How to Factory Reset Mac & Wipe/Erase Mac If You’re Ready to Start Over

Mac computers have played an important role in our learning and work. It carries our important files, photos, videos, thesis, contracts, etc. However, sometimes we have to factory reset it for some reason. Here are the reasons why people want to factory reset their MacBook, iMac, Mac Pro, and Mac mini.

• 📦 Donate, give away, and resell Mac. There are not only individual settings but also private data, including email, Apple account, photos, videos, etc., both visible and invisible. To keep your privacy, you need to wipe, erase Mac, and put it into factory settings or keep it out-of-box.
• 🥵 If the Mac is stolen or broken, you want to erase all data and settings on it to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.
• 🔒 You forget the password and can’t log in. You want to reset your Macbook to factory settings without a password.
• 💻 Wipe Mac to reinstall a clean version of macOS. Sometimes, you need to reinstall the Mac to robust the macOS and fix file system errors.

No matter for what reason you want to factory reset your Mac, read on to learn the right procedure. It will prevent data loss, privacy leftover, and rescue data while getting a factory reset Mac done.

Table of contents

Must Dos Before Factory Reset Mac

How to Factory Reset Macbook and iMac

Tips for Maintaining a Clean Mac

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

Must Dos Before Factory Reset Mac

#1. Backup Your Data

The first important step is obviously backing up your data. Don't get me wrong. I mean backing up important data to an extra hard drive for storage, not saving new copies on Mac. To back up important files on Mac, you're supposed to use Time Machine and prepare an extra USB thumbnail drive.

1. Connect the USB thumbnail drive with your Mac.
2. Click the Apple icon on the top left of the window > System Settings > General > Time Machine.
3. Now, add the required Backup Disk using the Add Backup Disk button.
4. As you select the connected storage device, click Set Up Disk.
5. Select the Encrypt Backups checkbox and set a password, then click the Done button.
6. Time Machine automatically makes a backup once you give permission. After some time, your data will be completely backed up.

Backing up data is very necessary if you don't want to lose any important data. The following must-dos are for people who will not use the Mac anymore. It will prevent private leftover data after wiping the Mac.

#2. Unlink from Other Devices

Once you have successfully backed up your data, you can delete it from other related devices. For iCloud, you sign into your device, choose a device from the list, and then press the Erase button.

#3. Sign Out of Services

Now, sign out of your Account for other services. For example, you might have your account login to iCloud, iMessage, and others. Go to each service app and follow the given steps.

1. Go to Settings.
2. Click on Account > Profile.
3. Scroll to the bottom of the screen.
4. Click Sign Out.
5. Confirm the query, and you are all set.

#4. Deauthorize Your Mac From iTunes

Well, the next step comes: deauthorizing your Mac. For safety measures against further risks to data connectivity, you will need to deauthorize it from iTunes. This is done with the following steps:

1. Select Account > Authorizations > Deauthorize This Computer.
2. Now, it's time to log in through your Apple ID using your password.
3. Click the Deauthorize option.

#5. Unpairing Bluetooth

In the next steps, unpair the Bluetooth from your Mac device. This will prevent any future risk of insensitivity. To unpair the Bluetooth from the Mac device, follow the given steps.

1. Click Apple Menu > System Settings > Bluetooth.
2. Now click on the device you want to disconnect and confirm Disconnect.

#6. Reset NVRAM

Now, the last option is restoring NVRAM. NVRAM stands for Non-Volatile RAM and includes settings such as IP addresses, routing tables, and access controls. Restoring NVRAM is fundamental to having 100 percent security. Here's how you can restore NVRAM.

1. Power down your Mac and turn it back on immediately.
2. Press Option + Command + P + R immediately.
3. Press the combination keys until you see the appearance of the Apple logo and its disappearance twice or until you hear a beep.
4. Release the keys, and it should boot up normally afterward.

You could reset NVRAM using Terminal. Here is the procedure for that:

1. Quit all apps running on your device, and open Terminal.
2. Typing in the command line sudo nvram -c > administrator password.
3. Now restart your Mac.

How to Factory Reset Macbook and iMac

Here comes the main process: wiping/erasing Mac. You can see "Erase All Content and Settings" on some Macs, while others do not. Choose the correct way.

Method 1. Use Erase All Content and Settings (for macOS Monterey or later)

The first option is to use Erase All Content and Settings. It is an easier option that allows you to erase data from your MacBook. The only limitation is that this feature is limited to devices running macOS Monterey or later. In simple words, if your MacBook has this option, you can simply erase data following the given steps.

1. Go to the Apple menu > System Settings > General.
2. Click Transfer or Reset.
3. Search and click on Erase All Content and Settings.
4. Now, enter your administrator information and click Unlock.
5. Select the items you need to remove, click continue, and follow the onscreen instructions.

Method 2. Erase Mac from Recovery Mode and Reinstall macOS

However, if you want a factory reset on a Mac without logging in, there are certainly other ways. You can opt for a recovery mode data-erasing system. Here is how you can do it:

1. Put the Mac into recovery mode.

   For Apple silicon Mac:  Shut down Mac > Press and hold the power button until you see the startup options. Click Options > Continue to display the macOS Utilities window.

   For Intel-based Mac: Restart your Mac and hold the Command & R keys until you see the Apple logo.

2. Click Disk Utility > choose the Mac boot disk in the sidebar (generally named Macintosh HD) > click Erase.
3. Give the disk a name, format it as APFS, and then confirm "Erase."
4. After the erasing process is finished, from the macOS Utilities, choose Reinstall macOS [name].

Method 3. Wipe Mac by Downgrading macOS or Install a Previous Version

There is another hack by downgrading macOS. Downgrading the macOS requires completely erasing your startup disk. Here's how you can do it:

1. Go to the Apple Support website.
2. Download the previous version of macOS.
3. Select Reinstall macOS in macOS utilities.
4. Now click Continue and follow the upcoming prompts. 
5. The system will then automatically download and install the older version of macOS.
6. But remember that the installation process may take up to 30 minutes. Also, it is advised to have all the data backed up in some other space.

Tips for Maintaining a Clean Mac

It's a startover for erasing Mac. If you're purposely erase Mac to reinstall macOS, you might want to learn the tips for how to maintain your Mac clean.

• 🧹 The first thing to do is regularly clean the cache files from the computer. Cleaning cache files will increase the speed of your computer.
• 🗃️ Don't store unnecessary junk files in the system. It may include unwanted photos or duplicate files from the system.
• ⏰ Don't keep unused apps on the device for too long.
• ❎ Regularly remove the old iOS backups from the device that you no longer need.
• 🗑️ Regularly empty the trash bin to ensure that no extra unnecessary file accumulates in the system.

How do I erase a Mac computer? Or how do I factory reset a MacBook Pro? We hope that you no longer have this question and the above guide has helped you factory reset your MacBook. Whether you are selling your device or resting it for privacy reasons, be sure to take the right steps.

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers