How to Wipe a Mac Before Selling It: The Right Method for Your Model

Macs keep their value, so plenty of them are sold on rather than recycled. Before yours changes hands, it needs two things: its storage erased, and its link to your Apple account removed. Skip the second and the buyer meets Activation Lock and cannot set it up. Skip the first and they might find your files.

Apple has made wiping much easier on recent models, but the right method still depends on which Mac you have. We will be clear about where a bootable tool like RedKey USB fits and where it does not.

How do I find out which Mac I have?

Open the Apple menu and choose About This Mac. If it lists an Apple M-series chip, it is an Apple silicon Mac; if it lists an Intel processor, it is an Intel Mac. Some Intel Macs from 2018 to 2020 also have a T2 security chip.

To check for a T2 chip, open System Report and look under Controller (or iBridge on older systems). Note the macOS version as well, because the simplest erase option needs macOS Monterey or later.

What should I do before erasing a Mac?

Back up, then sign out of everything that ties the Mac to you, especially iCloud and Find My, because signing out is what removes Activation Lock.

• Back up with Time Machine to an external drive, or make sure iCloud has finished syncing Photos and Desktop and Documents.
• Deauthorise the computer in the Music or TV app.
• Sign out of iMessage and FaceTime.
• Sign out of your Apple account in System Settings, which turns off Find My.
• Sign out of third-party apps with activation limits, such as office and creative suites and password managers.
• Unpair any Bluetooth keyboard, mouse or trackpad you are keeping.

Afterwards, check your Apple account's device list from another device and remove the Mac if it still appears.

How do I wipe an Apple silicon or T2 Mac?

Use Erase All Content and Settings, found in System Settings under General, then Transfer or Reset. It destroys the keys protecting the always-encrypted internal storage and returns the Mac to its setup screen in minutes.

On macOS Monterey the option sits in the System Preferences menu instead. Enter your administrator password and follow the prompts; it will remind you to sign out if you have not. Because the storage on these Macs is always encrypted by the Secure Enclave or T2 chip, destroying the keys leaves the data unreadable.

Apple silicon Macs are not supported by RedKey USB, or by bootable x86 tools generally, so Erase All Content and Settings is the correct method for them.

How do I wipe an older Intel Mac?

Start in macOS Recovery, erase the internal disk with Disk Utility, then reinstall macOS. On older hard drive models Disk Utility can also overwrite the disk; a single pass is enough.

Restart while holding Command and R, open Disk Utility, choose View then Show All Devices, and erase the whole physical disk as APFS (or Mac OS Extended for older systems) with a GUID Partition Map. Then quit and choose Reinstall macOS.

The weak spot is an older Intel Mac with an SSD that never had FileVault turned on. A basic Disk Utility erase on that machine may leave more behind than you would like, and that is where a dedicated erasure tool earns its place.

Can I use RedKey USB on a Mac?

Yes, on most Intel-based Macs made from 2006 to 2020. Start the Mac while holding the Option key, choose the EFI Boot option, then select the disks to erase and follow the on-screen steps.

1. Connect the power adapter and plug in the RedKey.
2. Turn the Mac on and hold Option until the startup disks appear.
3. Choose EFI Boot.
4. Pick the disks to erase, or use the automatic mode on supported disks, and follow the prompts.
5. When it confirms completion, reinstall macOS from Recovery, using Internet Recovery (Option, Command and R) if needed.

T2 Macs block external booting by default; you can allow it in Startup Security Utility inside macOS Recovery. Some models need extra startup or security steps, so check our compatibility guidance for your exact model first.

What are the last steps before handing it over?

Reset NVRAM on Intel Macs, let macOS reinstall, and stop at the country selection screen so the buyer gets a fresh setup experience.

To reset NVRAM, start up holding Option, Command, P and R for about 20 seconds. Apple silicon Macs handle this automatically. When the setup assistant appears after reinstalling, press Command and Q and shut down.

Mac handover checklist

• Backup made and opened on another device.
• Signed out of your Apple account, Find My off, Activation Lock cleared.
• Music and TV deauthorised, iMessage and FaceTime signed out.
• Mac removed from your device list.
• Storage erased with the right method for your model.
• macOS reinstalled and left at the setup screen.
• Cleaned, with the charger included.

If you are also selling an iPhone or iPad, remember that mobile erasure in RedKey is part of the Ultimate edition only. For a wider checklist that applies to any computer, see Selling Your Old Laptop or PC.

Frequently asked questions

Is emptying the Trash enough before selling a Mac?

No. Files can stay on the storage until overwritten, and the Mac stays linked to your Apple account. Sign out and erase it properly.

Does RedKey USB work on M1 or M2 Macs?

No. Apple silicon Macs are not supported. Use Erase All Content and Settings on those models.

How do I remove Activation Lock before selling?

Sign out of your Apple account on the Mac, which turns off Find My, then check that the Mac no longer appears in your device list.

Ready to erase your own devices? See RedKey USB Home. Related reading: How to Prepare Devices for Resale Securely and How to Erase Old Laptops the Right Way.