What a factory reset does and when you need one

A factory reset erases everything on your Mac — all files, programs, settings, and user accounts — and reinstalls a clean copy of macOS. This is different from restarting or shutting down. After a factory reset, your Mac will boot up as though it just came from the store, with no personal data remaining.

You might reset your Mac if you are selling it, giving it away, troubleshooting a serious software problem that won't resolve any other way, or preparing it for a new user. A reset is also useful if your Mac has slowed dramatically, crashes frequently, or has malware that standard removal tools cannot clear.

Before you reset, understand that this action cannot be undone. Back up any files you want to keep — photos, documents, downloads, everything. Once the reset is complete, those files are gone unless you have a backup copy elsewhere.

Key Takeaways

  • Back up all your files to an external drive or cloud storage before starting, because a factory reset permanently deletes everything on your Mac.
  • Sign out of iCloud, Apple ID, and Find My Mac before you begin, or you may lock yourself out of the reset process.
  • The reset process takes 30 minutes to two hours depending on your Mac model and internet speed.
  • You will need your Apple ID password to complete the reset on newer Macs with Apple silicon chips.
  • After the reset finishes, your Mac will restart and show the setup screen, just like a new computer.

Back up your files before you start

Connect an external hard drive or USB drive to your Mac. Open Finder, click on the drive in the sidebar, and drag your important folders — Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Desktop — onto the external drive. Alternatively, use Time Machine, which is built into macOS: go to System Settings, click General, then Time Machine, and select your external drive as the backup destination. Time Machine will then back up your entire Mac automatically.

If you use iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox, or another cloud service, make sure your files have synced to the cloud before you reset. Check that the sync icon shows all files are current, not pending. This way, you can read your files again after the reset if needed.

Sign out of iCloud and Find My Mac

Open System Settings and click your name at the top of the sidebar. Scroll down and click Sign Out. You will be asked whether to keep a copy of your iCloud data on this Mac — choose "Keep a Copy" if you want to preserve those files locally, or "Don't Keep" if you do not need them. Enter your Apple ID password when prompted.

If you have Find My Mac turned on, signing out of iCloud will disable it automatically. If it remains on, go to System Settings, click your name, then Find My, and turn off Find My Mac. This step is important because some newer Macs will not complete a reset if Find My is still active and linked to your Apple ID.

How to reset an Intel Mac

Restart your Mac and when ready hold down Command + R as it boots up. Keep holding until you see the macOS Utilities window. This loads Recovery Mode, a special startup environment separate from your main operating system.

In the Utilities window, click Disk Utility. Select your main drive (usually called "Macintosh HD") from the list on the left, then click Erase at the top. A dialog will appear asking for a name and format. Leave the name as "Macintosh HD" and make sure the format is set to APFS (or Mac OS Extended if your Mac is very old). Click Erase and confirm. This wipes the drive completely.

After Disk Utility finishes, close it and return to the Utilities window. Click Reinstall macOS, select your erased drive, and follow the prompts. Your Mac will read and install a fresh copy of macOS, which takes 30 minutes to an hour depending on your internet speed. Do not shut down or unplug your Mac during this process.

How to reset a Mac with Apple silicon (M1, M2, M3, and newer)

Shut down your Mac completely. Press and hold the power button until you see "Loading startup options" on the screen, then release. You will see a window with your startup disks and a gear icon labeled Options. Click Options, then click Continue.

You will be asked to sign in with your Apple ID. Enter your Apple ID email and password — this is a security step Apple requires on newer Macs. After you sign in, you will see the macOS Utilities window.

Click Disk Utility and select your main drive from the list. Click Erase, keep the name as "Macintosh HD", make sure the format is APFS, and click Erase to confirm. Close Disk Utility, return to Utilities, and click Reinstall macOS. Select your erased drive and follow the on-screen steps. The read and installation will take 45 minutes to two hours.

What happens after the reset finishes

Your Mac will restart automatically when the installation is complete. You will see the setup screen, which asks you to select your language, connect to Wi-Fi, and sign in with your Apple ID. You can choose to restore from a Time Machine backup at this point if you want to recover your files and settings, or you can set up as a new Mac and manually copy files back from your external drive.

If you are selling or giving away your Mac, do not sign in with an Apple ID. Instead, complete the setup and then shut down. The next owner can then set up the Mac with their own account. If you are keeping the Mac, sign in with your Apple ID and set up your accounts, programs, and preferences as you normally would.

Troubleshooting a stuck reset

If your Mac gets stuck during the reset or installation, force it to shut down by holding the power button for 10 seconds. Wait a minute, then try the reset process again from the beginning. If it gets stuck in the same place, restart in Recovery Mode again and try using Disk Utility to erase the drive a second time before reinstalling.

If you see an error message about not being able to erase the drive, the drive itself may be failing. In that case, you will need to take your Mac to an Apple Store or a repair technician, because the problem is hardware, not software. If you see a message about being unable to read macOS, check your internet connection — move closer to your router or connect with an ethernet cable if possible, then try again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will a factory reset remove viruses or malware?

Yes. A factory reset erases everything on the drive and installs a clean copy of macOS, so any malware is removed. However, if the malware is in your backup files, you could reinfect your Mac when you restore from backup. To be safe, restore only specific folders you know are clean, rather than restoring your entire backup.

Can I reset my Mac if I forgot my Apple ID password?

On Intel Macs, yes — you can reset without signing in. On Apple silicon Macs, you will need your Apple ID password to complete the reset. If you have forgotten it, go to iforgot.apple.com on another device, enter your Apple ID email, and follow the steps to reset your password before you attempt the Mac reset.

How long does a factory reset take?

The entire process — erasing the drive and reinstalling macOS — usually takes 30 minutes to two hours. Older Macs and slower internet connections take longer. Do not interrupt the process by shutting down or unplugging your Mac, or the installation may fail.

Do I need to erase the drive if I am just reinstalling macOS?

No. If you want to keep your files and just fix software problems, you can reinstall macOS without erasing. Boot into Recovery Mode, click Reinstall macOS, and select your current drive. Your files will remain. However, if you want a true factory reset with everything removed, you must erase the drive first.

What if my Mac will not boot into Recovery Mode?

Try restarting and holding Command + R again, making sure to hold it when ready as the Mac powers on. If that does not work, try Command + Option + R to load Internet Recovery instead, which downloads the recovery tools from Apple's servers. If neither works, your Mac may have a hardware problem and will need professional repair.