M4 Pro MacBook Pro data migration to M5 Pro MacBook Pro steps

[eva2000]

I currently have a 14" MacBook Pro M4 Pro I want to migrate its data to my new 16" MacBook Pro M5 Pro that arrived yesterday. Both laptops have 48 GB of memory with a 1 TB drive. I found the official Migration Assistant guide at https://support.apple.com/en-au/102613

However, the intention is to use both laptops concurrently, so I'm not getting rid of my M4 Pro laptop. Any tips or gotchas that I need to be aware of in the migration guide to be able to sync data between both laptops when I use them concurrently over time?

1. I use laptops for work and a lot of AI coding etc (Codex/Claude Code) so customized ~/.zshrc on M4 Pro and Homebrew, npm packages are installed. Will the Migration Assistant also migrate that data over to the M5 Pro.
2. Should my existing M5 Pro laptop use the same username as the old M4 Pro, or should I create a new username if I plan to use both laptops concurrently?
3. How are other folks syncing data and configuration files across different MacBooks that they use concurrently?
4. My MacBook M4 Pro is using MacOS 15.7.7, while the new MacBook M5 Pro, I assume, is using MacOS 26. Is that okay for Migration Assistant or should I upgrade my M4 Pro to MacOS 26 first? Official guide does say "Make sure macOS is up to date on each Mac. It’s not necessary for each Mac to be using the same version of macOS."

 

[DottySr]

My use is not mission critical, however, this is my experience.

I have a M4 Max Mac Studio, a Pro MacBook Pro, and a Mac M4 Mini, the Studio and the Mini source was a M1 Mac Mini. The Pro MacBook Pro source was an Intel Macbook Pro. I also have an iPad in my 'workflow.’ The workstation and laptop data has moved over just fine. I use iCloud services and Dropbox to handle shared information. This hasn’t been an issue.

One key aspect is that I close any active work on one before I move to another device, in case I choose to actively work on the same material.

Because I’ve had _experiences_ which I blame on specific apps, not iCloud or Dropbox, I take special care with a few of them.

An example is Scrivener, which is a writing tool. I don’t rely on its sync capability due to experiences over years I can no longer articulate. Basically, I don’t trust it in my use case. Instead, I have all instances of the app point to the same directory in which its auto-backup files are maintained. When moving to a different machine, I also manually backup to the same directory before closing the app. On the other machine, I copy over the latest backup zip file to a local file, open the zip and open the target file.

I do the same thing with my music score library (formerly ForScore, now MobileSheets.) This one is more ‘mission critical’ in that I rehearse and perform with a community orchestra. Same thing with these. I’m careful when I add or mark up a score on my iPad to make a back up when I’m done, then, on the Studio restore from that backup. Or vice versa.

All these apps — Scrivener, ForScore and MobileSheets have sync capabilities which, theoretically, should be easier than my backup/restore route. I could give it another try, in hopes that any teething issues are resolved, but the lack of trust lingers.

I do have to consider when to update on my Studio, as I have music devices whose drivers, historically, needed updates after some OS updates. So, it’s possible the Studio, the Mini, the laptop and iPad aren’t at the same versions of 26 (at the moment they are.)

 

[Fishrrman]

Do you currently maintain a backup drive?
It can be time machine, CarbonCopyCloner, SuperDuper.
The cloned backup apps are better, in my opinion.

My recomendations (if you follow them, your chances for success are 96% or better):

1. When the new Mac arrives, take it out of the box and put it on the table. DO NOT open the lid yet.

2. On the OLD Mac ... run "your final backup" to the external backup drive.

3. When done, take the backup and connect it to the NEW Mac.

4. NOW press the power on button or open the lid on the laptop.

5. It will boot to the setup assistant. Start clicking through.

6. At the appropriate moment, SA will ask if you wish to migrate from another Mac or drive. YES, you do, so "point the way" to the backup and give SA time to "digest" everything.

7. I suggest that you just accept the defaults and "migrate everything". Turn SA loose and let it go to work.

8. Depending on how much stuff is on the old Mac, the copying may take a little while, so be patient.

9. When done, you should see your old login screen. So... log in and "look around" ...

Good luck!

 

[eva2000]

Cheers folks for your tips. If I use same user account on both laptops and have iCloud backups enabled, do both laptops get separate state backups in iCloud? So on restore I can pick which laptop's backup to restore from?

Or would I need separate user name accounts for this?

