How to transfer data from your old Mac to a new Mac using Migration Assistant | Apple Support

Learn how to use Migration Assistant to transfer information from your old Mac to a new one, including documents, apps, settings, and more.

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[alexforsyth]

I am about to do this with a new Mac and this tutorial could not have been better and I saw it at the right time. I feel a lot more confident in making the migration task easier. I could not imagine this tutorial being any better. Congratulations on a great presentation. I'm a fan! Thank you!

[WorldMaidens]

We wanted to thank you for your support. Your support worked very well. No complaints, but to appreciate your time and help. Thank you for being a great teacher. Calmly spoken and step-by-step illustrations. You're simply the best. Thank you.

[zurvey]

What a FANTASTIC video! It was clear, had all the information needed for the task, and didn't waste our time with fluff we don't need. Thank you.

[matkaczorowski]

I get stressed out with things like this, but your video made me feel more at ease! Thank you. Very clear and concise! 🙏🏻👌🏻😃

[JM-xlij]

Thanks, Is there a detailed video of how to do this with a USB-C Cable instead of WiFi.  
How much faster would it be going from M1 Mac to M1 Mac via Cable?

[granitfog]

Good tutorial but did not mention common questions or issues, such as what if you only want one account from the old mac transfered to the new one, or how to exclude certain files or file types from the data migration to the new mac.

[SethvanTok]

I love watching Apple support video’s for things I Will never be Able to afford

[jameshill]

This is one of the best videos I've seen with instructions to help transfer your data from an old to new Mac. It was direct and to the point and lead me through the whole process with no problems. Thank you very much.

[danteeatman]

This is awesome, I also use my Seagate hard drive with 2TB as my Time Machine backup drive when I'm backing up my Mac. This is exactly what I would use when anytime I'm ready for a new Mac. Thank you Apple Support👍.

[ixx]

Guys do what it said on this video, but connect USB C from old Mac to new Mac, it will finish much faster than Wifi !

[Samurai]

Simple and easy to follow but can be a very lengthy process. Took me 14 hours to transfer the data and it seems others have had the same issue with slow transfer speeds.

[tomburton]

The following may be helpful to anyone planning a migrations (aka replication). I learnt this in a call to Apple support, when my first Mac-MacMini migration stalled a few hours ago.
There are three ways to connect the two devices:
a) via wi-fi (as in this video and the regular instructions). Simple, but relies on your router being stable for hours on end. And may only be good for 50-60 Mb/sec so 500GB takes hours!;
b) connect the two Macs by wire. Super fast and stable - but you’ll need a cable that works with both devices, so can be complicated e.g. Thunderbolt 2 - USBC. Maybe that’s why Apple don’t normally mention it; or
c) migrate from the old device’s TimeMachine backup disc. Again, you’ll need the right cable. I haven’t tried this (yet).
I’m currently doing (a) again, with a USBA-USBC cable as backup (but that’s even slower than wi-fi). Migration Assistant seems to allow wi-fi AND cable in the same migration. I guess that, if you want cable, you have to turn wi-fi off?

[crazyRyoga]

Is this method the same as using a Time Machine backup? I have an old macbook, with an old MacOs version (I can't upgrade it) and I have a Time Machine backup of it. Would it be better for me to use that backup to transfer everything on a new mac or it would be better to use the Migration Assistant to do it? Would I end up with an old macos version if I had to use the TM backup on a new mac?

[rogalaphotography]

I just used this 3 days ago on my new 16" MacBook Pro M1 Pro & old 2018 15" ....work good for the most part. I did have a couple apps I needed to reinstall. Otherwise it was much easier than doing it manually!

[AnitaMohd]

One of the trillionth reasons why Apple is the best! Keep up the great work Apple

[tonytfuntek]

Great tutorial. Does it need to utilize wifi or will it work just as well if both old and new Mac's are hard wired to the same router? Thx

[brunosco]

If both your Macs have Thunderbolt and you’re able to connect them that way, I believe that would be much much faster than over wifi!

[j.]

I prefer to transfer from my Time Machine directly to the new Mac using ethernet, is this just as feasible as using the 2 computers & wifi?

[bobbyb]

IF THESE TWO MACS ARE ON DIFFERENT VERSIONS, IT WILL NOT ALLOW TO TRANSFER. SPEAK FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCE. MY MACBOOK PRO IS ON macOS 10.15 (Catalina) AND MY IMAC IS ON macOS 12 (Monterey). NO WAY TO MIGRATE.

[coachhumph]

I am able to connect my old mac and my new mac directly through a usb cable or ethernet cable. The tutorial stated the connection should be wifi yet more than one person has commented that the cable connection is faster.

Why do you recommend a wifi connection if the direct cable connection is faster?

Thank you