How to wipe a MacBook before you sell it
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Two things have to happen before a MacBook changes hands: your data comes off, and the Mac is signed out of your Apple Account so the new owner can use it. Miss the second step and the machine stays locked by Activation Lock — dead weight to a buyer, and a problem for resale. This guide covers both, on Apple Silicon and Intel, plus the forgotten-password path. If you would rather not do any of it, we sign out and wipe on collection.
What should you do before you erase a MacBook?
Back up anything you want to keep first, because an erase is permanent. Connect an external drive and run a full Time Machine backup (System Settings → General → Time Machine → Add Backup Disk), or confirm your important files are already in iCloud Drive and have finished uploading. Documents, Photos, and Desktop folders sync to iCloud only if you have switched that on, so check rather than assume.
If you are moving to a new Mac, the cleanest path is to back up the old one to Time Machine, then restore from that backup with Migration Assistant on the new machine. That carries across your apps, settings, and files in one pass. Finish the backup before you touch any of the erase steps below — once content is wiped, it is gone.
How do you sign out of iCloud and Find My on a MacBook?
Sign out in this order so Activation Lock releases cleanly. Each service ties the Mac to you, and leaving one connected can leave the buyer locked out.
- iMessage: open Messages → Settings → iMessage tab → Sign Out. This stops messages routing to a Mac you no longer own.
- iCloud and Find My: System Settings → [your name] at the top → scroll down → Sign Out. This is the one that matters most, because signing out of iCloud switches off Find My and therefore Activation Lock. You will be asked for your Apple Account password to confirm.
- Media authorisation: open Music → Account menu → Authorisations → Deauthorise This Computer. Apple allows a limited number of authorised computers, so reclaim the slot before the Mac leaves.
On newer macOS, the Erase All Content and Settings tool (below) signs you out of all of these automatically. Doing it by hand first is still worth it as a check, and it is the only route on older Macs.
How do you erase a MacBook — Apple Silicon vs Intel?
The right method depends on the chip and the macOS version. Use the table to find your route, then follow the matching steps.
| Your Mac | macOS | Method | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Silicon (M1–M4) | Monterey or later | Erase All Content and Settings | Wipes data, signs out of Apple services, reinstalls macOS |
| Intel with T2 chip (most 2018–2020) | Monterey or later | Erase All Content and Settings | Same as above |
| Older Intel (pre-2018, no T2) | Any | Recovery erase | Manual wipe in Disk Utility, then reinstall macOS |
Erase All Content and Settings (Apple Silicon and T2 Macs): go to System Settings → General → Transfer or Reset → Erase All Content and Settings. Enter your password, sign out of your Apple Account when prompted, and confirm. The Mac wipes your data, removes your account, and reinstalls a clean copy of macOS in one pass. This is the safest route because it handles FileVault, sign-out, and Activation Lock for you.
Recovery erase (older Intel Macs): restart and hold Command + R until the Apple logo or spinning globe appears, which boots into Recovery. Open Disk Utility, select the internal drive, and erase it using the APFS format (or Mac OS Extended on much older machines). Close Disk Utility, then choose Reinstall macOS from the Recovery menu and follow the prompts. When the install finishes, the Mac restarts to the setup screen.
Do you need to turn off FileVault before selling?
You do not need to turn FileVault off, and on a modern Mac it is better left on. FileVault encrypts the whole drive, so even if someone recovered the disk after a basic wipe, the old data is unreadable without your key. When you run Erase All Content and Settings, the encryption key is destroyed, which makes your files cryptographically unrecoverable in an instant.
If you are doing a Recovery erase on an older Intel Mac, erasing and reformatting the drive in Disk Utility removes the data regardless of FileVault state. The new owner sets up their own FileVault and password during first-time setup, so there is nothing you need to leave behind.
How do you check Activation Lock is off after erasing?
Boot the Mac and confirm it reaches the Hello / setup screen without asking for an Apple Account password. A clean machine asks you to pick a language and a Wi-Fi network, then begins setup as if new. If it instead demands the previous owner’s Apple ID and password, Activation Lock is still on and the buyer cannot proceed.
To clear a lock you missed: sign back in with your Apple Account, open System Settings → [your name] → Sign Out properly, then erase again. You can also remove it remotely — sign in at iCloud.com, open Find My → Devices, select the Mac, and choose Remove from account. Once removed, the next setup runs without the lock.
What if you have forgotten the password or cannot log in?
A genuinely locked-out Mac still has value, but it is harder to verify and resell, so price it honestly. This is common with an old machine you have not touched in a year, or one you have inherited. If you cannot get past the login screen, do not keep guessing — repeated wrong attempts can lock the Mac further and add delay.
Two things help most:
- Know the Apple Account it is tied to. If you have the email and can reset the password at iCloud.com, remove Activation Lock remotely through Find My → Devices → select the Mac → Remove from account. After that, a normal erase works.
- Keep any proof of purchase. For a machine you cannot unlock yourself, an original receipt is what allows Apple to clear the lock. Without it, a locked Mac is worth far less — parts only — so it is worth searching your email for the order confirmation. Tell us up front and we will price accordingly.
What do we do on collection?
We sign you out and wipe every machine on intake, so your data never leaves with us. Plenty of sellers prefer to hand the Mac over as-is, and that is fine. We talk you through signing out of your Apple Account on the doorstep, then run a secure erase as standard back at base. The one thing we genuinely need is for Find My to be off, so the Mac is not locked to your account when it arrives.
For indicative figures by model and condition, see the ranges on the MacBook page. Selling other kit at the same time? The same wipe-and-quote approach applies to a turntable on our Technics page — different gear, same honest process.
FAQ
Does erasing a MacBook remove Activation Lock?
Only if you sign out of your Apple Account first. The Erase All Content and Settings tool on Apple Silicon and T2 Macs signs you out as part of the wipe, so it clears the lock. A Recovery erase on older Intel Macs does not, so sign out of iCloud and Find My before you erase, or the Mac stays locked.
Should I deauthorise my MacBook from iTunes or Music before selling?
Yes. Open Music → Account → Authorisations → Deauthorise This Computer before you erase. Apple limits how many computers you can authorise for purchases at once, so deauthorising reclaims the slot for a future device. If you forget, you can deauthorise all computers from your Apple Account once a year and start again.
Can you buy a MacBook that I cannot wipe myself?
Yes, we still buy it, and we wipe it on intake as standard. Tell us in your quote that it is not signed out so we can price it correctly. If the Mac is locked to an Apple Account you cannot access, send any proof of purchase you have — a receipt is what lets a locked machine be cleared, and it makes a real difference to the figure.
Ready when you are: see what we buy, or get a quote. Free collection across the UK; paid on exchange.