How to wipe your old MacBook and restore factory settings before selling it

Tempted by the new MacBook Pro? Or maybe it’s just time to say goodbye to the desktop collecting dust in the corner. You might be able to get some money by selling your old Mac. But before you do, you’ll need to migrate its data to your new Mac and wipe it clean. 

Even if you are giving your Mac to a friend, recycling it or donating it to an organization, you’ll want to erase your personal information and files before parting with it. That’s a security measure you don’t want to skip. Your Mac’s hard drive is bursting with sensitive information that you wouldn’t want to be accessible, even if you trust your laptop’s next owner. There’s always a chance that some malware could snake its way in and uncover your personal details.

Here, I’ll show you how to remove all traces of your data and return your old Mac to its default factory settings. This story updates periodically.

Read also: Which MacBook is right for you: MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro

Sign out of your accounts

After migrating your data to your new Mac or making one last backup to preserve your data, it’s time to remove all traces of yourself from the machine. First, you’ll need to sign out of all of your accounts. Previously, this was done using iTunes, but with iTunes meeting its end last year, you now can use the Music, TV or Books app to sign out. Open up any of those apps and go to Account > Authorizations > Deauthorize This Computer. You’ll need to enter your Apple ID and password and then hit the Deauthorize button.

Next, you’ll need to turn off Find My Mac and sign out of iCloud. Go to System Preferences > Apple ID, click iCloud in the left panel and then uncheck Find My Mac. Next, click Overview from the left panel and then click the Sign Out button.

Lastly, you’ll need to sign out of Messages. Open the Messages app, go to Messages > Preferences, click the iMessage tab and then click Sign Out.

Bluetooth unpairing

If you’re handing down your old Mac to your kid or someone else in your house, then it’s a good idea to unpair any Bluetooth devices from it so your mouse or keyboard controls your new Mac and doesn’t interfere with your old one. Go to System Preferences > Bluetooth, mouse over the device you want to unpair, click the X button to the right of its name, then click Remove.

Factory reset

You need to put your MacBook ($934 at Amazon) into recovery mode in order to erase all of your data and reinstall MacOS. To enter recovery mode, restart your Mac and immediately press and hold Command-R. You can release the keys when you see the Apple logo.

Next, you’ll see the MacOS Utilities window. Choose Disk Utility, click Continue and select your startup disk — unless you renamed it, odds are it’s labeled Macintosh HD or something similar. Next, click the Erase button at the top of the Disk Utility window and fill out these three fields:

• Name: Choose a name for the fresh, new volume. Why not go with the tried-and-true Macintosh HD?
• Format: Choose either APFS or Mac OS Extended (Journaled). The newer APFS is best for solid-state drives, and Mac OS Extended (Journaled) is best for older, mechanical hard drives.
• Scheme: Choose GUID Partition Map.

Next, click Erase and after Disk Utility does its thing, quit Disk Utility. 

You should return to the MacOS Utilities window. (If not, restart your Mac again, holding down Command-R while it reboots.) From the MacOS Utilities window, select Reinstall MacOS and follow the instructions to install the operating system. After MacOS has been reinstalled, you’ll be greeted by the Setup Assistant, which you can quit out of and shut down your Mac. It’s now ready for a fresh start with its next owner.