5 steps to wipe your old Mac before you sell it or trade it in
The built-in erase, plus what to do before and after it.
👋 HEY, IT'S RAJA
Apple's Pro and Tell event in Los Angeles starts at 10 AM Pacific (10:30 PM in India) on 28 October, which is about when this email reaches you. The rumours point to a touchscreen MacBook Pro, an M6 iMac and an M6 14-inch MacBook Pro. Apple hasn't confirmed any of them.
If one of them ends up on your desk, your old Mac goes to a buyer, a family member or Apple Trade In. On newer Macs, Apple has turned the wipe itself into a single built-in feature. The order around it matters, because some of these steps can't be undone.
📘 Getting your old Mac ready to leave
Back up, switch off the lock, erase, then sell.
#1 Get your stuff off it first
Apple's own guide starts here, because the erase in step 3 deletes everything. Back up the Mac, or move your files straight onto the new one. If you have AppleCare on the old Mac, cancel it or transfer it before you start.
#2 Turn off Activation Lock
A Mac with Activation Lock still on is tied to your Apple Account, and the next owner can't use it. Open System Settings and click your name at the top of the sidebar. If you see Sign in, Activation Lock is already off. If not, turn off Find My Mac under iCloud, or sign out of your Apple Account completely.
#3 Erase it with Erase All Content and Settings
On a Mac with Apple silicon, or an Intel Mac with the T2 chip, running macOS Monterey or later, Apple says this feature replaces the manual steps in #4. These steps are for macOS Ventura or later. On Monterey, follow Apple's guide linked below.
- Open System Settings from the Apple menu.
- Click General, then scroll down and click Transfer or Reset.
- Click Erase All Content and Settings.
- Follow the prompts, entering your Mac password and then your Apple Account password, then click Erase All Content & Settings to confirm.
If a message asks whether you want to sign back in to your Apple Account, ignore it and carry on. Apple says the erase works by destroying the keys that unlock your data, so what's left on the drive can't be read.
💡 When the erase finishes, the Mac restarts, may ask you to reconnect Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, activates and restarts again. When the setup screens appear, don't set it up. Hold the power button until it turns off, and the next owner gets the same out-of-the-box start you did.
#4 On an older Intel Mac, do it by hand
No T2 chip, or older than Monterey? Apple's manual route is longer. On macOS Mojave or earlier, sign out of iTunes first. Then sign out of iCloud in System Settings (System Preferences on older macOS), sign out of iMessage in Messages > Settings > iMessage (Preferences on older macOS), and forget your Bluetooth keyboard and mouse if they're staying with you. Then start up from macOS Recovery, erase the drive in Disk Utility, reinstall macOS, and quit the setup assistant with Command-Q. Finish by resetting NVRAM.
Keep Apple's 2 guides open while you do it: before you sell your Mac and erasing your Mac.
#5 Sell it or trade it in
In the US, Apple Trade In takes Macs online or in an Apple Store, and you get credit toward a new device or an Apple Gift Card. Have the serial number ready for an accurate quote. In India, Apple takes Mac laptops in its stores only, and a Specialist checks it there for instant credit. Desktop Macs aren't on the India list.
Do step 1 now, even if you're not upgrading this year, because a backup is the one step you can't do after a Mac dies. Hit reply and tell me which Mac you're replacing.
See you Friday.
Keep it useful,
Raja · The Useful Tech
P.S. Enjoyed this? Forward it to a friend who loves their Apple gear a little too much.