Migration Assistant copies all of your files to your new Mac so that you don't have to copy your files manually.
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- If your files are currently on a Windows PC, follow the PC migration steps instead.
- If your new Mac is using OS X Mountain Lion v10.8 or earlier, follow the Mountain Lion migration steps instead.
Check software, settings, and power
- Install all available Apple software updates on both Mac computers. Install any updates for your third-party apps as well.
- Make sure that your old Mac is using OS X Lion or later.
- Make sure that your old Mac has a computer name: Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Sharing and check the Computer Name field.
- Connect both computers to AC power.
Connect the computers to each other
- If both computers are using macOS Sierra or later, just make sure that they're near each other and have Wi-Fi turned on. If either is using OS X El Capitan or earlier, connect them to the same network using Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
- Or connect them using target disk mode and the appropriate cable or adapter. Then start up your old computer in target disk mode.
- Or connect your new Mac to a Time Machine backup of your old Mac.
Use Migration Assistant
On your new Mac:
- Open Migration Assistant, which is in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder.
- Click Continue.
- When asked how you want to transfer your information, select the option to transfer from a Mac, Time Machine backup, or startup disk.
- Click Continue.
On your old Mac:
If you started your old Mac in target disk mode or are migrating from a Time Machine backup, skip these four steps.
- Open Migration Assistant.
- Click Continue.
- When asked how you want to transfer your information, select the option to transfer to another Mac.
- Click Continue.
On your new Mac:
- When asked to select a Mac, Time Machine backup, or other startup disk, click the appropriate icon.
- Click Continue. You might see a security code.
On your old Mac:
If you started your old Mac in target disk mode or are migrating from a Time Machine backup, skip these two steps.
- If you see a security code, make sure that it's the same code as on your new Mac.
- Click Continue.
On your new Mac:
- Choose the backup to transfer information from.
- Click Continue.
Continuing on your new Mac:
- Select the information to transfer from the backup.
- Click Continue to start the transfer. If you have a lot of content, the transfer might take several hours to finish.
In the example above, John Appleseed is a macOS user account. If you transfer an account that has the same name as an account on your new Mac, you're asked to rename the old account or replace the one on your new Mac. If you rename, the old account appears as a separate user on your new Mac, with a separate home folder and login. If you replace, the old account overwrites the account on your new Mac, including everything in its home folder.
After Migration Assistant is done, log in to the migrated account on your new Mac to see its files. If you're not keeping your old Mac, learn what to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your old Mac.
The App Store and Mac App Store showcase your amazing apps and help customers find new favorites. They're also where our editors share stories about inspiring developers and their incredible work. Find out how customers can discover your apps, and learn how our editors select apps and developers to feature.
Categories
Categories on the App Store and Mac App Store sort apps based on their main function or subject matter. Customers can browse categories, such as Entertainment, Shopping, or Social Networking, to find related apps. You can assign a primary and a secondary category to your app. The primary category is particularly important for discoverability, as it helps users find your app when browsing or filtering search results, and it determines in which tab your app appears on the App Store.
To learn more, see Choosing a Category.
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Today Tab
The Today tab on the App Store is a daily destination with original stories from our editors around the world, featuring exclusive premieres, new releases, a fresh look at our all-time favorites, an App of the Day, a Game of the Day, and more. It offers tips and how-to guides to help customers use apps in innovative ways, and showcases interviews with inspiring developers. Stories share Apple's unique perspective on apps and games and how they impact our lives, using artwork, videos, and developer quotes to bring your apps to life.
Games and Apps Tabs
The App Store is also the world's best game store, with dedicated experiences for games and apps that inform and engage customers through recommendations on new releases and updates, videos, top charts, and handpicked collections and categories. Both tabs also feature app preview videos that autoplay with muted audio as customers scroll through the tabs, and selected in-app purchases — which customers can start buying directly on the App Store.
Promoted In-App Purchases
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Customers can browse in-app purchases directly on the App Store and start a purchase even before downloading your app, helping your app's content gain exposure. You can promote up to 20 in-app purchases, including subscriptions, on your app's product page. They can also appear in search results and may be featured by our editorial team.
For details, see Promoting Your In-App Purchases.
Discover
Discover is where customers find the best new releases and updates on the Mac App Store. Each week, our editors shine a light on incredible apps and games with in-depth stories, behind-the-scenes interviews, and curated collections to help customers do more of what they love with their Mac.
Create
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Create is where customers find powerful apps that make creating on a Mac intuitive, efficient, and fun, with helpful tips and tours that even experts will find useful.
Work
Work is where we showcase new favorites that support focus and organization. With curated collections and how-tos from our editors, finding the right business, productivity, and utility apps is easy.
Play
Play is where we highlight great games and entertainment apps, with recommendations of new releases, all-time favorites, and handpicked collections.
Develop
Develop is where our editors curate the best developer tools and utilities to help bring your creativity and imagination to customers around the world.
Getting Featured
App Store editors write stories that showcase apps in interesting and informative ways. Our editors base their decisions on a variety of factors, all of which amount to a great product that customers will love. There is no paid placement or checklist of requirements for apps we write about or feature.
Stories.App Store editors talk about apps that have a unique story for example, a behind-the-scenes look at how a developer launched an app that disrupted an industry or how an app helped a customer solve a unique problem.
Apps and Games. When considering apps to feature, our editors look for high-quality apps across all categories, with a particular focus on new apps and apps with significant updates. Factors that our editors consider include:
- UI design: the usability, appeal, and overall quality of the app
- User experience: the efficiency and functionality of the app
- Innovation: apps that solve a unique problem for customers
- Localizations: high-quality and relevant
- Accessibility: well-integrated features
- App Store product page: compelling screenshots, app previews, and descriptions
- Uniqueness
For games, editors also consider:
- Gameplay and level of engagement
- Graphics and performance
- Audio
- Narrative and story depth
- Ability to replay
- Gameplay controls
Tell us your story.
If your app has a unique story that our editorial team should know, tell us about it. For new apps or a significant update, let us know six to eight weeks in advance of your launch.