This article explains how to erase (or format) the built-in startup disk of a Mac with Apple silicon. Note that erasing your Mac permanently deletes all files on it, so follow the backup advice carefully. If you plan to give away, sell, or trade in a Mac, erasing your Mac should be the final step.

mac mini macbook pro macbook air m1

First, Back Up Your Data

Before you do anything, you should back up the files on your Mac. You could do this manually by copying across files onto an external drive. If you use iCloud, your photos, mail, contacts, documents, and so on should be automatically backed up in cloud storage.

hero timemachineHowever, we highly recommend that you take the time to perform a Time Machine backup of your system using an external drive. That way, the same backup volume can be used by Apple's Migration Assistant during a macOS installation to quickly transfer your applications, files and settings from the old Mac to a new one.

Check out our dedicated guide on how to back up your Mac using Time Machine.

Unlink your Apps

There are certain apps that will need to be manually unlinked from your Mac before you say goodbye to it. Some third-party apps require licenses that only work on a limited number of computers, so think about any licenses you may have purchased.

apple music logo
Similarly, you should de-authorize your iTunes account on the Mac, as this removes its access to content that you bought from the iTunes Store, iBooks Store, or App Store, including things like music, movies, TV shows, apps, and books.

To learn how to de-authorize your iTunes account, check out our dedicated guide.

Sign Out of iCloud

It's also important to disable Find My Mac and sign out of ‌iCloud‌ in macOS. That way you'll know for sure there isn't anything lingering on your Mac that links your Apple ID to this machine. The following steps show you how.

  1. Click the Apple () symbol in the top left corner of your Mac's screen and select System Preferences....
    Mac-preferences

  2. Click Apple ID in the preference pane.

  3. Select iCloud in the sidebar, then uncheck all the boxes in the list to remove copies of the related data on this Mac.
    iCloud Mac

  4. Select Overview in the sidebar, then click Sign Out... to sign out of ‌iCloud‌ completely.
    iCloud Mac

How to Erase Your Apple Silicon Mac

Note that the following steps will cause Bluetooth devices to disconnect from your Mac, so connect your Bluetooth keyboard, mouse, or trackpad with a USB cable if possible.

  1. If your Mac is turned on, power it off by clicking the Apple symbol () in the top-left corner of the menu bar and selecting Shut Down... -> Shut Down. To start up again in macOS Recovery, turn on your Mac and continue to press and hold the power button until you see the startup options window.
  2. Select Options, then click Continue.
    m1 mac startup options

  3. If prompted, select a user, then click Next and enter the password.
  4. From the utilities window, select Disk Utility and click Continue.
    macos big sur recovery disk

  5. Under the "Internal" section of the Disk Utility sidebar, make sure that you see the volume called Macintosh HD. If you don't see it there and you didn't change the name of the system disk yourself, choose Apple menu  > Shut Down, then unplug all nonessential devices from your Mac and try again.
    disk-utility

  6. If you previously used Disk Utility to create internal volumes on Macintosh HD, select each additional internal volume in the sidebar, then click the delete volume (–) button in the toolbar to delete that volume.
  7. Select Macintosh HD in the sidebar.
  8. Click the Erase button in the toolbar, then choose another name if desired and format the disk as APFS.
  9. Click Erase Volume Group.
    recovery Mac

  10. Enter your ‌Apple ID‌ if prompted to do so.
  11. Click Erase Mac and Restart to confirm the action.

If you're parting ways with your Mac, you're all done. If you're holding on to it and want to start anew, follow the onscreen instructions when your Mac restarts to choose your language. Your Mac will attempt to activate using an internet connection. You can select a Wi-Fi network using the Wi-Fi menu in the menu bar. Alternatively, attach a network cable to your Mac.

After your Mac activates, click Exit to Recovery Utilities, then select Reinstall macOS in the utilities window and follow the onscreen instructions to reinstall macOS.

Popular Stories

ios 18 4 carplay

iOS 18.4 Includes a Small But Useful Change for CarPlay

Sunday February 23, 2025 2:23 pm PST by
The first beta of iOS 18.4 is now available, and it includes a small but useful change for CarPlay. As we noted in our list of iOS 18.4 features, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra, which can be equipped...
cook trump

Trump Responds to Apple Keeping Diversity Policies

Wednesday February 26, 2025 6:32 am PST by
In an all-caps post on Truth Social today, U.S. President Donald Trump said Apple should fully end its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. Tim Cook meeting with President Trump in 2017 "APPLE SHOULD GET RID OF DEI RULES, NOT JUST MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THEM," he wrote. Trump's post comes one day after Apple held its annual shareholders meeting, during which a majority of...
apple watch ultra snow

6 Features Coming to the Apple Watch Ultra 3

Tuesday February 25, 2025 9:00 am PST by
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to launch later this year, arriving two years after the previous model with a series of improvements. While no noticeable design changes are expected for the third generation since the company tends to stick with the same Apple Watch design through three generations before changing it, there are a series of internal upgrades on the way. By the time the ...
iOS 18

Apple Says iOS 18.4 Will Be Released in April With These New Features

Wednesday February 26, 2025 7:15 am PST by
In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 18.4 will be released in April. From the Apple News+ Food announcement:Coming with iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 in April, Apple News+ subscribers will have access to Apple News+ Food, a new section that will feature tens of thousands of recipes — as well as stories about restaurants, healthy eating, kitchen essentials, and more — from the...
iPhone Fold Vertical Feature

Apple's 2026 Foldable iPhone Has No Visible Display Crease – Report

Tuesday February 25, 2025 2:58 am PST by
Apple is making significant headway on its long-rumored foldable iPhone, with a new report suggesting the company has achieved a major breakthrough by effectively eliminating the screen crease that plagues current foldable devices. According to Korean publication ETNews, Apple is finalizing its component suppliers for the foldable iPhone, with the selection process expected to be completed...
airtag orange

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch in May or June With These New Features

Monday February 24, 2025 6:11 am PST by
Apple plans to launch a second-generation AirTag in May or June this year, according to a post today from a leaker known as Kosutami. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that a new AirTag would be released in mid-2025. May or June would align with that timeframe. Below, we recap three new features rumored for the AirTag 2: With a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, the...
iphone 17 lineup cad render majin bu

Revealed: Entire iPhone 17 Lineup's Striking New Camera Designs

Monday February 24, 2025 2:49 am PST by
A new CAD render of all the devices in Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 lineup has been shared online by leaker Majin Bu, specifically showing the allegedly different rear camera system designs of the standard iPhone 17, all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air, and the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models. The leaker Majin Bu has had some hits in the past, but some of his information has been wrong,...
trump iphone dictation issue

Apple Fixing 'Trump' Dictation Processing Bug

Tuesday February 25, 2025 1:18 pm PST by
Multiple iPhone owners today noticed a pronunciation processing issue that causes the word "Trump" to momentarily show up when using dictation to send a message with the word "racist." In some cases, when speaking the word racist through the iPhone's built-in dictation feature, the iPhone briefly interprets the spoken word as "Trump" and "Trump" text shows up in the Messages app before being ...