 

[benholt]

Same-username on two Macs is actually the setup I've run for a few years now, Studio + 16" MBP. Quick clarification on your follow-up: macOS doesn't do "iCloud Backup" the way iOS does. What you get is iCloud Drive sync (Desktop + Documents if you opt in), Photos sync, Keychain sync, etc. — those keep the two machines in step live, they're not point-in-time backups you can pick from later. For a real restore point you'd use Time Machine to an external drive per-machine; each Mac writes its own backup set tagged by hostname, so you can plug one drive into either laptop and pick the correct set at restore time. On the dotfiles/homebrew question: nothing under /opt/homebrew or ~/Library/Application Support/Homebrew rides iCloud, so you'll rebuild that on the M5 either way. I keep .zshrc and a small setup script in a private git repo — cleaner than syncing dotfiles through iCloud since two machines editing the same file concurrently gets messy fast.

 

[Fishrrman]

With two Macs -- even if they have the same username and password -- each Mac will see the other as an "alien" (not the same). Identical account names and passwords don't matter.

I don't use iCloud, but I'm going to GUESS that if you have two Macs with the same username/password, you will have two "separate" iCloud backups, and they may NOT be "interchangeable".

If you want a simple, easy migration -- then KEEP things simple.
Don't introuduce variables like iCloud, etc., that have the potential to mess things up.

Go back and follow the instructions I posted in reply 3 above.
They will "get you where you need to go".

 

[Brian33]

My experience fits @benholt 's comments above. I have the same local Mac account name on 5 different Macs, all signed into the same Apple Account in System Settings. I've never had an issue.

Although I don't use the Desktop & Documents in iCloud feature, I do use the other iCloud features like iCloud Drive, Photos, Contacts, Calendars, etc. Those are all synchronized so they are the same on all the Macs.

nothing under /opt/homebrew or ~/Library/Application Support/Homebrew rides iCloud, so you'll rebuild that on the M5 either way.

Migration Assistant may copy Homebrew files. In the past I've used MA several times and it did migrate my Homebrew setup, which was in '/usr/local' (where Homebrew used to install itself). I had no Homebrew problems. I can't say whether it will migrate /opt/homebrew, but I susepect it will if you use Migration Assistant's checkbox labeled "Other Files and Folders".

My MacBook M4 Pro is using MacOS 15.7.7, while the new MacBook M5 Pro, I assume, is using MacOS 26. Is that okay for Migration Assistant or should I upgrade my M4 Pro to MacOS 26 first?

Yes, that's OK -- there's no need to upgrade your M4 to macOS 26.

I've done similar moves with Migration Assistant and never had a problem, even when the OS versions were two or three versions apart.

 

[ignatius345]

An example is Scrivener, which is a writing tool. I don’t rely on its sync capability due to experiences over years I can no longer articulate. Basically, I don’t trust it in my use case.

Slightly off topic, but every single time I’ve looked at Scrivener (I’m a Ulysses user), its very hokey sync system has stopped me dead in my tracks. I jump between two Macs and occasionally an iPhone, so seamless sync is top priority. I check in every year or so to see if they’ve overhauled it, but it seems to be kind of frozen in 2010 or so, sync-wise.

 

[ignatius345]

Do you currently maintain a backup drive?

I would just connect the two Macs directly via a good Thunderbolt cable. That’s what I did last time I upgraded from an M1 to M4 iMac (with about 750 GB of data to move) and it was blisteringly fast.

Not that it’s bad to have a backup, but if you have both Macs in front of you there’s just no reason not to migrate directly IMO.

How are other folks syncing data and configuration files across different MacBooks that they use concurrently?

One thing I really love that I set up is that I took my Sublime Text user folder (~/Library/Application Support/Sublime Text) and moved it to a folder that I sync with iCloud Drive, then put a symlink to that in its default location so it points to the synced folder. Did this on both my Macs. Now when I change the settings on one Mac, it syncs over immediately to the other. There may be things you can do on your system to sync settings files like this, if it’s helpful?

 

[chrfr]

Cheers folks for your tips. If I use same user account on both laptops and have iCloud backups enabled, do both laptops get separate state backups in iCloud? So on restore I can pick which laptop's backup to restore from?

Or would I need separate user name accounts for this?

iCloud Backup is a feature for iOS and iPadOS devices. You can sync data on Macs with iCloud but it's not a backup the way it is for iPhones and iPads and you cannot select a device from iCloud on a Mac the way you do when setting up an iPhone or iPad.