- macOS 26.5 lets you power up your Mac mini in a new way
- No longer requires pressing the power button
- Some users feel that the power button is in an awkward position
Apple’s Mac mini M4 is a brilliant little device; In fact, it’s one of the best mini PCs money can buy, but there is one feature that has generated its fair share of criticism: the power button. Located on the bottom of the device, it means you have to turn the Mac mini over or reach for it blindly every time you want to turn on the pint-sized computer.
But now that macOS 26.5 is here, users are discovering that there is a practical way to avoid this annoying inconvenience. And it could mean you’ll never have to worry about the annoying placement of those buttons again.
As spotted by 9to5Mac, a new support document on Apple’s website details how you can turn on a Mac mini, Mac Studio, or iMac without having to touch a physical button on the device. Instead, your Mac can be turned on by simply plugging it into power. That works as long as you have a Mac mini or iMac from 2024 or later, or a Mac Studio from 2025 or later. You’ll also need to run macOS 26.5 or later on your computer.
Once that’s sorted, you just need to open the System Settings app and then click Power in the sidebar. Next to “Start when power is on,” choose Always from the menu. Now, you can turn on your Mac every time you plug in a charging cable or turn on an already connected cable. Apple simply recommends that you wait about 30 seconds between turning off your Mac and turning it back on to give the power supply time to discharge.
Apple’s strange design choice
When we reviewed the Mac mini M4, we called the power button placement “an odd choice” and “not one of Apple’s best design choices.” While it wasn’t enough to detract from our five-star verdict, it was still a feature we could have done without.
At the time, the response on Reddit was mixed. User YZJay, for example, described it as “hilarious and low-key.” Others, however, were more generous, arguing that they barely turned off their computers anyway. That included user Eubank31, who said: “I’m not a big Apple guy, but the number of times I’ve needed to turn off my 2020 [MacBook Pro] since I got it, it’s probably less than 20. And I use it every day for college and after school for work/development projects.” Apple, for its part, says people “hardly use” the button anyway.
Interestingly, macOS 26.5 includes another change that may benefit people fed up with the Mac mini’s power button. In its release notes, Apple describes a new “power control setting” in the Power section of System Settings. This “allows you to shut down or restart your Mac using assistive accessories like switches,” Apple says, meaning you don’t even need to worry about plugging in a power cable to turn on your Mac.
If you regularly reach for your Mac mini’s power switch, the latest changes in macOS 26.5 could leave you with a bit of a headache. Apple is rumored to be working on an M5 Mac mini, but with no new physical design expected for several years, this software tweak is your best shot at solving the power button conundrum for some time.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to receive news, reviews and opinions from our experts in your feeds.
