How to factory reset a Mac

Before you factory reset your Mac

• Back up. Make a Time Machine backup so you can move your files to this or another Mac later: see how to back up a Mac.
• Know your passwords. You’ll need your Mac administrator password and your Apple Account password.
• Check which Mac you have. Choose Apple menu › About This Mac. A line called Chip means a Mac with Apple silicon, a line called Processor means an Intel-based Mac.

Files that are only in iCloud Drive stay in iCloud, but everything stored on the Mac itself is erased.

How to factory reset a Mac with Erase All Content and Settings

This is the way for Macs with Apple silicon and Intel-based Macs with the Apple T2 Security Chip, on macOS Monterey or later:

1. Choose Apple menu › System Settings, click General in the sidebar, then click Transfer or Reset.

2. Click Erase All Content and Settings.
3. In Erase Assistant, enter your administrator name and password, then click Unlock.
4. Review the list of what will be removed and click Continue. Enter your Apple Account password when asked and confirm with Erase All Content & Settings.
5. The Mac restarts. If asked, turn on your Bluetooth keyboard or mouse and choose a Wi-Fi network. When the Mac shows Setup Assistant, the reset is done.

It erases all user accounts and their data, the apps you installed and all settings, on every volume of the disk, Boot Camp included. It signs you out of iCloud and turns off Find My and Activation Lock, so the Mac is no longer linked to you. macOS itself stays installed.

If Erase All Content and Settings isn’t there, your Mac doesn’t support it: use the Recovery way below. If the Mac says other volumes must be erased first, Windows is installed with Boot Camp. Remove it with Boot Camp Assistant, then try again.

How to factory reset an older Intel Mac

Without Erase All Content and Settings, sign out of your accounts first, then erase the disk and reinstall macOS from macOS Recovery. This deletes everything on the startup disk:

1. Choose Apple menu › System Settings, click your name at the top of the sidebar, scroll down and click Sign Out. Enter your Apple Account password if asked.
2. Open Messages, choose Messages › Settings, click iMessage and click Sign Out.
3. Shut down the Mac. Press the power button, then immediately press and hold Command-R until you see the Apple logo or a spinning globe.
4. Select Disk Utility and click Continue. Select Macintosh HD in the sidebar, click Erase, keep the name and the format Disk Utility suggests and click Erase Volume Group (or Erase if that button isn’t shown).
5. Quit Disk Utility, select Reinstall macOS, click Continue and follow the onscreen instructions.

More on starting up this way: how to start a Mac in Recovery Mode.

After the reset

• Keeping the Mac: go through Setup Assistant. When it offers to transfer information, choose your Time Machine backup to bring back your files, apps and settings.
• Selling or giving it away: don’t set it up. Press and hold the power button until the Mac turns off, or press Command-Q in Setup Assistant on an older Mac, so the new owner starts from scratch.