How to add buttons to your MacBook Touch Bar (Quick Tasks)

You can do a lot with quick tasks. You create them with Automator, a standard app on the Mac. Automator is intended to automate repetitive tasks. This way you only have to press one button to carry out a whole series of commands. You can also add a quick task to your Touch Bar. You can read more about Automator in our separate explanation.

• Create quick task
• Add to Touch Bar

Before we start, we want to let you know that this tip can only be carried out under certain conditions. You need a MacBook Pro with Touch Bar. Don’t you have one? Then use SideCar with your iPad to get a kind of Touch Bar. You can read more about SideCar in our explanation.

This is how you create a quick task

Before we can add a quick task to your Touch Bar, you’ll need one. Do you already know how to do that, or do you even already have one? Then continue to the next heading.

If you want to create a quick task, you will first have to think about what you want to make it go faster. For example, you can open all the apps you need for work at the touch of a button. The possibilities are not endless, but they go very far. In this example, we’ll create a quick task where you open multiple apps at once. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open Automator (found in the Apps folder in Finder) and create a new document.
2. Choose Quick task, recognizable by the gear wheel.

3. Indicate at the top of the third column which image and color your task should have. You will find this on your Touch Bar.
4. In the search field in the middle column, type Start app. Drag the displayed action to the large, third column.
5. Select the app you want to open.
6. Repeat this step until you have all your necessary apps and save with Command + S.

Can’t find the app you want to open in the list? Then take a look at the bottom under Other. You can search there through your Mac. Your app may be grayed out and you can’t select it. There is a solution for that too. Choose a New variable and search through your Mac again under Other. The app should now be available.

Add a quick task to your Touch Bar

Now that you’ve created a quick task, we can add it to your Touch Bar. Again, this can also work with SideCar on an iPad. To add your quick task to your Touch Bar, follow these steps:

1. Open System Preferences ( > System Preferences)
2. Open the Extensions menu, recognizable by the puzzle piece.
3. Select Touch Bar in the left column.
4. At the bottom right, click Customize Control Strip.
5. Place the Quick Tasks button on your Control Strip and click Done.

Your quick tasks are now always shown. Tap the button and all your tasks will appear. Do you not want to have one or more tasks on your Touch Bar? Do not check this in the System Preferences.

Not happy with the color or text of your quick task? Then you can simply adjust it by opening the relevant file in Automator. If you want to do more with your Touch Bar, read our tip on how to get more out of your Touch Bar.