I recently got a new M3 MacBook Pro, and I wanted to document exactly how I set it up. Not only do I want to share this with you, but I also want to use it as a reference for myself in the future.

Before setting up a new computer, I always backup all of my previous settings.

🔺 install updates

• Check for system updates
• Check for app store updates

🗑️ uninstall applications

• GarageBand
• Keynote
• Pages

🎛️ adjust settings

icloud

• Login to iCloud

sound

• Set Output to Elgato Wave XLR
• Set Input to Wave Link Stream

general

• Language & Region
  • Change First day of week to Monday
• Autofill & Passwords
  • Check Delete after use

control center

• Select Show in Menu Bar for Bluetooth
• Select Don't Show in Menu Bar for Spotlight
• Select Don't Show in Menu Bar for Siri

siri & spotlight

• Enable Listen for "Hey Siri"

desktop & dock

• Remove all applications from the dock

• Enable Automatically hide and show the Dock

• Set Click wallpaper to reveal desktop to Only in Stage Manager

• Disable Tiled windows have margins

• Setup Mission Control hot corners

  Mission Control	Mission Control
  Desktop	Desktop

wallpaper

• Select Dynamic wallpaper
• Enable Show as screen saver

notifications

• Allow notifications from all sources

touch id & password

• Add fingerprint
• Enable Touch ID
• Allow unlocking with Apple Watch

internet accounts

• Add bradgarropy@gmail.com account
  • Select Mail and Calendar
• Add brad@compressed.fm account
  • Select Mail and Calendar

keyboard

• Keyboard Shortcuts > Modifier
  • Swap the Control and Command keys on external keyboard

mouse

• Uncheck Natural scrolling
• Increase Scrolling speed

printers & scanners

• Go through the Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax... flow

applications

• Photos > View > Show
  • Uncheck Shared with You
• Photos > View
  • Check Show Hidden Photo Album
• Mail > Settings > Composing
  • Uncheck Quote the text of the original message
• Mail > Settings > Signatures
  • Move signatures to appropriate accounts
• Messages > Settings > General
  • Check Share Name and Photo
  • Increase Text size
• Messages > Settings > iMessage
  • Check Enable Messages in iCloud
• Notes > Settings
  • Increase Default text size
• Safari > Settings > Advanced
  • Check Show full website address
  • Check Show features for web developers
• Podcasts > Settings > General
  • Uncheck Download When Saving
  • Select Off for Automatically Download
• Podcasts > Settings > Playback
  • Select Stop when an episode ends
• Finder > Settings> General
  • Set New Finder windows show to Desktop
• Finder > Settings > Tags
  • Delete all tags
• Finder > Settings > Sidebar
  • Enable only the following options
    • Applications
    • Desktop
    • Downloads
    • bradgarropy
    • iCloud Drive
    • Shared
    • Hard Disks
    • External Disks
  • Disable everything else
• Elgato Control Center > Preferences > Startup
  • Check Open automatically on Log In
• Elgato Stream Deck > Preferences > Plugins
  • Apple Music
  • Control Center
  • OBS Studio
  • Wave Link
• Elgato Wave Link > Configure Wave Link
  • Add Elgato Wave XLR as audio input
  • Install DeeGate
  • Set noise gate to 36db

📥 install applications

• Arc
  • Sign in
  • Set as default browser
• Raycast
  • Replace Spotlight
• Discord
• Elgato Camera Hub
• Elgato Control Center
• Elgato Stream Deck
• Elgato Wave Link
• OBS
• vscode
  • Update
  • Sign in with GitHub
  • Install shell command
• iMovie
• Postgres.app

🖋️ fonts

• Cascadia Code

📦 development packages

• homebrew
• git
• nvm
• Node.js
• GitHub CLI
• Netlify CLI
• Vercel CLI

# brew
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
brew install git
brew install gh
 
# node
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/HEAD/install.sh | bash
nvm install stable
npm install --global netlify-cli
npm install --global vercel