Let’s learn the basics of the Mac App Store

If this is our first time with a Mac, one of the apps we should first familiarize ourselves with is the Mac App Store. This app store, like the App Store on our iPhone or iPad, is where we go to download and buy applications . We will recognize the Mac App Store in our Dock, the application bar at the bottom of the screen, its icon is blue with a white A inside.

Moving around the Mac App Store

The Mac App Store is divided into several sections and all of them can be found in the sidebar that we see on the left of the window. There it appears discover , arcade , create , work , play , develop , categories and updates . We can click on any section to access it.

At the top of this sidebar we see the search, where we can search for apps by name or by function . “Photo retouching” or “Pixelmator Pro” will present us with interesting results. Finally, at the bottom, we find our name and photo, this section gives us access to our account.

Once we enter the section that interests us, we will direct our attention to the right side of the screen. The organization is very simple, as we scroll down we find different sections , for example Apps and games that we love or Edit all kinds of images . To explore all the apps in a section we use the arrows that appear to the right or left of it or click See all to the right of the section name to see the complete list of the apps it contains.

Some sections contain videos so that we can get to know the app better at a glance, while others only show its name and an icon or a small article where the editorial team of the App Store presents the app.

Keep in mind that the Categories and Updates sections are different from the rest. In the first one, once inside, we are offered a list of categories of apps to choose from to explore the top paid and the top free. We will see the updates in a moment.

Apps from the Mac App Store

All the apps in the Mac App Store, through the button next to their name, show their price or if we have already purchased them . Let’s see it in detail:

  • The first app ( Microsoft OneNote ) shows the Getbutton , this means that we have not purchased this app and that we can do it for free.
  • The second app ( Good Notes 5 ) shows € 8.99, which also means that we have not yet purchased this app and that we can do so, this time by paying € 8.99.
  • Another app (Bear -Private notepad) shows a cloud with a downward arrow, this indicates that we have already purchased this app and that we can download it whenever we want without any extra payment.
  • Finally, we see the text Purchases within the appnext to the Get button in some apps. This tells us that, although the app is free, since it does not show any amount, we will have to pay within it to access certain functions or services. Paid apps can also offer in-app purchases.

When we see a list of apps we can do two things. The first is to touch the button, either Get , its price or the little cloud, to purchase or download the app. The second is to touch on its name (or icon) to access the complete information . Let’s look at this second option.

In the image above we find the information of the iMovie app. All the apps on the Mac App Store display the same information and are laid out in exactly the same way . We found the following:

  • The name of the application, the category to which it belongs, in this case Photo and video, the name of the developer, which we can click to see more of their apps, the price and the share button.
  • The evaluations it has, if it has been selected by the editorial team or has an award, the position it occupies within its category and the recommended age.
  • Multiple screenshots and, in some cases, videos.
  • The explanation of what the app does, its website and the support page.
  • Ratings and reviews, where all the reviews that customers have left are shown. We can touch See all to see the complete list.
  • What’s Newshows us what changes we found in the latest version, the date it was released and the version number. We can tap on Version History to see the complete list.
  • The technical sheet shows us the developer, the size of the app, the category, the compatibility with other devices, the languages, the age, the copyright, if there are purchases within the application and gives us access to the privacy policy of the app.
  • In the compatibility section we usually find In family, which indicates that we can share the same purchase with all members of the family.
  • Finally we find more apps from the same developer.

Updates and account

The Updates tab , as its name suggests, allows us to update the apps we have installed. How? Easy, in the Update tab we touch Update next to the name of the app or Update all to update all the apps at the same time. If we want to activate automatic updates, we simply click on the App Store menu and choose Preferences … Later we activate Automatic Update .

To access our account we touch the name and photo that appear at the bottom of the window. As soon as we enter we find a list of all the apps that we have bought . We can touch the button in the shape of a cloud to re-download any of them. In addition, we can touch Redeem gift card and enter the code to add the balance of a gift card to our account and then use it to buy applications.

IN APPLESFERA

GoodNotes 5, the notebook of the digital age: App of the Week

In general, the Mac App Store is the place where we go to buy the applications we use on our Mac. As we have seen, it looks very much like its little sister on our iPhone or iPad, but it has some small differences.

by Abdullah Sam
I’m a teacher, researcher and writer. I write about study subjects to improve the learning of college and university students. I write top Quality study notes Mostly, Tech, Games, Education, And Solutions/Tips and Tricks. I am a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence or virtue.

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