How to Safely Erase Your Mac and Reset to Factory Settings

Follow this guide to securely erase your Mac, sign out of services, and restore your device to its original factory state before selling or recycling.

1. Perform a complete system backup. Connect an external storage drive to your Mac. Open System Settings, navigate to General > Time Machine, and add your drive to perform a full encrypted backup of your existing data.
2. Sign out of iCloud and Apple services. Open System Settings. Click your Name at the top of the sidebar and select Sign Out at the bottom of the right-hand panel. Enter your Apple ID password when prompted to disable Find My Mac and Activation Lock.
3. Use the Erase Assistant tool. Navigate to System Settings > General > Transfer or Reset. Click the Erase All Content and Settings button to launch the assistant. This utility securely wipes your data while keeping the operating system intact.
4. Confirm the reset process. Enter your Mac administrator password to authorize the erasure. Review the list of items being removed—including your Apple ID, Touch ID data, and accessories—then click Continue.
5. Complete the factory wipe. The Mac will restart to a black screen or progress bar. If prompted, connect to a Wi-Fi network to activate the device. Once activated, click Exit to Recovery Utilities or shut down the Mac by holding the power button.