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Welcome to the "Setting up your new Apple desktop computer" course. We'll set up a new Apple computer. The steps in this video will look the same whether you are following along on a brand-new computer or a second-hand one that's been reset.
If you see the previous owner's Login screen, you'll need to delete their account and all the files and data on the computer so it's safe for you to use as your own computer. To learn how to do this, close this video and go to the "Resetting your pre-owned Apple desktop computer" course.
If you see a screen that asks you to confirm your country, then you are ready to begin setting up your Apple computer. If Australia isn't already selected, click on it so that it's highlighted in blue.
[eSafety tip] It's safe to tell your computer that you live in Australia. This doesn't give out your home address, and it makes sure your computer gets all the right updates and information for Australia.
With Australia selected, click Continue to see some Accessibility options. You can click on each category to explore how it can help make it easier to set up and use your computer.
You can learn more about these features in the "Apple desktop: Accessibility" course, so for this demonstration, we'll click Not Now.
Now it's time to get connected to the internet using Wi-Fi, so make sure you have your home Wi-Fi name and password handy. If you haven't changed them, these details should be written on the bottom of your home router. Look for your home Wi-Fi name in the list of available networks. When you find it, click on it.
Now, Password appears to the right of the list of networks. Type the password for your home Wi-Fi network into the box below. Be careful to enter the password exactly, matching all capital letters and symbols. Unfortunately, you won't be able to see the password as you type it. This is good security, but it's hard to tell if you make a mistake. When you're done, click Continue on the bottom right of the panel.
If you see a message saying the connection could not be configured, you may have entered the password incorrectly. Don't worry, just click Try Again then retype the password and try connecting again.
Once you've successfully connected to Wi-Fi, your computer will move on to the Data & Privacy screen. This screen will inform you that your computer will sometimes ask for personal details and explains what that information is used for. Click Learn More to read the details. Click OK to return to the Data & Privacy screen. When you are ready to proceed, click on Continue to go to the next screen.
If you've made a backup of another computer, you can copy it to this Mac using the Migration Assistant. For this demonstration though, we'll click Not Now in the bottom left of the panel, to set up this computer with a clean slate.
If you own another Apple device, such as an iPhone or iPad, then you probably already have an Apple ID account. An Apple ID is the username for an account that lets you access Apple services. It lets you buy apps, use your Apple computer to pay for things, back up your photos, and secure your personal details. If you already have an Apple ID, you can sign in here using your Apple ID and password. Once you've signed in, you can fast forward this video a few minutes. When you see the Terms and Conditions screen, you can start following along with the steps again.
If you don't have an Apple ID, we're going to show how to create an account. To create an Apple ID, click Create new Apple ID. Now you'll need to add some information about yourself.
[eSafety tip] It's okay to provide your personal information during the Apple ID setup, as this ensures that only you can use your Apple ID.
Using the drop-down menus, enter your Date of birth. Once you've filled in these dates, click Continue. Now, enter your First Name and Last Name. The email address you enter here will become your Apple ID. Enter your email address. We've used an existing email address for this demonstration, but if you want to create a free email address at iCloud.com, just click Get a free iCloud email address.
Next, you'll need to create a strong password for your new Apple ID. A strong password should have at least eight characters, including letters, numbers, and capitals. Don't use the same password as any other email or account when choosing a password for your Apple ID. This makes it harder for others to guess your password and get access to your information. You should also keep a secure record of your Apple ID, email address, and password in a safe place.
In the box next to Password, carefully type your password. Then, type it again in the box below to confirm it.
If you do not wish to receive emails from Apple, tick the little blue tick box next to Announcements to unselect it. Click Continue.
You'll now have to enter your mobile phone number. Apple will use this to verify your identity by sending a unique security code to your phone each time you log into your Apple ID account. You simply enter the code you've been sent to log in.
[eSafety tip] Apple will only use your phone number to send you this security code. Apple will never call you and ask for your personal information, and they will never ask you to click a link in a text message. If you are receiving a call or a text message claiming to be from Apple and asking you to click a link or share your personal information, it's probably a scam.
