How to wipe a MacBook before selling it

MacUpdated

To wipe a MacBook before selling it, back it up or transfer your files, then use Erase All Content and Settings in System Settings > General > Transfer or Reset. It needs macOS Monterey 12 or later on a Mac with Apple silicon or an Apple T2 Security Chip. Older Macs use macOS Recovery instead.

Quick answer

Back up first. Then choose Apple menu > System Settings > General > Transfer or Reset > Erase All Content and Settings, and enter your Mac and Apple Account passwords. If your Mac can't use it, sign out of iCloud and Messages, erase the disk in macOS Recovery, reinstall macOS and shut down at the setup assistant.

What should you do before you erase anything?

These steps erase all of your data from your Mac. Before you start:

  1. Back up or transfer. You can back up and restore later, or move everything straight to the new Mac: see transfer to a new Mac with Migration Assistant.
  2. Sort out AppleCare. If your Mac is covered by an AppleCare plan, Apple says you can cancel it or transfer it to the new owner.
  3. Check for an unfinished repair. On a Mac with Apple silicon and macOS 26 or later, if it was previously repaired or you're not sure, Apple says to use Repair Assistant to check for an unfinished repair.

Can your Mac use Erase All Content and Settings?

Apple says it needs macOS Monterey 12 or later and a Mac with Apple silicon or the Apple T2 Security Chip. If your Mac can use it, Apple says you don't have to complete any of the other steps.

To see which chip you have, choose Apple menu > About This Mac. Apple silicon shows Chip; an Intel-based Mac shows Processor.

How do you use Erase All Content and Settings?

On macOS Ventura 13 or later:

  1. From the Apple menu, choose System Settings.
  2. Click General in the sidebar, then scroll down and click Transfer or Reset.
  3. Click Erase All Content and Settings.
  4. When asked for administrator credentials or the password you use to unlock this Mac, enter your macOS login password.
  5. When asked for your Apple Account password, enter it.
  6. Click Erase All Content & Settings to proceed. Because this signs you out of Apple services, you might be asked whether to sign back in. Apple says to ignore that and click Erase All Content & Settings.

On macOS Monterey 12, choose System Preferences from the Apple menu, then choose Erase All Content and Settings from the System Preferences menu in the menu bar.

Apple says this erases all of your data, settings and apps while keeping the installed operating system. The Mac restarts, may ask you to turn on a Bluetooth accessory or choose Wi-Fi, activates, then restarts again to a setup assistant.

To leave it in an out-of-box state for the buyer, don't use the setup assistant or your old Bluetooth devices. Just press and hold the power button until the Mac turns off.

What if your Mac can't use Erase All Content and Settings?

Follow Apple's manual steps instead. They're for any Mac that doesn't have Erase All Content and Settings.

  1. Sign out of iTunes. If your Mac uses macOS Catalina 10.15 or later, skip this. Otherwise, in iTunes choose Account > Authorisations > Deauthorise This Computer, enter your Apple Account details and click Deauthorise.
  2. Sign out of iCloud. On macOS Ventura 13 or later: Apple menu > System Settings, click your name, scroll down and click Sign Out. On macOS Monterey 12, Big Sur 11 or Catalina 10.15: Apple menu > System Preferences > Apple ID > Overview > Sign Out. Apple says keeping a copy of your iCloud data on the Mac is faster, as you'll erase it next.
  3. Sign out of iMessage. In Messages, choose Messages > Settings (or Preferences), click iMessage, then click Sign Out.
  4. Unpair Bluetooth accessories you're keeping (optional, if they'll stay in Bluetooth range of the Mac). In System Settings (or System Preferences) > Bluetooth, Control-click the accessory and choose Forget (or Remove). Apple warns that if you unpair your only keyboard and mouse, you'll need a USB keyboard and mouse to finish.
  5. Erase the disk and reinstall macOS from macOS Recovery, as below.
  6. Reset NVRAM on an Intel-based Mac. Shut down, turn the Mac on and immediately hold Option, Command, P and R for about 20 seconds. Apple says this isn't needed on Apple silicon.

After reinstalling, and again after resetting NVRAM, the Mac starts up to a setup assistant. Press Command-Q to shut down instead of continuing.

How do you start up from macOS Recovery?

The steps differ by chip.

Mac with Apple silicon: shut down. Press and hold the power button (on a laptop with Touch ID, that's the Touch ID button). When you see "Loading startup options" or the Options icon, release it. Click Options, then Continue.

Intel-based Mac: shut down. Press and release the power button, then immediately hold Command and R until you see an Apple logo or spinning globe.

On either, select your startup disk and a user you know the password for if asked.

How do you erase the disk in Disk Utility?

Mac with Apple silicon:

  1. In Recovery, select Disk Utility, then click Continue.
  2. If you previously added any internal volume other than Macintosh HD, select it and click the delete volume (-) button. Leave the Macintosh HD volumes themselves in place.
  3. Select Macintosh HD in the Internal section of the sidebar. Click Erase. Name: Macintosh HD. Format: APFS. Click Erase, or Erase Volume Group if you see it.
  4. Enter your Apple Account information if asked, then click Erase Mac to confirm.
  5. After the Mac restarts and activates over the internet, click Exit to Recovery Utilities, then choose Reinstall macOS.

Intel-based Mac:

  1. In Recovery, select Disk Utility, then click Continue.
  2. Select Macintosh HD in the sidebar.
  3. Click Erase. Name: Macintosh HD. Format: APFS or Mac OS Extended (Journaled), as Disk Utility recommends.
  4. Click Erase Volume Group, or Erase if you can't see it. Enter your Apple Account information if asked.
  5. Close Disk Utility, then choose Reinstall macOS.

What about Activation Lock and your Apple Account?

Activation Lock is tied to Find My. Apple says that to turn it off, you turn off Find My Mac in System Settings > your name > iCloud. If the Mac is already offline, sign in at iCloud.com/find, select the Mac and click Remove. More in Mac Activation Lock.

Apple also says that to permanently remove a device from your Apple Account, you sign out on that device itself.

Where Failshot fits

Your password is the first layer. Failshot is the second: second layer device security for your Mac. While it's on, it photographs whoever unlocks your Mac, then, with Pro, records a 5-second video. It runs on 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. Your card is taken at sign-up and charged on day 8 unless you cancel. The trial is on failshot.app, for the Mac.

More questions

Do I need to sign out of iCloud before using Erase All Content and Settings?

No. Apple says that if you can use Erase All Content and Settings, you don't have to complete any of the other steps. It asks for your Apple Account password during the erase and signs you out of Apple services.

Does wiping a Mac remove macOS?

Erase All Content and Settings keeps the installed operating system, Apple says. The manual route erases the startup disk in Disk Utility, so you reinstall macOS from Recovery afterwards.

Should I set the Mac up again after wiping it to check it works?

Apple doesn't cover testing. For a Mac you're selling, it says to leave it in an out-of-box state: don't use the setup assistant. Hold the power button until it turns off, or press Command-Q to shut down after a manual reinstall.

Why does my Mac say other volumes need to be erased first?

Apple says you might have used Boot Camp to install Microsoft Windows. Use Boot Camp to remove Windows and its partition.

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