One of the biggest questions M4 Mac mini users have is why its power button is located at the bottom of the computer. While Apple itself justifies this design change by saying that users shouldn’t have to worry about turning off their Mac every time they end a session, the company also fixed the problem with its latest macOS 26.5 update.
As spotted by 9to5Mac, Apple has released a new support document to help users turn on a Mac mini, Mac Studio, or iMac without pressing its power button. While with MacBooks users simply have to open the screen, this doesn’t work with other Mac offerings. That’s why the company is now adding a quick solution for “when you don’t have easy access to the computer’s power button,” that is, when you don’t want to lift your M4 Mac mini or put your hand under the Mac Studio or iMac.
However, Apple imposes a few requirements before allowing users to seamlessly turn on their Mac without pressing the power button. In addition to updating to macOS Tahoe 26.5 or later, users must have a 2024 Mac mini or iMac, or a Mac Studio introduced in 2025 or later to take advantage of this feature. If users meet these conditions, they can access this feature.
Here’s how to turn on your Mac mini without pressing the power button
If you have macOS Tahoe 26.5 or later installed and a Mac mini M4 or newer device, you need to open the Apple menu in the upper left corner and choose System Settings. On the Power option in the sidebar, you can tap “Start when power is connected” and choose Always.
Once you choose this option, the Mac can automatically turn on whenever it is connected to power. Apple says it’s possible to choose between plugging the Mac into a power outlet or using an external power switch to restore power. If there is a power outage in your home, the Mac will also turn back on once power is restored. With that in mind, Apple also offers another important tip on connecting and disconnecting Macs from the mains.
For example, if your Mac has been connected to power since it was shut down, the company recommends a 30-second delay between disconnecting and reconnecting the computer to power, because this gives the Mac’s power supply enough time to discharge and then understand the command to turn it back on. While one might expect Apple to change the design of the M5 Mac mini or future Macs to improve the location of the power button, this is the solution available at present.
Should you really turn off your Mac computer?
Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of marketing, said in an interview that he couldn’t remember the last time he turned off his Mac. He brought this up when asked about the odd location of the M4 Mac mini’s power button. However, more than PR speak, it is actually an indicator of the Mac’s energy efficiency and also that the computer can go days on without slowing it down. With that in mind, general Mac users can follow Joswiak’s routine and never turn off their Mac.
The rule of thumb that most people follow, and it’s the one I use myself, is that I only turn off my MacBook if I’m going to be away from my computer for more than a day. Otherwise, if I have to work the next day, or if I’m just gone for a few hours, I’ll leave my Mac in sleep mode, because it’s easier to just log back into work than having to turn on the MacBook and authenticate with a password instead of Face ID.
That said, the next time you’re faced with a dilemma about whether or not you should turn off your Mac, don’t worry. And if you do, there’s now an easier way to quickly turn it on without having to fumble for the power button on your Mac mini, iMac, or Mac Studio.