How to Erase Your Mac Before Selling (Step-by-Step)

Before you hand over your Mac — whether at our Hollywood store or via mail-in — you want to make sure your personal data is completely wiped. Here's how to do it correctly for both Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) and older Intel Macs.

Step 1: Back Up Your Data

Before erasing anything, back up everything you want to keep. The two best options:

• Time Machine: Plug in an external drive and use Time Machine in System Settings to create a full backup.
• iCloud: Make sure your Documents, Desktop, Photos, and other folders are synced to iCloud before you wipe.

Step 2: Sign Out of iCloud

This is the most important step. If you don't sign out of iCloud, the new owner will see your Apple ID associated with the Mac and Find My will keep it locked to your account.

1. Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS)
2. Click your name at the top
3. Scroll down and click Sign Out
4. Choose whether to keep a copy of iCloud data on the Mac (you can say no — your data is still in iCloud)
5. Enter your Apple ID password to turn off Find My

Step 3: Erase the Mac

Apple Silicon Macs (M1, M2, M3, M4)

1. Open System Settings → General → Transfer or Reset
2. Click Erase All Content and Settings
3. Follow the prompts — this will sign you out of everything, erase the drive, and restore macOS

Older Intel Macs (macOS Monterey and earlier)

1. Restart the Mac and hold Command + R to boot into Recovery Mode
2. Open Disk Utility and erase the main drive (Macintosh HD)
3. Quit Disk Utility and choose Reinstall macOS

Step 4: Don't Set It Up

Once erased, let the Mac sit at the setup screen — don't go through the setup wizard. This leaves it in the right state for the new owner (or for us to inspect).

What If You Can't Do It Yourself?

If you're not comfortable with any of these steps, bring the Mac to our Hollywood store with your Apple ID credentials. Our team will walk you through it on the spot before completing the sale.