How to Factory Reset a MacBook (Apple Silicon and Intel)

Quick answer: on a Mac with Apple silicon (M1 to M5) or an Intel Mac with a T2 chip running macOS Monterey or later, go to System Settings → General → Transfer or Reset → Erase All Content and Settings. It signs you out of your Apple ID, turns off Find My and erases the Mac. On older Intel MacBooks, erase the drive in macOS Recovery and reinstall macOS. Back up first: an erased Mac can't be recovered.

Method 1: Erase All Content and Settings (most Macs from 2018 on)

1. On macOS Ventura or later, open System Settings → General → Transfer or Reset and click Erase All Content and Settings. On macOS Monterey, open System Preferences, then choose Erase All Content and Settings from the System Preferences menu.
2. Enter your administrator password.
3. Enter your Apple ID password when asked, to sign out and turn off Find My and Activation Lock.
4. Click Erase All Content & Settings to confirm. The Mac restarts to the setup screen.

Method 2: Reset through macOS Recovery

Use Recovery on older Intel MacBooks, or when you've forgotten the login password.

1. Start macOS Recovery:
   • Apple silicon: shut down, then press and hold the power button until Loading startup options appears. Click Options, then Continue.
   • Intel: restart and immediately press and hold Command (⌘) + R until the Apple logo appears.
2. Open Disk Utility, select Macintosh HD, click Erase, choose APFS and confirm. (On Apple silicon you may be offered Erase Mac from the Recovery Assistant menu instead.)
3. 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.

On Apple silicon and T2 Macs, Activation Lock still asks for the Apple ID after a Recovery erase, unless you signed out first.

Remove the Mac from your Apple ID remotely

If the MacBook won't turn on, or the screen is broken, sign in at iCloud.com/find, choose the Mac and select Remove This Device to turn off Activation Lock.

Before you sell your MacBook

• Back up with Time Machine (System Settings → General → Time Machine) or make sure everything is in iCloud Drive.
• Deauthorise purchases: in the Music app, choose Account → Authorisations → Deauthorise This Computer.
• Sign out of your Apple ID so Find My Mac is off. Method 1 does this for you.
• Unpair Bluetooth devices you're keeping, such as a keyboard, mouse or trackpad.
• Erase it, and check it starts on the setup screen.

MacBook reset FAQs

Does a factory reset delete everything on a MacBook?

Yes. Your files, apps, accounts and settings are erased. On Apple silicon and T2 Macs the encryption keys are destroyed too, so the data can't be recovered.

How do I factory reset a MacBook without the password?

Start macOS Recovery (Method 2) and erase the drive from Disk Utility or Recovery Assistant. You'll still need the Apple ID password if Activation Lock is on.

Which method does my Mac use?

Any Mac with Apple silicon, or an Intel Mac with a T2 chip, on macOS Monterey or later, has Erase All Content and Settings. Not sure what you have? Find your MacBook model number.

Get an instant quote for your exact model on the Sell My MacBook page. We securely wipe every Mac we receive, and we buy faulty machines too: see sell a broken MacBook.