How to wipe a Mac so it's ready to give away, sell or recycle

Before you part ways with an old Mac or MacBook, you need to remove your personal information. Without doing so, another user could potentially gain access to your data and online accounts.

Thankfully, wiping your Mac and restoring its factory settings isn't too tricky – it's simply a case of backing up data you don't want to lose and then initiating a reset via system settings. With help from our Tech Support team, you can be sure that your personal data is fully cleared.

Keep scrolling for step-by-step instructions on how to factory reset your Apple computer.

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How do I wipe my old Mac?

'I’ve just purchased a new Apple MacBook Neo. I’m very happy with it and would now like to give my old MacBook to a friend – how do I remove all of my data?'

Which? Tech Support member

Step 1: Back up to Time Machine

If you have data on the old Mac that you need to carry over, it’s a good idea to make a Time Machine backup first. This lets you restore your apps, photos, documents and other files on your new Mac.

Just follow these instructions:

1. Connect an external hard drive to your Mac.
2. Select the Apple menu (top left) and go to System Settings > General > Time Machine.
3. Select Add Backup Disk, choose your external drive and then select Set Up Disk.

Your Mac might ask to erase the external drive before it can be used with Time Machine. This will permanently delete any files already stored on it, so make sure you don't need them before continuing.

Once set up, Time Machine will begin backing up your Mac. You can also select Back Up Now from the Time Machine menu to start a backup manually.

Best external hard drives - trust your backup with a model recommended by our experts

Step 2: Check your macOS version

The process you need to follow to wipe your Mac depends on which version of macOS you're running and which Mac you have.

To check your macOS version:

1. Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner.
2. Select About This Mac.

You'll see the name of the macOS version you're using, along with its version number.

Best MacBooks – our expert Apple laptop guide will help you decide which is the best MacBook for your budget.

Step 3: Reset your Mac

If your Mac has Apple silicon or the Apple T2 Security Chip and is running macOS Monterey 12 or later, you can use Erase All Content and Settings to reset it.

macOS Ventura or newer

1. Select the Apple menu in the top-left corner and go to System Settings.
2. Click General in the sidebar, then choose Transfer or Reset.
3. Choose Erase All Content and Settings.
4. Enter the password you use to log in to your Mac when prompted.

Follow the on-screen instructions to erase your Mac. This removes your data, apps and settings, signs you out of Apple services, and turns off Find My and Activation Lock.

macOS Monterey

1. Select the Apple menu in the top-left corner and go to System Preferences.
2. Click System Preferences from the menu bar at the top of the screen.
3. Choose Erase All Content and Settings.
4. Enter the password you use to log in to your Mac when prompted.

Follow the on-screen instructions to erase your Mac.

Once the process is complete, your Mac will restart and display the setup screen. If you're giving it away or selling it, don't continue with the setup process. Instead, shut down the Mac so its new owner can set it up with their own details.

If you can't see Erase All Content and Settings

If your Mac doesn't support Erase All Content and Settings, you'll need to erase it using macOS Recovery and reinstall macOS.

• Mac with Apple silicon: Shut down your Mac, then press and hold the power button until you see the startup options screen. Select Options, then Continue.
• Intel-based Mac: Restart your Mac, then immediately press and hold Command + R until you see the Apple logo or another image.

Once you're in macOS Recovery, try this:

1. Select Disk Utility, then Continue.
2. Choose Macintosh HD in the sidebar, then select Erase and follow the on-screen instructions. If you see Erase Volume Group, select this instead.
3. When the disk has been erased, close Disk Utility.
4. Select Reinstall macOS, then Continue.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to reinstall macOS.

Once macOS has been reinstalled, your Mac will start up to the setup screen. If you're giving it away or selling it, don't continue with the setup process. Shut down the Mac so its new owner can set it up with their own details.

Protect your computer with a malware-busting antivirus package. Our guide to the best antivirus has more details.

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