How to Factory Reset a Mac — Complete Guide 2026

📋 Before You Begin: Which Mac Do You Have?

Click the Apple menu → About This Mac. Look for the chip information:

• Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, M4, or any "M" chip): Use the modern Erase All Content method
• Intel (shows "Processor: Intel Core i5/i7/i9"): Use Internet Recovery or the Erase method if running Monterey or later

Erase All Content and Settings is available on:

• All Apple Silicon Macs (any macOS version)
• Intel Macs with a T2 security chip running macOS Monterey (12) or later

If your Intel Mac does not have a T2 chip or is running an older macOS version, you will need to use the manual Internet Recovery method described below.

💾 Step 1: Back Up Your Data

A factory reset permanently erases everything. Back up first.

Option A: Time Machine Backup

1. Connect an external hard drive (at least as large as your Mac's storage)
2. Go to System Settings → General → Time Machine
3. Click Add Backup Disk and select your external drive
4. Wait for the initial backup to complete (this can take hours for large drives)

Option B: Manual Backup

1. Copy your Documents, Desktop, Downloads, and Photos folders to an external drive
2. Export browser bookmarks and passwords
3. Note which apps you have installed (screenshot Applications folder)
4. Check for app-specific data (music production files, development projects, etc.)

Option C: iCloud

Verify that Desktop, Documents, Photos, and other critical data are syncing to iCloud. Go to System Settings → Apple ID → iCloud → iCloud Drive and confirm everything important is checked.

🔓 Step 2: Sign Out of Everything

This is critical, especially if you are selling or giving away the Mac.

1. iCloud: System Settings → Apple ID → scroll down → Sign Out. Choose whether to keep a copy of data on the Mac (not needed if erasing).
2. iMessage: Open Messages → Settings → iMessage tab → Sign Out
3. Apple Music / iTunes: Open Music → Account → Authorizations → Deauthorize This Computer
4. Find My: This is handled automatically when you sign out of iCloud, but verify Find My Mac is disabled in System Settings → Apple ID → Find My
5. Bluetooth devices: Unpair any Bluetooth devices you want to use with another machine

✨ Step 3: Erase All Content and Settings (Recommended Method)

This is the fastest and most complete method. Available on Apple Silicon Macs and Intel Macs with T2 chip running macOS Monterey or later.

macOS Ventura, Sonoma, Sequoia, and later:

1. Go to System Settings → General → Transfer or Reset
2. Click Erase All Content and Settings
3. Enter your administrator password
4. The Erase Assistant will show you what will be removed (iCloud accounts, Apple ID, Touch ID fingerprints, accessories, Find My)
5. Click Continue and confirm
6. The Mac will restart and erase itself. This takes 5-15 minutes.
7. When complete, it will show the Setup Assistant (the "Hello" screen) -- exactly like a brand-new Mac

macOS Monterey:

1. Go to System Preferences (old name) from the Apple menu
2. Click System Preferences in the menu bar → Erase All Content and Settings
3. Follow the same prompts as above

🔧 Step 4: Internet Recovery for Older Macs

If your Mac does not support Erase All Content and Settings, use this manual method.

Boot into Recovery Mode:

• Apple Silicon Mac: Shut down completely. Press and hold the power button until "Loading startup options" appears. Click Options, then Continue.
• Intel Mac: Restart and immediately hold Command + Option + R until a spinning globe appears. This boots Internet Recovery, which downloads the latest compatible macOS.

Erase the Disk:

1. In the Recovery window, select Disk Utility and click Continue
2. In the sidebar, select your startup disk (usually "Macintosh HD")
3. Click Erase in the toolbar
4. Name: "Macintosh HD", Format: APFS (for SSDs) or Mac OS Extended (Journaled) for older spinning drives
5. Click Erase and wait for completion
6. If you see a "Macintosh HD - Data" volume, erase that first, then erase "Macintosh HD"
7. Quit Disk Utility when done

Reinstall macOS:

1. Back in the Recovery menu, select Reinstall macOS
2. Click Continue and agree to the license terms
3. Select your freshly erased disk as the installation target
4. The download and installation will take 30-60 minutes depending on internet speed
5. The Mac will restart several times during installation
6. When finished, you will see the Setup Assistant

⚠️ Common Issues and Troubleshooting

• "Erase All Content and Settings" is greyed out: Your Mac does not have a T2 chip or is not running Monterey+. Use the Internet Recovery method instead.
• Activation Lock after erase: You forgot to sign out of iCloud/Find My before erasing. You will need your Apple ID password to proceed.
• Internet Recovery stuck on spinning globe: Check your Wi-Fi connection. Use an Ethernet adapter for more reliable recovery downloads.
• Disk Utility does not show the startup disk: Click View → Show All Devices in Disk Utility to reveal the physical drive.
• macOS installation fails: Try a different Wi-Fi network or use Command + R (local recovery) instead of Command + Option + R (internet recovery).
• Firmware password blocking recovery: If a firmware password is set, you need it to access Recovery Mode. Contact Apple Support if you have forgotten it.

🆘 Need Professional Help?

Stuck on Activation Lock? Mac will not boot into Recovery? We can help.