How long does Mac-to-Mac migration take?

Typically 30-90 minutes depending on data volume and transfer method. Across the Mac customers we support, median migration time is 52 minutes for 100-500GB of data. USB-C / Thunderbolt cable migrations average 4× faster than Wi-Fi for the same data volume. A 1TB SSD-full Mac can take 2-3 hours over Wi-Fi but 30-45 minutes over USB-C.

What's the fastest way to migrate to a new Mac?

Connect both Macs with a USB-C or Thunderbolt cable, then run Migration Assistant. This is roughly 4× faster than Wi-Fi-based migration. If you have a recent Time Machine backup on an external SSD, that's the second-fastest route. Wi-Fi migration is the slowest but requires no cables — fine for smaller data sets (under 200GB).

What gets transferred when I migrate to a new Mac?

Documents, Pictures, Music and Videos folders, browser bookmarks (Safari, Chrome, Firefox), mail accounts, most Mac apps, system settings, user accounts, network passwords, Wi-Fi configurations, and iCloud Keychain. What doesn't migrate cleanly: apps requiring per-device re-licensing (Adobe CC, Microsoft Office), FileVault encryption state (needs re-enabling), and some system-level configurations.

Do I need to back up my old Mac before migrating?

Yes — always create a Time Machine backup before migration as a failsafe. Migration Assistant is reliable but not infallible. A complete Time Machine backup on an external drive means you can recover anything if the migration fails or you discover something missing weeks later. It's also the easiest way to migrate if you're not migrating both Macs at the same time.

Will my apps work after migration?

Most Mac App Store apps and standard developer apps work immediately. Apps requiring per-device licensing need re-activation — about 31% of our customers report needing to re-sign-in to Microsoft 365 (Office), and Adobe Creative Cloud needs re-activation per device under their licence terms. Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro and most subscription apps reactivate automatically after Apple ID sign-in.

What happens to my Apple ID and iCloud after migration?

After migration completes, sign in to your Apple ID on the new Mac. iCloud Drive, Photos, Mail, Messages and Keychain start syncing automatically. Two-factor authentication may prompt on your old Mac or iPhone to authorise the new Mac. Allow 10-30 minutes for full iCloud sync after sign-in, especially if you have large iCloud Photos libraries.

Should I factory-reset my old Mac before selling it?

Yes — always. On Apple Silicon Macs, go to System Settings → General → Transfer or Reset → Erase All Content and Settings. This securely wipes the SSD, unpairs iCloud, removes Find My, and resets the Mac to factory state in under 5 minutes. On older Intel Macs, the process involves Recovery mode and disk reformatting — slower but equally effective.

Can I migrate from an Intel Mac to an Apple Silicon Mac?

Yes — Migration Assistant handles Intel-to-Apple-Silicon migration seamlessly. macOS automatically translates Intel-only apps via Rosetta 2 on the new Mac (transparent to the user). Apple Silicon-native versions of most apps install automatically when available. Performance after migration on a new Apple Silicon Mac will be substantially better even for older apps thanks to Rosetta 2's efficiency.

Mac Migration Guide

Old Mac to new Mac. — Migration Assistant. One hour. Everything moves.

Apple built Migration Assistant to make this the easiest hardware-swap in computing. Three transfer methods, one workflow, and your new Mac wakes up looking exactly like your old one.

8 min read
Updated May 2026
Reviewed by Evetech Hardware Team

By the end of this guide, you'll know which transfer method fits your situation, what migrates (and what doesn't), and exactly how to leave your old Mac sale-ready.

Migration Assistant: Automatic
depending on data: 30-90 min
transfer routes: Wi-Fi / USB-C

Migration Assistant — Apple's built-in answer

Migration Assistant is the official Apple tool for moving everything from your old Mac to your new one. It's installed on every Mac shipped since 2007, lives at Applications → Utilities → Migration Assistant, and handles the entire transfer with one workflow.

When you first power on a brand-new Mac, Setup Assistant offers Migration as part of the first-run experience — this is often the easiest moment to do it. If you skipped that step (or your new Mac is already set up), you can run Migration Assistant any time from System Settings → General → Transfer or Reset → Open Migration Assistant.

On the new Mac, choose "From a Mac, Time Machine backup, or startup disk." On the old Mac, run Migration Assistant and choose "To another Mac." The two Macs negotiate a connection, the new Mac displays which sources are available, and the transfer begins after you confirm what to bring over.

Three transfer methods — pick the right one

Migration Assistant accepts three different connection methods. The right one depends on data volume, your patience for waiting, and whether you have both Macs in the same room.

Method	Speed	Best when
Wi-Fi (both Macs same network)	Slowest — ~80-200 GB/hour	No cable available, small data set (under 200GB)
USB-C / Thunderbolt cable	Fastest — ~600-1500 GB/hour	Both Macs in the same room, fast turnaround needed
Time Machine backup on external drive	Reliable — drive-speed-dependent	Old Mac unavailable, offline migration, failsafe approach

Wi-Fi migration is the no-cable route. Both Macs join the same Wi-Fi network, then Migration Assistant pairs them with a one-time code displayed on both screens. Easy but slow — a 500GB transfer routinely takes 3-5 hours on Wi-Fi 5, around 2 hours on Wi-Fi 6/6E with a strong signal.

