Follow these tips before handing over your Mac to a new owner or sending it to Apple for trade-in to ensure your personal data is erased and Activation Lock is removed.
If you’re preparing to sell your Mac, simply putting it in the original box isn’t enough. Your computer holds personal data and is linked to your Apple Account, which enables Find My Activation Lock—potentially rendering it useless for the new owner.
We’ll walk you through the essential steps to take before passing on your Mac. These tips apply to all Mac desktops and notebooks, including MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro.
1. Save important files
You likely have important files stored across various Finder folders on your Mac. Before proceeding with erasing your Mac and restoring it to factory settings, be sure to do one of the following:
- Use the built-in Time Machine feature to back up everything to an external hard drive or SSD. Using this method, you create a snapshot of your computer’s applications, files, and settings so that transferring everything to your new Mac is quick and painless.
- Manually go inside important folders like Documents, Desktop, Downloads, etc., and transfer the files to another device via AirDrop. You can also move them to a thumb drive, external SSD/hard disk, or even your iPhone/iPad or Android phone.
- Move files from your old Mac to your new Mac using Migration Assistant. Once that’s done, erase everything from your old Mac.
2. Cancel or transfer your AppleCare+ plan
If you purchased an AppleCare+ plan with your Mac, you can cancel it or transfer it to the new owner. If you do the latter, you may want to increase your Mac’s price to accommodate this cost.
3. Erase all content and settings in one go
If your Mac has an Apple silicon or an Intel processor with the T2 Security Chip and is running macOS Monterey or later, you can safely erase all files and settings on it from one dedicated pane.
- Open System Settings on your Mac and go to General > Transfer or Reset.
- Click Erase All Content and Settings.
- Enter your Mac’s admin password and hit Unlock to open the Erase Assistant.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to erase and reset your computer.
Note: If your Mac is on macOS Monterey, click the Apple icon and choose System Preferences > Erase All Content and Settings instead.
After erasing your Mac, you should see the setup assistant or setup screen, just like a new computer. Don’t sign in with your Apple Account. Simply leave it as is and shut down your Mac. The new owner will set it up with their own Apple Account.
Important: If, for some reason, your Mac wasn’t erased properly, you’ll see the Activation Lock screen. In this case, sign in with your Apple Account and finish Mac’s setup. Then, sign out from System Settings, followed by erasing the Mac again.
If you can’t erase everything at once
If the Mac you’re giving away does not have the ‘Erase All Content and Settings’ option, you’ll have to manually follow all these tips below.
Sign out of iCloud
You must sign out of your Apple Account/iCloud account before passing on your Mac to someone else. If you fail to do that, the new owner cannot log in to the computer after erasing it because the Find My Activation Lock will still be in place and linked to your Apple ID. As a result, they will be locked out forever.
Follow these steps to sign out of your Apple or iCloud account on Mac:
- On macOS Ventura or later: System Settings > Apple Account > Sign Out.
- On macOS Monterey, macOS Big Sur, or macOS Catalina: System Preferences > Apple ID > Overview > Sign Out.
- On macOS Mojave or earlier: System Preferences > iCloud > Sign Out.
Sign out of iTunes on your old Mac
If your Mac is on macOS Mojave or earlier, open iTunes, and in the top menu bar, click Account > Authorizations > Deauthorize This Computer. Now, enter your Apple Account details to deauthorize this computer.
Sign out of App Store
Open the App Store, and if you’re still signed in, click Store from the top menu bar and select Sign Out.
Sign out of iMessage and FaceTime
Open the Messages app and FaceTime and press the Command + Comma (,) keys to go to their settings. From there, locate the sign out option.
Clear Touch Bar data
MacBook Pro with Touch Bar users should clear the Touch Bar data before handing their computer to a new owner. The Touch Bar includes the Touch ID sensor, which authenticates fingerprints against data stored in the Mac’s secure enclave for high-risk system actions.
Apple recommends clearing the Touch Bar data before moving on to the next step. To learn how that’s done, our tutorial walks you through the process.
Forget the Bluetooth keyboard, mouse, and trackpad
Some Bluetooth devices, like Apple’s Magic Keyboard, Mouse, and Trackpad, can only be paired with one device at a time. To make the pairing process easier with your next Mac, go to the Bluetooth settings on your current Mac and forget these accessories.
Important: After you remove the wireless keyboard and mouse from your Mac mini, Mac Studio, Mac Pro, or iMac, you’ll need to use a USB mouse and keyboard to follow the remaining tips.
Erase your Mac and reinstall macOS
Perhaps the most important thing you can do before donating or selling your Mac is to format the storage disk and reinstall macOS. Use Disk Utility to erase your Mac. Once that’s done, reinstall macOS from macOS Recovery.
Pro Tip: When using Disk Utility to erase your Mac, the more passes you make over your previous data, the more secure the erase will be.
Reset NVRAM
If you have an Intel-based Mac, reset its NVRAM to remove user settings from the memory and restore some security features to the default state. Once your Mac boots up to the setup screen, your Mac can be handed to its new owner so they can set it up for themselves.
Things to do before you sell your: