Guides, How Tos, and Tips for New Mac Owners

Friday December 18, 2020 2:31 PM PST by Juli Clover

MacRumors readers who were lucky enough to receive a new Mac for the holidays will want to check out our collection of Mac how tos and guides to learn the ins and outs of your new machine.

m1 macbook air
Whether you're new to the Mac or are upgrading from an older model, there's likely to be a useful tip or two here for you. These how tos apply to Apple's latest Macs, from desktops to notebooks, and it includes macOS Big Sur tutorials plus some useful info just for the M1 Macs.

Beginner Tips

Just for M1 Macs

Security Tips

Continuity and Other Product Tips

Mac App Features

iCloud

Hidden Tricks

Advanced Features

In-Depth Mac Guides

Mac App Recommendations

Every few months we do a video series where we recommend a useful selection of Mac apps, and these articles are worth checking out if you're looking for great Mac apps for your new Mac.

Mac-Related Videos

More Info

Know other great Mac-related tips and tricks that MacRumors readers should be aware of? Let us know in the comments.

For more details on Apple's newest Macs, check out our roundups: MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Mac mini, iMac, and Mac Pro.

Related Roundups: MacBook Pro, MacBook Air

Buyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Buy Now), MacBook Air (Neutral)

Related Forums: MacBook Pro, MacBook Air

Apple to Overhaul Mac Lineup With 11 New Models

Wednesday July 22, 2026 8:13 am PDT by Hartley Charlton

Apple is preparing to refresh every Mac it sells over the next two years, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The plans come amid a Mac resurgence, with sales projected to climb for a third consecutive year, partly thanks to a growing following among users who lean on the machines for demanding, agent-based AI workloads. The wave of new Macs will begin this fall with a refreshed...

• 125 comments

5 Reasons to Buy a MacBook Air Now Instead of Waiting

Tuesday July 28, 2026 7:53 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

Apple's next MacBook Air is several months away, but if you've been holding off on an upgrade, here's why now could actually be a good time to buy. The Current Air is the Best Value Mid-Tier Mac The M5 MacBook Air starts at $1,299 following Apple's recent $200 price hike, but Amazon is already knocking $100 off, bringing it down to $1,199. The base model's 16GB of RAM means it's no longer...

• 76 comments

M6 MacBook Pro Coming in Late 2026, Redesigned M7 Model Launching in 1H 2027

Wednesday July 1, 2026 2:12 pm PDT by Juli Clover

Apple plans to release an updated 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M6 chip in late 2026, and then follow it with a revamped M7 model in the first half of 2027, reports Bloomberg. Apple apparently finished work on a 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M6 chip "months ago," and the device is expected to launch before the end of the year. Apple's M6 chip cycle will be shorter than prior chip cycles because...

• 102 comments

Top Rated Comments

Joniz

86 months ago

Where’s the link to: 15 Ways to Get Back at Uncle Colin for Giving You Last Year’s Model MacBook Pro with Butterfly Keyboard?

(I hate Uncle Colin!)

Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Will do good

Great service from MR

Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Came here looking for someone to be jaded or complain that Macs were too expensive to be Xmas gifts. Wasn't disappointed.

Came here looking for someone who takes things much too seriously, or willing to attack with an unrelated point. Wasn’t disappointed.

(And I still hate you, Uncle Colin!)

Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Shaggymax

Lots of great info, in a condensed, easy to chew package!

macduke

Pro Tip: If you got a base model Mac Pro for Christmas, exhange it for a maxed out (except for RAM) 2019 iMac 5K and 32GB RAM kit from Amazon, and enjoy the couple thousand dollars you pocketed, the extra 8GB of RAM, the faster Vega 48 GPU, the “free” 5K display, the faster i9-9900K CPU, and the much larger SSD. Invest the money you saved and use it to buy another one in four years instead of paying out the butt to upgrade a base model Mac Pro that will still be stuck on old PCI-Express 3.0, Thunderbolt 3, and possibly USB 3.1 unless they allow Thunderbolt 3 USB-C to be upgraded to USB 4.

Otherwise if you got a decently spec’d Mac Pro then grats.

Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

panag

Great job , thank you !! This should be Sticky !!!

Read All Comments