If y'all are selling your MacBook or Mac, trading it in, or only passing information technology on to friends or family - yous would be wise to wipe the Mac and restore it to factory settings first. This is partly so that your data stays safe, but information technology volition also avert any issues at a after engagement that could come nigh if you don't disconnect that Mac from various services and software y'all might use. Information technology also means the new user can restart the Mac as if it was brand new.

Just recall that if someone is going to be using the Mac after you, removing personal data alone isn't plenty - y'all also demand to make certain there'southward a working version of macOS installed afterwards. Read our guide to selling a Mac.

Another reason why you lot might desire to wipe your Mac is to perform a clean install of macOS - which tin exist a good manner to fix problems with your Mac if information technology'south starting to conduct oddly or you are worried you lot might have a virus. Wiping a faulty Mac will allow y'all to set up it upward similar a new Mac - which will hopefully fix whatever software-related bug y'all are having.

Follow our guide to do the post-obit:

  • Clone or back up your Mac
  • Erase all your data from your Mac
  • Restore your Mac to its factory settings
  • Reinstall macOS

First a bit of skilful news: If you take macOS Monterey on an M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max, or a Mac with a T2 chip, the process for erasing the content on your Mac has just got and so much easier thanks to a new option in System Preferences. We'll run through the new steps below.

Step ane: Support your Mac

Before you lot do anything you should back up or clone your Mac. This is because - as you would expect - resetting a Mac to manufacturing plant settings gets rid of all the data stored on that machine.

Don't fall in to the trap we brutal into: Because we use iCloud to sync all files across all our Apple devices we causeless that we could just recover everything nosotros needed from the cloud - which was true to a sure extent, but it wasn't until afterwards we wiped the Mac that nosotros realised that the data for one non-Apple app we used wasn't in the cloud. In these days of working predominantly in the cloud it is an easy mistake to make! Unfortunately y'all can't yet dorsum up everything on your Mac to iCloud.

Luckily backing up your Mac is easy to practise - as long as you accept a external hard drive to use. This can exist done very simply using Apple's Fourth dimension Motorcar software - here'due south how to back up using Time Machine. The best thing about backing up with Fourth dimension Machine is it makes it really piece of cake to move your data to a new Mac afterwards.

If you lot don't want to use Apple's complimentary Time Machine software, or you can brand a clone of the whole hard drive using a program like Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper (both are available every bit free trials).

This cloned drive can be re-cloned back to the main drive if you decide to restore your Mac, or it can be used to access all the original files and transfer them and all your settings to your new figurer.

We have a complete guide that explains how to back up a Mac as well as this guide to the best Mac Backup Software.

Step 2: Fix and erase your Mac

You lot know you lot demand to erase the Mac before you laissez passer it on, only before you delete everything there'southward some more admin to practise offset.

If y'all have a M1 Mac, or an Intel Mac with a T2 chip inside, and you are running macOS Monterey, this procedure is a little easier with many of the steps taken care of by a new option in System Preferences. If your Mac is older and so the steps you demand to take are a little more complicated, we'll run though the steps for older Macs below.

M1 Macs and Intel Mac with T2 chip running macOS Monterey

If yous have a M1 Mac, or an Intel Mac with a T2 chip within, and you are running macOS Monterey this procedure is a fiddling easier with many of the steps taken care of by a new choice in System Preferences.

These Intel Macs have the T2 security flake:

  • MacBook Air from 2022
  • MacBook Pro from 2022
  • Mac mini from 2022
  • iMac 27-inch from 2022
  • iMac Pro
  • Mac Pro from 2022

How to erase an M1 Mac, or a Mac with T2 bit

A new pick arrived in System Preferences in macOS Monterey that takes care of a lot of the complicated steps involved in wiping your Mac - equally long equally it is an M1 Mac or one with a T2 bit, as detailed above.

If you click on the new Erase All Content and Settings pick then everything will be taken care of, including removal of your stored fingerprints for Bear upon ID, your Apple ID, annihilation in the Wallet app, and Find My. Activation Lock will as well be removed and Bluetooth devices will exist unpaired. It also removes all your data and user-installed applications.

