I downloaded Muse which shows me my current cover art of the song that is playing in Spotify, and it allows me to "like" the song. I also use the touch bar to access my desktop
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People who use their Touch Bar regularly, what do you use it most for?
- Thread starter Hieveryone
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I don’t have a model with the touchbar, but I’ve always thought a better option would be to have individual (physical) keys with a screen built in that can adjust or be programmed based on the apps you’re using. Not having the tactile feedback is the biggest downside I’ve noted from the few times I’ve used the touchbar (in the Apple store or on friends’ devices).
Brightness controls and volume controls is the same sort of position as previous physical key. Screenshot shortcuts (rather than CMD-SHIFT etc key comb), full screen current app, battery status (touch to open activity monitor) and date/time (touch to open calendar), shortcut to desktop and shortcut to open notifications to see stock prices for the day.
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Volume Control, brightness, now playing and music controls, night shift quickly, screen saver quickly, all the in app controls sometimes, and emojis. My alternative view (when pressing FN) is to show the other spaces, which I find much quicker when I have loads of full screen apps open, than using mission control or the 4 finger gesture.
I upgraded to a Macbook pro from a MBA almost because I thought the touch bar was cool. I find the emojis bar helpful but mainly I use it for the creepy looking Cylon eye!😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Common sense does not grow in everyone’s garden.
I turned off per-app controls because I find the constant switching annoying. I hope it doesn’t lead to burn-in issues, but I’ve got AppleCare+.
The only modification I’ve made so far is replacing Siri with a Lock Screen “button”, which is actually quite handy, especially since unlocking is quick with TouchID. Previously I would tend to log out to achieve the same thing, which takes a lot longer.
The only modification I’ve made so far is replacing Siri with a Lock Screen “button”, which is actually quite handy, especially since unlocking is quick with TouchID. Previously I would tend to log out to achieve the same thing, which takes a lot longer.
I use it for changing language input, and for those memes on Facebook where you use predictive text to come up with different sentences of nonsense.
obviously browser, brightness and music control but I find its useful for document writing when formatting font or view change.
Download BetterTouchTool (which will change your mac for the better forever and give you tons of capabilities you currently don't have, without even mentioning the touch bar), THEN, install the GoldenChaos package for Touchbar configuration: https://community.folivora.ai/t/goldenchaos-btt-the-complete-touch-bar-ui-replacement/1281
Until and unless you do that, the touchbar is a useless gimmick.
Until and unless you do that, the touchbar is a useless gimmick.
I would love when the power / touch-id button would serve this purpose like it does with all other laptops..
..that being said I do have a sleep button on my touch bar as well as I agree having to close the lid is a bit inconvenient oftentimes.
The Touch Bar's most useful ability for me is quickly grouping/ungrouping and aligning objects in Illustrator.
One other useful ability is to put a Safari video into Picture-in-Picture. It works even when the video's custom controls don't have an option for Picture-in-Picture.
One other useful ability is to put a Safari video into Picture-in-Picture. It works even when the video's custom controls don't have an option for Picture-in-Picture.
I used to use the Touch Bar for one-touch sleep, but I've found that using a Hot Corner is more convinient, as it frees up a space in your Touch Bar. (And it's more fun to ram your mouse pointer into the corner of the screen.)
Go to System Preferences>Keyboard>Customize Control Strip.
Click and drag the Sleep icon down from the screen to your Touch Bar.
It ill replace one of the four main permanent ones there already so be sure to replace one you don't need there.
Most of the time only for the basic functions. In photoshop though it can be very useful especially When scrubbing back changes. Not enough app devs really put enough thought into it to make it as useful as it could be.
I just wish Apple would open it up more. I’ve said before but on PC there is a massive growing trend for non-streamers to buy a stream deck as the software makes it a massively customisable macro keyboard and the Touch Bar could Do the same thing if we could move was from just doing what Apple and the software devs wanted us to have. Give us an place in settings where we can create pages that can be stacked with our own logos bit also allow it to be program aware so if we open a certain app it will automatically open our own custom touchbar for that app (I know there is better touch tool but built in would be better and wouldn’t mean paying for it)
I just wish Apple would open it up more. I’ve said before but on PC there is a massive growing trend for non-streamers to buy a stream deck as the software makes it a massively customisable macro keyboard and the Touch Bar could Do the same thing if we could move was from just doing what Apple and the software devs wanted us to have. Give us an place in settings where we can create pages that can be stacked with our own logos bit also allow it to be program aware so if we open a certain app it will automatically open our own custom touchbar for that app (I know there is better touch tool but built in would be better and wouldn’t mean paying for it)
If you are looking to get more use out of it, try Pock, it is a free app that turns your Touch Bar into a replication of your dock, then you just autohide your dock, works great.
For my use cases, I'm using it mostly for:
- Swapping tabs in Safari (I'm the type of user who regularly has 10+ tabs open at once) - faster than CTRL-TABbing through the cycle, or using trackpad to get to it
- Emojis in text messages
That's about it. The rest of the use cases (Escape, volume up/down, brightness up/down) you'd get if there were normal function keys. So I guess I'd put myself in the neutral-to-slightly-positive camp of the Touch Bar!
- Swapping tabs in Safari (I'm the type of user who regularly has 10+ tabs open at once) - faster than CTRL-TABbing through the cycle, or using trackpad to get to it
- Emojis in text messages
That's about it. The rest of the use cases (Escape, volume up/down, brightness up/down) you'd get if there were normal function keys. So I guess I'd put myself in the neutral-to-slightly-positive camp of the Touch Bar!