Apple is now offering data migration services for free when customers purchase a new Mac or need to have a Mac replaced for repair reasons. Prior to this month, data migration was priced at $99.

macbookairmojave
TidBITS heard about the policy change from a reader and was able to confirm it with an Apple Store Operations Specialist.

Beginning April 2, there will be no cost for Data Migrations with the purchase of a new Mac or Data Transfers with a repair.

As 9to5Mac points out, data migration was included as a feature in Apple's One to One program, which was shut down in 2015. One to One allowed customers to pay $99 when purchasing a new Mac to get a year's worth of instruction and help. When Apple ended One to One, data migration was still available as a one-time $99 service.

Going forward, Apple store employees will be able to help new Mac buyers move information from their old machine to their new machine. Apple also offers do-it-yourself migration software in the form of the Migration Assistant offered when setting up a new Mac.

Top Rated Comments

dannyyankou Avatar
65 months ago
Sure this is good, but you’ll eventually pay them $125 anyway when your butterfly keyboard stops working.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
0924487 Avatar
65 months ago
It’s very helpful for new Mac users. If you are Mac-native, it’s not necessary at all.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Doctor Q Avatar
65 months ago
I must have used Migration Assistant at least half a dozen times over the years, each time to a new model using the previous Time Machine data. It can be slow, but it's always worked smoothly.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dstud208 Avatar
65 months ago
Probably because now the computers are built like phones, everything soldered together and if one thing does the whole unit gets replaced. It makes for small attractive chassis but will inevitably lead to more people getting replacement units, and since it’s apples fault that this is happening (the need for unit swaps) they probably want to avoid the crap storm of angry customers that were charged $99 to migrate to a new unit when a key on their keyboard got stuck or something similarly trivial.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bill Poulos Avatar
65 months ago
When Apple finally fixes the screwed up butterfly keyboard on the MacBook Pro, I will buy a fully loaded one with all the trimming.
A MacBook Pro without a functional keyboard is not very useful and it's too expense to use for a door stop. :-)
I am stuck with my MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013) until the butterfly keyboards get fixed.

Suggestion: There is nothing wrong with the old keyboards sold on older Macs. No charge for the problem solving suggestion.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
code-m Avatar
65 months ago
When Apple finally fixes the screwed up butterfly keyboard on the MacBook Pro, I will buy a fully loaded one with all the trimming.
A MacBook Pro without a functional keyboard is not very useful and it's too expense to use for a door stop. :)
I am stuck with my MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013) until the butterfly keyboards get fixed.

Suggestion: There is nothing wrong with the old keyboards sold on older Macs. No charge for the problem solving suggestion.
What happened to the days when Mac hardware just worked. Now you have to go through this entire process for Apple’s mess up over a keyboard. It seems people prefer to just spend more money on that new butterfly laptop and have it taken to the Store for repairs on poor design choices.

Apple compared itself to BMW once when it concerned cost of their hardware, well now it’s in for repairs just as often. How ironic, it seems Apple has finally fulfilled the auto industry business model.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18: What to Expect From 'Biggest' Update in iPhone's History

Wednesday March 27, 2024 11:10 am PDT by
At least some Apple software engineers continue to believe that iOS 18 will be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. "The iOS 18 update is expected to be the most ambitious overhaul of the iPhone's software in its history, according to people working on the upgrade," wrote Gurman, in a r...
maxresdefault

Apple to Launch New iPad Pro and iPad Air Models in May

Thursday March 28, 2024 11:07 am PDT by
Apple will introduce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models in early May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman previously suggested the new iPads would come out in March, and then April, but the timeline has been pushed back once again. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple is working on updates to both the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The iPad Pro models will...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

Apple Releases Revised Versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 With Updated Build Number

Wednesday March 27, 2024 5:59 am PDT by
Apple on late Tuesday released revised versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 with an updated build number of 21E237, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The updates previously had a build number of 21E236. The revised updates are available for all iPhone and iPad models that are compatible with iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, but they can only be installed via the Finder app on macOS...
applephilschiller

Apple's Phil Schiller Works 80 Hours a Week Overseeing App Store

Wednesday March 27, 2024 2:03 pm PDT by
With the App Store and app ecosystem undergoing major changes in the European Union, The Wall Street Journal today shared a profile on App Store chief Phil Schiller, who is responsible for the App Store. Though Schiller transitioned from marketing chief to "Apple Fellow" in 2020 to take a step back from Apple and spend more time on personal projects and friends, he is reportedly working...