Teacher Tech blog with Alice Keeler

Paperless Is Not a Pedagogy

Alice Keeler

Mac Tip: 3 Finger Push Up

Mac Tip: 3 Finger Push Up

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One of my favorite features on my Mac is the ability to place 3 fingers down on the track pad and push in an upward direction. This sorts all of the programs I am working in and displays multiple desktops.

Multiple Desktops

You are able to add multiple desktops views to your Mac. This allows me to have the internet in one desktop, my iMessage chat in another and iMovie in a 3rd. I also like to always have an app free desktop so I can have easy access to the screenshots and files on my desktop.

Place 3 fingers down on the trackpad and push up to enable expose and spaces. If you hover your mouse in the upper right (or on some Macs the upper left) you will notice a plus tab allowing you add additional desktops.

Screen Shot 2014-07-10 at 8.22.11 PM

Click on the desktops along the top to switch views.

Sorts Windows

In addition to allowing me to switch desktop views, I can find windows hidden behind windows. If my iMessage is behind my Safari browser, I do not need to move the Safari window to switch to check my messages. Push 3 fingers up on the trackpad and click on iMessage to bring it to the front.

3 Fingers Down

Swipe your 3 fingers down on the trackpad instead of up and the Mac will sort multiple windows in the same program. For example if I have 3 Safari windows open and iMovie, 3 fingers up will show me the Safari windows and iMovie. 3 fingers down however, will separate out the Safari windows

Settings

If your trackpad does not automatically have the 3 finger push, you can go to the apple logo in the upper left hand corner and choose system preferences.
system preferences

Locate the trackpad settings.
trackpad

More Gestures

Choose from the more gestures tab. Make sure that “Mission Control” and “App Expose” are enabled.
More Gestures, mission control app expose

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