macOS 27 Golden Gate runs only on Macs with Apple silicon; Intel Macs stopped at macOS Tahoe 26. This guide covers the first hour with a new or freshly erased Mac: Setup Assistant, your Apple Account (Apple's new name for what used to be called an Apple ID), disk encryption with FileVault, updates and a few settings worth changing straight away.
1Work through Setup Assistant
Turn the Mac on and follow the prompts: language, region, accessibility options and Wi-Fi. If you're moving from another Mac, Setup Assistant offers to transfer your data with Migration Assistant. You can skip this and run Migration Assistant later from Applications > Utilities.
Create your local user account. Use a strong password: it unlocks the Mac, authorises admin changes and (with FileVault) protects the disk.
2Sign in with your Apple Account
Sign in with your Apple Account to set up iCloud, the App Store, Find My, Messages and FaceTime in one go. If you skip it, sign in later at System Settings > Sign in with your Apple Account at the top of the sidebar.
Turn on two-factor authentication if it isn't already, and check your trusted phone numbers. Keep Find My Mac on: it lets you locate, lock or erase a lost Mac and enables Activation Lock.
3Turn on FileVault
Setup Assistant offers to turn on FileVault. If you skipped it, go to System Settings > Privacy & Security and look for FileVault. On Apple silicon the internal disk is always hardware-encrypted, but FileVault ties that encryption to your login password, so the data is unreadable without it.
Choose how to recover access if you forget your password: let your Apple Account unlock the disk, or create a recovery key. If you choose a recovery key, write it down and store it somewhere safe and offline.
fdesetup status4Install updates
Open System Settings > General > Software Update and install anything waiting. Click the info button next to Automatic Updates and make sure security responses and system files are installed automatically.
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softwareupdate --list5A few key settings
Touch ID & Password: add a fingerprint or two.
Lock Screen: require your password immediately after sleep or the screen saver starts.
Trackpad: turn on Tap to click if you prefer it.
Battery or Energy: review sleep settings for laptops and desktops.
Time Machine: plug in a backup disk now rather than later (see the Time Machine tutorial).