Updated April, 2017: Added more tools you can find by holding the Option key while clicking the Wi-Fi icon.
You may or may not already know that holding down the Option key while clicking the Notification Center icon on your Mac allows you to quickly turn on or off Do Not Disturb. But did you know that the Option key unlocks a number of cool hidden tools in various Menu bar widgets?
Holding down the Option key while clicking on a Menu bar widget will call up additional information for a lot of apps, including some third-party apps.
- When you hold down the Option key and click on Wi-Fi, it shows additional information about your wireless network such as your IP and router address.
- When you hold down the Option key and click on Wi-Fi, you can see your iPhone's battery percentage and unique device identifier (UDID) when you hover over it under Personal Hotspot.
- When you hold down the Option key and click on Wi-Fi, you can disconnect from the Wi-Fi network your Mac is currently connected to.
- When you hold down Option and click on Time Machine, you can verify your backups and browse other back up disks.
- When you hold down the Option key and click on Bluetooth, you'll see additional information about the version and address of your Bluetooth connection. You can also create a diagnostic report.
- When you hold down the Option key and click the battery, you can see whether your battery's health is in good condition or needs to be replaced.
- When you hold down the Option key and click on Notification Center, you can turn on or off Do Not Disturb.
Third party apps will sometimes include keyboard shortcuts, too. For example, when you hold down the Option key and click on the Fantastical Menu bar widget, it will automatically open a pop-up window of the full calendar app.
You can also hide or unhide an app in your Dock by holding down the Option key while clicking on it in your Dock.
You should definitely experiment with using the Option key while clicking on various apps and Menu bar widgets on your Mac. You never know what you're going to find!
