You can power on a Mac remotely

Apple has added a long-requested trick: some newer Macs can now turn themselves back on when power returns, meaning users no longer have to physically jab the power button. For people running machines in faraway offices, testing labs, concert rigs, or tucked-away boxes, that’s a real quality-of-life upgrade. But in the comments, nobody is just politely clapping — they’re dragging Apple for being late.

The loudest reaction is basically: "Wait, PCs have done this forever." One commenter groaned that this still isn’t the full remote-power dream, because Apple’s version is limited and only works on newer machines. That kicked off the biggest mini-drama: why is this feature locked to 2024-and-later hardware when older Apple chips seem like they should handle it too? Another commenter pulled out the historical receipts, noting Apple’s old Xserve had remote power management 20 years ago, which made the whole thing feel less like innovation and more like Apple rediscovering its own homework.

Then came the nostalgia flexes and side quests. One person recalled a wild 1990s trick involving an old Apple keyboard with a soft power key — basically a vintage hack that sounds like it belongs in a tech museum. And because no internet discussion can stay on topic, another commenter used the moment to roast the article’s "Apple FINALLY lets you do this!" video title, calling out clickbait culture with the kind of exhausted fury only YouTube thumbnails can inspire. So yes, the feature is useful — but the real show is the comment section, where the mood is equal parts relief, eye-rolling, and “why did this take thirty years?”