With iOS 18.4, Apple Quietly Introduced 1 of Its Best Features Yet
Posted by @JASONATEN on Tuesday, April 8, 2025 Under: Technical Analysis
This week, Apple rolled out iOS 18.4, the latest update to the software on your iPhone. There are new emojis, improvements to RCS messaging, and several new Apple Intelligence features, but there’s one that isn’t getting nearly as much attention as I would expect, especially considering how great it is for users.
Technically, it’s a feature of macOS 15.4, but if you also have an iPhone running iOS 18.4, you can now use your iPhone to set up a new Mac.
Image courtesy Apple
The requirements are pretty simple. You need a Mac using macOS Sequoia 15.4 or later that starts up to the Mac Setup Assistant and a nearby iPhone or iPad using iOS or iPadOS 18.4 or later that has already been set up. You’ll also need to be sure Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are turned on for both devices.
Listen, I get that this might not seem like much, but it’s honestly up there with some of the best macOS features ever. I think you can argue that anything that makes it easier to get started using a new device is a good thing. Apple makes it incredibly easy to set up a Mac, especially compared with Windows. One of the most frustratingly hilarious videos I’ve watched recently is someone setting up both a new MacBook Air and a Windows Surface Laptop.
If you’re setting up a new Mac and transferring all of your old information, it has been a pretty easy process using Migration Assistant for years. There are, however, a lot of people who may not have a Mac but do have an iPhone.
In fact, there are far more people who have iPhones and probably a lot of people who have iPads who have never had a Mac. Now, setting one up for the first time will be easier. That makes switching to a MacBook Air from a Chromebook, for example, a more viable option. The easier Apple makes it to buy and set up your first Mac, the better it is for Apple’s business.
The other reason this is such a great feature is that this is exactly the kind of thing Apple does best. Apple is better than anyone at making it delightfully simple and fun to use a computer.
I meant it when I said this is up there with some of the best macOS features of all time. AirDrop, Continuity Camera, Universal Clipboard, Sidecar—all of these are the types of features that Apple builds into its products that make being a part of the ecosystem so valuable. They are the kinds of things that “just work,” meaning you don’t have to think about them at all; you just use your computer, and it does what you expect.
That’s why people love using Apple products. If you’ve just bought a Mac for the first time, getting it set up is the kind of thing that could seem overwhelming. Now, Apple just simplified the whole thing. You just turn it on, and your Mac asks if you want to use your iPhone to sign in to your Apple Account and sync your iCloud data.
To be clear, some things won’t transfer, even if you already have a Mac. For example, any third-party Mac apps that you’ve previously downloaded or purchased from a developer’s website will have to be re-downloaded individually. Any apps from the Mac App Store will also have to be downloaded, though it’s a pretty simple process when you’re logged into your Apple Account.
Likewise, if you use a service like Dropbox for your files, you’ll have to install the app and download your content. Of course, if you already have a Mac, you can just use Migration Assistant to transfer your information directly to your new Mac.
The lesson here is pretty simple: Making things easier for your customers turns out to be pretty good for business. Apple just eliminated the friction of setting up a new Mac, which delights its customers and encourages more people to buy Macs. It’s why this is one of its best features yet.
In : Technical Analysis
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