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Apple Quietly Just Gave Your Mac an Unexpected New Feature

It solves a common frustration for a particular set of Mac owners.

Silver Apple Mac Mini with black Apple logo on top, placed on a textured surface.Photo by Tucker Bowe for Gear Patrol
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By Tucker Bowe

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Apple started rolling out macOS 26.5 earlier this week and, admittedly, it’s a pretty underwhelming software update, mostly fixing things that you’d barely notice (such as bugs and security patches).

However, it did introduce one new feature that’s particularly useful for those with a permanent Mac desktop system with an iMac, Mac mini or Mac Studio. (Basically, any non-MacBook Mac.)

It’s called Power Control.

Silver Apple Mac Mini with black Apple logo and multiple cables connected, next to a hand.
The Power Control setting is ideal for those with Mac setups that don’t have easy access to the computer’s power button.
Photo by Tucker Bowe for Gear Patrol

A new way to turn on your Mac

Power Control is a new feature that effectively introduces a new way to turn on your iMac, Mac Mini, and Mac Studio. It’s a fix mostly aimed at the Mac Mini, as its power button is located underneath and can be difficult to press. (The Mac Studio’s and iMac’s power buttons are both located on the rear panel, not underneath.)

With the new Power Control setting turned on, your iMac, Mac Mini or Mac Studio will automatically turn on when reconnected to power. So if it’s off, you can just unplug and replug it into a power outlet and it’ll automatically turn on. It’ll also automatically turn on if your house loses and then regains power.

According to Apple’s Support document, the feature “can be helpful when you don’t have easy access to the computer’s power button.”

Close-up of a black and silver electronic device with an HDMI 8K cable plugged in, resting on a patterned fabric surface.
The Mac Mini’s power button is notoriously difficult to access.
Photo by Tucker Bowe for Gear Patrol

How to enable Power Control

Once running macOS 26.5, iMac, Mac Mini and Mac Studio owners will have access to the new Power Control feature located in the Energy section of the Settings app.

  1. Open the Settings app on your Mac.
  2. Click Energy in the sidebar.
  3. From the “Start up when power is connected” menu on the right, choose Always.

And boom, you’re done.

But there’s a bit of a catch. The new Power Control setting requires you to have a Mac mini or iMac that was “introduced in 2024 or later,” or a Mac Studio that was “introduced in 2025 or later.” So, if you’re current model is from before that, you’re out of luck.

macOS 26.5 is available to download now.

Silver Apple Mac Mini on a wooden desk with a black mouse on a small patterned rug and a monitor partially visible.
When Power Control is turned on, your Mac will turn on anytime you connect it to power. No pressing the power button required.
Photo by Tucker Bowe for Gear Patrol
About the Author: Tucker Bowe has been on Gear Patrol’s editorial team since 2014. With a passion for consumer tech and hi-fi, he tracks everything from headphones and turntables to smartphones and wearables. If it lights up or makes noise, he probably covers it.

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