Buying a used or open-box MacBook, the checks to make before you pay

MacUpdated

Before you pay for a used MacBook, check that it isn't still locked to the seller's Apple Account, that its serial number matches and shows the coverage you've been told about, and what its battery and repair history say. Then pay in a way that protects you.

Quick answer

Ask the seller to erase the Mac in front of you with Erase All Content and Settings, which Apple says turns off Find My and Activation Lock. Check the serial number in About This Mac, then enter it at checkcoverage.apple.com. Look at the battery cycle count and Parts & Service. For an online purchase, the NCSC says to pay by credit card if you can, and never by direct bank transfer.

Is the MacBook still linked to the seller's Apple Account?

Apple says Activation Lock means the owner's Apple Account password or device passcode is needed before anyone can erase the Mac or reactivate and use it. A Mac still locked to someone else can't be set up as yours.

The check is an erase in front of you. Apple says Erase All Content and Settings signs the seller out of Apple services, turns off Find My and Activation Lock, and erases all user accounts and data, and that the erase ends with the Mac showing "Hello", ready to be set up for a new user. If the Mac instead asks for the Apple Account and password used to set it up, it's still linked to someone else.

The step-by-step check, the route for a seller who isn't with you, and Apple's support request (which needs proof of purchase, so keep the receipt or the sale messages) are in Mac Activation Lock, explained.

How do you check a MacBook's serial number?

Find it on the Mac, then check it against what you've been told. Apple gives several places to look:

  1. About This Mac. Choose Apple menu > About This Mac. It shows the model name and the serial number.
  2. System Information. Hold the Option key, choose Apple menu > System Information, then select Hardware. You'll see the serial number, the model identifier and the model number.
  3. On the case. A serial number is usually printed on the underside of the Mac, near the regulatory markings, and may be on the original box next to a barcode.

Apple notes that if the logic board was replaced during a repair, the printed serial number might no longer be active, and the current one might appear in the repair documentation. A mismatch is a question for the seller.

Enter the serial number at checkcoverage.apple.com. Apple says this gives the specific model name, and it's also where Apple says you can check AppleCare coverage online. On the Mac, Apple's path is System Settings > General > AppleCare & Warranty. If the seller mentions AppleCare, Apple says they can transfer the plan to you.

What does the battery cycle count tell you?

How much use the battery has had. Apple says batteries have a limited number of charge cycles before their performance is expected to diminish, and that a battery is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity at its maximum cycle count.

  1. Hold the Option key and click the Apple menu, then choose System Information.
  2. Under Hardware, select Power.
  3. The cycle count is under Battery Information.

Compare the number with the maximum Apple lists for that model on the same page.

Has the MacBook been repaired, and with which parts?

On newer Macs, you can see for yourself. Apple says that on a Mac with Apple silicon using macOS Tahoe 26 or later, Parts & Service shows whether a repair used genuine Apple parts.

  1. Choose Apple menu > System Settings.
  2. Click General, then About.
  3. Click Parts & Service. Apple says this only appears when the Mac detects it has been repaired.

Apple's labels are Genuine, Unknown (for example a non-genuine part), Unverified (a replaced logic board) and Used (a part already used in another Mac).

Parts can be locked too. Apple says a used part, such as a battery, built-in display or Touch ID sensor, can be linked to someone else's Apple Account. Until it's unlocked, it isn't covered by Apple's warranty or AppleCare, you can't trade in the device, and Apple can't help remove the lock for you.

Will it still get security updates?

Check before you buy. The UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), writing about second-hand phones, says to avoid ones that are no longer supported by the manufacturer, or whose support will end soon, because they won't receive security updates. Our guide to how long Macs get security updates covers how to check.

How should you pay for a used MacBook?

Pay in a way you can get back. The NCSC says to use a credit card if you have one, because many protect online purchases under the Consumer Credit Act, and never to pay by direct bank transfer. For PayPal, Apple Pay or Google Pay, it says to check their terms to see what cover they provide.

Know what you're entitled to. Citizens Advice says that if you buy from an individual, perhaps through an online marketplace, you have far fewer rights, and no right to return as long as the goods are as described. Its advice is to take a screenshot of the description before you buy.

Report Fraud lists misrepresentation, an item that arrives damaged or different from the listing, among the frauds it sees. If you've paid and been defrauded, tell your bank as soon as possible, then report it to Report Fraud (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) or Police Scotland.

Where Failshot fits

A used Mac set up fresh is a new Mac to you, with your accounts on it from day one. Your password is the first layer. Failshot is the second: second layer device security for the moment someone sits down at your Mac and unlocks it.

While it's on, Failshot photographs whoever unlocks your Mac, then, with Pro, records a 5-second video, and its window tells them the unlock was photographed. With Pro, turn on alerts and Failshot emails you about an unlock you don't confirm as yours.

Failshot is for macOS 14 or later. Free to download. It's free to use. Pro adds video, email alerts and the encrypted vault, and you can try Pro free for 7 days. The trial is on failshot.app, for the Mac. iPhone, Android and Windows are coming soon.

More questions

Can I check Activation Lock on a used Mac before buying?

Yes, with the Mac in front of you. Ask the seller to erase it. If it reaches the setup assistant without asking for the previous owner's Apple Account and password, it isn't locked to them. If it asks, it's still locked: Apple says it's cleared on the Mac with that Apple Account and password, or the device passcode.

What if I've already bought a Mac that's locked to someone else?

Ask the seller to remove it at iCloud.com/find. Apple's support request route, for buyers with proof of purchase, is in Mac Activation Lock, explained.

Can I buy a used Mac if the seller won't erase it in front of me?

The erase is how you see that Activation Lock is off, so ask for it. If the seller can't be there and the Mac is offline, Apple's route is for them to remove it at iCloud.com/find with Remove This Device.

Should I reset a used MacBook after buying it?

Yes. The NCSC says to erase or factory reset a second-hand device before you start using it, to remove the previous owner's data, and to turn on automatic updates and a screen lock or password when prompted.

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