Set up your MacBook Air
To set up your MacBook Air, just unbox it—and you’re ready to go.
Step 1: Turn on your Mac
Open the lid and you’re ready to set up your MacBook Air.
Step 2: Plug in your Mac
Your MacBook Air battery comes charged, so you can start using your new Mac immediately. To fully charge the battery, or if you plan to transfer data to your new Mac, connect it to a power outlet using a power adapter and the cable that came in the box.
You’ll know the battery is charging when 
appears in the menu bar. For more information about charging the battery, see Charge the MacBook Air battery.
Step 3: Follow the instructions in Setup Assistant
Setup Assistant gets you up and running quickly by guiding you through the initial setup of your MacBook Air, such as connecting to your Wi-Fi network, transferring your data, setting up accessibility features, and creating a user account.
Note: You need an internet connection to complete certain portions of Setup Assistant. You may also need to update your Mac as part of the initial setup. For the best experience, ensure you have access to an internet connection before setting up your Mac.
To get started, scroll to select a language, then go to the next step. If you’re not sure how to scroll on a Mac, just slide two fingers up and down on your trackpad. See below for more information about each step of Setup Assistant.
Tip: For more information on the different parts of Setup Assistant, press and hold the Command key while you click any of the links below to open them in a new tab in Safari.
 Choose how to set up your Mac You can set up your Mac with an iPhone or iPad; transfer data from another Mac, a Time Machine backup, or a startup disk; transfer data from a Windows PC; or you can set up your Mac as new. |  Turn on Accessibility features Choose accessibility options for vision, hearing, mobility, speech, and cognition, or click Not Now to skip and set up later. |
 Connect to a Wi-Fi network Choose your Wi-Fi network and enter the password, if necessary. If you’re using Ethernet, you can also click Other Network options and follow the onscreen instructions. |  Create your computer account and password Set your username and password to unlock your Mac or approve other actions. To create one, enter your name, then create a password. If you want your Mac to have multiple users, you can add more users and groups later. |
 Sign in to your Apple Account If you already have another Apple device, you likely have an Apple Account—simply sign in using the email address or phone number and password. If you don’t have an Apple Account, you can create one. |  Finish setting up your Mac When your accounts are set up, follow the onscreen instructions to customize settings like Location Services, Screen Time, Apple Intelligence, Siri, Touch ID, and more. |
What’s next?
When Setup Assistant is done, a Welcome message informs you that your new MacBook Air is ready to use. Check out the links below for some ideas on what to do next:
Take a tour of MacBook Air to learn about the different ports and hardware features of your MacBook Air.
To continue to make your Mac your own, see Set up your accounts and Personalize the look of your Mac.
If you’re new to Mac and aren’t sure where to get started, see Are you new to Mac? and Switched from Windows to Mac.