. If you forget Control, it becomes Command-Q and quits the app instead.

Screenshots and screen recording

The screenshot keys do nothing

Check the Screenshots list under Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts in System Settings. In a hurry, open the Screenshot app from the Utilities folder and take one from there.

More: Article
How do I take a screenshot, and where does it go?

Shift-Command-3 captures the whole screen, 4 a part you select, and 5 opens a menu that includes recording. Screenshots go to the desktop at first; change that under Options > Save to.

More: Article
I cannot paste the screenshot I just took

The usual shortcut saves the screenshot as a file, so Command-V has nothing to paste. Add Control when you take it and it goes to the clipboard instead.

More: Article
Screenshots are piling up on my desktop

By default, macOS saves screenshots to the desktop. Change where they go under Options > Save to, or add Control when you take one to copy it without saving a file.

More: Article
I want a whole long web page in one screenshot

A Mac screenshot only captures what is on the screen. In Safari, use Export as PDF to save the long page as one PDF, then open it in Preview and export it as a PNG.

More: Article · Video (YouTube)
I want to hide a name or email address in a screenshot

Preview has no blur tool. Cover it with a rectangle from Shapes, filled with a color. Our Blur Screenshots page can blur it and add arrows and boxes too.

More: Article · Free browser tool
My screen recording has no sound

In macOS 27, choose Include System Audio under Options before you record. For your own voice, pick a microphone there.

More: Article
I want to make a step-by-step guide with screenshots

Use one image and one line of text per step. Add Control to the screenshot keys and the image goes to the clipboard, so you can paste it straight into Notes or Pages.

More: Article
I want to copy the text in an image or screenshot

Open the image in Preview, drag over the text to select it, then copy (Live Text does the reading). If you cannot select it, turn on Text Selection in the toolbar. For many images, our Image to Text page extracts the text in your browser.

More: Article · Free browser tool

Files, photos and PDFs

Two files with the same name. Which one is the JPG?

Your Mac usually hides the ".jpg" part of a name. Choose Finder > Settings, click Advanced, then select "Show all filename extensions." The type shows after every name.
I cannot open iPhone photos (HEIC), or I need them as JPGs

Drop them into our HEIC to JPG Converter page and they come back as JPGs, many at once. No sign-up.

More: Free browser tool
My photos are too big to email

On our Compress Images page, set a limit such as “2 MB or less” and the files get smaller. The width and height stay the same.

More: Free browser tool
I need an image at a specific width or height

On our Resize Images page, set the longest side, width, height or a percentage. On a Mac, Preview can do it too: Tools > Adjust Size.

More: Free browser tool
I need to turn PNGs into JPGs (or JPGs into PNGs)

Our PNG to JPG Converter page converts them many at once, in either direction.

More: Free browser tool
I cannot open a WebP image, or I need it as a JPG

Our WebP to JPG Converter page turns it into a JPG or a PNG.

More: Free browser tool
I want to combine PDFs or delete pages

In Preview, drag a page thumbnail into the sidebar of the other PDF to combine them. To delete a page, select its thumbnail and press Delete. Changes save automatically, so duplicate the file first. Our Merge PDF Files page combines several PDFs and images into one in your browser.

More: Article (in Japanese) · Free browser tool
I want to split a PDF (one file per page, or by page range)

Our Split PDF page makes a separate PDF for each page, or for a range such as pages 3 to 5. In Preview on a Mac, you can also drag a page thumbnail from the sidebar to the desktop to get a PDF of just that page.

More: Free browser tool
The PDF is too big to send

On our Compress PDF page, set a limit such as “2 MB or less” and the file gets smaller. You can add many PDFs at once.

More: Free browser tool
I cannot copy text from a scanned PDF

The PDF holds only a photo of each page, with no text data. The article shows how to check in Preview and how to add the text later.

More: Article
Copying text from a vertical Japanese PDF gives one character per line

The text is there, but its order is broken. The article shows how to check in Preview and how 385 lines became 13.

More: Article (in Japanese)
I want to OCR a page of vertical Japanese text

Try Live Text on the Mac first. The article compares how each Mac tool ordered the text on a two-column vertical page.

More: Article (in Japanese)
I want to add searchable text to a PDF (OCR in Preview)

In Preview, choose Export and turn on Embed Text. The article shows how the embedded text turned out.

More: Article (in Japanese)
I want to black out part of a PDF

A black rectangle only covers the text; it is still there underneath. Use Redact in Preview instead.

More: Article (in Japanese)
The PDF’s paper size changed after OCR

It happens when OCR rebuilds the page. Check Page Size in Preview, and keep a copy of the original.

More: Article
How do I make searchable PDFs with ScanSnap?

In ScanSnap Home, turn on the option that makes searchable PDFs. The article also covers running OCR later and settings that improve accuracy.

More: Article (in Japanese)
I keep losing track of where I saved files

Control-click a file and give it a tag color. Click that color in the Finder sidebar and every file with it shows up, wherever it is.
System Data is huge and my storage is full

System Data is the logs and caches that macOS manages; you cannot delete it from the Storage screen. Free up space from large files, old iPhone backups and the Trash instead.

More: Article (in Japanese)
I want to back up my Mac, or get a deleted file back

Connect an external drive and click Add Backup Disk in Time Machine. Backups then run every hour on their own. Deleted files come back with Restore.

More: Article · Video (YouTube)
How do I move my data to a new Mac?

Use Migration Assistant in Utilities to transfer from your old Mac or a Time Machine backup. You can uncheck items to leave out apps and move only your documents and settings.

More: Video (YouTube)

Passwords, Wi-Fi and security

Password AutoFill does not show up

Check five places in order. The article includes a setting that Apple’s own page leaves out.