  1. Open System Preferences.
  2. Click on System Preferences in the menu bar at the top of your screen.
  3. Click on Erase All Content and Settings. How to delete Mac
  4. Enter your countersign.
  5. You'll exist reminded to do a backup with Time Machine before you begin deletion - but yous can skip that step.
  6. A window will show you lot what volition be deleted, including Apple ID, Touch ID, accessories, and Notice My settings.
  7. Finally you volition demand to log out of your Mac and all related services using your Apple ID.
  8. Before your Mac is erased you receive a terminal alarm, and then if yous accept 2d thoughts at least you can end at this point! Erase Mac Monterey
  9. Having clicked the second Erase All Content & Settings your Mac will restart. Somewhen you will run across a black screen while it restarts.
  10. One time your Mac restarts you can go through the steps to fix it upwardly as new, or you can get out it at this stage for the side by side possessor to ready up. Just plow the Mac off first.

How to prepare and erase an older Mac

Unfortunately if your Mac is older than those above, or doesn't have Monterey installed (if the latter is the case then you volition probably be better off updating the software showtime as it will brand things simpler for you lot), you will demand to run through the steps below:

1. Deauthorise your accounts

You need to disconnect the Mac from any services you are linked to.

That means signing out of things like Apple Music/iTunes, iCloud, Messages, and Find My.

For case, in the Music app (or iTunes in older versions of macOS) you volition demand to deauthorise your iTunes Store account and log out. This is important because you lot can simply use up to 5 Macs to play music and movies that are locked to your iTunes/Music account. The method of deauthorising your music services varies depending on which version you've got.

  1. Open up the Music or iTunes app and click on Account, and so log out.
  2. Open the App Store app, click on Shop, then log out.
  3. Click on System Preferences > Apple ID. Then click on Overview and Sign Out. When it asks if yous want to keep a copy of the iCloud information only deselect everything (of course make certain you back that information upwards somewhere). Then click Continue and await for it to sign out (which may take a while). You'll eventually be asked if you want to download photos to the Mac (you don't unless y'all want to make a back upwardly). Finally enter your Apple ID Countersign to ostend, and enter the password for the Mac.

2. Unpair Bluetooth devices

This is especially important if you lot are passing your Mac on to someone in your home or office as whatsoever Bluetooth device that may have one time been paired with your former Mac may connect to the former one again - which could be frustrating if you want to apply information technology with your new Mac. It might also hateful your new keyboard or mouse won't work.

3. Plough off FileVault (if you apply it)

FileVault encryption can get in difficult for unauthorized persons to access the data on your Mac. If you are using FileVault to encrypt the data on your Mac earlier you delete your information and prepare the Mac for auction you should turn it off - this seems illogical as you lot want to protect your data, but you lot will exist removing the data.

  1. To turn it of get to Arrangement Preferences
  2. Click Security & Privacy.
  3. Click on FIleVault.
  4. Click on the lock and enter your name and password.
  5. Click Plough Off FileVault.

four. Reset NVRAM

Another way to be absolutely certain that none of your personal settings remain on the Mac is to reset the NVRAM.

The NVRAM is a minor amount of retention that your Mac uses to store certain settings. Resetting information technology volition clear your user settings and restore any security features you might have adjusted.

Here's how to reset the NVRAM:

  1. Agree downwards Option/Alt, Control, P and R.
  2. Wait 20 seconds and release the keys.

Note, you lot can't reset the NVRAM on an M1 Mac in the same mode. You tin change the settings merely you can't reset it. However, you may non demand to because it seems to be the case that the M1 Fleck tests the NVRAM when the estimator is started from shutdown (i.e. not after a normal reboot). If something is wrong with the memory information technology is reset automatically. We describe how to reset NVRAM in this commodity: How to reset NVRAM on an M1 or Intel Mac. Of course, if you take an M1 Mac you won't need to do this footstep anyway.

v. Restart your Mac in Recovery

At present yous have backed everything upwards, deauthorised your accounts and unpaired devices, y'all are ready to first to erase everything on the Mac. To do and then you demand to enter Recovery mode. This will enable you to wipe the Mac.

