If you’ve been thinking about switching to a Mac, but felt daunted by the idea of getting started on a new platform, Apple has a fix. With the latest version of iOS on your iPhone or iPad and macOS on the Mac, you’ll be able to bring across your account details, Wi-Fi passwords, photos, system preferences, and more — with a single tap.
The new setup process, dubbed Set up Mac with iPhone or iPad, will be immediately familiar to anyone who has upgraded to a new iPhone or paired an Apple Watch with their smartphone.
The slick new setup process begins when you power on your new Mac and select your language. You’ll be presented with a menu titled “Transfer Your Data to this Mac”, with a list of options for ways to get up and running on your MacBook or iMac. Select “Set up with iPhone or iPad,” and bring your device close to your Mac.
On your iPhone or iPad, you’ll see a pop-up appear — similar to when you’re trying to setup a new pair of AirPods — to begin the process of transferring your details over to the new laptop or desktop PC. Tap “Continue”, and that’s it.
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Apple will transfer over your Apple Account details, as well as saved Wi-Fi networks, bookmarked webpages in Safari, paired Apple AirPods, and much more
Your new Mac will display a swirling pattern, that you’ll need to scan with your iPhone or iPad. Position the pattern inside the circle on the screen on your iPhone or iPad and you’ll instantly link these two devices.
And that’s pretty much it. Your Mac will ask a couple more question, like whether you’d like to customise any accessibility settings to compensate for any vision or hearing loss, for example. If that doesn’t apply to you, click Not Now to make no changes from the settings on your iPhone.
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If you’re used your iPhone to setup an Apple Watch, or move between iPhone models, you’ll be familiar with the swirling pattern that Apple uses to link two devices and wirelessly beam across your data
You’ll create a new account for your Mac, setting the password to login to your new computer. And then, your Mac will begin setting up that new account on your Mac based on everything stored on your iOS device. Behind the scenes, your Mac will automatically download content stored in iCloud, like Photos, Notes, Calendar, Passwords and Contacts.
But that’s not all, there’s a long list of data that’ll be immediately familiar on your Mac. Even if you’re new to this Windows competitor, if you own an iPhone, the device will instantly feel like one you’ve owned for years.
The transfer will also beam across…
- All of your messages, including iMessage and SMS
- If you’re running macOS 26, your call history will also be accessible from your Mac
- Any AirPods will already be paired with your Mac, and transfer automatically when you press ‘Play’
- Saved Wi-Fi networks will be transferred over, so you won’t need to remember your password
- Apple Pay cards, although you’ll need to re-authenticate the list of cards in your Wallet — once that’s done, you can make purchases from your Mac using the built-in Touch ID fingerprint scanner
- Bookmarks from your Safari web browser will be accessible on the Mac
- Any PDFs or other documents stored in the Files app on iOS can be found in a Finder window on your Mac
This feature works with all current Mac models, including desktop computers such as the Mac mini, Mac Studio, and iMac, as well as Apple’s popular laptops, like MacBook Air and MacBook Pro.
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Liquid Glass is the name for the new design language that’s coming to iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch later this year — unifying all of these platforms with the same look. As the name suggests, Apple took inspiration from the properties of glass for its next major design shake-up
iPhone is comfortably the most successful device ever created by Apple — Chief Executive Tim Cook recently revealed that 3 billion have been sold since the initial launch back in 2007 — so it makes sense to use this device as the jumping-off point to set up a new Mac.
In the coming months, Apple will roll-out its “broadest design update ever” across iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac, making these platforms closer to one another than they’ve ever been before. For those who are apprehensive about switching to a new operating system, like macOS, this redesign should make everything feel familiar.
The timing of the new Set up Mac with iPhone or iPad option couldn’t be better, since it arrives in the final few weeks before Microsoft pulls the plug on support for Windows 10.
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Windows 11 superseded Windows 10 back in October 2021, but it was only a few weeks ago that it managed to overtake its predecessor in terms of overall marketshare amongst Microsoft-powered devices
Launched 10 years ago, Windows 10 was advertised as “the last version of Windows,” with new features added over time, like modern cloud-based services, such as Google Docs, Canva, or Slack, which slowly add new functionality over time, rather than saving them up for a new version of the app. But when Windows 11 was announced in June 2021, it was clear that Microsoft wouldn’t keep Windows 10 around forever.
From October 14, 2025, Microsoft will end support for all Windows 10 devices worldwide — halting critical security fixes and bug patches. In other words, if cybercriminals discover a flaw in the software that lets them infiltrate your files, Microsoft won’t release a software patch to fix it. It’ll be there forever.
