Find your Startup disk (it should be named 'Machintosh HD' unless you renamed it) in the sidebar.While the startup disc is waking up, hold down the Command+R keys simultaneously.Once your data is backed up and you've signed out of everything that might connect your old Mac to your personal information, you can erase everything on it by reformatting the hard drive. Note: If you're unpairing a keyboard, trackpad, or mouse on a desktop Mac, be sure to have a wired one plugged in, or you won't be able to type or use a curser, and you'll have to repair it all again. Hover over the device you want to unpair.Click System Preferences from the drop-down menu.It isn't really that important of a step, but if you sell your old Mac to, say, a roommate or someone living in the same house as you, you may experience accidentally connecting back to it. If you're keeping your Bluetooth devices, you don't want to leave them paired to a Mac that you're getting rid of. Click Delete from Mac to remove Safari passwords and credit cards from this Mac.The data will be saved on other iCloud devices. You do not want to keep a copy of anything on this Mac. Untick all of the boxes that keep a copy on the Mac.Enter your system password when prompted.Select System Preferences from the drop-down menu.Ĭhoose on Apple ID (on macOS Mojave and older, click on iCloud).

Click on the Apple icon in the upper-left corner of your Mac's screen.

Click Preferences from the drop-down menu.

Choose Messages in the Menu bar at the top left corner of your screen.

Click Account in the Menu bar on the left side of your screen.

How to sign out of iTunes (macOS Mojave and older) or the Music app (macOS Catalina or later) To avoid complications with the new owner attempting to download and install software licensed by you, make sure to sign out of everything your personal information is connected to.

The software you have on your Mac is licensed to you, which means it doesn't get transferred to your computer's new owner (except the operating system). How to back up and restore your Mac with Time Machine.But, if you really don't think you'll need your old computer before getting your new one, make sure to back up your data so that nothing happens to it before you get what you need onto your new Mac. then you probably shouldn't be selling your old one yet. If you don't have your new Mac yet, well. If you already have your new Mac on hand, you can transfer all of your data from your old Mac or use an older Time Machine backup. A completely fresh-from-scratch Mac is the best way to do this. If you leave behind anything that needs to be logged into with a password, that buyer will have to track you down and get your password to change ownership. It's a security and privacy thing for you, but it's also important for the buyer. If you're about to sell your old Mac, the one thing you don't want to do is to give away the data you've been storing on it all these years.

Is mac cleaner safe