Use Erase All Content and Settings to quickly and securely erase all of your settings, data, and apps, while maintaining the operating system currently installed.
Use Erase All Content and Settings
This feature requires macOS Monterey or later and a Mac with Apple silicon or the Apple T2 Security Chip.
macOS Ventura
From the Apple menu in the corner of your screen, choose System Settings.
Click General in the sidebar.
Click Transfer or Reset on the right.
Click Erase All Content and Settings.
macOS Monterey
From the Apple menu in the corner of your screen, choose System Preferences.
From the System Preferences menu in the menu bar, choose Erase All Content and Settings.
After choosing Erase All Content and Settings, follow these steps to continue:
An erase assistant asks you to sign in with your administrator credentials. Enter the password that you use to log in to your Mac, then click OK.
If you're asked to back up your Mac before resetting it, you can open Time Machine and back up to an external storage device. Or click Continue to proceed without making a new backup.
Click Continue to allow your settings, media, data, and the other listed items to be removed.
If you're asked to sign out of Apple ID, enter your Apple ID password and click Continue.
Click Erase All Content & Settings to confirm that you want to proceed.
Your Mac restarts and shows a black screen or progress bar. If it needs to reconnect to a Bluetooth accessory such as a keyboard or mouse, you might be asked to turn on the accessory. If the accessory doesn't connect within 30 seconds, turn the accessory off and back on. When reconnecting to a Bluetooth keyboard, you're asked to choose a language.
You might be asked to select a Wi-Fi network or attach a network cable. To select a Wi-Fi network, use the Wi-Fi menu
in the upper-right corner of the screen.
After joining a network, your Mac activates. Click Restart.
After restart, a setup assistant guides you through the setup process, as if you're setting up your Mac for the first time.
If you're selling, giving away, or trading-in your Mac and want to leave it in an out-of-box state, don't use the setup assistant or your previously connected Bluetooth devices, if any. Just press and hold the power button on your Mac until it turns off.
If you can't use Erase All Content and Settings
Erase All Content and Settings is available only in macOS Monterey or later, and only on a Mac with Apple silicon or a Mac with the Apple T2 Security Chip. If this feature isn't available or doesn't work on your Mac:
To reset your Mac to factory settings, which includes erasing your Mac, follow the steps in what to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your Mac.
To only erase your Mac, learn how to erase a Mac with Apple silicon or erase an Intel-based Mac.
When using Erase All Content and Settings, if you see a message explaining that other volumes need to be erased before you can erase all content and settings, you might have used Boot Camp to install Microsoft Windows. In that case, use Boot Camp to remove Windows and its partition.