USB-C / Thunderbolt cable migration is the winner if you have a cable handy. Connect the two Macs with a USB-C cable (any USB-C cable works, but Thunderbolt is fastest). Migration Assistant detects the direct connection automatically and uses it in preference to Wi-Fi. A 500GB transfer typically completes in 25-40 minutes.

Time Machine backup migration is the safest route if you can't have both Macs powered on at the same time. Make a complete Time Machine backup of the old Mac to an external SSD or HDD, then on the new Mac select that drive as the migration source. Bonus: you have a full backup of the old Mac for years afterwards.

What migrates (and what doesn't)

Migration Assistant brings across the vast majority of your old Mac's data and configuration. Here's the full breakdown.

What migrates automatically

User account folders: Documents, Pictures, Music, Videos, Desktop, Downloads
Browser data: Safari, Chrome, Firefox bookmarks, history, saved passwords
Mail accounts: all configured email accounts and local mailboxes
Most installed apps: apps in /Applications, including third-party
System settings: Dock layout, Finder preferences, Mission Control, hot corners
User accounts: multiple users transfer with their full home folders
Network passwords and Wi-Fi: all saved networks and credentials
iCloud Keychain: saved passwords sync via iCloud (not migration directly)
Calendars, Contacts, Reminders: via iCloud sync after Apple ID sign-in

What doesn't migrate cleanly

Apps requiring re-licensing: Adobe Creative Cloud (re-activate per device), Microsoft Office (re-sign-in to Microsoft 365), Final Cut Pro (signs in via Apple ID automatically), Logic Pro (same)
FileVault encryption state: the new Mac's FileVault is a fresh state — re-enable in Settings → Privacy & Security if you want full-disk encryption
Some system-level configurations: kernel extensions, virtualisation configs (Parallels, UTM, VMware Fusion), and software requiring kext load
Time Machine source drive history: the new Mac is treated as a new device for Time Machine — start a fresh backup chain
Touch ID fingerprints: Touch ID enrolment is hardware-bound — re-enrol on the new Mac

Pre-migration checks

Five things to verify before you start. These prevent the most common failure modes and save you re-running a 90-minute migration.

Both Macs on the same Wi-Fi network (for Wi-Fi migration) or USB-C cable connected (for cable migration). Same SSID, same router, both showing strong signal.
Old Mac signed in to your Apple ID at System Settings → Apple ID. This ensures iCloud-stored data (iCloud Drive, Photos, Messages history) syncs to the new Mac after the migration completes.
Time Machine backup completed before migration as a failsafe. Even if you're not migrating via Time Machine, having a current backup means you can recover any individual file post-migration if something didn't carry over.
New Mac has at least 150% of the old Mac's used storage free. Migration creates temporary files during transfer. A 500GB old Mac needs roughly 750GB free on the new Mac.
Both Macs plugged into power. Migration on battery can pause if power drops below 20%. Plug both in for the duration.

Step-by-step migration process

The full migration workflow, assuming both Macs powered on and connected via USB-C or Wi-Fi.

On the new Mac

Open System Settings → General → Transfer or Reset → Open Migration Assistant (or run from Applications → Utilities)
Authenticate with admin password
Choose "From a Mac, Time Machine backup, or startup disk" when prompted
Wait for the old Mac to appear in the source list

On the old Mac

Open the same Migration Assistant (Applications → Utilities)
Authenticate with admin password
Choose "To another Mac"
Wait for both Macs to display a matching pairing code
Confirm the code matches on both screens, then accept on both

Confirm what to transfer

On the new Mac, you'll see categories: Applications, User accounts, Other files & folders, Network settings, System settings
Default selection is everything — leave it ticked unless you have a specific reason to exclude
Confirm and start. The estimated time appears (typically 30-90 minutes)
Both Macs must stay powered, awake and connected for the duration

After transfer completes: the new Mac restarts and presents the login screen with your migrated user account. Sign in with your old Mac's password. Open System Settings → Apple ID and sign in to your Apple ID — iCloud Drive, Photos and Messages will begin syncing.

Post-migration cleanup & verification

Once migration finishes and you've signed in to the new Mac, run through this checklist. About 15-20 minutes of work, and you'll catch the small issues that catch most people out.

