How to Wipe a MacBook Before Selling It
Before selling: back up, sign out of iCloud/Find My, then erase. On Apple Silicon and T2 Macs, use System Settings → General → Transfer or Reset → Erase All Content and Settings. On older Macs, boot into Recovery (Cmd-R), erase the drive in Disk Utility, and reinstall macOS. This removes your data and Activation Lock.
Step 1 — back up and sign out
First, back up anything you want to keep (Time Machine or copy files off). Then sign out of iCloud: System Settings → your name → Sign Out. This is the critical step — it turns off Find My / Activation Lock so the buyer isn't locked out. Also sign out of iMessage and any other Apple services.
Step 2 — erase the Mac
On Apple Silicon or T2 Macs (2018+), the clean way is System Settings → General → Transfer or Reset → Erase All Content and Settings. It wipes data, signs out of everything, and resets to factory in one step. On older Intel Macs, restart holding Cmd-R, open Disk Utility, erase the internal drive (APFS), then reinstall macOS from Recovery.
Step 3 — confirm it's clean
When it reboots to the setup "Hello" screen and does NOT ask for the previous Apple ID, it's properly wiped and Activation-Lock-free — ready to sell. If you sell to us, we also do a verified wipe ourselves as a second pass, so your data is gone for certain. Questions? (740) 223-5530.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to sign out of iCloud before selling a Mac? +
Yes — absolutely. Signing out of iCloud disables Find My / Activation Lock. If you skip it, the buyer can be locked out and the Mac is effectively bricked for them.
What is "Erase All Content and Settings" on a Mac? +
It's the one-step factory reset on Apple Silicon and T2 Macs that wipes your data, signs out of Apple services, and removes Activation Lock — the cleanest way to prep a Mac for sale.
Will you wipe my Mac for me when I sell it? +
Yes — we do a verified factory wipe on every Mac we buy as a second pass, so your data and Apple ID are removed for good even if you missed a step.
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