More: Article
How do I create or delete a passkey?

Creating one needs iCloud Keychain. Sign in with Touch ID or a QR code on your iPhone. Delete it in the Passwords app; your account on the website stays.

More: Article
I forgot my Wi-Fi password

In the Passwords app, click Wi-Fi, pick the network and hover over the dots next to Password to see it. Networks this Mac joined before show up too (a feature added in macOS Sequoia).

Battery, iPhone and displays

I want my MacBook battery to last longer (it is always plugged in)

On a MacBook with an Apple chip (M1, M2 and so on), open System Settings > Battery, click the info button next to Charging and set Charge Limit to 80% (a feature added in macOS 26.4).

More: Article · Video (YouTube)
I connected an external display. What do I need to set up?

Three things: Arrange, which decides how the screens sit next to each other; which screen shows the Dock; and the text size. If the text is small, select the external display first, then choose Larger Text.

More: Article · Video (YouTube)
I cannot find my iPhone somewhere in the house

Open Find My on your Mac, select the iPhone, click the info button on the map and choose Play Sound. It works for an iPhone that is in Find My.
I want to use my iPhone from my Mac while it stays locked

Open iPhone Mirroring from Spotlight to control your iPhone on your Mac. You can drag videos over to the Mac too (a feature added in macOS Sequoia 15 and iOS 18; both signed in with the same Apple Account).

Audio and transcription

I want recordings or the audio of a video as MP3

Our Convert to MP3 page turns them into MP3 files, many at once.

More: Free browser tool

Obsidian (the notes app)

How do I start using Obsidian on a Mac?

Download the Universal file under macOS on the official site, then create a vault, the folder that holds your notes. If you will use an iPhone too, put the vault in iCloud Drive.

More: Article
How do I sync Obsidian between two Macs?

Use iCloud Drive or Obsidian Sync. If some folders should stay on one Mac only, Obsidian Sync is the better fit.

More: Article
Obsidian cannot find a PDF I know is there

Obsidian’s search does not look inside PDFs. Ask an AI and it pulls the text out of the PDF and finds it. A PDF that is only a scan has no text, so add text to it first.

More: Article
Can an AI write my Obsidian notes?

Claude Code can read and write Obsidian notes directly. The article shares three rules from two and a half months of two AIs sharing one vault.

More: Article

Mac Troubleshooting Dictionary — Look up what won’t work on your Mac, and how to fix it

Browse by topic

Screen, windows and the Dock

My desktop is covered in files

The Dock disappeared, or I want to hide it for more room

I removed an icon from the Dock. Is the app gone too?

All my windows vanished when I clicked the wallpaper

I keep hunting for windows hidden behind other windows

I want two windows side by side (do I need an app?)

I cannot find the mouse pointer on the screen

The pointer is too small to see (on a TV or a big screen)

The text on the screen is too small to read

I want to enlarge part of a web page quickly

I want to see my next appointment without opening Calendar

The video hides behind my notes while I am writing

After updating to macOS 27, the buttons look see-through and hard to read

Launchpad disappeared after an update

Apps, startup and updates

An app froze and Command-Q does nothing

I closed the window with the red button, but the Dock icon still has a dot

Apps open on their own every time I start my Mac

The startup chime startles everyone (I want a quiet restart)

I want to delete an app (no X appears, or I want it gone completely)

An app will not open on macOS 27 (Rosetta)

I want to update to macOS 27 but I am nervous

I updated to macOS 27 but cannot tell what changed

Keyboard, trackpad and typing

Japanese text changes to kanji on its own while I type

I cannot switch between Japanese and English typing

A name or company name will not convert correctly (or dictation gets it wrong)

Dictation does not start or does not respond

Is it safe to dictate confidential or personal information?

I cannot cut and paste a file to move it

I keep going back and forth to copy and paste

F12 in Excel raises the volume (the function keys do not work)

How do I right-click or scroll on the trackpad? (The scroll direction feels backwards)

My finger reaches the edge of the trackpad, but the pointer stops halfway

I want to lock the screen quickly when I step away

Screenshots and screen recording

The screenshot keys do nothing

How do I take a screenshot, and where does it go?

I cannot paste the screenshot I just took

Screenshots are piling up on my desktop

I want a whole long web page in one screenshot

I want to hide a name or email address in a screenshot

My screen recording has no sound

I want to make a step-by-step guide with screenshots

I want to copy the text in an image or screenshot

Files, photos and PDFs

Two files with the same name. Which one is the JPG?

I cannot open iPhone photos (HEIC), or I need them as JPGs

My photos are too big to email

I need an image at a specific width or height

I need to turn PNGs into JPGs (or JPGs into PNGs)

I cannot open a WebP image, or I need it as a JPG

I want to combine PDFs or delete pages

I want to split a PDF (one file per page, or by page range)

The PDF is too big to send

I cannot copy text from a scanned PDF

Copying text from a vertical Japanese PDF gives one character per line

I want to OCR a page of vertical Japanese text

I want to add searchable text to a PDF (OCR in Preview)

I want to black out part of a PDF

The PDF’s paper size changed after OCR

How do I make searchable PDFs with ScanSnap?

I keep losing track of where I saved files

System Data is huge and my storage is full

I want to back up my Mac, or get a deleted file back

How do I move my data to a new Mac?

Passwords, Wi-Fi and security

Password AutoFill does not show up

How do I create or delete a passkey?

I forgot my Wi-Fi password

Battery, iPhone and displays

I want my MacBook battery to last longer (it is always plugged in)

I connected an external display. What do I need to set up?

I cannot find my iPhone somewhere in the house

I want to use my iPhone from my Mac while it stays locked

Audio and transcription

I want recordings or the audio of a video as MP3