You just unboxed a brand-new MacBook. It smells like fresh aluminum and high expectations. But then you look at your old machine—the one with the dented corner and the fan that sounds like a jet engine—and realize everything you care about is trapped inside that aging chassis. Moving your digital life feels daunting. Transferring info from one Mac to another isn't just about moving files; it's about making sure your presets, your weirdly specific desktop shortcuts, and your logged-in accounts actually survive the trip.
Most people panic. They think they need a dozen thumb drives or a massive iCloud subscription. Honestly? You don't. Apple built a tool specifically for this, and while it’s been around for years, people still find ways to mess it up.
✨ Don't miss: KB vs MB: Which is Bigger and Why Does It Still Confuse Us?
The Migration Assistant Reality Check
Migration Assistant is the "official" way to do this. It’s sitting right there in your Utilities folder. It’s designed to suck the soul out of your old Mac and inject it into the new one. But here is the thing: it requires patience. If you try to do this over a shaky Wi-Fi connection with two bars of signal, you are going to have a bad time.
I’ve seen transfers take eighteen hours because someone tried to move a terabyte of raw video files over a 2.4GHz home network. Don't be that person. If you can, use a Thunderbolt cable. It’s fast. Like, terrifyingly fast compared to Wi-Fi. If you don't have the cable, at least put the two computers right next to each other.
Why you shouldn't just "Drag and Drop"
You might think, "I'll just copy my Documents folder to an external drive and call it a day." Bad move. Doing that misses your Library folder. It misses your keychain. It misses all those application support files that keep your Photoshop brushes or your Final Cut plugins where they belong. When you are transferring info from one Mac to another, you want the metadata. You want the stuff that makes the computer feel like yours.
Pre-Flight: Don't Skip This Part
Before you even touch Migration Assistant, you need to clean house.
Check your macOS versions. If your old Mac is running High Sierra and your new one is on macOS Sequoia or whatever the latest build is, the software gap can occasionally cause "handshake" issues. Update the old one as far as it can go. It’s worth the twenty minutes.
Also, check for disk errors. Run Disk Utility. It feels like a chore, but transferring corrupted data to a pristine new SSD is like moving trash into a new mansion.
- Open Disk Utility on the old Mac.
- Run First Aid on your startup disk.
- If it says "OK," you're golden.
And please, for the love of all things holy, make a Time Machine backup first. Things happen. Power outages happen. Cats jump on keyboards. Having a physical backup on an external drive is your safety net. If the direct transfer fails, Migration Assistant can actually pull data from that Time Machine drive instead, which is often more stable than a computer-to-computer link.
The Step-by-Step (That Actually Works)
Power up the new Mac. If it's brand new, it will ask you if you want to transfer data during the initial setup. If you already clicked past that to see the shiny new wallpaper, don't worry. Just open Migration Assistant from the Utilities folder (Command + Shift + U).
On the old Mac, open the same app.
Choose "To another Mac" on the old machine. Choose "From a Mac, Time Machine backup, or startup disk" on the new one. They should see each other. A security code will pop up. Match the numbers. It’s basically like pairing Bluetooth headphones, but for your entire life.
The Selection Screen
This is where people get confused. You’ll see checkboxes for:
- Applications
- User Accounts
- Other files and folders
- System & Network settings
Pro tip: If you've been using your old Mac for six years, you probably have a lot of junk applications you never use. This is a great time to leave them behind. However, if you want a seamless transition, check everything.
💡 You might also like: 1 Tenth of an Inch: Why This Tiny Measurement Actually Rules Your World
What about the "User" account? If you already created a user on the new Mac with the same name as the old one, macOS will ask if you want to replace it or keep both. Replace it. Keeping both creates a weird secondary account that eats up space and makes permissions a nightmare later on.
When Things Go Sideways
Sometimes the two Macs just won't talk. It’s frustrating. You’re staring at a "Looking for other sources..." spinning wheel for twenty minutes.
First, turn off the firewall. Go to System Settings > Network > Firewall and toggle it off on both machines. Firewalls are great for security, but they are the natural enemy of Migration Assistant.
Second, disable antivirus software. Apps like Norton or Intego can see a massive data transfer as a coordinated attack and throttle the speed to a crawl. Turn them off, do the transfer, and turn them back on later.
Third, check the "Computer Name." Sometimes having two "John’s MacBook Pro" devices on the same network confuses the protocol. Change one to "John’s Old Mac" in the Sharing settings.
The iCloud Alternative (For the Minimalists)
Maybe you don't want everything. Maybe you just want your photos and your Desktop files.
If you have enough iCloud storage, you can just sign in. Turn on "Desktop & Documents Folders" in your iCloud settings on the old Mac. Give it time to sync. Then, sign in on the new Mac. Boom. Your files appear.
But remember: iCloud doesn't move your apps. It doesn't move your complex system settings or your printer drivers. It's a file sync, not a system migration. For most people transferring info from one Mac to another, iCloud is a supplement, not a replacement for a full migration.
The "Target Disk Mode" Trick
If you have an Intel Mac and are moving to another Intel Mac (or some early Apple Silicon scenarios), there is a "secret" mode. You hold 'T' during startup on the old Mac. It turns the entire computer into a glorified external hard drive.
Then, you plug it into the new Mac. The new Mac sees it as a disk, and Migration Assistant can rip the data off it at max cable speed. It’s the "pro" way to do it when the standard network method is being finicky.
After the Transfer: The Clean Up
Once the bar hits 100% and the new Mac restarts, you aren't quite done.
You’ll need to re-authorize some apps. Adobe Creative Cloud will definitely ask you to sign in again. Microsoft Office might need a nudge. Dropbox will almost certainly think you’re on a new device (because you are) and ask for 2FA.
Check your "Touch ID" settings. Those don't transfer for security reasons. You'll need to re-scan your fingerprints.
👉 See also: How to Close TikTok Account Permanently Without Losing Your Mind
And finally, wait for Spotlight to finish indexing. Your new Mac might feel hot or sluggish for the first hour. That’s normal. It’s busy cataloging every file you just moved so that you can actually find them when you search.
Practical Next Steps
- Verify Your Data: Open your Photos library and Music app. Make sure your metadata (albums, playlists) is intact.
- De-authorize the Old Mac: If you're selling the old machine, sign out of iCloud, Find My, and Music/TV. This unlinks the hardware from your Apple ID.
- Format the Old Machine: Once you are 100% sure the new Mac is perfect, use the "Erase All Content and Settings" option in System Settings on the old Mac to wipe it clean for the next owner.
- Update Your Backup: Point your Time Machine to the new Mac so your future work is protected starting now.
Transferring your data doesn't have to be a weekend-long headache. Use the right cables, turn off the firewalls, and let Migration Assistant do the heavy lifting.