After the crucial deadline, anyone still using Windows 10 must choose between upgrading their operating system, buying a brand-new machine with Windows 11 preinstalled, paying an annual subscription fee to receive critical software updates to Windows 10, or ditching Windows altogether for an alternative, like Linux, Google’s rival ChromeOS, or switching to a Mac. And if you’ve got an iPhone already, the latter just became a lot more tempting.
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Over the last 13 months, Windows 10 has lost its crown as the most popular version of Microsoft’s desktop operating system, with millions turning their backs ahead of the end of support deadline in October
With 71 days to go, millions of Windows 10 users are making a change.
Windows 11 has finally the most popular version of Microsoft’s desktop operating system. It now powers 52% of all desktop PCs and laptops that run on Windows, according to figures from StatCounter. That suggests PC owners are choosing the free upgrade from Windows 10 (if their PC is compatible) or buying a new machine. Microsoft executives have previously branded 2025 as the “year of Windows 11 PC refresh”.
It’s possible many Windows users are taking the opportunity to switch to a Mac. In its latest earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed its Mac business grew faster than any other category during the June financial quarter, increasing by an impressive 15% to $8.05 billion (£6.06bn converted) in revenue.
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MacBook Air is the bestselling laptop in the Apple lineup, thanks to its £999 starting price and lightweight design
Apple refreshed its MacBook Air — the bestselling Mac in its lineup — just before the latest quarter started. The laptop arrived with a faster chipset to enable Apple Intelligence features, an improved webcam, and a new Sky Blue colourway.
Having an iPhone in your pocket doesn’t just help with the initial set up for your new Mac, Apple has made sure that its seamless to transfer files, hotspot, and drag-and-drop between these devices. If you already own an iPhone or iPad, the Mac is a pretty compelling companion, thanks to what Apple refers to as “Handoff”.
This lets you begin any task on your iPhone — whether that’s composing an email, browsing a website, or drafting a note — and finish it on your Mac with a single click. It works vice versa too.
The moment that you start a task on your iPhone, you’ll see an icon of the app you’re using surface in the Dock on your Mac, tapping it will bring everything over to the PC so you can continue writing your document or email.
Universal Clipboard is another clever feature that eliminates friction when moving between different gadgets. Copy a chunk of text, a photo, a video, or even a file on your iPhone, and instantly paste it on your Mac — or vice versa. As long as you’re signed into the same Apple Account on both, all you need to do is copy on one, and paste on the other.
There’s no special keyboard combination or separate app to open. Nifty, eh?
While there are a few Windows 11 machines with SIM or eSIM slots to keep them connected to mobile data when away from Wi-Fi, Apple doesn’t currently offer this feature with any of its Mac lineup. But if you have an iPhone in your pocket, Instant Hotspot is the next best thing.
If your Mac isn’t near a Wi-Fi network, it’ll automatically connect to your iPhone’s Personal Hotspot — no need to dig into your settings or enter a password. Your Mac will stay connected to the internet using the connection from your iPhone.
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Accessory manufacturers, like Belkin, have released dedicated MagSafe attachments that let you snap your iPhone to the top of a screen via magnets to use the triple-camera system on the back of your handset for high-quality video calls
Building out a new desktop setup but don’t have a decent webcam yet? Continuity Camera is a feature that takes the camera system on the back of your iPhone and unlocks it for use on your Mac.
Need high-quality video feed for a meeting or presentation? Your iPhone becomes your webcam, complete with features like Centre Stage to keep you in frame as you move around, Portrait Mode for a bokeh-style blur behind you, Studio Light to ensure your face is never hidden in shadow, and even Desk View to show what’s on your table in real-time – perfect for practical demoes.
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Every Mac ships with an iPhone Mirroring app, which lets you drag-and-drop files to and from your smartphone, launch iOS apps or answer messages, from a windowed application on your desktop
Your Mac will even display incoming iPhone alerts right alongside your regular desktop notifications. Whether it’s a WhatsApp message, a calendar reminder, or an app alert, you’ll stay in the loop without having to juggle screens. Clicking on any of these notifications will launch the iPhone Mirroring app, which brings your entire iPhone to the desktop in a windowed application.
Whether you’re replying to a message, checking the progress of a task inside an iOS app, or browsing your home screen, it’s all visible and controllable from your laptop — no need to pick up your phone at all. Ideal if there isn’t a desktop application for what you’re trying to do, like order an Uber Eats.
