New MacBook Air and Mac Studio Offer Easy Setup With a Nearby iPhone - MacRumors
Skip to Content

New MacBook Air and Mac Studio Offer Easy Setup With a Nearby iPhone

by

Apple today said it will be easier than ever to set up the new MacBook Air and Mac Studio models with a nearby iPhone or iPad.

MacBook Air Hello
Once the new MacBook Air or Mac Studio are updated to macOS Sequoia 15.4, which is set to be released in April, users will be able to simply bring their iPhone or iPad close to the Mac to quickly sign in to their Apple Account. This will simplify the process of getting the user's files, photos, messages, passwords, and more on to the new Mac.

An excerpt from Apple's press release for the new MacBook Air:

Next month, macOS Sequoia 15.4 will make it easier than ever to set up the new MacBook Air with iPhone. By simply bringing iPhone close to Mac, users can quickly and conveniently sign in to their Apple Account to get their files, photos, messages, passwords, and more on their new MacBook Air.

Apple's press release for the new Mac Studio has a nearly-identical paragraph.

We previously discovered that this feature might extend to at least some existing Mac models with the macOS Sequoia 15.4 update.

The nearby iPhone or iPad must be updated to iOS 18.4 or iPadOS 18.4 or newer. Those updates will also be released in April.

All of the software updates are currently in beta.

Related Roundups: Mac Studio, MacBook Air
Buyer's Guide: Mac Studio (Caution), MacBook Air (Buy Now)
Related Forums: Mac Studio, MacBook Air, macOS Sequoia

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.4 Adds Two New Features to CarPlay

Tuesday March 24, 2026 1:55 pm PDT by
iOS 26.4 was released today, and it includes a couple of new features for CarPlay: an Ambient Music widget and support for voice-based chatbot apps. To update your iPhone 11 or newer to iOS 26.4, open the Settings app and tap on General → Software Update. CarPlay will automatically offer the new features so long as the iPhone connected to your vehicle is running iOS 26.4 or later....
Read Full Article • 24 comments
Apple Business hero

Apple Unveils 'Apple Business' All-in-One Platform

Tuesday March 24, 2026 8:53 am PDT by
Apple today announced Apple Business, a new all-in-one platform that unifies device management, productivity tools, and customer outreach features. The service is designed to be a consolidated replacement for several of Apple's existing business-focused offerings, including Apple Business Essentials, Apple Business Manager, and Apple Business Connect. It provides organizations with a single...
Read Full Article • 46 comments
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 3, AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Tuesday March 24, 2026 12:31 pm PDT by
Apple today released new firmware for the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and the AirPods 4. The firmware has a version number of 8B39, up from 8B34 on the AirPods Pro 3, 8B28 on the AirPods Pro 2, and 8B21 on the AirPods 4. There is no word on what's included in the firmware, but Apple has a support document with limited notes. Most updates are limited to bug fixes and performance...
Read Full Article • 79 comments

Top Rated Comments

jz0309 Avatar
jz0309
14 months ago
I mean easier is better, but it is unclear how that would apply when you upgrade from an existing Mac.
For folks who get their first Mac or maybe don’t want to transfer from old to new this seems very helpful.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
surfzen21 Avatar
surfzen21
14 months ago

Does anybody actually use Windows any more?

The people who have used it for decades and are too stubborn to switch to Mac. Believe me, there’s a longtime Windows user in my family that tried out an iMac but came back to PC.

I don't think I'm particularly stubborn, I prefer my Macs for some things, Windows for others. People are so judgy here
I am OS fluid..

Sometimes I am a Mac.

Sometimes I am a PC and sometimes I am even a Linux 😲

I am tying this on a PC.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sw1tcher Avatar
sw1tcher
14 months ago

Once the new MacBook Air or Mac Studio are updated to macOS Sequoia 15.4, which is set to be released in April, users will be able to simply bring their iPhone or iPad close to the Mac to quickly sign in to their Apple Account.

The nearby iPhone or iPad must be updated to iOS 18.4 or iPadOS 18.4 or newer. Those updates will also be released in April.

Will be testing this out next Monday when I pick up my 15" MBA M4.

:cool:
Next Monday is April?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Chungry Avatar
Chungry
14 months ago

The people who have used it for decades and are too stubborn to switch to Mac. Believe me, there’s a longtime Windows user in my family that tried out an iMac but came back to PC.
I don't think I'm particularly stubborn, I prefer my Macs for some things, Windows for others. People are so judgy here
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
awshucks Avatar
awshucks
14 months ago
Take that, Windows!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Chungry Avatar
Chungry
14 months ago

My condolences.
Oh no! I feel so bad for myself over here, look at me with my paltry i9 with 192GB of RAM and a GeForce 5090. Oh the horror, I can play games and run any cad program without a compromise. Have mercy 🙏 on me, there's a Mac Studio sitting on top for everything else I could ever need 😆 the huge manatees!

Some people are so petty
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments