Apple Macbook Air 13 Early2016 Essentials Manual

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Use your MacBook Air and iOS devices together
Continuity
With Continuity, you can seamlessly move among your iOS devices and your MacBook Air. Just 
sign in to your iCloud account on your MacBook Air 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 MacBook Air 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 MacBook Air, then continue on your iPad. Or start an email message on 
your iPhone, then finish it on your MacBook Air. View a message on your Apple Watch, and 
respond to it on your MacBook Air. You don’t have to worry about transferring files. When your 
MacBook Air 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 MacBook Air. 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 MacBook Air 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 MacBook Air.
Note:  A Wi-Fi connection is required in order to make or receive phone calls on your MacBook Air.
Take a call. When someone calls your iPhone, click the notification that appears on your 
MacBook Air screen. Your MacBook Air 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 MacBook Air. When friends and 
family text you, you can respond with whichever device is closest. All messages appear on your 
MacBook Air, 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 
MacBook Air 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 in the list of devices that appears. (You don’t need to do anything on 
your device—MacBook Air 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 MacBook Air disconnects to save battery life.
To learn more about using Instant Hotspot, messages, phone calls, Universal Clipboard, and 
Handoff with your MacBook Air, 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 MacBook Air. 
The default payment card, shipping, and contact information that is set on your iPhone or 
Apple Watch is 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 MacBook Air.
 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 Printer pop-up menu in the 
Print dialog, then choose a printer in the Nearby Printers list. 
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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 MacBook Air. If it’s 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 MacBook Air using a USB cable.)
For a list of AirPrint-enabled printers and other supported printers, see the Apple Support articles 
support.apple.com/HT201311 and support.apple.com/HT201465.
To learn more about AirPrint, go to Mac Help (see Mac Help). 
AirPlay
Show whatever’s on your MacBook Air screen 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 
MacBook Air to mirror the MacBook Air 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 your MacBook Air isn’t 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 MacBook Air, 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 MacBook Air. To transfer 
the data when you first set up your MacBook Air, 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 MacBook Air 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 
MacBook Air.
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 articles support.apple.com/HT204350 and support.apple.com/HT204087 .
Use Target Disk Mode. You can transfer data from a Thunderbolt-equipped Mac to your new 
MacBook Air 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 MacBook Air. 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 MacBook Air 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 MacBook Air, then manually drag files to your MacBook Air.
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Save space on your MacBook Air
macOS Sierra frees up space on your MacBook Air and helps you save space as you work. You can 
set options to free up more space on your MacBook Air.
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 MacBook Air.
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 MacBook Air regularly. The easiest way to 
back up is to use Time Machine—which is built into your MacBook Air—with a wireless AirPort 
Time Capsule (sold separately), or an external storage device connected to your MacBook Air.
Files stored in iCloud Drive and photos in iCloud Photo Library are automatically backed up to 
iCloud and don’t need to be part of your Time Machine or other backup.
Set up Time Machine. 
Make sure your MacBook Air is on the same Wi-Fi network as your 
AirPort Time Capsule, or connect your AirPort Time Capsule or external storage device to your 
MacBook Air. 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 everything on your MacBook Air, including system files, apps, accounts, 
preferences, music, photos, movies, and documents.
 •Remembers how everything looked on any given day, so you can revisit your MacBook Air as it 
appeared in the past or retrieve an older version of a document.
 •Lets you restore your MacBook Air from a Time Machine backup. So if anything happens to 
your MacBook Air, your files and settings are safe and sound.
To learn more about backing up and restoring your MacBook Air, 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 MacBook Air 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 MacBook Air 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 the app.
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