How to Restore MacBook Pro/Air to Factory Settings (Reset Guide)

TL;DR:

Restoring a MacBook Pro or Air to factory settings erases everything, so back up with Time Machine first. On Apple silicon or Intel with T2 (macOS Monterey+): Apple menu > System Settings > General > Transfer or Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. On older Intel Macs (pre-2018): boot to Recovery (Command + R), use Disk Utility > Erase, then Reinstall macOS. If you already erased without a backup, stop using the Mac and recover with Wondershare Recoverit before reinstalling.

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You may need to restore your MacBook Air or Pro when you are planning to sell, give away, or trade in your MacBook for secure and practical reasons. Here we will show you how to do that in steps.

Part 1: How to Restore MacBook Air/Pro

Restoring a MacBook Air or Pro erases all data, so create a current backup first — Time Machine makes a complete system backup in minutes.

Can I Restore Mac Without Time Machine?

Yes, you can. If you don't have a Time Machine backup, you can still restore your Mac to factory settings using macOS Recovery. However, to recover personal files without a backup, you will need data recovery software like Wondershare Recoverit.

Step-by-Step Guide to Entering Recovery Mode

Follow these steps to enter Recovery Mode and restore your MacBook Air or Pro:

1. Click on the Apple menu at the top-left corner of the screen and select "Shut Down."
2. Press the power button to turn on your MacBook.
3. Immediately press and hold the Command (⌘) + R keys simultaneously until you see the Apple logo or a spinning globe. This will boot your MacBook into Recovery Mode.

   

4. Once in Recovery Mode, you will see the macOS Utilities window. Select "Disk Utility" and click "Continue."

   

5. In Disk Utility, select your startup disk (usually named "Macintosh HD") from the sidebar. Click on the "Erase" button at the top of the window.
6. Choose a format (usually "APFS" for newer Macs or "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" for older Macs) and give your disk a name. Click "Erase" to confirm. This will erase all data on the disk.

   

7. After completing the erasing process, close Disk Utility to return to the macOS Utilities window.
8. In the macOS Utilities window, select "Reinstall macOS" and click "Continue."
9. Follow the on-screen instructions to reinstall a fresh copy of macOS on your MacBook.

   

10. After the reinstallation finishes, your MacBook will restart. It will show the Setup Assistant. Follow the on-screen prompts to set up your MacBook as new or restore your data from a backup.

Part 2: How to Factory Reset your MacBook Automatically

You can factory reset your MacBook Pro/Air running macOS Monterey and later versions automatically by following these easy steps:

For macOS Ventura

1. Click on the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen and select "System Settings."

   

2. In the System Settings window, click on "General" in the sidebar.
3. Under the General section, select "Transfer or Reset."

   

4. Click on "Erase All Content and Settings" and enter your administrator password.

   

5. Follow the on-screen instructions to proceed with the factory reset. Your MacBook will erase all data and settings and restore the device to its factory settings.

Note: The same Erase All Content and Settings path applies to macOS Sonoma and Sequoia (System Settings > General > Transfer or Reset). Older Intel Macs without the T2 chip don't have this option — use the manual Disk Utility method in Part 3 instead.

For macOS Monterey

1. Click on the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen and select "System Preferences."

   

2. In the menu bar at the top, click System Preferences, then choose Erase All Content and Settings.
3. Using "Erase All Content and Settings" (macOS Monterey & Later) and still enter the account and password information.

   

4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the factory reset process.

Part 3: How to Factory Reset your MacBook Pro/Air Manually

Apart from the methods introduced above, you also can factory reset your MacBook Air/Pro manually:

Preparations for Factory Resetting MacBook Air

Before a manual factory reset, complete this checklist — it prevents data loss and account lockouts:

1. Back Up Your Data

Before initiating the factory reset, ensure all your important files and data are backed up using Time Machine or manually transferring them to an external storage device or cloud service.

2. Sign Out of Your Accounts:

It's essential to sign out of all your accounts, including iCloud, iTunes, and any other third-party accounts linked to your MacBook Air. This prevents any potential data loss or unauthorized access to your accounts post-reset.

Sign Out of iTunes / Deauthorize: (macOS Catalina 10.15 and later — iTunes no longer exists)

1. Open the Music app (previously iTunes).
2. Click Account in the menu bar and select Sign Out.
3. Or choose Account > Authorizations > Deauthorize This Computer.
4. Enter your Apple ID and password to deauthorize.

