After you've used a Mac for a while, there's all sorts of data scattered around: images, videos, documents, and logged-in accounts. All sensitive data that you wouldn’t want to share with others. So, before you sell your Mac, it's important you back everything up and erase it efficiently afterward.

In this article, we’ll list nine must-do things before selling a Mac. These steps will help you make sure that you don’t mistakenly give strangers access to your personal data.

1. Back Up All Your Data

To avoid losing your data during any of the following steps, it's important you create a backup.

If you’ve already done so manually (by saving files to another drive), then we recommend doing it again, but with Time Machine. This built-in Mac software ensures you don't miss anything.

You can, of course, delete all the unnecessary backed-up files later. See our full guide to backing up data with Time Machine for a step-by-step procedure.

2. Deauthorize Your Mac From Apple Music

Apple lets you authorize up to five devices per Apple ID for your Music (previously iTunes) app. Authorization essentially gives a device access to all the content available on your Apple Music account.

If you sell your Mac without deauthorizing it, you'll have one less device for your account to authorize. Additionally, your Mac’s new owner may be able to access all your content.

To deauthorize your Mac, open your Music app, and from the menu bar, go to Account > Authorizations > Deauthorize This Computer.

deauthorize this computer

Then, click OK when you see the following message: This computer has been successfully deauthorized.

computer successfully deauthorized apple music

Again, from the Menu bar, go to Account > Sign Out to log out of your Music account fully.

3. Sign Out of iCloud and Your Apple ID

If you use iCloud and have everything synced, log out of your account. To do this, go to System Preferences > Internet Accounts, select iCloud from the panel, and uncheck all boxes. Then, click the Minus button on the left bottom to remove the account.

uncheck boxes while icloud sign out

Once done there, go to System Preferences > Apple ID > Overview > Sign Out.

system preferences apple id sign out

Again, be sure to perform an iCloud backup before you log out of these accounts.

4. Sign Out of iMessage

Many users have iMessage synced in with the Mac version apps. If you do too, sign out of it properly so that you don't accidentally give access to the new owner.

Here's how to log out:

  1. Open iMessage, and from the menu bar, go to Messages > Preferences.
    Opening imessage preferences
  2. By default, you’ll land on the General tab. Here, switch to iMessage and click Sign Out.
    Click Sign Out from Message Tab
  3. Now you’ll see a confirmation pop-up. Click Sign Out again and you’ll be logged out.
    Do you want to sign out of iMessage screenshot

Be sure to have all your latest messages synced to your iCloud before you log out.

5. Unpair Bluetooth Devices

If you’re selling your Mac to someone who is (or can frequently be) in the Bluetooth range of your different devices, it’s better to remove all of them beforehand.

To do this, go to System Preferences > Bluetooth and then click the X icon next to the devices you’d like to remove.

Remove a bluetooth device permanently

Click Remove on the pop-up and your Mac won’t automatically connect to these devices again.

6. Disable FileVault

FileVault encrypts all the data on your drive to prevent hackers from accessing your data if they steal or have access to your Mac. While you'd want to keep FileVault on normally, turning it off helps the future owner to perform a fresh installation on the Mac.

To do this, simply head to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > FileVault tab > Turn Off FileVault.

Turn Off FileVault from System Preferences

FileVault can take up to a few hours to turn off, depending on how much data you have stored on your drive.

7. Reset the Firmware Password and NVRAM

This section is only relevant if your Mac has an Intel processor (late 2020 models and earlier).

Reset the Firmware Password

Having a firmware password means that anyone who doesn't know the password can't log in to your Mac using an external drive. To give the new owner access and to reset NVRAM in the next step, it's important to reset the firmware password first.

Here's how to do it:

  1. Restart your Mac. On the startup, press and hold Command Key + R, until you see a loading screen.
  2. When you see a lock screen, enter your firmware password and proceed.
  3. Now, on the menu bar, click Utilities > Startup Security Utility or Firmware Password Utility.
  4. Click Turn Off Firmware and enter the password again, if requested.
  5. Finally, close the utility and restart from the Apple menu in the top-left corner.

Reset NVRAM

Once your firmware password is removed, restart your Mac and immediately (press Option (Alt) + Command + P + R for about 20 seconds). If you're using a Mac with T2 Security Chip (see Apple's list of T2 Macs), release the keys after the Apple logo disappears again. For all other Mac models, release at the second startup sound.

8. Erase the Drive and Reinstall macOS

With all of the above steps taken, your Mac is now ready for erasing the drive and reinstalling macOS. To do this, read our step-by-step macOS reinstallation guide.

Related: A Complete Guide to macOS Recovery: Ways to Use It

9. Clean Your Mac

New Mac Mini Box

Once all your data is backed up and fresh macOS is installed, a thorough cleaning goes a long way. Our guide to cleaning MacBooks will help you out in detail.

Also, if you still have your Mac’s original packaging and accessories with you, clean them up as well and sell them with your Mac. You can secure a better deal by making your Mac look more presentable!

Send Your Mac to Its New Owner

Macs are complex devices that have numerous features that need to be turned off before you sell them. With all the items on this list done, your Mac is now ready to be handed over to its new owner.

There’s a good chance that if you’re selling a Mac, you’ve already replaced it with a better one. Have you set it up yet? We recommend turning on features like Hot Corners, optimizing the Dock and Menu bar, and scheduling backups, so that you can get the best out of your new machine.