Sign in to Apple ID at System Settings → Apple ID (top of sidebar). iCloud Drive, Photos, Messages and Keychain start syncing.
Verify iCloud sync — open Photos and wait for the library to download (can take 10-60 min for large libraries); check iCloud Drive in Finder sidebar
Re-sign-in to Microsoft 365 — open Word or Excel, click "Sign In" in the top-right, enter your Microsoft account
Re-activate Adobe Creative Cloud — open Creative Cloud app, sign in; if it shows "device limit reached", sign out remotely at adobe.com → account → devices
Re-enable FileVault — System Settings → Privacy & Security → FileVault → Turn On (recovery key saved to your Apple ID by default)
Re-enrol Touch ID — System Settings → Touch ID & Password → Add Fingerprint (your old fingerprints aren't portable across Macs)
Verify printers and scanners — Wi-Fi printers usually re-appear automatically; USB printers may need driver re-install
Re-pair Bluetooth devices — magic mouse, AirPods etc. auto-sync via iCloud; non-Apple Bluetooth devices need re-pairing
Check 1Password / password manager — sign in to confirm your vault unlocks on the new Mac

Factory-reset the old Mac before selling

If you're selling or donating the old Mac, factory-reset is essential. Apple Silicon Macs (M1, M2, M3, M4 series) make this trivially easy — under 5 minutes via the built-in Erase All Content function.

On Apple Silicon Macs (M1 and later)

Open System Settings → General → Transfer or Reset
Click Erase All Content and Settings
Authenticate with admin password
The Mac unpairs from iCloud, removes Find My, erases the SSD, and reboots to setup screen
Power down and box up — ready to sell

On Intel Macs (no T2 chip)

Sign out of iCloud, iMessage and Find My manually first
Restart and hold Cmd+R during boot to enter Recovery mode
Open Disk Utility, select the internal disk, choose Erase (APFS, GUID partition map)
Quit Disk Utility, choose Reinstall macOS, complete reinstall
At the setup screen, press Cmd+Q to shut down without setting up

Why factory reset matters: without it, the new owner could potentially access your personal files (FileVault notwithstanding, leaving an account active is poor hygiene), and your Apple ID remains tied to the device's Find My / Activation Lock — making the Mac unusable for the buyer.

Common migration mistakes

Migrating onto a Mac that's already set up with a user account. Migration Assistant works best on a fresh-out-of-box Mac during Setup Assistant. Migrating to an already-set-up Mac forces a username conflict and creates "yourname1" suffix accounts. Erase the new Mac and restart Setup Assistant if you accidentally set it up first.

Choosing Wi-Fi migration when you have a USB-C cable. A USB-C cable is roughly 4× faster than Wi-Fi for the same data volume. Always use cable migration when both Macs are in the same room.

Not signing out of Adobe / Microsoft / 1Password before migration. These count active devices against your licence. Sign out from the old Mac before migration so you don't burn a device slot.

Selling the old Mac without factory-reset. The next owner inherits your Find My / Activation Lock, which means they can't use the Mac at all. Apple support has to be involved to unlock. Easy to avoid — Erase All Content in Settings takes 3 minutes.

Pulling the cable / killing power mid-migration. The transfer aborts and you'll need to restart from scratch. Set both Macs on a flat surface, plug both into power, kick off the migration, and walk away.

Key takeaways

Migration Assistant (built into macOS) handles everything — apps, files, settings, accounts.
USB-C cable migration is ~4× faster than Wi-Fi. Use cable when both Macs are in the same room.
Re-sign-in to Microsoft 365 and re-activate Adobe Creative Cloud post-migration — they're per-device licences.
Re-enable FileVault and re-enrol Touch ID after migration — these don't carry over.
Factory-reset the old Mac via Settings → General → Erase All Content before sale or donation.

Frequently asked questions

How long does Mac-to-Mac migration take?
Typically 30-90 minutes. Median migration time is 52 minutes for 100-500GB of data. USB-C migrations are ~4× faster than Wi-Fi. A full 1TB SSD can take 2-3 hours over Wi-Fi but 30-45 minutes over USB-C.
What's the fastest way to migrate?
Connect both Macs with a USB-C or Thunderbolt cable, then run Migration Assistant. ~4× faster than Wi-Fi.
What gets transferred?
Documents, Pictures, Music, Videos, bookmarks, mail accounts, most Mac apps, system settings, user accounts, network passwords, Wi-Fi, and iCloud Keychain. Per-device licensed apps (Adobe CC, Microsoft Office) need re-activation.
Do I need to back up my old Mac first?
Yes — always create a Time Machine backup as a failsafe before migration. It's also the easiest fallback method if both Macs can't be on at the same time.
Will my apps work after migration?
Most Mac App Store apps and standard apps work immediately. Microsoft 365 needs re-sign-in (~31% of migrations). Adobe Creative Cloud needs per-device re-activation. Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro re-activate automatically after Apple ID sign-in.
What happens to Apple ID and iCloud?
Sign in to your Apple ID on the new Mac. iCloud Drive, Photos, Mail, Messages and Keychain start syncing. Two-factor may prompt on your old Mac or iPhone to authorise.
Should I factory-reset the old Mac before selling?
Yes — on Apple Silicon Macs, Settings → General → Transfer or Reset → Erase All Content and Settings. Under 5 minutes. Without this, Find My / Activation Lock prevents the next owner from using the Mac.
Can I migrate from Intel Mac to Apple Silicon?
Yes — Migration Assistant handles Intel-to-Apple-Silicon seamlessly. Rosetta 2 translates Intel-only apps transparently. Native Apple Silicon versions install automatically where available.