MacBook Air's built-in calibration is fine for casual photo editing.

Yes, the Display Calibrator Assistant in macOS gets you close enough for most work without spending money.

Open System Settings > Displays > Color Profile > Customize > Calibrate. Choose Expert Mode. MacOS will walk you through setting the target gamma (2.2 is standard), white point (D65, though “Native” is usually fine for Mac screens), and brightness. You adjust sliders until two icons match — that’s your eyeball doing the work.

The result won’t be as accurate as a hardware colorimeter, but for web use, social media, and casual print proofing, it’s perfectly usable. The biggest mistake people make is skipping the brightness step. Match it to your viewing environment.

If you care a lot about color consistency and are editing for clients, a $200 Spyder or X-Rite i1Display is worth it. But for a hobbyist editing vacation photos? The built-in tool is all you need.