How to enter Recovery on an Intel Mac

  1. Click the Apple logo at the height left of the screen and select Restart.
  2. Immediately hold downward the Command and R keys until yous see an Apple tree logo or spinning globe. (You may be amend off using a different central combination depending on the age of your Mac, and which macOS you want installed or was installed on the Mac when y'all bought it - we take a complete guide to starting a Mac in Recovery Mode hither). For example, Apple recommends that "if you're selling or giving abroad a Mac that is using Os X El Capitan or earlier, utilise Choice-Command-R to make certain that the installation isn't associated with your Apple ID".
  3. Expect information technology to take a while for the Mac to start upward in this mode.
  4. You may run across a screen asking you to choose a linguistic communication.
  5. The next screen you'll come across is the Recovery Style Utilities window. Since macOS Sierra and after it looks something similar this:

How to factory-reset a Mac: Recovery Mode Utilities

If you lot're having problems because Control + R isn't doing the trick, read this: How to reinstall macOS if Recovery won't work.

Note: The process by which you access Recovery on a M1 Mac is different to the process on an older Intel-powered Mac, but, because if you have an M1 Mac you will probably accept used the Erase All Settings this shouldn't be necessary for you. If yous do want to enter Recovery on an M1 Mac, instead of pressing the Command and R buttons when you restart your Mac you will need to do the post-obit:

  1. Turn off the calculator by clicking on the Apple logo and choosing Close Downwards...
  2. Now press and hold the ability push to turn the Mac on again. Keep property the power button!
  3. When the Apple logo appears yous'll too see text informing you that if yous go along holding yous will be able to access startup options.
  4. Go along to hold the button down (probably for around five more than seconds) and the text should switch to Loading Startup Options.
  5. Somewhen you will be able to select Options > Proceed.
  6. This will open Recovery.

We also item how to access Recovery on an M1 Mac in this commodity: How to practise everything on an M1 Mac.

half-dozen. Erase and reformat your Mac

At present y'all accept entered Recovery you can erase your Mac.

Again, the instructions are a little unlike depending on the version of macOS y'all are using and whether your Mac is Intel or M1.

We'll run through the method in Monterey, Large Sur and Catalina, before moving onto Mojave and previous versions of macOS below that.

How to delete your Mac in Big Sur/Monterey on an Intel Mac

  1. Now that you are in Recovery, as per the instructions in a higher place, you need to select Disk Utility from the list.
  2. Once in Disk Utility select Macintosh HD (or whatever you have called your 'difficult drive').
  3. There are various options along the top: click on Erase.
  4. Y'all should see the name of your drive and the format should be APFS. Underneath you should see an option to Delete Volume Group (this will ensure you lot delete both the Macintosh HD and Macintosh Hard disk Data.)
  5. Once you lot have deleted the Macintosh HD you can then click on whatever other drives and volumes and click the - to delete the volume.

To make sure you delete everything you volition need to choose Erase Volume Group, if y'all don't see this option attempt the instructions beneath.

How to delete your Mac in Catalina

When Apple introduced macOS Catalina in 2022 it added a new read-only volume where the operating organization lives. This volume is Macintosh Hd (yours may have a different proper name). Alongside it y'all will besides have a Macintosh Hard disk drive - Data book. This is where your data resides.

The reason Apple tree separated the two volumes in Catalina is to ensure that critical operating system data can't be overwritten. Because of this extra volume the process is a little unlike to how it works on older Mac.

