The Mac is a wonderful device, but the world around you isn’t always Apple. An Android phone, a drive from a Windows PC, a ten-year-old printer, Microsoft 365 at work or your accounting software: wherever your Mac has to work with something else, things can rub.
In this series we look at what works, what doesn’t and how to fix it, one topic at a time. Practical, honest about the limits and updated when things change. Every part ends with what’s different if you stay fully within Apple.
Switching and your phone
Moving photos from your Android phone to your Mac: every option
How to move photos and videos from an Android phone to your Mac, into the Photos app or as files. With the recommended route via MacDroid or OpenMTP, wireless with AirDrop or LocalSend, and through Google Takeout. Plus why importing directly into Photos often disappoints with Android.
An Android phone next to your Mac: what you miss and what actually works
With an Android phone next to your Mac you lose much of what an iPhone does on its own, but now that Quick Share talks to AirDrop you can get a long way. Here’s what works in October 2026, what doesn’t, and how to set it up.
RCS between iPhone and Android in the Netherlands: why you still get green text messages
The iPhone has supported RCS since iOS 18, but no Dutch carrier has switched it on. Why that is, how to check for yourself and what to do in the meantime.
Passwords and passkeys from Google to Apple: switching or using both
How to move passwords and passkeys from Chrome, Edge, Firefox, 1Password, Bitwarden or LastPass into the Passwords app on your Mac. It also covers when it’s better to stay with Google or another manager.
Taking your smartwatch and smart home to iPhone and Mac
A Galaxy Watch or Pixel Watch won’t work with an iPhone, but Garmin, Fitbit, Withings and Oura will, and thanks to Matter much of your smart home comes along too. Here’s what you can keep and what you lose.
Using headphones from other brands with your iPhone and Mac
Sony, Bose or Galaxy Buds work fine with your iPhone and Mac, but you lose a few things AirPods do. What works, what the EU is changing, and how to sound good on video calls from your Mac.
Files and storage
A Windows drive on your Mac: NTFS, exFAT and sharing drives with Windows
Your Mac can read a Windows drive but can’t write to it. We explain why, which file system to pick for a drive you share with Windows, and when a third-party NTFS driver is worth paying for.
Hidden Mac files on USB sticks, SD cards and zips: what they are and how to get rid of them
Your Mac leaves hidden files on USB sticks, SD cards and in zips that car radios, TVs and Windows users can see. Here’s what they are, how to clean them up and how to stop them appearing.
Zip, rar and weird file names: swapping files between Mac and Windows
A zip from a Windows PC with garbled names, a rar that won’t open or a CSV that lands in one column? Here are the causes and fixes for moving files between Mac and Windows.
NAS and network drives on your Mac: SMB, Time Machine and speed
Your Mac works fine with a Synology, QNAP or UGREEN NAS, but since macOS 27 only over SMB. Here’s how to connect network drives properly, set up Time Machine on a NAS and fix slow folders.
Word, Excel and PowerPoint on the Mac: what survives the trip to Pages, Numbers and Keynote?
Pages, Numbers and Keynote open Office files just fine, but tracked changes, macros, Power Query and fonts like Aptos often break along the way. Here’s how to tell when Word, Excel or a plain PDF is the better choice.
Displays, printers and peripherals
Why your external monitor looks blurry on a Mac (and which screens are sharp)
A regular 1440p monitor that looks crisp on Windows often looks soft on a Mac. Here’s why, which screens do look sharp, and how many external displays your Mac can drive.
Printers and scanners on the Mac: AirPrint, drivers and what changes after Rosetta
Most modern printers work on the Mac without extra software thanks to AirPrint. Find out when you still need a driver, why older printers may run into trouble after macOS 27, and how to scan with Image Capture.
Using a Windows keyboard and mouse with your Mac: how to make it work
A Windows keyboard and mouse work on your Mac straight away, just not the way you’re used to. Here’s how to fix the modifier keys, pick the right layout for accents and get your scroll direction and side buttons working.
Your Mac or iPhone on a TV without Apple TV: AirPlay, Chromecast and HDMI explained
No Apple TV, but a Samsung, LG, Philips or Chromecast? Here’s how to get your Mac or iPhone onto the TV, and how to fix the usual problems with Wi-Fi, codes and meeting rooms.
Software and apps
Windows apps on an Apple silicon Mac: what works in 2026?
Boot Camp is gone and Rosetta winds down in 2027, but you can still run Windows programs on an M-series Mac. We compare Parallels, VMware Fusion, UTM, CrossOver and Windows 365, with a decision table for each situation.
The end of Rosetta 2: which Intel apps stop working after macOS 27?
macOS Golden Gate is the last macOS where Rosetta 2 still runs every Intel app. Here’s how to find out which of your apps, plug-ins and tools stop working after macOS 28, and what to do about it now.
Gaming on the Mac in 2026: what works, what doesn’t and when a PC is the better choice
Can you game on a Mac? Yes, but not everything. Learn which games run natively, how to play Windows games through CrossOver or the cloud, and why shooters like Valorant don’t work on the Mac.
Dutch software on a Mac: tax returns, DigiD, banking, bookkeeping and more
Can you file your Dutch tax return, log in with DigiD, bank and keep your books on a Mac? We go through the common Dutch software and services: what works natively, in the browser, or only through Windows.
Business
Outlook, Teams and Microsoft 365 on the Mac: how to make it work well
Working on a Mac in a Microsoft 365 company? This whitepaper explains when to choose Apple Mail or Outlook, what the October 2026 EWS shutdown means for you, and how to set up Teams, OneDrive and Office properly.
Apple Mail and Microsoft 365: what the end of EWS means for your Mac
Microsoft is switching off Exchange Web Services in Microsoft 365 step by step, and Apple Mail and Calendar on the Mac still depend on it. Find out if it affects you, what your admin can do until 1 April 2027 and how to switch now.
Google Workspace on your Mac and iPhone: setting up Gmail, Calendar and Drive properly
Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Drive work fine on your Mac and iPhone, once you know where Apple and Google think differently. From labels in Apple Mail and shared calendars to Drive in the Finder and Apple Business with Google sign-in.
A Mac in a Windows company network: sign-in, network drives, printers and management
A Mac works fine in a Windows company network, just differently. Here’s how to handle sign-in with Platform SSO, network drives, printers, VPN, FileVault and management through Intune.
Windows Server network shares on the Mac: connect securely and fix problems
How to mount a Windows Server share cleanly and securely: through the Finder, with Kerberos and the right nsmb.conf. Plus what the Mac already does by default and how to fix the usual problems.
Missing a topic?
Running into something with your Mac that isn’t covered here yet? Let us know at frank@analystict.nl. Many parts of this series started as questions from readers.