We wipe every MacBook before it is resold, so your data does not leave our building on it either way. You should still wipe it yourself first, because it is your data and you should be the one who knows it is gone.
On a MacBook with Apple silicon, which is every MacBook we buy, Apple has made this simple. One option erases your data and signs you out of your Apple account and Find My at the same time. The only way to get it wrong is to skip the sign-out. Selling a Windows laptop instead? That guide is separate.
Step 1: Back up, and check the backup opens
Use Time Machine to an external drive, or make sure iCloud Drive, Photos and Notes have finished syncing. Check the places people miss: the Downloads folder, the desktop, and files kept inside apps rather than in Documents.
Then open a few files from the backup on another device. Once the erase has run there is no undo.
Step 2: The small things worth doing first
Unpair any Bluetooth keyboard, mouse or AirPods you are keeping, so they do not try to reconnect to the old Mac. Sign out of software with a limited number of activations, such as Adobe or Microsoft 365, so you can use the licence on your next computer.
Step 3: Erase All Content and Settings
This single option signs you out of your Apple account, turns off Find My, removes Touch ID fingerprints and erases your data. Plug the MacBook in before you start.
- Open the Apple menu and choose System Settings.
- Choose General, then Transfer or Reset.
- Choose Erase All Content and Settings.
- Enter your Mac password when asked.
- Enter your Apple account password when asked. This is the step that signs you out and turns off Find My.
- Confirm the erase. The Mac restarts and shows the activation or setup screen when it is done. Switch it off there.
Step 4: Check it has left your Apple account
On another device, sign in at account.apple.com and open Devices. If the MacBook still appears, remove it. Then check Find My at icloud.com/find. If the Mac is listed there, remove it from your account too.
If Erase All Content and Settings will not work
If the Mac will not start properly, or you have forgotten the Mac password, you can erase it from Recovery instead. You will still need your Apple account password to remove Activation Lock.
- Shut the MacBook down.
- Press and hold the power button until you see Loading startup options, then choose Options and Continue.
- If asked, choose a user and enter its password, or choose Forgot all passwords to use your Apple account.
- From the Recovery Assistant menu, choose Erase Mac, and follow the prompts.
- If the Mac shows an Activation Lock screen afterwards, enter your Apple account details to unlock it.
Work MacBooks: Apple Business Manager
A MacBook bought through a company is often enrolled in Apple Business Manager and a device management service. After an erase it reconnects to the company setup on its own. Ask IT to release it from Apple Business Manager before you send it, because we cannot buy a MacBook that a company still owns or manages.
The last few things
Peel off any stickers with personal details and find the original USB-C or MagSafe charger, which is worth including.
- Note the model, chip, memory and battery cycle count before you erase, for the calculator
- Pack the charger with the MacBook
- Leave it switched off at the setup screen, not signed in
The short version
Back up and check the backup, then use Erase All Content and Settings and enter your Apple account password when it asks, which signs you out of Find My. Check the MacBook has gone from your Apple account, and on a work Mac make sure IT has released it from Apple Business Manager. That is all it needs to arrive ready to test.