You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Having the iMac see my MacBook Pro and vice versa

I have a new iMac Pro and there are files that I want to move between iMac and my MacBook Pro and vice versa. I figured the two would "notice" each other being on the same network...but not happen... even connected the two by USBc and nothing. HELP?

Posted on Sep 26, 2020 4:01 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Sep 26, 2020 4:36 PM

Each Mac will notice the others on the network, but won’t volunteer to share files until and unless told to do so.


To tell your Mac to start up file shares (usually SMB sharing, but also possibly the being-deprecated AFP):


System Preferences > Sharing


Details: Set up file sharing on Mac - Apple Support


Other options include network-attached storage (NAS) servers all Macs share, and iCloud files which shares to and from iCloud.


Migration Assistant (mentioned in a reply above) is one-way, and seemingly not what you’re looking for.)


Handoff will work too, but I’m guessing you might want to look at the contents of the login and other directories across hosts, and Handoff doesn’t provide that.

3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Sep 26, 2020 4:36 PM in response to GDHEFF

Each Mac will notice the others on the network, but won’t volunteer to share files until and unless told to do so.


To tell your Mac to start up file shares (usually SMB sharing, but also possibly the being-deprecated AFP):


System Preferences > Sharing


Details: Set up file sharing on Mac - Apple Support


Other options include network-attached storage (NAS) servers all Macs share, and iCloud files which shares to and from iCloud.


Migration Assistant (mentioned in a reply above) is one-way, and seemingly not what you’re looking for.)


Handoff will work too, but I’m guessing you might want to look at the contents of the login and other directories across hosts, and Handoff doesn’t provide that.

Sep 26, 2020 4:22 PM in response to GDHEFF

GDHEFF Said:

"Having the iMac see my MacBook Pro and vice versa: I have a new iMac Pro and there are files that I want to move between iMac and my MacBook Pro and vice versa. I figured the two would 'notice' each other being on the same network...but not happen... even connected the two by USBc and nothing. HELP?"

-------


Use Migration Assistant:

Go Here: How to Move your Content to a New Mac - Apple Supply


Any Security Software Installed?

If the Macs are not connecting, then uninstall Security Software, as firewall settings may be getting in the way here. Security Software is unneeded on a Mac, as it just gets in the way. And this is a pure example why.

Having the iMac see my MacBook Pro and vice versa

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.