How to Completely Wipe a Mac in 2022

There are a few key reasons you should completely wipe your Mac and start fresh. We will cover all the cases for different users as the steps may be not the same for different Mac models, especially for Apple Silicon Mac.

Why You Should Wipe a Mac?

1. To keep your Mac running smoothly

Over time, your Mac can start to feel sluggish as it becomes filled with files and applications you no longer use. Wiping your Mac and starting fresh can help it run faster and more smoothly.

2. To clear out space on your hard drive

If you’re running low on storage space, wiping your Mac can free up a lot of room.

3. To get rid of old, unused files and applications

Old files and applications can take up space on your hard drive and can slow down your Mac. Wiping your Mac will get rid of these unused files and applications.

4. To fix problems with your Mac

If you’re having problems with your Mac, such as frequent crashes or slow performance, wiping your Mac and starting fresh can often fix these problems.

5. To protect your privacy

If you’re selling or giving away your Mac, wiping it will help protect your privacy by removing all of your personal files and data.

Sign out Apple ID before Wiping a Mac

Before you wipe your Mac, you should sign out of your Apple ID. This will prevent any of your personal data from being backed up to iCloud and will make it easier to set up your Mac after you’ve wiped it.

To sign out of your Apple ID:

1. Open the System Preferences application.

2. Click on the iCloud preference pane.

3. Click on the "Sign Out" button.

4. Enter your Apple ID password when prompted.

5. Click on the "Sign Out" button again to confirm.

Backup Personal Data on Your Mac before Wiping Starts

Before you reset your Mac, it’s important to backup your personal data. There are a few different ways to do this, depending on how much data you have and how you want to access it.

One way to backup your data is to use Time Machine, which is a built-in feature of macOS. Time Machine will backup all of your files, including your applications, settings, and documents.

Another way to backup your data is to use iCloud. iCloud is a cloud-based storage service from Apple that lets you store your files online. iCloud is convenient because you can access your files from any device with an Internet connection.

Finally, you can also backup your data to an external hard drive. This is a good option if you have a lot of data or if you want to keep a local copy of your data.

Once you’ve backed up your data, you can reset your Mac.

Can’t Find Erase All Content and Settings on Mac?

Erase All Content and Settings used to be the default factory reset option for iPhone, iPad and iPod. And now it is also available on Apple Silicon Mac running macOS Monterey or Intel-based Macs with T2  security chip.

You can see this option from the drop-down menu when opening System Preferences in Settings app. For other Macs that are not eligible for this option,  you can’t find Erase All Content and Settings on your Mac. Please don’t worry. There are other ways you can utilize to wipe a Mac clean.

How to Wipe a Mac Powered by Apple Silicon Mac (M1 & M2)

For Apple M1 or M2 Mac, you should first boot into Recovery mode. After that, find the recovery options and restart macOS from here. You can also wipe the hard drive with Disk Utility app and reinstall macOS afterwards.

1. Click the Apple menu icon in the top left-hand corner of your screen.

2. Select "Restart."

3. Once your computer has restarted, hold down the "Command" and "R" keys simultaneously.

4. A new window will appear. Select "Disk Utility."

5. Click on the "Erase" tab.

6. Select the hard drive you wish to erase and click "Erase."

7. Enter your computer’s password when prompted.

8. Click "Erase."

9. Once the process is complete, quit "Disk Utility" and select "Reinstall macOS."

10. Follow the prompts to reinstall macOS.

How to Wipe a Mac Powered by Intel Chip

It is much easier to completely wipe a mac with Intel-based chip. Simply reboot your Mac and get into Mac Recovery mode to factory reset your Mac with os reinstallation. The steps are shown in below:

1. Restart your Mac and hold down the Command + R keys until the Apple logo appears.

2. When the “macOS Utilities” window appears, select “Reinstall macOS” and click “Continue”.

3. Select your main hard drive in the “macOS Utilities” window and click “Install”.

4. Enter your password when prompted and click “Install Software”.

5. Click “Agree” to the terms and conditions and click “Agree” again.

6. Enter your password when prompted and click “Install”.

Your Mac will now begin installing the latest version of macOS. This process can take a while, so be patient. Once the installation is complete, your Mac will restart and you will be able to use it as usual.

How to Wipe a Mac without Password

If you forgot your Mac password and can’t log in, you can use Apple’s built-in recovery tools to reset your password and get back into your account. However, this will erase your Mac’s data, so you should only use this method as a last resort.

If you don’t know the password to your Mac, you can reset it using Apple’s built-in recovery tools. This will erase your Mac’s hard drive and reinstall macOS, so make sure you have a backup before you begin.

To wipe a Mac without password, follow these steps:

1. Restart your Mac and hold down the Command+R keys until you see the Apple logo or a spinning globe.

2. When the macOS Utilities window appears, choose Disk Utility from the list of options.

3. Select your Mac’s hard drive from the left sidebar and click the Erase button.

4. In the pop-up window, choose a format for the drive and click the Erase button.

5. When the process is complete, quit Disk Utility and choose Reinstall macOS from the macOS Utilities window.

6. Follow the prompts to reinstall macOS and create a new user account.

How to Wipe a Mac Remotely from iCloud

Wiping a Mac remotely from iCloud is a pretty simple process, but there are a few things you need to do first. First, you need to make sure that your Mac is backed up to iCloud. You can do this by going to System Preferences > iCloud and making sure that the "Back Up to iCloud" option is checked.

Next, you need to sign in to iCloud.com on a web browser and go to the Find My iPhone page. Here, you will see a list of all the devices that are linked to your iCloud account. Find the device that you want to wipe and click on it.

On the next page, you will see a few options. Click on the "Erase" button and confirm that you want to erase the device. This will wipe all of the data on the device and it will no longer be able to be used.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Conclusion:

What is the best way to completely wipe a mac? There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, depending on the individual situation. The answer varies for different Mac models and macOS versions. You can find the proper one from the suggestions listed above.