How to Clean Up Your Messages on Mac ASAP

One reason I love using Apple products is that apps can be synced across multiple devices. I love being able to check my text messages on my Mac laptop!

If you often find yourself inundated with one-time codes, political messages, and marketing texts on your Mac, there’s an effective way to declutter your Messages app. With just a few simple steps, you can easily remove those unwanted texts and create a cleaner messaging experience. Here’s how to do it:

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Open Messages: Launch the Messages app on your Mac.

2. Access Unknown Senders: At the top of the window, click on View and select Unknown Senders from the dropdown menu. This will filter your messages to show only those from contacts not saved in your address book.

3. Review Your Messages: Take a moment to scan through the list of unknown senders. Check for any messages from people you might want to save, such as a new friend or a service provider you’ve been communicating with.

4. Save Important Contacts: If you find someone you need to keep, make sure to add them to your contacts before proceeding. This ensures you don’t accidentally delete important messages.

5. Select All Messages: Click on the top message in the list, scroll down to the bottom, and then hold the Shift key while clicking the last message. This will select all the texts in the Unknown Senders list.

6. Delete the Messages: Right-click (or use a two-finger tap if you’re on a trackpad) and choose Delete from the context menu. Confirm the deletion and all those unwanted texts will be removed in one go!

Hot tip: This is just one of many examples of things that are easier to do on your COMPUTER vs. on your phone.

By following these steps, you can quickly clear out unwanted messages and keep your Messages app organized and efficient. Happy decluttering!

Mastering the Starred Feature in Gmail

Have you ever taken a close look at your inbox and stumbled upon a long list of starred emails, often with no clear memory of why they were marked? When I work with my clients to clear out their Gmail, they often find hundreds of starred emails and have no idea why!

Today, let’s explore the best ways to use the star feature in Gmail and how to keep your inbox organized.

The Purpose of the Star Feature

The star in Gmail is a powerful tool for flagging emails that you need to reference later. Here are some effective uses for starring emails:

• ⭐️ School Supplies List: Save important information from teachers that you’ll need for back-to-school shopping.

• ⭐️ Concert Tickets: Easily access your tickets when heading to an event this weekend.

• ⭐️ Airbnb Check-in Instructions: Keep travel information handy for a smooth arrival.

• ⭐️ Travel Reservations: Quickly find flight itineraries or hotel bookings.

• ⭐️ Shipping Confirmations: Track your online orders effortlessly.

Think of the Starred section as your “Pending” file—items you need to keep on hand temporarily.

How to Maintain an Organized Starred Section

To keep your Gmail efficient, it’s crucial to manage your starred emails regularly. Here’s a step-by-step guide to freshen up your Starred section:

1. Review Your Starred Emails:

   • Navigate to the Starred section in Gmail. You might be surprised by the number of emails you’ve starred over time. It’s probably time to clear out those old starred emails and start with a clean slate!

2. Select All Starred Emails:

   • Click the checkbox at the top left to select all starred emails on the page. If you have more than one page, you may need to do this for each page or use the “Select All Conversations” option.

3. Remove the Star:

   • After selecting the emails, click the star icon or the “Remove Star” option. This will clear out old emails that you no longer need to keep flagged.

4. Add New Stars as Needed:

   • Go through your inbox and star any important emails that you need to reference in the future. Aim to keep your starred emails to around 10 at a time for optimal organization.

5. Unstar When Done:

   • As you complete tasks related to starred emails or no longer need them, make sure to unstar and archive or delete them to maintain a clutter-free inbox.

By mastering the star feature in Gmail, you can enhance your email organization and efficiency. Use it to flag important emails for easy access, but remember to keep your starred section cleaned up by regularly unstarring items you no longer need. Ideally, you’ll have around 10 starred emails or less at any given time.

With these tips, you can enjoy a more streamlined Gmail experience and stay on top of your essential emails. Start today and transform your inbox into a well-organized workspace!

Switch to Priority Inbox in Gmail and Change Your Life!

Gmail’s Priority Inbox feature is a powerful tool that helps you manage your email more effectively by automatically sorting your messages based on their importance. Changing the priority setting can enhance your productivity and ensure you’re focusing on what matters most. Here’s how to customize your Priority Inbox settings in Gmail.

Step-by-Step Guide to Change Priority Settings

1. Log into Your Gmail Account: Open your web browser and go to Gmail. Enter your credentials to access your account.

2. Access Settings:

   • In the top right corner of your Gmail interface, click on the gear icon (⚙️) to open the Settings menu.

