Control features on your Mac
- Mar 23, 2015 Simply select your desired application to make it active by click on its icon in the Dock (you should see the application’s name in the top-left corner of your OS X Menu Bar, next to the Apple logo). Then, also in the Menu Bar, click the word Window and then Zoom.
- Aug 14, 2013 This happens as a result of changing the screen resolution, here’s what to do: Quit out of any active apps whose windows you do not want to resize Head to System Preferences from the Apple menu and choose “Displays” Choose the “Display” tab and check the “Scaled” box next to “Resolution” to reveal.
By default, the top row of keys on your Apple keyboard control many different features on your Mac. For example, pressing the keys with speaker icons adjusts the volume.
The app is accessible with a quick swipe from the top of your screen, and, better yet, functions as a convenient place for storing quick notes, recent files, and clipboard information.
If your Mac has a Touch Bar, learn about using function keys on MacBook Pro with Touch Bar.
Use standard function keys
Standard function keys work differently depending on the app and the keyboard shortcuts that you've set up. Some apps have their own keyboard shortcut preferences that you can customize.
To use the standard function keys, hold the Fn (Function) key when pressing a function key. For example, pressing both Fn and F12 (speaker icon) performs the action assigned to the F12 key instead of raising the volume of your speakers.
If your keyboard doesn’t have an Fn key, try pressing and holding the Control key when pressing a function key.
Change the default function key behavior
If you want to change the top row of keys to work as standard function keys without holding the Fn key, follow these steps:
- Choose Apple menu > System Preferences.
- Click Keyboard.
- Select 'Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys'.
If you don't see 'Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys'
If you don't see 'Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys', you might be using a keyboard not made by Apple. These keyboards might need a utility to change the keyboard functions. Check with your keyboard manufacturer for more information.
Learn more
Learn about using function keys on MacBook Pro with Touch Bar.
Your Mac stuck on white screen and you desperately grab your phone to google solutions? As it mostly happens abruptly, you need to find the fast way to bring your Mac back to life. So, let’s get down to work right away!
Why my Mac stuck on white screen?
Macs are reliable computers, but on the rare occasions they may encounter trouble and won’t load. When this happens, you see a blank white screen, your Mac becomes pretty much unusable, and you keep asking yourself, “Why won’t my MacBook turn on?”
Usually, this happens after updating your operating system to a new version, when dealing with incompatible drivers, or if some applications fail to upgrade. This results in a blank screen on Mac until some steps are taken to bring your computer back to its normal state.
How to fix the MacBook white screen
Before you do anything to solve the Mac frozen screen, try an easy fix: check your peripherals. Try to disconnect all of them (printers, scanners, USB devices, etc.) with the exception of the keyboard and mouse. Then reboot your Mac. If it boots up now, one of those peripherals is the source of the plain white screen problem. However, if it fails and your MacBook won’t load, check out other possible ways to wake up your Mac.
1. Boot into safe mode
A safe boot feature in macOS and Mac OS X was designed for troubleshooting purposes. It allows to check the disk for all possible file system errors and if needed, a repair would be run. Starting your Mac in safe mode is the first thing you should do when your Mac won’t turn on.
To start up in safe mode:
- Press the power button, then immediately press and hold the Shift key.
- When you see the Apple logo, release the Shift key.
Once you boot using safe mode, the very first thing is deleting cache files. A cache is a place where data is stored temporarily to help things load faster. But eventually, files in a cache become outdated and start to pile up on your Mac, resulting in a white screen problem. Here’s a comprehensive guide “How to clear cache on a Mac.”
After you’ve deleted the cache files, you should also remove recently installed applications. But note that dragging them to the Trash is not the right way to remove apps as it leaves behind tons of associated files on your Mac. But don’t worry, there is a utility that will help you — CleanMyMac X. Its Uninstaller module is designed to uninstall apps completely, with no leftover parts and pieces behind.
Simply download the app (it’s free to try), launch it, choose Uninstaller and select the app you want to delete. Click Uninstall and the application will be removed completely. As simple as that!
As you’ve removed all the clutter, restart as normal without pressing any keys during startup. Probably you won’t see that MacBook white screen anymore.
2. Reset PRAM/NVRAM
PRAM/NVRAM is a small amount of memory that your Mac uses to store certain settings and access them quickly. These settings include sound volume, time zone, startup disk selection, and more. If you experience some issues related to these settings, resetting PRAM might fix your MacBook stuck on white screen.
Here’s how to reset PRAM/NVRAM:
- Shut down your Mac.
- Immediately press these four keys together: Command+Option+P+R.
- Hold down the keys until you hear the startup sound.
- Release the keys.
When your Mac finishes starting up, you should go to System Preferences and adjust some settings that were reset, such as time zone, display resolution, etc.
3. Use Disk Utility to verify or repair disks
Disk Utility can fix several disk problems, including the white screen on Mac. That’s why use it to your advantage if the above steps didn’t work.
- Restart your Mac holding the Command and R keys.
- Release the keys when you see the Apple logo.
- Click Disk Utility and then click Continue.
- Choose the disk you want to repair.
- Click the First Aid button.
If Disk Utility says the disk is about to fail, there’s nothing you can do — you have to replace it. If it reports that the disk has been repaired, you’re done. You can click Show Details to get more information about the repairs.
4. Reinstall macOS
If all the approaches are failing and you still see that white screen on your Mac, you may need to reinstall your operating system. Don’t worry, it won’t affect your files, apps, user setting, etc. Only a fresh version of the macOS will be installed on your Mac again. Here’s how to do that for macOS Sierra, macOS High Sierra, macOS Mojave and macOS Catalina.
Note that sometimes the standard reinstall methods won’t work due to the issues with the drive. In this case, you’ll need to use the internet recovery to reinstall the operating system.
Follow these steps to reinstall macOS from the internet:
Mac App Stuck On Top Of Screen Laptop
- Turn on or restart your Mac.
- Hold down the Command+Option+R keys until you see the Apple logo or a spinning globe.
- When startup is complete, you’ll see the Utilities window.
- Choose Reinstall macOS and click Continue.
Follow the onscreen instruction to complete the process.
Once you’ve brought your Mac to life, make sure to do some maintenance to prevent such unpleasant issues in future. A utility we’ve mentioned above — CleanMyMac X — will help you keep your Mac in shape for years. Apart from cleaning your Mac from all the junk, it gives you access to all maintenance scripts that allow to quickly optimize the system performance and never worry about the health of your Mac.
With the solutions above, you’ll fix the white screen problem on Mac, so that it can function as a new one. Cheers!