How to Change the Name of Your Macbook

Every Macbook comes with a certain device name, most commonly one tied to the name of the owner. This can be quite beneficial when it comes to finding and identifying your computer, whether that means using Apple’s ‘Find My’ application or connecting to a local network.

However, there could be a number of instances when you wish to change your Macbook’s name, most likely to something simpler, more attractive, or more identifiable. No matter your reasoning, here are some ways you can easily change your Macbook’s name:

Changing your Macbook’s name in the settings

Thankfully, changing your Macbook’s name is incredibly simple, and can be done with the following steps:

  1. Open the Apple Menu (Apple icon) on your device.
  2. In the menu that drops down, choose System Preferences.
  3. In the following window that opens, press the Sharing option.
  4. Here, you will see a field labeled Computer Name where the current name of your Macbook is displayed. Simply click into this field, and enter the new name of your Macbook here.
  5. After you’ve finished typing, click somewhere outside the field or hit Enter on the keyboard. Close this window and the new name of your Macbook will then be saved.

Note: Keep in mind that the hostname of your Macbook should change automatically as well, once you edit your current device name. In case you wish to change this hostname to something else, you can do so by pressing the Edit tab located beneath the Computer Name box.

Changing your Macbook’s name using Terminal

If you are particularly fond of using the command line, you also have the option of using Terminal to change your Macbook’s name. Here’s how:

  1. On your device, run the Terminal application.
  2. Then, enter this command: sudo scutil –set ComputerName YourNewComputerName

Just ensure that the ‘YourNewComputerName’ placeholder is replaced with the new name that you wish to give to your Macbook.

     3. Finally, hit Enter on your keyboard, and then restart your device.

And there you have it! A couple of different ways to change your Macbook’s name, both incredibly quick and easy to do once you know exactly what to look for.