+61 Australia should already be selected in the box next to phone number. If it isn't, click the blue arrows and select Australia from the list of options. Then, type your mobile phone number in the next box.
If you don't have a mobile phone, you can enter your home number and click the Phone call option rather than Text message. Apple will send an automated phone call to your landline when it needs to, so you can still receive security codes.
Once you've entered your phone number, click Continue. Apple will now send a six-digit code to your phone. Once you receive it, type the numbers into the box to verify your phone number. If the code is correct, the Terms and Conditions screen will appear. This screen presents Apple's Terms and Conditions. Once you've read them and are ready, click on Agree.
Your computer wants to be sure, so click Agree in the pop-up message to confirm.
Your computer may take a few minutes to create your new Apple ID, so sit tight until the next screen loads.
Now it's time to create a computer account. This is different to the Apple ID account we just created. It requires a username and password to protect your computer from being used without your permission. You will need to enter the password each time you sign in to your computer. Let's get started.
If you set up or logged in with an Apple ID in a previous step, your details will already have been added to this screen. If they do not appear, you can type your first and last name in the box next to Full name. Then click in the box next to Account name and your computer will suggest an account name for you, but you can change it if you want.
Now, let's click on the box next to Password to create a strong password. This is the password you'll use to unlock your computer. Make sure it's different to the Apple ID password you created earlier in this course. Once you've entered your password, click the next box and type it again to verify it. There's also the option to add a hint to help you remember your password. Hints can be helpful if you forget your password, but just be sure it isn't obvious for someone to guess. We're going to enter first pet as a hint. If you've forgotten your password and the hint doesn't help you remember, you can reset your password and unlock your computer using your Apple ID. It's a handy feature, so we'll leave this box ticked.
You will also notice that your computer has selected an image for your account. This will appear next to your name each time you log into your computer. If you want to change it, just click it and a pop-up will appear. Click Suggestions to see some alternative pictures. If you find one you like, click on it and then click Save to set it. You can find out more about this feature in the "Apple desktop: System Settings" course.
When you are ready to proceed, click on Continue to go to the next screen. Now your computer will set up Apple's iCloud. This is a service provided by Apple that lets you store files online, which is handy as you can access them on other devices like an iPhone or iPad, as well as your computer. You don't have to do anything here, just wait for it to finish.
This next screen offers to enable iCloud Keychain. This is a feature where Apple can store your credit card details and passwords and autofill them for you, so you don't have to fill them in manually. You can learn more about this in the "Advanced online security" courses. For this demonstration, we won't enable this feature, so we'll select the circle next to Set up later. Click Continue to advance to the Location Services screen.
Location Services helps Apple determine the approximate location of your computer. You can click About Location Services to read more about this feature. And for this demonstration, we're going to turn this on by clicking the tick box next to Enable Location Services on this Mac.
Click Continue to advance to the Analytics screen. These next few screens deal with advanced features that you can always change later. For now, you can click the little blue tick box next to Share Mac Analytics with Apple to deselect this option, and click Continue to see the Screen Time options. On this panel, you can safely click Set Up Later in the bottom left. On the iCloud Analytics screen, leave the tick box unticked, and click Continue.
On the Siri screen, click on the little blue tick box to turn this feature off. You can find out more about this feature in the "Apple desktop: Accessibility" course.
When you are ready to proceed, click on Continue to go to the next screen. On the Improve Siri and Dictation screen, tick the circle next to Not Now, then click on Continue.
Your computer can encrypt your files and information to protect them from being accessed without permission. This is good security, so leave the tick boxes checked and click Continue.
The Choose Your Look screen is where you can decide between a Light, Dark, or Auto mode for your computer. For this demonstration, we'll stick with Light mode, as it's easier to read.
Then click on Continue. When you see your computer's main screen, or desktop, the setup is complete and your Apple computer is ready to use.
If you're unsure about any of the steps, you can rewind the video. If you're ready to move on, there are many other courses to explore on Be Connected to help you get the most from your computer.