How one can arrange your Mac like a professional

It’s an ideal season to get a brand new Mac. Each Mac right this moment is a superb purchase. In the event you’re one of many fortunate individuals to get one this 12 months, right here’s tips on how to arrange your Mac like a professional.

So rip open that field, tear off that plastic and get to the good things.

Right here is Cult of Mac’s information to establishing your new Mac the proper approach.

How one can arrange Mac: Preliminary setup

If that is your first Mac with Apple’s highly effective new chips inside, you’re in for an actual deal with. It’s fairly simple to arrange whether or not you might have an outdated Mac to switch information from otherwise you’re ranging from scratch. There are a couple of decisions to make alongside the best way, although, and a few important methods and apps you’ll need to contemplate, so we’re right here to take you thru the method.

Desk of Contents:

1. Getting began with Setup Assistant
2. Select tips on how to switch your stuff
3. Arrange your Apple Account and different settings
4. Important Mac tweaks

Getting began with Setup Assistant

First up, cease your self earlier than you recycle that field — Apple’s packaged your new Mac fairly effectively for journey, so should you ever have to make a return (heaven forbid) and even simply transfer it to a brand new house, the field it shipped in will come in useful. It additionally helps the resale worth.

Sure, it’s hoarding, however hold the field: It’ll enhance the resale worth.

In the event you’ve bought a brand new MacBook, it’ll most likely have some cost already, however you would possibly as effectively plug it in whilst you set it up. New MacBooks will routinely activate once you plug it in or open the lid.

In the event you’re establishing a brand new desktop, you’ll want to connect the ability cable to the rear of the machine, plug it into the wall and fish round for the ability button within the again. You’ll additionally have to plug in its keyboard and mouse to sync.

Model new Macs will launch Setup Assistant and all you’ll want to do is comply with the directions on every display screen because it comes up.

First, you’ll want to decide on your nation, after which click on Proceed. Select your keyboard primarily based on the language you need to use in your Mac.

In the event you had any accessibility settings enabled in your outdated Mac, you may allow them right here earlier than you proceed. In any other case, simply click on Not Now.

You’ll select your Wi-Fi community and enter your password should you’re connecting to the web wirelessly; select Ethernet should you’re utilizing a wired connection.

Select tips on how to switch your stuff

The following display screen offers you the choice to switch your information over from an older Mac to your new one.

One of the best ways to arrange a brand new Mac is to make use of a Time Machine backup of you outdated Mac.

In the event you’re shifting from an outdated Mac to a brand new Mac, you might have two decisions:

1. In the event you’ve backed up your information from an older machine to a tough drive through Time Machine, that is the easiest way. Simply plug your laborious drive, comply with the directions and your Mac will probably be restored precisely as your outdated one.
2. You can too use the Migration Assistant app. That is in your outdated Mac in Finder > Functions > Utilities. This can be a good possibility should you don’t have a backup, however it’ll take the longest. If each Macs have a USB-C port, you may plug them into one another to hurry up the method; in any other case, it’ll work over Wi-Fi. Maintain them side-by-side whereas this course of takes place.

You probably have a PC, you may obtain the Migration Assistant program for Home windows. In case your Mac is a brand-new mannequin, you’ll have to obtain the newest model for macOS Sonoma or Sequoia.

You possibly can run this app at any time, although, so there’s no stress to do it immediately. If you wish to get going and fear about bringing your outdated stuff over later, click on Not Now.

Arrange your Mac together with your Apple Account and different settings

You’ll need to register together with your Apple Account. If that is your first-ever Apple gadget, create a brand new one. If you have already got an iPhone or iPad, yow will discover out which e mail you utilize to your Apple Account: open Settings, faucet in your title and also you’ll discover it proper on the prime.

You’ll have to allow Location Companies if you wish to monitor your laptop if it ever will get misplaced. Enabling Display screen Time will aid you see how a lot time you spend working or goofing off. Allow “Hey Siri” to ask Siri your questions (or, realistically, simply to set a timer) together with your voice alone.

You’ll want to arrange Contact ID and allow it for Apple Pay. It’ll prevent quite a lot of trouble.

In case your Mac helps Contact ID, I extremely suggest setting it up throughout this subsequent step. It’s a considerably sooner method to signal into your Mac, purchase issues with Apple Pay or set up apps. And whilst you’re at it, you must arrange Apple Pay, too. It’s at all times a nice shock after I discover a web site helps it — it’s a lot sooner than coming into in bank card data, billing and transport addresses each time.

Lastly, you simply have yet another option to make: Gentle or Darkish mode. I’m old-school with my Mac; I at all times use mild mode, regardless that I adamantly use darkish mode on my cellphone.

Important Mac tweaks

Whereas you should utilize it proper out of the field, however there are some things you may arrange in your Mac to make sure a extra nice expertise. Listed below are a couple of of essentially the most important.

When you’re previous the preliminary setup, click on on the Apple menu within the higher left of your Mac’s display screen after which click on on App Retailer. The Mac App Retailer will launch, and also you’ll need to click on on the Updates tab on the left. You probably have software program that wants an replace, it’ll present up within the listing there. It’s sometimes finest to maintain all of your software program updated. You can too obtain your beforehand bought apps right here.

The Dock can do with a couple of much less icons, so click on and drag those that you just don’t need off the Dock and maintain them till you see the Take away possibility present up. Let go they usually’ll poof away.

On a MacBook, contemplate finding the Dock on the left of the display screen as an alternative of the underside. It’s a greater use of restricted display screen house.

If you wish to put any apps again within the Dock later, go to Finder > Functions and drag its icon to the Dock space till the opposite icons transfer out of the best way. Let go and it’ll keep there. You additionally would possibly contemplate disabling the Dock magnification function, which appears to be like cool, however can get in the best way of correct clicking. Head into System Settings > Desktop & Dock, then uncheck the Magnification checkbox.

You can too discover your apps in Launchpad, which you’ll deliver up by pinching in 4 fingers in your trackpad or by clicking the rocket icon within the Dock.

Take pleasure in that new Mac

Now that you just’ve bought your new Mac arrange, you may lastly begin having fun with your new laptop. We suggest downloading all of the apps and video games you’ll need to use first — both from the Mac App Retailer, or from trusted third-party sources the place mandatory. Have enjoyable attending to know your new Mac!

Be aware: D. Griffin Jones contributed to this text. We initially revealed this text on December 22, 2015. It was final up to date on December 24, 2023.