Prior to the release of macOS Monterey, resetting your Mac to factory settings was a cumbersome process, but now it’s much more straightforward. Learn how to revert your Mac to its former, fresh-out-of-the-box state in just a few clicks.
How to Identify Your Mac Model
In order to ensure that the updated factory reset process will work for your Mac, confirm whether or not your Mac supports it: only a Mac featuring either the Apple T2 Security Chip or an Apple Silicon SoC is eligible. Follow the steps below to identify which Mac model you own.
Mac Models With the Apple T2 Security Chip
In 2018, Apple began including its T2 Chip inside select models of the Mac,to offer customers enhanced security from features such as secure boot and encrypted storage. Below are the Mac models that feature the T2 Chip:
iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2020)iMac ProMac Pro (2019)Mac Pro (Rack, 2019)Mac mini (2018)MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2020)MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2019)MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, two Thunderbolt 3 ports)MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, four Thunderbolt 3 ports)MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, two Thunderbolt 3 ports)MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2019)MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, four Thunderbolt 3 ports)MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2018)MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2018, four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
Mac Models With Apple Silicon
Apple began transitioning from Intel processors to Apple silicon in Mac computers with certain models introduced in late 2020. While individual configurations will vary based on core count and other factors, all Mac desktops and laptops with Apple silicon are powered by one of the following chips:
Apple M1 Apple M1 Pro Apple M1 MaxApple M1 UltraApple M2
The full list of Mac computers with Apple silicon is as follows:
MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020)MacBook Air (M1, 2020)Mac mini (M1, 2020) iMac (24-inch, M1, 2021) MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2021)MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2021)Mac Studio (2022) MacBook Pro (13-inch, M2, 2022) MacBook Air (M2, 2022)
How to Update to macOS Monterey
Before you attempt to reset your Mac to factory settings, it is recommended that you update your Mac to the latest version of macOS. Note that macOS Monterey (and newer) introduces support for the new and improved factory reset process.
How to Erase All Content and Settings From Your Mac
The new system for resetting your Mac to factory settings securely erases all of your personal data, deletes all of your existing apps, and reverts all of your configured settings without removing the operating system that is currently installed on your Mac. This eliminates the need to reinstall macOS after clearing your data from your Mac. Follow these steps to reset your Mac: Tip: when you launch Erase Assistant, your Mac will automatically force quit all of the apps that you currently have open in macOS, so you may lose any unsaved changes. Note: skip the next step if you are giving away, selling, or trading in your Mac. Instead, press and hold the power or Touch ID button until your Mac powers off. Image credit: Thomas Lefebvre via Unsplash. All screenshots taken by Brahm Shank.
An Apple device: navigate to the Find My app to locate and reset your Mac.A PC or an Android smartphone: locate and reset your Mac by visiting the iCloud web portal.
From the Find My app or the iCloud web portal select your Mac, then tap or click the button labeled “Erase Mac.” Be sure to follow the onscreen prompt to confirm that you would like to erase all content and reset all settings on the Mac that you selected.
