How To Make Old Mac Apps Work


Migration Assistant copies all of your files from your old Mac to your new Mac so that you don't have to copy them manually.

  • If your files are currently on a PC, follow the PC migration steps instead.
  • If you're moving content from a Time Machine backup, follow the steps to restore your Mac from a backup instead.
  • Command + Mission Control (the equivalent of F3 key) - Pressing this keyboard shortcut will show the Desktop, regardless of how many applications you have opened. This hotkey will also work outside Finder. Mission Control key. Command + E - This hotkey will eject the selected disk or volume.
  • Select the Mac or hard drive from which you want to copy data, and then select what type of data you want to transfer—user accounts, applications, other files and folders, and settings—and wait while the files get copied. As you can see, Migration Assistant is easy to use.

Get ready

Small and old apps. If you like an app that is a bit older, maybe quite niche or hasn't been updated in a while, then you might be in trouble. Due to the nature of software, apps need to be kept.

  1. Install all available software updates on both computers. If your old Mac isn't using OS X Lion or later, and your new Mac isn't using OS X Mavericks or later, follow the Mountain Lion migration steps instead.
  2. If both computers are using macOS Sierra or later, place them near each other with Wi-Fi turned on. If either one is using OS X El Capitan or earlier, make sure that both are on the same network.
  3. On your old Mac, choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click Sharing. Make sure that a name appears in the Computer Name field.

Use Migration Assistant

You're now ready to use Migration Assistant to move your files from the old Mac to the new one.

On your new Mac

  1. Open Migration Assistant, which is in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder. Then click Continue.
  2. When asked how you want to transfer your information, select the option to transfer from a Mac, Time Machine backup, or startup disk. Then click Continue.

On your old Mac

  1. Open Migration Assistant, then click Continue.
  2. When asked how you want to transfer your information, select the option to transfer to another Mac. Then click Continue.

On your new Mac

When asked to select a Mac, Time Machine backup, or other startup disk, select the other Mac. Then click Continue.

On your old Mac

How To Make Old Mac Apps Work From Home

If you see a security code, make sure that it's the same code shown on your new Mac. Then click Continue.

Free Old Mac Apps

On your new Mac

How To Make Old Mac Apps Work
  1. Select the information to transfer.
    In this example, John Appleseed is a macOS user account. If it has the same name as an account already on your new Mac, you're prompted to either rename the old account or replace the one on your new Mac. If you rename, the old account will appear as a separate user on your new Mac, with a separate home folder and login. If you replace, the old account will delete and then replace the account on your new Mac, including everything in its home folder.
  2. Click Continue to start the transfer. Large transfers might need several hours to complete.
  3. After Migration Assistant is done, log in to the migrated account on your new Mac to see its files.

Apps For Mac

If you're not keeping your old Mac, learn what to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your old Mac.