First things to do with a new MacBook

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Once Setup Assistant has finished, the first things to do with a new MacBook are install any waiting updates, start a Time Machine backup, add your mail and calendar accounts, check anything you migrated, and tidy the device list on your Apple Account.

Quick answer

After setup: check System Settings > General > Software Update and install what's waiting. Connect a drive and set up Time Machine in System Settings > General > Time Machine. Add mail and calendar accounts. Log in to any migrated accounts and set up email again if needed. Then review the devices on your Apple Account.

This page is the first week after setup. For setup itself, see how to set up a new MacBook Pro.

Install the updates that are waiting

Apple releases macOS updates so you have the latest features and security updates. You can check for them by hand at any time, without waiting for a notification.

  1. Open System Settings, click General in the sidebar (you may need to scroll down), then click Software Update.
  2. Install anything listed.
  3. For apps from the App Store, click the Apple menu. Apple says the number of available updates, if any, appears next to App Store. Choose App Store to continue.

Which automatic update options to turn on is covered in new MacBook security settings.

Start Time Machine backups

Time Machine is built into your Mac. Apple says it can back up your entire Mac, so you can restore all of it or just specific files. You need another device to back up to: an external drive, another Mac on your network, or a network attached storage (NAS) device.

Apple's sizing advice: use a storage device with at least twice the storage of your Mac, and use it only for Time Machine backups.

On macOS Ventura 13 or later:

  1. Connect the drive to your Mac.
  2. From the Apple menu, choose System Settings. Click General in the sidebar, then click Time Machine.
  3. Click Add Backup Disk or the Add button.
  4. Select the drive, then click Set Up Disk. Your Mac may ask to erase it first.
  5. If you turn on Encrypt Backup, you'll create a backup password. You'll need it to restore files later.

Apple says your Mac starts backing up straight away. After that, Time Machine keeps hourly backups for the past 24 hours, daily backups for the past month and weekly backups for all previous months. The first backup can take longer than you expect, and you can keep using the Mac while it runs.

Know what iCloud does and doesn't cover

iCloud keeps the things you choose, such as photos, contacts, calendars, notes and passwords, up to date on every Apple device signed in to your Apple Account. Apple is clear that iCloud doesn't back up your entire Mac. Time Machine can. You get 5 GB of iCloud storage to start, and can buy more.

If you skipped your Apple Account during setup, sign in now: open System Settings, click "Sign in" at the top of the sidebar, enter your email address or phone number, click Continue, then enter your password. Keep your other Apple devices nearby in case a verification code is sent.

Add your mail and calendar accounts

Apple's MacBook Pro guide suggests adding these early so all your accounts sit in one place.

  1. Mail: open Mail, choose Mail, click Add Account, then follow the onscreen instructions.
  2. Calendar: open Calendar, choose Calendar, click Add Account, then follow the onscreen instructions. Apple lists iCloud, Google and Microsoft Exchange among the accounts you can add.

Check what you migrated

If you brought your old Mac across, a few things need a second look. How the transfer itself works is in transfer to a new Mac with Migration Assistant.

  1. Email. Apple says Migration Assistant transfers your email, but you might first need to set up your email account again in your email app.
  2. Other people's accounts. A transferred standard account gets a temporary password. When that person first logs in, they enter it and then choose their own.
  3. Replaced accounts. If you replaced an account with the same name, you may have kept a copy of its data in the Deleted Users folder.

Review the devices on your Apple Account

When you sign in on a device, it's added to your Apple Account device list. Apple says that, depending on the device type, devices on that list could be used to change your password, receive two-factor authentication codes, edit personal information and sync with iCloud. So it's worth knowing what's there.

  1. Choose Apple menu > System Settings.
  2. Click your name, then scroll down to see the list of devices.
  3. Click any device name to see its details.

Your new MacBook should now appear. Apple says that to remove a device for good, you sign out on that device itself. Both of Apple's ways to wipe a Mac sign you out: see how to wipe a MacBook before selling. If you see a device you don't recognise, Apple says you can remove it with Remove from Account. While you're in your account, check that two-factor authentication is on.

Set the security basics

Touch ID, the lock screen, FileVault and Find My all belong in the first week too. They have their own page: new MacBook security settings.

Where Failshot fits

A new Mac is the moment to decide how it's protected from the start. Your password is the first layer. Failshot is the second: second layer device security for your Mac, for the moment someone sits down at it and unlocks it.

While it's on, Failshot photographs whoever unlocks your Mac, then, with Pro, records a 5-second video, and its window tells them the unlock was photographed. With the Mac's built-in camera, the green light comes on. Photos, and Pro videos, are kept on your Mac, and leave it only in Pro email alerts and the encrypted web vault, if you turn those on. With Pro, turn on alerts and Failshot emails you about an unlock you don't confirm as yours, a wrong Failshot PIN or answer, or its camera access being switched off while it's on. If it was you, "That was me" deletes that unlock's photos.

Failshot runs on macOS 14 or later. Free to download. It's free to use. Pro adds video, email alerts and the encrypted vault, and you can try Pro free for 7 days. Your card is taken at sign-up and charged on day 8 unless you cancel. The trial is on failshot.app, for the Mac. iPhone, Android and Windows are coming soon.

More questions

Should I update a brand new Mac straight away?

Apple says updates bring the latest features and security updates, and Setup Assistant may already have updated the Mac during setup. Check System Settings > General > Software Update anyway and install anything listed. Apple notes laptops must be plugged in to download updates automatically.

How big should my Time Machine drive be?

Apple recommends at least twice the storage capacity of your Mac. Its example: a Mac with 1 TB of storage should ideally have a backup disk of at least 2 TB. Your Mac tells you if Time Machine needs more space.

Is iCloud enough of a backup for a new Mac?

Apple says iCloud doesn't back up your entire Mac. It keeps the things you choose, such as photos and documents, in sync across your devices. Time Machine backs up the whole Mac, so you can restore all of it.

Why isn't my email showing after migrating?

Apple says Migration Assistant transfers your email, but you might need to set up your email account again in your email app before you can see it. Open Mail, choose Mail, click Add Account and follow the onscreen instructions.

When should I remove my old Mac from my Apple Account?

Once you're finished with it. Apple says devices you remove lose access to iCloud, Find My and other Apple services. Sign out on the old Mac itself, as part of wiping it, to remove it for good.

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