Set up your iMac for current Mac users

Choose your language. This sets the language for your Mac. To change the language later, open System Settings, click General in the sidebar, click Language & Region, then choose your options.

Set your country or region. This sets the format of dates, currencies, temperature, and more for your Mac. To change the country or region later, open System Settings, click General in the sidebar, click Language & Region, then choose your options.

Turn on Accessibility features. View accessibility options for Vision, Motor, Hearing, and Cognitive abilities, or click Not Now. To learn more, see Accessibility on your Mac.

Connect to a Wi-Fi network. Choose your Wi-Fi network and enter the password, if necessary. If youʼre using Ethernet, you can also click Other Network Options and follow the onscreen instructions. You may need an additional Ethernet adapter to connect the Ethernet cable to youriMac, such as the Belkin USB-C to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter.

To change the Wi-Fi network later, open System Settings, click Wi-Fi in the sidebar, then choose a network and enter the password, if necessary.

Before you begin. Ensure that the other Mac is updated to the latest available software version. Then open Migration Assistant on the Mac that you are transferring from. Migration Assistant is located in the Utilities folder of the Applications folder.

Transfer data wirelessly. Transfer information wirelessly from another Mac to your new Mac, if both computers are near each other. Click your other Mac on the setup screen, and follow the instructions.

Transfer data using an Ethernet cable. Directly connect your iMac to the other Mac with an Ethernet cable. You may need an Ethernet adapter to connect the cable to your iMac, such as the Belkin USB-C to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter. You may need an adapter to connect the Ethernet cable to your other Mac, depending on its ports. After you connect them, click your other Mac on the setup screen and follow the instructions.

Transfer data later. You may also choose to not transfer data at this time. If so, click Not Now in the Migration Assistant Window. To transfer data after setup, see Transfer your data to your new iMac.

Learn more. To learn more about this process, see Transfer to a new Mac with Migration Assistant.

Sign in to your Apple Account. When you sign in to your Apple Account during setup, you receive a verification code on your other Apple devices. To proceed, enter the verification code on your new iMac. If you don’t receive the code, or don’t have the device, you may choose to have the verification code sent to you by text or phone call. If you can’t use the phone number associated with your Apple Account, choose “Can’t use this number” and follow the onscreen instructions.

If you need to create an Apple Account, choose “Create new Apple Account.” If you have forgotten your Apple Account or password, choose “Forgot Apple Account or password.”

If you don’t want to sign in with or create a new Apple Account now, click Set Up Later. After setup, you can sign in to an Apple Account or create a new Apple Account. Open System Settings, then click “Sign in to your Apple Account” in the sidebar.

Create a computer account. Add your name and create an account name and password, which can later be used to unlock your iMac or approve other actions. You can add an optional hint to help retrieve your computer account’s password if you forget it. To change your account’s login picture, click it, then choose an option.

Enable Location Services. Choose whether to allow apps like Maps to use your Mac’s location. To change your Location Services settings later, open System Settings, click Privacy & Security in the sidebar, then click Location Services and choose your options.

If you don’t choose to enable location services, you see a screen to choose your time zone.

Share analytics with Apple and Developers. Choose whether to send diagnostics and data to Apple, and whether Apple can share crash and usage data with developers. To change these settings later, open System Settings, click Privacy & Security in the sidebar, click Analytics & Improvements (you may need to scroll), and choose options.

Set up Screen Time. Screen Time lets you see your daily and weekly usage of your Mac, set limits on how long you can use certain apps, manage children’s screen time, and more. To turn on Screen Time, click Continue; otherwise click Set Up Later. If you choose to set up later, open System Settings and click Screen Time in the sidebar to choose your options. For more options and details, see Screen Time on Mac.

Secure your data with FileVault. FileVault helps to keep your data secure. During setup, you can choose to turn on FileVault to protect your data, and you can choose to allow your iCloud account to unlock your disk if you forget your password. To learn more about FileVault, and how to set it up later if you choose to not set up now, see Encrypt Mac data with FileVault.

Enable Siri and “Hey Siri.” You can turn on Siri and “Hey Siri” (so you can speak your Siri requests) during setup. To set up Siri, turn on Siri in System Settings. To set up “Hey Siri,” speak several Siri commands when prompted. To turn on Siri and “Hey Siri” later, open System Settings, click Siri in the sidebar, and choose your options. To learn more about Siri, see Siri on your Mac.

You may also choose to share audio with Apple to improve Siri during setup. You can always change whether or not to share audio later. Open System Settings, click Privacy & Security in the sidebar, click Analytics & Improvements (you may need to scroll), and choose your options.

Set up Touch ID. You can add a fingerprint to Touch ID, which you can use to unlock your iMac, authorize purchases with Apple Pay, and sign in to some third-party apps. Follow the onscreen instructions to set up Touch ID. To set up Touch ID later, or to add additional fingerprints, open System Settings, then click Touch ID & Password in the sidebar. To add a fingerprint, click  and follow the onscreen instructions.

To learn more, see Use Touch ID on Mac.

Set up Apple Pay. If you set up Touch ID, you can set up Apple Pay and add a debit, credit, or store card that can be used to make purchases with Touch ID. Enter your card details and follow the onscreen prompts. If you already use a card for media purchases, you might be prompted to verify this card first.

To set up Apple Pay or add additional cards later, open System Settings, then click Wallet & Apple Pay. Follow the onscreen prompts to set up Apple Pay.

Choose your look. Select Light, Dark, or Auto for your desktop appearance. Later, if you want to change the choice you make during setup, open System Settings, click Appearance, then select an option. You can also set other appearance settings, such as highlight color or sidebar icon size.