How to Change the Name of a MacBook or Other Mac

Change a Mac's Name

Wish it were easier to recognize your MacBook in “Find My” or AirDrop? Find out here how to change the name on an iMac, MacBook, MacBook Air, or other Mac.

First, a Sun Made of Sugar

Before Philipp Reis demonstrated his latest invention (a telephone) to the public, he did so in private at home. A fellow teacher recounts the inventor’s brother-in-law reading into the phone on one occasion.

Reis understood every word… of a book he probably knew. So, the friendly teacher took matter and telephone in his own hands and started sounding nonsensical phrases into the earpiece, among them:

The sun is made of copper.

Reis understood every word… almost. He thought, as the story goes, the sun was made of sugar.

Think your Mac’s current name is a slight mishearing as well? Let’s change it:

How to Change the Name of a MacBook, iMac, or Other Mac

Got an iPhone as well? How to Change the Name of an iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch

Time needed: 2 minutes

To change the name for a MacBook or other Mac computer using macOS:

  1. Open System Settings on the Mac.

  2. Go to the General category.

  3. Select About.

  4. Type the name you want to use for the computer under Name.

    No “Edit…”: Simply type over the existing name.
    Change the name for a Mac

Change the Name Using macOS Monterey 12 and Earlier:

To change the name for a MacBook Air, iMac, etc. using macOS Monterey 12 and earlier:

  1. Select the Apple menu ().
  2. Choose System Preferences… from the menu to open macOS preferences.
  3. Open the Sharing category.
  4. Type the desired name under Computer Name:.
    No “Edit…”: You need not click Edit… to change the name; this is where you change the computer’s name in the local network.
    Change your Mac's name in System Preferences

How to Change the Name of a MacBook, iMac, or Other Mac: FAQ

Where will the changed name appear?

This changes the name that appears for

  • synchronized browser tabs in Safari
  • AirDrop
  • backups
  • the computer in Find My

and more.

Can I use special characters and emoji in my Mac’s name?

Yes, you can add emoji and special characters to your Mac’s name using the emoji and special characters panel.

Note that not all emoji can be used, especially those combining multiple Unicode characters often do not work.

(How to change the name of a MacBook or other Mac tested with macOS Sonoma 14.1, Ventura 13.4, Monterey 12.3 and Big Sur 11.3; updated December 2023)

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