Preparing a Mac for sale

A lot of new Mac devices have recently been launched, so there will probably be a number of users who want to sell their old iMac, MacBook or Mac Mini. Before you sell a Mac, there are some precautions you should take before your Mac ends up in someone else’s hands.

For example, it is important that you have a copy of all your files, all data has been deleted from your Mac and that iCloud is disabled correctly. Follow the steps below to ensure a successful sale.

Step 1: Back up your data for Mac sales

Maybe you use online storage services such as iCloud, Dropbox or Google Drive. In that case, you will not have to save so much data manually, because this is always done automatically. Still, it is good to check which data is synchronized online.

If necessary, make a last backup of your current Mac. This can be done perfectly using Time Machine via  ▸ System Preferences ▸ Time Machine. You can also copy your documents, files, etc. to a USB Stick or external hard drive the old-fashioned way.

Step 2: Turn off Find My Mac and iCloud

If you use ‘Find My Mac’ on your Mac, it is advisable to first disable this function before removing iCloud from your Mac. To do this, go to  ▸ System Settings/System Preferences ▸ (Apple ID) ▸ iCloud and uncheck the ‘Find My Mac’ option. Then delete iCloud completely by clicking on ‘Overview’ in the sidebar and then on ‘Log out’.

In the resulting window, uncheck all options and click ‘Continue’. Then all iCloud data will be erased from your Mac. Then check via  ▸ System settings/system preferences ▸ Wallet and Apple Pay whether your payment card, if any, has been deleted.

Step 3: Disable iMessage

Make sure iMessage is disabled so that the new owner does not simply receive your iMessage messages. You can disable iMessage in the messaging applications, click on ‘Messages’ in the menu bar, open ‘Preferences’ here and select the ‘Account’ tab. Then open your iCloud account and select the ‘Sign out’ option.

Step 4: Remove your Mac from Music or iTunes

When using the Music app or iTunes, you must ‘Authorize’ your Mac to use your Apple ID. It is therefore very important to disempower them. To do this, open Music, click on ‘Account’ in the menu bar and then on ‘Permissions’. Then select ‘Revoke authorization for this computer’.

Have you installed iTunes? You do this via iTunes ▸ menu bar ▸ Store ▸ click on ‘Revoke authorization for this computer’. In addition, it is also recommended to completely disable iTunes Match when using it. If you use Apple Music, you do not need to take any further steps.

Step 5: Clear all content and settings

The best way to make a sale is to list your Mac as ‘new’. That is why it is nice if the seller deletes all content and settings, so you can be sure that the new owner will not find out any personal information. You can completely erase your internal hard drive and your Mac via a clean installation, also called a Clean Install. In a separate article we explain step by step how to completely erase a Mac. Is that too difficult? Then use Internet Recovery and the Mac will automatically recover.

• Completely restore a Mac via a Clean Install
• Restore a Mac via Internet Recovery

Step 6: Clear Touch Bar and Touch ID data on Mac

Once you have deleted your MacBook Pro with Touch Bar and Touch ID, it is advisable to delete any remaining data from the Bar using the steps below.

• Turn off the Mac
• Start your Mac and press command⌘ + R in
• Release when the macOS Utilities window appears
• From the menu bar, select Utilities’ ▸ ‘Terminal’
• Enter the command below
• Press enter to execute the command

$ xartutil --erase-all

Then type ‘yes’ when asked if you are sure and press again enter. Finally, in the menu bar, click Terminal’ ▸ ‘Stop Terminal’ and then click  ▸ Restart. The Touch Bar and Touch ID data have now been cleared from the Secure Enclave. You can of course also do this if you are not selling the Mac, but this is quite unnecessary.

Step 7: Disconnect Mac from iCloud and Apple ID

Sign in with your Apple ID appleid.apple.com and select Devices in the sidebar. Then open the relevant product and click ‘Remove from account’ to permanently remove the device from your iCloud and Apple ID if this has not already been done.

If you disconnect your devices via Apple ID, this will also be done immediately for your support profile and iCloud. You can check this via the Find My function on iCloud.com.

Step 8: Set up the Mac if necessary

Once the installation is complete, the Mac setup process will start, it is advisable to leave the Mac in this guise, this way the new buyer can easily add their settings to the Mac and it will be set up correctly immediately. You can possibly go through this process together with the buyer, this gives extra confidence. Should you still go through the process of logging in and activating the Mac without a buyer? Then do not log in with your Apple ID.

Step 9: Clean your Mac

It’s a good idea to clean your Mac before selling it to make it look like ‘brand new’ again. If you use any protective film, it is advisable to remove it. This gives the impression that you want to hide something. In addition, it is best to clean the device according to Apple guidelines. You can find this at the support page from Apple. A big plus is that you have the original box still in your possession and place your Mac in it together with associated accessories.

Step 10: Where to sell?

If you are lucky you can sell the Mac within your circle of family or friends, if this is not the case you can place your Mac on various sales websites such as marketplace and for our Belgian visitors 2nd hand recommended. Of course you can also post your computer on eBay, Twitter, Facebook and other websites.

You can also trade in the Mac at an Apple Store for a discount or sell it to Mresell, Sobby or Rebuy. Please note that your Mac must work properly and can be charged. The amount of money you get depends on the value of your old computer.