   • From the dropdown, select See all settings.

3. Navigate to the Inbox Tab: Once you’re in the settings menu, click on the Inbox tab. This section allows you to customize how your inbox behaves.

4. Choose Your Inbox Type:

   • In the Inbox type section, you’ll see several options. To enable Priority Inbox, select Priority Inbox. This option will automatically sort your incoming emails based on factors such as previous interactions, importance, and more.

5. Customize Your Priority Inbox:

   • After selecting Priority Inbox, you can customize what appears in the different sections of your inbox. You can choose to show:

     • Important and Unread: Emails marked as important or unread will appear here.

     • Starred: Any emails you’ve starred will be displayed in this section.

     • Everything Else: All other emails will be sorted here.

   • Adjust these settings based on your preferences.

6. Set Importance Markers:

   • Scroll down to the Importance markers section. Here, you can decide whether Gmail should determine which emails are important automatically.

   • You can also mark messages manually by selecting the importance icon (the little yellow arrow) next to the email in your inbox.

7. Save Changes: After customizing your settings, don’t forget to scroll to the bottom and click Save Changes to apply your new settings.

Make the most of your priority inbox

• Regularly Review Your Settings: As your email habits change, revisit your priority settings to ensure they align with your current needs.

• Use Stars and Labels: Enhance your organization by using stars and labels in conjunction with the Priority Inbox.

• Train Gmail: The more you interact with your inbox, marking emails as important or not, the better Gmail gets at understanding your preferences.

Changing the priority setting in Gmail can significantly improve your email management and help you stay on top of your most important messages. Enjoy a more organized email experience, and train your inbox to work FOR you, not against you!

Mastering Mac's Finder: Finally understand where and how to organize, save and find your files

Image by Vikiing on IconScout

Do you need help keeping your files, folders, and documents organized on your Mac? Fear not, because Finder is here to help! But let's face it, most of us need help figuring out how to use it.

When I first got my Mac last year, I was overwhelmed by my Mac's Finder. How do I know where something is saved? What do all those icons across the top mean? How can I get to my favorite folders?

After figuring out some tips and tricks, Finder became soooo helpful. In this blog, I'll show you how you can use Finder to better organize, declutter, and find files on your Mac.

You're going to be a Finder pro in no time, my friend.

Pssst ... watch this quick 8-minute video to see the tips in action!

Understanding Finder on Your Mac - Watch Video

Customizing the Sidebar (aka, that column on the left)

When you open Finder, you'll see a left sidebar with categories like Downloads, Recents, and AirDrop. It can be overwhelming, but don't worry; you can customize the sidebar to show your favorites. These are the files, folders, or documents that you need to access regularly. To add an item to the sidebar, simply drag it from its location and drop it onto the sidebar. To remove an item, right-click or double-tap on it and select "Remove from Sidebar."

Customizing the Toolbar (aka, the icons on the top of the window)

Another way to make Finder work for you is to customize the toolbar. It shows a few essential icons by default, but you can customize it to include the features you use most frequently. To customize it, right-click or double-tap it and select "Customize Toolbar." You'll see the icons on the toolbar start to wiggle. From there, you can add or remove icons and rearrange them to suit your preferences. I recommend adding the following icons:

• Delete

• New Folder

• Preview, and 

• Path

I also recommend changing the setting so that you see "Icon and Text," not just "Icon," especially as you're getting used to Finder.

Add "Path" to the Toolbar

The Path function is another useful feature of Finder. It shows you the breadcrumb trail of the folders you've opened, which helps keep track of where you are. To access it, click the View menu and select "Show Path Bar." This displays the Path bar at the bottom of the Finder window. If you're working on a specific file, you can click on it and drag it to another folder using the Path bar.

Download Dropbox and/or Google Drive for Desktop

Finally, integrating your Google Drive and Dropbox accounts is a great way to optimize Finder. Integrating my Google Drive and Dropbox accounts was the icing on the cake. Having all my files in the Finder window saves me so much time. No more navigating to the website to access them! This means you can access all your files from the Finder window without having to navigate to the website. 

Here's where to grab those desktop apps:

• Download Google Drive for Desktop

• Download Dropbox for Desktop

Take 5 minutes to try it now!

With these tips and tricks, you'll be zipping around your Mac's files in no time. Go ahead and watch the quick 8-minute video and customize your sidebar, toolbar, and Path function! And remember to integrate your Google Drive and Dropbox accounts for an even better experience.

Understanding Finder on Your Mac - Watch Video