Jack Wallen / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET key takeaways A drop-down terminal makes for an efficient CLI. MacOS doesn't include a built-in drop-down terminal. With the help of iTerm2, you can make this happen. I've used drop-down terminals for a long time because I don't have to take my fingers off the keyboard to run a command. Instead of grabbing the mouse, opening the desktop menu, finding the terminal, opening the terminal, running the command, and closing the terminal, I can hit a keyboard hotkey combination to open the terminal, run my command, and hit the same hotkey to dismiss the terminal. Additionally, I can configure a drop-down terminal to occupy only a certain amount of space, allowing me to leave it open if needed without interfering with other apps. In other words, drop-down terminals are a very efficient method of using the command line. Also: 6 features I wish MacOS would copy from Linux You can add a drop-down terminal on MacOS, thanks to iTerm2. Although it takes some configuration, it's well worth the effort. Let me show you how this is done (and it works on MacOS Tahoe as well). How to install iTerm2 The first thing you must do is install iTerm2, and here's how. 1. Download the zip file Head to the iTerm2 site and download the zip file. Show more 2. Install the app Double-click the downloaded zip file, which will extract the iTerm2 file. Drag that file to the Applications folder in Finder. Show more That's it for installation. Now let's trick iTerm2 into working as a drop-down terminal. How to configure iTerm for drop-down usage This can be a bit tricky, so follow along closely. 1. Open iTerm2 preferences The first thing to do is open the iTerm2 preferences. To do this, click the iTerm2 menu entry, and then click Preferences. Also: How to customize MacOS Liquid Glass and make it uniquely yours 2. Create a dedicated hotkey window In iTerm2 preferences, click Keys > Hotkey. Click "Create a Dedicated Hotkey Window…" and assign the hotkey you'd like to use. Keep in mind that you don't want to assign a hotkey that's used by another app. I chose Ctrl+T. Also make sure App Hotkey is enabled. Jack Wallen/ZDNET 3. Create a hotkey profile Go to Settings > Keys and click Create a Dedicated Hotkey Window. In the resulting pop-up, click Click to Set next to Hotkey, and configure your hotkey to call up iTerm2 (even when it's not active). I prefer enabling the Double-tap key option and leaving it as the default. That way, I can call up iTerm2 by double-clicking the Control button. YMMV. I prefer the double-tap key for calling up the drop-down terminal. Jack Wallen/ZDNET This will create a new hotkey profile named Hotkey Window. 4. Select a hotkey profile Go to Settings > Profiles > Hotkey Window > Keys, and check the "A hotkey toggles a dedicated window with this profile" option. Choose "Hotkey Window" in the pop-up menu (this should be selected by default). Also: The first 5 Linux commands every new user should learn This should be enabled by default. If not, enable it. Jack Wallen/ZDNET 5. Configure the look and feel By default, the Hotkey Profile window will stretch across the top of the screen, and the hotkey will drop the window down from the top, complete with animation. You can customize that in Settings > Profiles > Hotkey Window > Window. I chose Full-width Top of Screen for my Style, New windows set to 80, and 25 rows. 6. Enable iTerm2 to auto-start at login You now need to go to the System Settings app (Apple Menu > System Settings). Go to General > Login Items & Extensions, and then add iTerm to open at login. At this point, you can hit your hotkey (or double-click the Control button -- however you've configured it), and iTerm2 will open as a drop-down terminal. Also: 5 reasons why desktop Linux is finally growing in popularity One thing to keep in mind is that Stage Manager (which I use) can sometimes cause problems with the drop-down terminal. To get around that, you can't have another window in focus because your hotkey could conflict with a keyboard combination for that app. This is a great way to add quick access to your terminal in MacOS. Get the morning's top stories in your inbox each day with our Tech Today newsletter.