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How to factory reset a MacBook Pro
If you just upgrade to a new Mac and want to sell your old machine to a local dealer or online portals like Facebook Marketplace, you should reset your Mac to factory settings. As expected, the system deletes all your apps, data, files and preferences on your Mac and makes it ready for a smooth handover. Before you start resetting your MacBook, make sure to back up your essential data first. Read along to learn some preparatory steps and reset your MacBook Pro.
Create a backup
The first step is to create a backup of your MacBook Pro, which includes your data, apps, music, photos, emails, etc. A backup can be done using Time Machine, the built-in backup feature of your MacBook, and it can be used to restore everything on your new device. All you need is an external storage device that is compatible with macOS and has enough storage space to safely back up all your data.
1. Connect the external storage device.
2. Open Time Machine Preferences from the Time Machine menu in the menu bar — Apple Logo > System Preferences > Time Machine. If your Mac is running macOS Venture or later, head to Apple Logo > System Settings > General > Time Machine menu.
3. Select the external storage device by hitting the Select Backup Disk button, then click on Encrypt backups and Use Disk.
4. After you select a backup disk, Time Machine should immediately begin making a backup.
5. To start a backup manually, choose Back Up Now from the Time Machine menu in the menu bar. Use the same menu to check the status of a backup or skip a backup in progress.
Sign out of iCloud and other services
After creating a backup, it's recommended to sign out of all Apple services, such as iTunes, iCloud, and iMessage.
1. Open the Apple Logo menu in the upper-left corner and click on System Preferences.
2. Click on Apple ID if you use macOS Catalina (10.15) or later. If you're using an older version of macOS, click iCloud instead.
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3. On the left side, select Overview, and click on the Sign Out button at the bottom. Earlier versions of macOS should directly have the Sign Out button.
4. If your Mac runs macOS Venture or a higher version, click on the Apple logo and select System Settings. Select your Apple profile and scroll down from the following menu to find the Sign out button.
4. Sign out of your Apple Music account, or iTunes account if your MacBook Pro is running macOS Mojave or earlier.
5. Open the Music/iTunes app.
6. On the top menu bar, you should see the option for Account.
7. Open the drop-down menu, and click on Authorizations > De-authorize This Computer.
8. The system asks you to enter your Apple ID and password to confirm the same.
9. Finally, you should sign out of the Messages app.
10. Open the Messages app on your MacBook Pro, click Messages on the top menu bar, and open Preferences.
11. Click on the iMessage tab, and you should see the option to Sign Out next to your Apple ID.
Factory reset a MacBook Pro
Now that you have completed the required steps, we can finally move on to factory resetting your MacBook Pro, where the system deletes all your data, apps, and settings. The steps to reset the device differ based on your macOS version.
macOS Big Sur or earlier
If your MacBook Pro is running macOS Big Sur or earlier, follow the steps below.
1. Power up your MacBook Pro into recovery mode. You can do this by turning on your Mac and then immediately pressing and holding the Command and R keys.
2. If the system asks, select a user you know the password for, then enter their administrator password.
3. From the utilities window, select Disk Utility and click Continue.
4. Select Macintosh HD in the sidebar of Disk Utility and click the Erase button in the toolbar.
5. Select the disk format as APFS if you're running macOS 10.13 High Sierra and later. It's also better for newer SSDs. If you have an older MacBook Pro, select Mac OS Extended (Journaled).
6. Click Erase Volume Group. If you don't see this button, click Erase instead. After the erasure is done, select any other internal volumes in the sidebar, then click the delete volume button in the toolbar to delete that volume.
7. Once you have erased your disks, quit Disk Utility and return to the utilities window.
8. Select Reinstall macOS in the utilities window, then click Continue and follow the onscreen instructions to reinstall macOS.
9. Make sure you don't close the lid while the OS is being installed.
Factory reset on macOS Monterey and later
If you're running macOS Monterey or later, the process is even simpler. Apple has baked the functionality in a more intuitive and user-facing manner, sparing you the need to erase volumes and reinstall the operating system. The process on macOS Monterey slightly differs from that on Ventura and later versions, including the latest macOS Sonoma. For this reason, we've detailed the steps you need to follow, no matter which recent macOS version you're running, in this dedicated guide.
Sell your MacBook Pro with a peace of mind
Factory resetting the MacBook Pro doesn't require rocket science. Don't forget to back up your important data in advance, as wiping the disk will expectedly delete your local content. If you don't have an external device, back up your data to cloud storage solutions like OneDrive or Google Drive. Apart from reselling, factory resetting a MacBook Pro also comes in handy for fixing stubborn macOS glitches.
