Transfer your information to Mac from another computer or device
If you didn’t transfer your information to your Mac when you first set it up, use Migration Assistant at any time to transfer your documents, apps, user accounts, and settings. You can transfer your information from a Mac or PC, or from a disk or Time Machine backup.
Transfer information from a Mac
Before you begin, upgrade to the latest version of macOS on both Mac computers. Connect the two computers with a cable (such as Ethernet or Thunderbolt) or make sure they’re connected to the same wired or wireless network. See the Apple Support article Move your content to a new Mac.
On your Mac, open the Migration Assistant app
, located in the Utilities folder in the Applications folder.Click Continue, then follow the onscreen instructions to transfer information from a Mac.
On the other Mac, open Migration Assistant, then follow the onscreen instructions.
Select the information to transfer.
Apps: Select the Applications checkbox.
Incompatible apps or apps with newer versions already installed may not be transferred or may not be usable.
User accounts: Select the checkbox next to the name of each user account you want to transfer.
Click the arrow
next to the checkbox to select the specific information to transfer, including the user’s apps, documents, pictures, movies, desktop, Downloads folder, and more.Documents and files from apps: Select the Other Files & Folders checkbox.
Computer settings: Select the System & Network checkbox.
Your desktop picture, network settings, and more will be transferred.
Click the arrow
next to the checkbox to select which system or network settings to transfer.
Follow any additional onscreen instructions, then click Continue to begin the transfer.
When the transfer is complete, a migration summary is shown if issues were found—for example, if documents couldn’t be transferred or incompatible software was detected.
Click Done to exit Migration Assistant.
Transfer information from a PC
You can transfer information over a wired or wireless network, as long as your computers are connected to the same network. To learn how to prepare for a smooth migration, see the Apple Support article Move your data from a Windows PC to your Mac.
Note: During a Windows migration, you can use a wireless connection coming from a device using Soft AP software (a software-enabled access point) to access the internet. Using a Soft AP access point during migration can help increase migration speeds over the network. When the Customize pane appears during the migration, you can select and join an access point created by another device.
On your PC, download and install the appropriate Windows Migration Assistant, based on the version of macOS on your Mac:
Quit any open Windows apps.
Open Windows Migration Assistant, then follow the onscreen instructions.
After your Mac scans the drives on your PC to build a list of information to migrate, select the information to transfer.
User accounts: To transfer all user accounts, select the Users checkbox. To transfer the account of a specific user, click the arrow
next to the Users checkbox, then select the checkbox next to the user’s name. To transfer specific content for a user, click the arrow next to the user name, then select the information to transfer, including the user’s pictures, movies, music, desktop, documents, downloads, email settings (from POP and IMAP accounts), and more.Note: If you’re transferring from Windows, these items are transferred from Microsoft Outlook only for the logged-in user: email from a POP account and contacts.
Computer settings: Select the Settings checkbox (in a user account). The desktop picture, selected language, and location are transferred. Network settings and passwords aren’t transferred.
Additional shared files, apps, other files and documents, and more: Select the Other Files checkbox. Click the arrow
next to the checkbox to select the information to transfer.
To begin the transfer, click Continue.
Click Done to exit Migration Assistant.
To learn where the information you transferred is located on your Mac, see Where is the information transferred from my PC?.
Transfer information from a Time Machine backup or other storage device
You can transfer information from another disk on your Mac, a disk connected to your Mac, a disk on the same network, or another Mac with OS X 10.8 or earlier connected to your Mac using a Thunderbolt cable.
If you’re using a Thunderbolt cable, connect the cable to the computers, press and hold the T key while restarting the Mac that has the information to transfer, then follow the steps below on the Mac you want to transfer information to.
On your Mac, open the Migration Assistant app
, located in the Utilities folder in the Applications folder.Click Continue, then follow the onscreen instructions to transfer information from a Time Machine backup or other disk.
Select the information to transfer.
Apps: Select the Applications checkbox.
Incompatible apps or apps with newer versions already installed may not be transferred or may not be usable.
User accounts: Select the checkbox next to the name of each user account you want to transfer.
Click the arrow
next to the checkbox to select the specific information to transfer, including the user’s apps, documents, pictures, movies, desktop, Downloads folder, and more.Documents and files from apps: Select the Other Files and Folders checkbox.
Computer settings: Select the System & Network checkbox.
Your desktop picture, network settings, and more will be transferred.
Click the arrow
next to the checkbox to select which system or network settings to transfer.
Follow any additional onscreen instructions, then click Continue to begin the transfer.
When the transfer is complete, a migration summary is shown if issues were found—for example, if documents couldn’t be transferred or incompatible software was detected.
Click Done to exit Migration Assistant.