How to set up your Mac like a pro

It’s a great time of year to get a new Mac. Any Mac is a great purchase today. If you’re one of the lucky ones to have one this year, here’s how to set it up like a pro.

So rip open the box, rip off the plastic and get the good stuff.

If this is your first Mac with Apple’s powerful new chips, you’re in for a real treat. Setup is pretty easy whether you have an old Mac to transfer data or are starting from scratch. However, you’ll have to make some decisions along the way and consider some important tricks and apps, so we’re here to walk you through the process.

Here is Cult of Mac’Here’s how to properly set up your new Mac.

How to set up Mac: Initial setup

First, pause before you recycle the box—Apple packaged your new Mac pretty well for travel. So if you ever need to send it back (God forbid) or just move to a new apartment, the box it came in will be the right choice to come in handy. It also adds to the resale value.

If you have a new MacBook, it’s probably already charged, but you might as well plug it in while you set it up. New MacBooks turn on automatically when you plug them in or open the lid.

When setting up a new desktop, you’ll need to connect the power cord to the back of the device, plug it into the wall, and look for the power button on the back. You also need to prepare the keyboard and mouse.

Brand new Macs are coming to market Setup wizard And all you have to do is follow the instructions on each screen as it appears.

Setup wizard

First you need to select your country and then click Keep going. Choose your keyboard based on the language you want to use on your Mac.

If your old Mac had accessibility settings enabled, you can enable them here before continuing. Otherwise just click Not now.

You select your Wi-Fi network and enter your password when connecting to the Internet wirelessly. Choose Ethernet if you are using a wired connection.

Move your things

On the next screen you will have the option to transfer your data from an older Mac to your new one.

When switching from an old Mac to a new Mac, you have two options:

1. If you have backed up your data from an older computer to a hard drive time Machine, that is the best way. Simply connect your hard drive, follow the instructions, and your Mac will be restored just like your old one.
2. You can also use that Migration Assistant app. This is the case on your old Mac Finder > Applications > Utilities. This is a good option if you don’t have a local backup or the right USB-C cable to connect both computers together, but it takes the longest. It must work over WiFi. Therefore, make sure you have a stable connection.

If you have a PC you can do that Download the Migration Assistant program for Windows. If your Mac is a 2023 model, you’ll likely need to download the version for macOS Ventura, Monterey or Sonoma.

However, you can run this app at any time, so there is no pressure to run it right away. If you want to get started and worry about bringing your old stuff later, click Not now.

Answer a few questions

You want to sign in with your Apple ID. If this is your first Apple device, create a new one. If you already have an iPhone or iPad, you can find out which email address you use for your Apple ID: Open Settingstap your name and you will find it at the top.

You have to activate it Location Services if you want to Track your computer if it is ever lost. When you turn on Screen Time, you can see how much time you spend working or messing around. Enable “Hey Siri” to ask Siri your questions using just your voice (or, more realistically, just set a timer).

If your Mac supports Touch ID, I highly recommend setting it up in the next step. It’s a much faster way to sign in to your Mac, buy things with Apple Pay, or install apps. And while you’re at it, you should also set up Apple Pay. It’s always a pleasant surprise when I find a website supports this – it’s so much faster than entering credit card information, billing and shipping addresses every time.

Finally, you only have one choice: light or dark mode. I’m old fashioned with my Mac; I always use light mode, even though I absolutely use dark mode on my phone.

Essential Mac optimizations

Of course, you can use your Mac right away, but there are a few things you can do to ensure a more enjoyable experience. Here are some of the most important ones.

When you’re done with the initial setup, click Apple menu in the top left of your Mac’s screen, then click App Store. The Mac App Store will launch and you want to click on it Update tab on the left. If you have software that needs to be updated, it will appear there in the list. It’s usually best to keep all your software up to date. You can also download your previously purchased apps here.

The Dock can get by with a few fewer icons. So click on the ones you don’t want and drag them out of the dock. Press and hold until the Remove option appears. Let it go and they will poop.

If you want to put apps back in the Dock later, go to Finder > Applications and drag the corresponding icon into the Dock area until the other icons are out of the way. Let go and it stays there. You might also consider disabling the Dock Magnification feature, which looks cool but can interfere with precise clicking. Go inside System Preferences > Desktop and Dockand then clear the check box enlargement checkbox.

You can also find your apps in Launchpadwhich you can access by pinching four fingers together on your trackpad or clicking the rocket icon in the Dock.

Have fun with the new Mac

Now that you’ve set up your new Mac, you can finally enjoy your new computer. We recommend first downloading all the apps and games you want to use – either from the Mac App Store or from trusted third-party sources if necessary. Have fun getting to know your new Mac!

Note: D. Griffin Jones contributed to this article. We originally published this article on December 22, 2015. It was last updated on December 24, 2023.