Apple Imac Late2015 Essentials Manual

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Use your iMac and iOS devices together
Continuity
With Continuity, you can seamlessly move among your iOS devices and your iMac. Just sign in to 
your iCloud account on your iMac and your iOS devices, and whenever they’re near each other, 
they work together in great ways. Continuity features described in this section include Handoff, 
Universal Clipboard, iPhone cellular calls, SMS messaging, and Instant Hotspot. 
Other Continuity features include Auto Unlock (see Unlock your iMac with Apple Watch), Apple 
Pay (see Apple Pay), and AirDrop (see AirDrop). For a list of system requirements for devices that 
support Continuity, see the Apple Support article support.apple.com/HT204689.
Handoff
With Handoff, you can pick up on one device where you left off on another. Work on a 
presentation on your iMac, then continue on your iPad. Or start an email message on your 
iPhone, then finish it on your iMac. View a message on your Apple Watch, and respond to it on 
your iMac. You don’t have to worry about transferring files. When your iMac and devices are near 
each other, an icon appears in the Dock whenever an activity is being handed off; to continue, 
just click the icon.
Click to continue what you were doing on your iPhone\f
Turn on Handoff on your iMac. Click the System Preferences icon  in the Dock, click General, 
then select “Allow Handoff between this Mac and your iCloud devices.”
Turn on Handoff on your iOS device. Go to Settings > General > Handoff & Suggested Apps, 
then tap to turn on Handoff. If you don’t see the option, your iOS device doesn’t support Handoff.
Turn on Handoff on your Apple Watch. In the Apple Watch app on iPhone, go to Settings > 
General, then tap to turn on Enable Handoff.
Note:  To use Handoff, you need an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with the Lightning connector and 
iOS 8 (or later) installed. Make sure your iMac and iOS device have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on 
and are signed in to the same iCloud account.
Handoff works with Safari, Mail, Calendar, Contacts, Maps, Messages, Notes, Reminders, Keynote, 
Numbers, and Pages.
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Universal Clipboard
Copy content from one device, and paste it into another nearby device within a short period of 
time. The contents of your clipboard are sent over Wi-Fi and made available to all Mac and iOS 
devices logged in with the same Apple ID that have Handoff, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth turned on. See 
Handoff for more information.
Note:  To use Universal Clipboard, you need an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with the Lightning 
connector and iOS 10 (or later) installed.
Use across apps. You can copy and paste images, text, photos, and video between any apps that 
support copy and paste on your Mac, iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
Phone calls
You can take calls—and make them—right from your iMac.
Note:  A Wi-Fi connection is required in order to make or receive phone calls on your iMac.
Take a call. When someone calls your iPhone, click the notification that appears on your iMac 
screen. Your iMac becomes a speakerphone.
Make a call. Click a phone number in a Spotlight search or in an app such as FaceTime, Contacts, 
Safari, or Calendar. A nearby device (iPhone, iPad) with a cellular connection is required in order 
to make phone calls.
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Text messages
Send and receive SMS and MMS text messages right from your iMac. When friends and family 
text you, you can respond with whichever device is closest. All messages appear on your iMac, 
iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Apple Watch.
Note:  To set up this feature, go to Messages > Preferences and click Accounts.
Instant Hotspot
Lost your Wi-Fi connection? Use the Personal Hotspot on your iPhone or iPad to connect your 
iMac to the Internet.
Note:  Personal Hotspot requires an iPhone or a cellular model iPad, with iOS 8 or later.
Connect to your device’s Personal Hotspot. Click the Wi-Fi status icon  i n the menu bar, then 
choose your iPhone or iPad from the list of devices that appears. (You don’t need to do anything 
on your device—iMac connects automatically.)
Check the status of your connection. Look in the Wi-Fi status menu to see the strength of the 
cellular signal.
When you’re not using the hotspot, your iMac disconnects to save battery life.
To learn more about using Instant Hotspot, messages, phone calls, Universal Clipboard, 
and Handoff with your iMac, open Mac Help (see Mac Help). See the Apple Support article 
support.apple.com/HT204681 or go to www.apple.com/osx/continuity.
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Apple Pay
The convenience and security of Apple Pay is now available on your Mac. With Apple Pay, your 
credit or debit card information is never stored or shared by Apple with the merchant. When you 
shop online using Safari, look for a “Buy with Apple Pay” button. Confirm payment using your 
iPhone or Apple Watch.
Note:  For information about Apple Pay availability and current card issuers, see the Apple Support 
articles support.apple.com//HT204916 and www.apple.com/apple-pay/where-to-use-apple-pay .