  1. As per the steps above offset upwards your Mac in Recovery.
  2. Once Recovery starts upward choose Disk Utility.
  3. You should encounter two disks - Macintosh HD and Macintosh HD - information (shown beneath - sorry about epitome quality!) This data bulldoze is where your data is stored separately to the macOS installation. (It's possible your drive is called something else, like Home HD for example). Macintosh HD Data
  4. Click on this Macintosh Hard disk drive - Information drive to select it.
  5. Either click on the - button or go to the card and choose Edit > Delete APFS volume.
  6. You will see a message alarm you that this will permanently erase your data. Click on Delete.
  7. Wait while the book is deleted. Delete Macintosh HD Data
  8. At present you need to go back to Deejay Utility to delete the Macintosh Hd. You accept to do both steps as you won't just be able to reinstall macOS over the peak of macOS. And you will demand to reinstall the macOS in order to recreate the Macintosh HD-Information volume. Click on Macintosh Hard disk to select it.
  9. We recommend that you click Unmount. Initially when we tried to delete Macintosh HD nosotros saw an error bulletin that stated: Erase procedure has failed because volume Macintosh Hard disk on disk 2s5 couldn't be unmounted considering it is in use past procedure 793 (kextcache). Unmounting first fixed this problem.
  10. With Macintosh HD even so selected click on Erase. Erase Macintosh HD
  11. Enter a name you desire to requite the bulldoze one time you have reformatted it, such every bit Macintosh Hard disk drive.
  12. Choose the format. This is will be APFS if you lot are using Catalina - older OSs might have had the option of  Mac OS Extended (Journaled).
  13. Click Erase and enter your Apple ID if required. Look.
  14. Now quit Disk Utility to return to the MacOS Utilities screen.

How to delete your Mac in Mojave or earlier

The process for deleting and reformatting your Mac is slightly less complicated in macOS Mojave or earlier every bit there isn't the 2nd Data book to delete first.

Equally above, start up in Recovery.

  1. Select Disk Utility from the options, and click Continue.
  2. Click on your principal difficult drive, typically called Macintosh Hd, in the sidebar on the left. You're looking for the disk name, non the volume name indented underneath information technology if that appears. How to factory-reset a Mac: Disk Utility
  3. To wipe your hard drive, click the Erase button, then click Erase. Note that this permanently erases all data on the difficult drive and so don't exercise this unless you've cloned the drive or are happy to never access annihilation on that bulldoze once again. How to factory-reset a Mac: Erasing the hard drive
  4. When it's finished, exit the plan by going to the top carte du jour and selecting Disk Utility > Quit Disk Utility.

Step iii: Reinstall macOS

The next pace involves reinstalling macOS - yous can't just sell your Mac having erased the contents - if you do the new user will be confronted with a flashing question mark when they start upwards the Mac because there will be no operating organization installed. You demand to reinstall macOS before you tin can sell it on.

If you accept an M1 Mac, or a Mac with the T2 chip, this will exist handled by the Erase All Contents and Settings choice in System Preferences, equally detailed above. Simply if that isn't an option for you and then the below guide should help:

How to reinstall macOS

Whether you lot are reselling the Mac, or but planning to continue to use the Mac and just wanted to do a clean install you will want to install a version of macOS.

You should notwithstanding be in macOS Utilities as per the steps in a higher place.

  1. Cull Reinstall macOS from Utilities and follow the instructions that appear  to reinstall macOS.
  2. Your Mac will starting time to download and install which always version of macOS your Mac was running - alternatively, if yous wanted to install an older version of macOS we accept more information beneath.
  3. Eventually subsequently the longest-always 49 mins or so your Mac will restart. But the wait isn't over. Information technology will still take a little fourth dimension while you start upward and picket the white bar. Ours said 11 minutes remaining around that time, but information technology took a lot longer than that. Just leave your Mac to get on with it and ignore any time remaining indicators.
  4. Finally you will run across the Welcome screen. If you are selling or passing on your Mac you can leave it at this stage considering the new user will need to input their details. If you desire to continue to use the Mac then follow the steps to set it upward.

How to install an older version or downgrade macOS

The method higher up will work if yous want to install the latest version of macOS installed on the Mac. It won't upgrade you to the latest version if you aren't already running information technology.

In that location are other options if you desire to install a different version of the macOS.

Instead of pressing Control + R at start up you could press Shift + Option/Alt + Control R (if y'all are running Sierra 10.12.4 of later) to install the version of macOS that came with your Mac, or the one closest to it that is yet available. (Command + R won't work on an M1 Mac).

Alternatively you could brand a bootable drive containing the version of macOS that you want to run and install it on your Mac using that. Read how to do that hither: How to make a bootable macOS installer on an external drive.

If you need to install an older version of the Mac operating system and are wondering how you can do that if you oasis't got the original discs, read this: How to install old versions of macOS or Mac Os 10.

We accept another article that goes into more particular on how to install an older version of macOS using Recovery way.