Mac Activation Lock, explained: check it, turn it off and sell safely

MacUpdated

Activation Lock is the part of Find My that stops someone else setting up your Mac as their own. Apple says it's designed to prevent others from using your Mac if it's lost or stolen. On a Mac that meets Apple's requirements, it's on whenever Find My Mac is on, and the same setting is what you turn off before you sell.

Quick answer

On a Mac with Apple silicon or the Apple T2 Security Chip, with the default startup security and two-factor authentication on your Apple Account, Activation Lock turns on with Find My Mac. Check it in System Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Find My Mac. To sell, turn Find My Mac off, or use Erase All Content and Settings, which Apple says turns off Find My and Activation Lock.

What does Activation Lock do on a Mac?

Activation Lock ties your Mac to your Apple Account. Apple says that while it's on, your Apple Account password or device passcode is needed before anyone can turn off Find My, erase your Mac or reactivate it. So a thief can't simply wipe the Mac and set it up again under a new account.

It also outlasts a remote erase. Apple says that even if you erase your Mac remotely, Activation Lock can continue to deter others from reactivating it. Apple suggests a remote erase when you don't think you'll get the Mac back, so the lock is still there when you need it most.

Apple lists three requirements for it to work:

  • A Mac with Apple silicon, or a Mac with the Apple T2 Security Chip, running macOS Catalina 10.15 or later.
  • The default startup security. On Apple silicon that's the Full Security policy. On a T2 Mac it's Secure Boot, with booting from external or removable media disallowed.
  • Two-factor authentication on your Apple Account.

How do I check whether Activation Lock is on?

Apple says Activation Lock stays on as long as Find My is on. So the check is the Find My Mac setting itself.

  1. Choose Apple menu > System Settings.
  2. Click your name at the top of the sidebar, then click iCloud.
  3. Click See All (or Show More Apps), then click Find My Mac.
  4. If Find My Mac is on, and your Mac meets the requirements above, Activation Lock is on.

If it's off and you want the protection, turn Find My Mac on from the same screen. It has to be set up before the Mac goes missing. Our guide on whether Find My Mac takes a photo explains what Find My can and can't do once it has.

How do I turn off Activation Lock before selling my Mac?

Turn off Find My Mac. Apple's steps are the same path as the check, and you'll be asked for your Apple Account password.

  1. Choose Apple menu > System Settings, click your name, then click iCloud.
  2. Click See All (or Show More Apps), then click Find My Mac.
  3. Turn off Find My Mac, and enter your Apple Account password when asked.

If the Mac is offline and no longer with you, for example because you've already handed it over, Apple says you can turn it off on the web:

  1. Go to iCloud.com/find and sign in with your Apple Account.
  2. Select the Mac.
  3. Click Remove.

How do I erase a MacBook before selling it?

Use Erase All Content and Settings if your Mac has it. Apple says it needs macOS Monterey 12 or later on a Mac with Apple silicon or the T2 chip. Apple says it signs you out of Apple services such as iCloud, turns off Find My and Activation Lock, and erases your content, settings and apps, for every user account on the Mac.

Back up first, with Time Machine or by moving your files to another Mac. Then:

  1. Open System Settings, then click General in the sidebar. You may need to scroll down.
  2. Click Transfer or Reset, then Erase All Content and Settings.
  3. Enter your Mac's user password, and your Apple Account password when asked.
  4. Review what will be removed, click Continue and follow the onscreen instructions.
  5. When the Mac restarts and shows the setup assistant, Apple says to hold the power button until the Mac turns off if you're selling it. That leaves it in an out-of-box state for the new owner.

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

If your Mac doesn't have Erase All Content and Settings, Apple's selling guide gives the longer route:

  1. Sign out of iCloud. On macOS Ventura 13 or later, choose Apple menu > System Settings, click your name, scroll down and click Sign Out. On macOS Monterey 12, Big Sur 11 or Catalina 10.15, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Apple ID, select Overview, then click Sign Out.
  2. Sign out of iMessage. In Messages, choose Messages > Settings, click iMessage, then click Sign Out.
  3. Start up from macOS Recovery, erase the Mac with Disk Utility, then reinstall macOS.
  4. When the setup assistant appears, press Command-Q to shut down without setting it up.
  5. On an Intel-based Mac, Apple also says to reset NVRAM, which it says restores certain security features that may have been altered. The Mac then starts up to the setup assistant again, so press Command-Q to shut down.

For older versions of macOS, see Apple's selling guide under Sources.

If you have an AppleCare plan, Apple says you can cancel it or transfer it to the new owner.

What should I check when buying a second-hand Mac?

Check that the Mac is clear to set up as yours before you pay. Apple's removal page says Activation Lock is cleared by entering the Apple Account and password used to set up the device, or the device passcode, so a Mac still locked to the seller's account needs the seller to clear it.

