Here’s how to transfer your Mac data to your new Mac

Transfer data from your Mac

If you are going to buy a new desktop Mac or a new MacBook or have already bought one, you will of course want all your data to be transferred from your current Mac. Fortunately, this is a piece of cake, although the process can take quite some time (depending on the amount of data). You can transfer data from one Mac to another new Mac directly, or you can do it from a startup disk or Time Machine backup. In all cases you use the Migration Assistant. Read on to learn how to transfer data from your Mac to your new Mac computer.

• Information in advance
• Transfer

Important information in advance when transferring Mac data

Before you get started right away, there are a number of things you should take into account:

• With a new Mac, updates sometimes need to be installed first. This may take additional time.
• Make sure that both computers have the most recent software version. On the old Mac you need at least OS X Lion or higher.
• Check whether your old Mac has its own recognizable name. You can check this via System Settings > General > Sharing > Local host name (macOS Ventura and newer) or via System Preferences > Sharing > Computer name (macOS Monterey and older)
• Power both computers with the included power cables.
• Place the Macs close to each other and make sure they are connected to the same WiFi network.

It doesn’t matter what model you use when transferring. So you can also transfer data from a desktop Mac to a MacBook or vice versa. The only thing you have to take into account is that the storage capacity of the new Mac is greater than the amount of data you will transfer from the old Mac.

Remember that Migration Assistant will copy the data to your new MacBook. This means that the data also remains on the old Mac. What you also have to take into account is that you cannot choose exactly which data you transfer. If you check the apps folder, all apps will be copied to the new Mac. You cannot directly filter which apps are copied and which are not.

You also use Migration Assistant to transfer data from Windows to Mac. But for that we have a separate article in which we explain everything how to do this.

Step-by-step plan to transfer Mac data

Have you read the above points carefully and do you meet the conditions? Then you can now start transferring your data to your new Mac. This can be done in three ways:

• Directly from your current Mac to your new Mac. This is the most commonly used method.
• From a Time Machine backup.
• From a boot disk. You then put your old Mac in target disk mode and connect the two Macs via a cable or adapter.

The steps for the first two methods are the most extensive. In this step-by-step plan we use the first method, but you can also follow the steps for the other two methods. If you use a Time Machine backup or use your old Mac as a startup disk, you can skip some steps. We have indicated this in the step-by-step plan.

Get started on the new Mac:

1. Start your new Mac for the first time and follow the first steps (such as choosing the language, region and Wi-Fi network). Choose the Migration Assistant when prompted. If you are already using the new Mac, open the Migration Assistant program (for example via Spotlight with the magnifying glass at the top right).
2. Choose your preferred way to transfer data, such as from a Mac, Time Machine backup, or startup disk.
3. Click Continue and follow the steps.

Now go to your old Mac:
If you opted for the startup disk or transfer via a Time Machine backup, you can skip these two steps.

1. Open the Migration Assistant and click Continue.
2. Choose the To another Mac option and click Continue again.

On the new Mac:

1. Choose the correct symbol and click Continue.
2. You may now see a security code.

On the old Mac:
If you opted for the startup disk or transfer via a Time Machine backup, you can skip these two steps.

1. Check if the same code is shown on the old Mac.
2. Click Continue.

On the new Mac:

1. Select which programs, user accounts, and files and settings to transfer. Check or uncheck the options. Behind the data you can see how much space this takes up on your new Mac.
2. Click Continue to start the transfer.

Depending on the size, it may take a while for everything to be transferred. Keep this in mind before you start the process. It may take several hours in total, depending on the size of the data. An indication will automatically appear how long it will take to transfer your Mac data. But don’t be blinded by this: sometimes it says that copying can take 10 hours or more, but sometimes it ends up being a lot faster and all your data will be on your new Mac after just a few hours.

Additionally, keep in mind that a user account will be transferred from one device to another. If the new Mac already has a user account with the same name as the old Mac, you can rename the old account or replace it on the new Mac. If you change the name on the old Mac, it will be added as an additional user on the new Mac. When replacing the account on the new Mac with the account on the old Mac with the same name, all data is replaced. This also applies to the home folder.

Also read what you should do if you want to sell your old Mac. There are more things you need to do if you want to prepare your Mac for sale.