What Migration Assistant actually does (and what it does not)
Short answer: Migration Assistant (found in Applications → Utilities) copies your user accounts, documents, apps, and most system settings from the old Mac to the new one in a single automated transfer. It does not carry over Intel-native kernel extensions or 32-bit apps — those must be reinstalled manually if an Apple Silicon build exists, or replaced entirely. The entire process takes 2–10 hours depending on data size and connection method.
How to run Migration Assistant from an Intel Mac to M-series
Step 1: Prepare the source Intel Mac
Before opening Migration Assistant on either machine, run a few checks on the old Intel Mac. First, update macOS to the latest version it supports — migration goes more smoothly when both machines are on the same or adjacent major versions. Second, go to System Settings → Apple ID → iCloud Drive and disable Optimise Mac Storage. This forces all your iCloud files to download locally; if you skip this, Migration Assistant can stall at "Preparing" for hours waiting for remote files it cannot reach over your internet connection. Third, run Disk Utility → First Aid on the internal drive to catch any minor filesystem errors before they copy across. Finally, note your Apple ID password — you will need it on the new machine.
Step 2: Choose your transfer method
You have three options. A direct cable (USB-C to USB-C, or Thunderbolt if both machines have it) is the fastest, typically transferring at 300–800 MB/s — a 300 GB library takes about 15 minutes of actual transfer time. Wi-Fi is convenient but limited by your router speed; on a typical Indian home router, expect 3–10 MB/s, meaning a 300 GB transfer takes 8–12 hours. A Time Machine backup on an external SSD is often the most practical option — you back up the old Mac, then restore directly from that backup during the new Mac's Setup Assistant. An external SSD connected via USB 3.1 usually runs at 150–200 MB/s, which is faster than Wi-Fi and does not require both machines to stay awake and connected simultaneously.
Step 3: Run the migration
On the new M-series MacBook, either run Migration Assistant during initial Setup Assistant, or open it post-setup from Applications → Utilities. Select "From a Mac, Time Machine backup, or startup disk". If using a direct cable, the old Mac should appear automatically — confirm the 6-digit security code on both screens. Choose what to transfer: user accounts, applications, and documents are the essentials. System settings can sometimes cause conflicts, so transfer them selectively if you have customised proxy or VPN configurations. Click Continue and leave both machines plugged into power. Do not close the lids or let either Mac sleep during the process — on long transfers over Wi-Fi, an automatic display sleep can silently pause the migration.
Step 4: The Apple Silicon reality — Rosetta 2 and x86 apps
Once migration completes, open the Applications folder. Any app that is Intel-only (no universal or Apple Silicon build) will run via Rosetta 2 (Apple's translation layer that converts x86 instructions to ARM in real-time). Most major apps — Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft Office, Zoom, browsers — have had native M-series builds for years. Almost always, the apps that remain x86-only are legacy utilities, older niche software, or plugins bundled with hardware that has not had a firmware update in years. Check by going to About This Mac → System Report → Software → Applications: the column "Kind" shows "Intel" for x86-only apps. Rosetta 2 handles them transparently for most workflows, but they use more battery than native builds. Prioritise finding native replacements for your most-used Intel apps.
Step 5: The India angle — slow broadband and interrupted power
Two India-specific risks during migration. First, home broadband speeds vary widely; if you rely on Wi-Fi migration and your connection drops mid-transfer, Migration Assistant will usually resume — but in our experience, a failed Wi-Fi migration that has to restart from scratch is one of the most common support calls after MacBook upgrades. The cable or Time Machine backup method avoids this entirely. Second, Indian cities see more frequent power interruptions than most Western benchmarks assume. Both MacBooks must stay on mains power for the full transfer, not on battery. A power cut mid-migration rarely corrupts data (APFS is journalled), but it will force a full restart of the migration process. If your area has unreliable power, connect both machines to a UPS (an uninterruptible power supply — a device that keeps power flowing for 10–30 minutes after a cut) or schedule the transfer for a time of day when cuts are less frequent.
When to call a laptop repair service (and what it costs)
When DIY migration ends
If Migration Assistant is genuinely stuck — not just slow — for more than 30 minutes with no progress bar movement, the most common cause is a hardware issue on the source Intel Mac: a failing SSD, corrupted APFS container, or a bad sector. At that point, the migration tool cannot move forward and the source data needs professional attention before any transfer attempt. Other signs to call for help: the new MacBook does not turn on after migration, the source drive is making clicking sounds, or you need to recover data from an Intel Mac with a damaged logic board that will not boot for Migration Assistant at all.
Typical costs in India
MacBook SSD data recovery (source Intel Mac with failing drive) typically runs ₹3,500–₹12,000 depending on severity. A general MacBook service or diagnostic starts at ₹149 for a doorstep visit. See our Apple MacBook service page for a full breakdown, or read the guide on migrating data between laptops for Windows-to-Windows and cross-platform approaches.
A note from the LRW Engineer Team
The most common mistake we see is starting Migration Assistant on a new MacBook without preparing the source first — specifically without disabling iCloud Optimised Storage. The migration stalls at "Preparing" while it tries to download gigabytes from iCloud over a slow connection. Thirty seconds of prep on the source Mac saves hours of frustration. Also see our guide on fixing a stuck Migration Assistant "Preparing" hang if you are already in that situation.