Selling a MacBook means wiping it properly: backing up your files, signing out of iCloud so Activation Lock is off, and erasing the drive. Newer Macs make this a two-minute job; older ones need macOS Recovery. Here are both methods.
1. Back up your Mac
Connect an external drive and use Time Machine (System Settings → General → Time Machine), or make sure everything you need is in iCloud Drive. Once the Mac is erased, files can't be recovered.
2. Deauthorise your Apple purchases
Open the Music app (or iTunes on older macOS) and choose Account → Authorisations → Deauthorise This Computer.
3a. Apple silicon (M1–M5) and Intel Macs with a T2 chip: Erase All Content and Settings
On macOS Monterey or later, go to System Settings → General → Transfer or Reset → Erase All Content and Settings. Enter your admin password, then your Apple ID password when asked. Erase Assistant signs you out of your Apple ID, turns off Find My and Activation Lock, and erases the Mac. When it restarts to the setup screen, it is ready to send.
3b. Older Intel MacBooks: use macOS Recovery
- Sign out first: System Settings (or System Preferences) → Apple ID → Sign Out. This turns off Find My Mac.
- Restart and hold Command (⌘) + R to start macOS Recovery.
- Open Disk Utility, select Macintosh HD, click Erase (APFS format) and confirm.
- Quit Disk Utility and choose Reinstall macOS so the next owner gets a working Mac. When the setup assistant appears, press Command + Q to shut down.
MacBook won't turn on, or has a broken screen?
Sign in at iCloud.com/find, choose the Mac and select Remove This Device to turn off Activation Lock. We securely wipe every Mac we receive, and we buy faulty machines too: see sell a broken MacBook.
Checklist
- Backed up with Time Machine or iCloud
- Music/TV purchases deauthorised
- Signed out of Apple ID: Find My off
- Erased: Mac shows the setup screen
Get an instant quote for your exact model on the Sell My MacBook page. Not sure which model you have? Find your MacBook model number.