Set up Apple Pay. Apple Pay uses the credit or debit cards you’ve already set up on your iPhone 
or Apple Watch, so no extra setup is required. You must be signed in to an iPhone or Apple 
Watch that has Apple Pay set up with the same Apple ID you’re using on your iMac. The default 
payment card, shipping, and contact information that is set on your iPhone or Apple Watch will 
be used for purchases on your Mac.
Make a purchase. Click the Apple Pay button on the website, then to confirm the payment, use 
Touch ID or the passcode on your iPhone, or double-click the side button on your unlocked 
Apple Watch.
For more information about using Apple Pay, see the Apple Support article 
support.apple.com/HT201239 .
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AirDrop
AirDrop makes it easy to share files with nearby Mac computers and iOS devices. The devices 
don’t need to share the same Apple ID.
Note:  AirDrop for iOS requires devices that have the Lightning connector and iOS 7 or later. 
Not all older Macs support AirDrop (for a list of supported Macs, see the Apple Support article 
support.apple.com/HT203106).
Send a file from the Finder. Click the Finder icon  in the Dock, then click AirDrop in the sidebar 
on the left. When the person you want to send a file to appears in the window, drag the file to 
him or her.
Send a file from an app. While using an app like Pages or Preview, click the Share button 
 and 
choose AirDrop. 
Control who can send items to you using AirDrop. Click the Finder icon 
 in the Dock, click 
AirDrop in the sidebar, then click “Allow me to be discovered by” and choose an option.
When you send a file to someone, the recipient can choose whether or not to accept the file. 
When someone sends you a file, you can find it in the Downloads folder on your iMac.
 Tip: If you don’t see the recipient in the AirDrop window, make sure both devices have 
AirDrop and Bluetooth turned on and are within 30 feet (9 meters) of each other.
To learn more about AirDrop, go to Mac Help (see Mac Help). 
AirPrint
You can use AirPrint to print wirelessly to:
 •An AirPrint-enabled printer on your Wi-Fi network
 •A network printer or printer shared by another Mac on your Wi-Fi network
 •A printer connected to the USB port of an AirPort base station
Print to an AirPrint printer. When you print from an app, click the Printers pop-up menu in the 
Print dialog, choose Nearby Printers, then choose an AirPrint printer. 
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Can’t find the printer you’re looking for? Make sure it’s connected to the same Wi-Fi network as 
your iMac. If it is connected and you still don’t see it, try adding it: Click the System Preferences 
icon 
 in the Dock, click Printers & Scanners, then click Add . (You may have to temporarily 
connect the printer to your iMac using a USB cable.)
For a list of AirPrint-enabled printers and other supported printers, see the Apple Support articles 
support.apple.com/kb/HT201311 and support.apple.com/kb/HT201465 .
AirPlay
Show whatever’s on your iMac on the big screen using AirPlay Mirroring. Connect your HDTV to 
Apple TV, and make sure the Apple TV is on the same Wi-Fi network as your iMac to mirror the 
iMac screen on your TV screen or use the HDTV as a second display. You can also play some web 
videos directly on your HDTV without showing what’s on your desktop—handy when you want 
to play a movie but keep your work private.
Mirror your desktop using AirPlay Mirroring. Click the AirPlay icon  in the menu bar, then 
choose your Apple TV. When an AirPlay display is active, the icon turns blue.
In some cases, you can use an AirPlay display even if you’re not on the same Wi-Fi network as 
Apple TV (called  peer-to-peer AirPlay). To use peer-to-peer AirPlay, you need an Apple TV (3rd 
generation rev A, model A1469 or later) with Apple TV software 7.0 or later.
Play web videos without showing your desktop. When you find a web video with an AirPlay 
icon 
, click the icon, then select your Apple TV. 
 Tip: If the image doesn’t fit your HDTV screen when you mirror the screen, adjust the desktop 
size for the best picture. Click the AirPlay icon 
, then choose an option under “Match Desktop 
Size To.”
Apple TV is sold separately at apple.com or your local Apple Store.
To learn more about AirPlay, go to Mac Help (see Mac Help). To learn more about using a second 
display with your iMac, see Use an external display .
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Migrate your data
It’s easy to move your files and settings from another Mac or PC to your iMac. To transfer the data 
when you first set up your iMac, use Setup Assistant. To transfer data later, you can use Migration 
Assistant. If both computers are connected to the same Wi-Fi network, you can transfer the 
data wirelessly.
 Tip: For best results, make sure your iMac is running the latest version of macOS. To check 
for software updates, click the App Store icon 
 in the Dock, then click Updates in the App 
Store toolbar.
If you used Time Machine to back up your files from another Mac to a storage device (such as an 
AirPort Time Capsule or an external disk), you can copy the files from the device to your iMac.
Use Migration Assistant. Open a Finder window, go to Applications > Utilities, then double-
click Migration Assistant. Follow the onscreen instructions. For more information, see the Apple 
Support article support.apple.com/en-us/HT204350.
You can transfer data from a Thunderbolt-equipped Mac to your new iMac using a Thunderbolt 
cable. Put the Mac you want to migrate data from in Target Disk Mode by restarting it while 
holding down the T key. Then connect the two computers using a Thunderbolt cable, and open 
Migration Assistant on your iMac. Select “From a Mac, Time Machine backup, or startup disk” 
when asked how you want to transfer your information, click Continue, then select the disk you 
want to transfer information from.
Use Target Disk Mode. You can transfer data from a Thunderbolt-equipped Mac to your new 
iMac using a Thunderbolt cable. Put the Mac you want to migrate data from in Target Disk 
Mode by restarting it while holding down the T key. Then connect the two computers using 
a Thunderbolt cable, and open Migration Assistant on your iMac. Select “From a Mac, Time 
Machine backup, or startup disk” when asked how you want to transfer your information, click 
Continue, then select the disk you want to transfer information from.
 Tip: For fastest migration, connect your old computer to iMac with a cable (for example, a 
Thunderbolt cable). If you migrate wirelessly, you’ll get best results if you keep both computers 
near each other throughout the migration process.
Copy files from a storage device. 
Connect the device to the USB 3 port  or Thunderbolt 2 
port  on your iMac, then manually drag files to your iMac.
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Save space on your iMac
macOS Sierra frees up space on your iMac and helps you save space as you work. You can set 
options to free up even more space on your iMac. 
Optimize storage. Set options in the Recommendations pane. Go to Apple menu > About This 
Mac, click Storage, then click Details. When your Mac is low on storage, you’ll see an alert that will 
open the Recommendations pane.
Set options to:
 •Optimize iCloud Storage: 
 •Store files in iCloud, where they stay secure and available. You can turn on iCloud Drive to 
store files on your desktop and in your Documents folder in iCloud.
 •Turn on iCloud Photo Library to store items from the Photos app in iCloud.
For more information, see Access your content anywhere with iCloud .
 •Optimize Storage: Remove iTunes movies and TV shows you’ve watched, and keep only recent 
email attachments.
 •Erase Trash Automatically: Automatically erase items that have been in the Trash for more than 
30 days.
 •Reduce Clutter: Review documents and delete older ones stored on your iMac.
macOS Sierra also prevents you from downloading the same file twice from Safari, alerts you to 
remove installer software when you finish installing a new app, clears logs and caches that are 
safe to remove when you’re low on storage, and more, to help you save space as you work.
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Back up and restore
To keep your files safe, it’s important to back up your iMac regularly. The easiest way to back up is 
to use Time Machine—which is built into your iMac—with a wireless AirPort Time Capsule (sold 
separately), or an external storage device connected to your iMac.
Files stored in iCloud Drive and photos in iCloud Photo Library are automatically backed up to 
the cloud and don’t need to be part of your Time Machine or other backup.
Set up Time Machine. Make sure your iMac is on the same Wi-Fi network as your AirPort Time 
Capsule, or connect your storage device to your iMac. Then click the System Preferences icon 
 
in the Dock, click Time Machine, then click On. Select the drive you want to use for backup, and 
you’re all set.
Time Machine:
 •Automatically backs up your entire iMac, including system files, apps, accounts, preferences, 
music, photos, movies, and documents.
 •Remembers how your computer looked on any given day, so you can revisit your iMac as it 
appeared in the past or retrieve an older version of a document.
 •Lets you restore your entire system from a Time Machine backup. So if anything happens to 
your iMac, your files and settings are safe and sound.
To learn more about backing up and restoring your iMac, go to Mac Help (see  Mac Help) and 
search for “Time Machine,” “external storage device,” “backup,” or “restore.” To learn more about 
AirPort Time Capsule, go to www.apple.com/airport-time-capsule .
AirPort Time Capsule is sold separately at apple.com or your local Apple Store.
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Apps
Included apps
Your iMac comes with a collection of great apps for things you do every day, like surfing the web, 
sending mail and messages, and arranging your calendar. It also comes with apps like Photos, 
iMovie, GarageBand, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote—so you can be creative and productive right 
from the start. The apps that come with your iMac are described in the following sections.
Find even more apps. Click the App Store icon  in the Dock to find apps for everything you 
want to do. See App Store to learn more.
Get help for any app. Click the Help menu (in the menu bar at the top of the screen) when 
you’re using an app.
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