  1. Ask the seller to show Find My Mac turned off, or to run Erase All Content and Settings in front of you.
  2. After an erase, the Mac should restart to the setup assistant. If setup asks for the Apple Account and password of whoever set the Mac up before, it's still linked to their account. Don't buy it until the seller removes it.
  3. If the seller isn't there and the Mac is offline, they can remove it from their account at iCloud.com/find.
  4. Keep any proof of purchase. Apple says that if you need help removing Activation Lock and have proof of purchase documentation, you can start an Activation Lock support request.

Two more checks are worth a minute. If the Mac belongs to a business or school, Apple says to contact the IT department or manager. And parts can be locked too: Apple says a used part, such as a battery, display or Touch ID sensor, can be linked to someone else's Apple Account, and that Apple can't help remove Activation Lock for previously used parts. For a previously repaired Mac with Apple silicon and macOS Tahoe 26 or later, Apple suggests Repair Assistant to check for an unfinished repair.

What happens with Activation Lock if my Mac is stolen?

It keeps working in the background. Apple's lost or stolen Mac page lists Find My's actions: see the Mac's approximate location, play a sound, lock it with Lost Mode and erase it. Locking and erasing need the Mac to be on and online. If you erase it, Apple says you can't find it with Find My afterwards, but Activation Lock can continue to deter anyone from reactivating it.

Apple's other steps are to change your Apple Account password, change the passwords of other accounts you used on the Mac, and report the theft to the police, who may ask for the serial number. For the full checklist, see what to do if your MacBook is stolen.

Where Failshot fits

Activation Lock protects the Mac after it's gone: it stops someone setting it up as their own. Failshot answers a different question, which is who unlocked your Mac while it was still yours to use.

  • With Failshot on and allowed to use a camera, it photographs whoever unlocks your Mac, then records a 5-second video. Video is on by default and can be switched off. Sound is off unless you turn it on, and the app warns you that recording someone's voice without their permission is against the law in some places.
  • Whoever unlocks sees Failshot's window saying the unlock was photographed, and when a video is recording. With the Mac's built-in camera, the green light comes on.
  • Email alerts and location are off until you turn them on. With alerts on, Failshot emails you about an unlock you don't confirm as yours (with the photo and the time), a wrong Failshot PIN or answer, or its camera access being switched off while it's on. If you also turn on location and allow it, the alert can say roughly where your Mac was at that unlock.
  • Photos are kept on your Mac. They leave it only in email alerts and the encrypted web vault, if you turn those on, and, if you join your organisation with its invite code, encrypted for its security team too.
  • Switching Failshot off, or quitting it from its menu, takes Touch ID or your Failshot PIN and answer, never your Mac password. Like any Mac app, it can still be force-quit, and then it takes no photos until it's open again. A wrong Failshot PIN or answer takes another photo.

Failshot for Mac is out now as a download from failshot.app, for macOS 14 or later. It's free to download, but turning it on needs Failshot Pro, a subscription, and there's no free trial. Failshot Pro is £3.99 a month or £23.99 a year, VAT included, for as long as you stay subscribed, if you subscribe by 31 October 2026. From 1 November 2026 new subscriptions are £5.99 a month or £35.99 a year.

What it doesn't do: with a stolen Mac, it only helps if the person gets past your login. It doesn't photograph a wrong password at the login or lock screen, or the first login after a restart or a log out. Logging out, restarting or shutting down closes Failshot without asking for Touch ID or your Failshot PIN, and unless you've set it to start at login (Start Failshot at login is off until you turn it on in its Settings), it stays off until you open it again. It doesn't locate a Mac, and has no remote lock or wipe. It doesn't prevent theft, and it doesn't replace Find My or Activation Lock. Keep both on. Failshot is for your own Mac. On a Mac your organisation owns or issues, use it only with the organisation's agreement: it must have agreed Failshot's Organisation Terms and told everyone who uses the Mac before Failshot is turned on. iPhone, Android and Windows versions are coming soon.

Questions people also ask

Does every Mac have Activation Lock?

No. Apple says Activation Lock needs a Mac with Apple silicon or the Apple T2 Security Chip, running macOS Catalina 10.15 or later, with the default startup security settings and two-factor authentication on your Apple Account.

Does erasing a Mac remove Activation Lock?

Erase All Content and Settings does: Apple says it turns off Find My and Activation Lock and signs you out of iCloud. A remote erase from Find My is different. Apple says Activation Lock can continue to deter others from reactivating the Mac after a remote erase.

How do I remove Activation Lock if I no longer have the Mac?

Go to iCloud.com/find, sign in with your Apple Account, select the Mac and click Remove. Apple gives this route for a Mac that's offline and not in your possession, which can help if you sold it without turning Find My off.

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

Ask the seller to remove it from their account at iCloud.com/find, or to sign in on the Mac. Apple's removal page says the lock is cleared with the Apple Account and password used to set up the device, or the device passcode. If you have proof of purchase, Apple says you can start an Activation Lock support request.

Sources