A factory reset wipes your Mac and reinstalls macOS from scratch

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 your computer. A reset returns your Mac to the state it was in when it left the factory, which is useful when you are selling the machine, giving it away, troubleshooting a serious problem, or starting fresh after malware or corruption.

The process takes between 30 minutes and two hours depending on your Mac model and internet speed. You will need your Apple ID password, a working internet connection, and enough time to let the process run without interruption. Your Mac will restart several times during the reset.

Key Takeaways

  • Back up all your files to an external drive or cloud storage before you start, because a factory reset deletes everything on your Mac permanently.
  • You need your Apple ID password to reset a Mac with Apple silicon (M1, M2, M3) or a Mac with a T2 security chip, and the reset will not proceed without it.
  • The reset process happens through Recovery Mode, which you reach by restarting your Mac and holding down Command and R (or Command and Shift and R for older Macs).
  • After the reset completes, your Mac will restart and show the setup screen as if it were brand new, and you can then choose whether to restore from a backup or set it up as a new machine.

Back up your files before you start

A factory reset erases your entire Mac. There is no undo button and no recovery folder. Before you do anything else, copy every file you want to keep to an external hard drive, USB stick, or cloud storage service like iCloud Drive, Google Drive, or Dropbox.

The fastest way is to use Time Machine, which is built into macOS. Plug in an external drive, open System Settings, click General, then Time Machine, and click "Set Up Time Machine". Select your external drive and let it back up. This creates a complete copy of your Mac that you can restore later if you need specific files.

If you do not have an external drive, drag your most important folders (Documents, Photos, Desktop) to a cloud storage folder on your Mac, wait for them to sync, and then you will have copies online. Do not skip this step.

Sign out of iCloud and other accounts

Before you reset, sign out of your Apple ID, iCloud, and any other accounts on your Mac. This prevents your Mac from being locked to your Apple ID after the reset, which would require you to enter your password to use it again.

Open System Settings, click your name at the top left, scroll down, and click "Sign Out". You will be asked whether to keep a copy of your iCloud data on your Mac — choose "Keep a Copy" if you want to preserve local files. Then sign out of any other accounts: open System Settings, click General, then Profiles, and remove any work or school accounts.

Restart into Recovery Mode

Shut down your Mac completely. Then turn it back on and when ready hold down Command and R. Keep holding until you see the Apple logo or a spinning globe. This takes you into Recovery Mode, which is a special version of macOS that runs from your Mac's internal recovery partition.

If your Mac has Apple silicon (M1, M2, M3, M4 chips), hold down the power button instead until you see "Loading startup options", then click Options and click Continue. If you see a login screen instead of Recovery Mode, restart again and hold the keys down sooner — you may have released them too early.

On older Intel Macs, you can also hold Command and Shift and R to reinstall the version of macOS that came with your Mac originally, rather than the current version. This is sometimes useful if you want to go back to an older system.

Erase your Mac using Disk Utility

Once you are in Recovery Mode, you will see the macOS Utilities window. Click "Disk Utility" and then click "Continue". In the left sidebar, select your Mac's main drive — usually called "Macintosh HD" or just "HD". Click the Erase button at the top.

A dialog box will ask for a name, format, and scheme. Leave the name as "Macintosh HD", set the format to "APFS" (or "Mac OS Extended" if your Mac is very old), and set the scheme to "GUID Partition Map". Then click Erase. This wipes your entire drive and prepares it for a fresh macOS installation.

The erase process usually takes a few minutes. When it finishes, close Disk Utility and you will return to the macOS Utilities window.

Reinstall macOS

Back in the macOS Utilities window, click "Reinstall macOS" (or "Reinstall OS X" on older Macs) and click Continue. Your Mac will read the current version of macOS from Apple's servers and install it on your newly erased drive. This step requires a working internet connection and can take 30 minutes to an hour depending on your speed.

Your Mac will restart several times during installation. Do not turn it off or unplug it. You will see progress bars and installation screens — this is normal. When the installation finishes, your Mac will restart one final time and show the macOS setup screen.

Set up your Mac as new or restore from backup

When your Mac restarts after the reinstall, you will see the setup screen that appears on a brand new Mac. You can choose to set it up as a new machine or restore from a Time Machine backup. If you backed up before the reset, you can click "Restore from a Time Machine backup" and select your external drive to put everything back the way it was.

If you want a completely clean start, click "Not Now" and set up your Mac manually. You will create a new user account, sign in with your Apple ID, and choose your settings. Then you can manually copy back the files you saved to cloud storage or your external drive.

After setup is complete, your Mac is factory reset and ready to use. If you are selling or giving away the machine, you are done — the new owner will see the setup screen when they turn it on.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if my Mac is frozen and I cannot shut it down normally?

Hold down the power button for 10 seconds until your Mac shuts off completely, then turn it back on and when ready hold Command and R to enter Recovery Mode. A forced shutdown is safe and will not damage your Mac.

Do I need my Apple ID password to reset my Mac?

Yes, if your Mac has a T2 chip (2018 or later Intel Macs) or Apple silicon (M1 and newer). After the reset, you will need to enter your Apple ID password to use the Mac. If you do not remember it, you can reset it at iforgot.apple.com before you start the factory reset.

Can I factory reset a Mac without an internet connection?

No. Your Mac needs internet to read and install macOS during the reset. If your Wi-Fi is not working, connect an ethernet cable to your Mac using a USB adapter, or use a mobile hotspot from your phone.

How long does a factory reset take?

The entire process usually takes 30 minutes to two hours. Erasing the drive takes a few minutes, downloading and installing macOS takes 20 minutes to an hour depending on your internet speed, and setup takes another 10 to 15 minutes.

Will a factory reset fix my Mac if it is running slowly?

Sometimes. A reset removes programs, files, and settings that may be slowing your Mac down. However, if your Mac is old or has a failing hard drive, a reset will not fix hardware problems. If your Mac is still slow after a factory reset, the issue is likely hardware-related.