Sign Out of iCloud:

MacOS Ventura or later versions users:

1. Open Apple menu.
2. Go to System Settings.
3. Click your Apple ID. Then, sign out.

MacOS Monterey, macOS Big Sur, and macOS Catalina users:

1. Open Apple menu.
2. Go to System preferences.
3. Click the Overview from the sidebar, and click Sign out.

Earlier macOS versions users:

1. Open Apple menu.
2. Go to System preferences->iCloud.
3. Click Sign out.

Sign Out of iMessage:

1. Open the iMessage app.
2. Click on the Messages->Settings(Preferences) option.
3. Click iMessage->Sign out.

Important: Disabling Activation Lock for Resale If you are selling your MacBook, simply erasing the disk is not enough. You must sign out of Find My Mac to disable the Activation Lock. If you don't, the new owner will be greeted by a "Mac Locked" screen that requires your Apple ID to bypass. Using the "Erase All Content and Settings" method in macOS Ventura or Sonoma handles this automatically by de-linking your Apple ID from the hardware's security chip.

3. Unpair Bluetooth Devices:

If you have Bluetooth devices paired with your MacBook Air, such as keyboards, mice, or headphones, unpair them to avoid connectivity issues after the reset.

4. Reset NVRAM

Resetting the Non-Volatile Random-Access Memory (NVRAM) can help resolve any issues related to system settings. To reset NVRAM:

1. Shut down your MacBook Air.
2. Restart it and immediately hold down the Option (⌥) + Command (⌘) + P + R keys until you hear the startup sound for the second time.

Note: You can skip the NVRAM resetting step if your MacBook is with Apple silicon processors that were introduced in late 2020.

Steps to Factory Reset MacBook Air in Recovery Mode

Here's a concise guide on factory resetting your MacBook Air using Recovery Mode.

1. Click on the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the screen and select "Shut Down."
2. Turn on your Mac and enter Recovery Mode: on Intel Macs, press and hold Command (⌘) + R during startup; on Apple silicon, press and hold the Power button until "Loading startup options" appears, then click Options.
3. In the macOS Utilities window, select "Disk Utility" and click "Continue."
4. In Disk Utility, select your startup disk (usually named "Macintosh HD") from the sidebar. Click on the "Erase" button at the top of the window. Choose a format (usually "APFS" for newer Macs or "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" for older Macs) and give your disk a name. Click "Erase" to confirm. This will erase all data on the disk.

   

5. After erasing your hard drive, close Disk Utility to return to the macOS Utilities window. Select "Reinstall macOS" and click "Continue." Follow the on-screen instructions to reinstall a fresh copy of macOS on your MacBook Air.

   

Part 4: How to Restore Data from Macbook Air

Introducing a reliable data recovery tool like Recoverit can be key. It can help you retrieve lost or deleted files from MacBook. Recoverit offers several benefits that make it a preferred choice for data recovery:

Recovering Data from Formatted APFS Encrypted Volumes Modern MacBooks use FileVault 2 and APFS encryption to secure data. When a "Manual Reset" is performed via Disk Utility, these encryption headers are often the first things targeted. Wondershare Recoverit features specialized algorithms that can scan for "orphaned" APFS snapshots. Even if the main directory is gone, Recoverit can often locate and reconstruct files from the unallocated space of the SSD, provided the sectors haven't been overwritten by the new macOS installation.

Step-by-Step Guide on How to Use Recoverit

When important files are lost or accidentally deleted from your MacBook Air, Recoverit can be your lifesaver. Here's a concise step-by-step guide on using Recoverit to retrieve your valuable data.

Step 1: Download and Install Recoverit

Visit Recoverit's official website and download the software. Follow the on-screen instructions to install it on your MacBook Air.

Step 2: Launch Recoverit

After installation, launch the Recoverit application on your MacBook Air.

Step 3: Select a Location

Choose the drive or partition from which you want to recover data. Click on the "Start" button to initiate the scanning process.

Step 4: Scan for Lost Data

Recoverit will comprehensively scan the selected drive to locate lost or deleted files. You can monitor the scan's progress and pause or stop it if necessary.

Step 5: Preview and Recover Files

Once the scanning process is complete, you will receive a list of recoverable files. You can preview the files to verify their integrity and select the ones you want to recover.

Step 6: Recover Data

After selecting the desired files, click the "Recover" button to initiate recovery. Choose a location to save the recovered files, ensuring it's different from the original location to prevent data overwriting.

Video Tutorial on How to Recover Lost Files After a macOS Update

Conclusion

Pick the reset path that matches your Mac: Erase All Content and Settings on Apple silicon / T2 Intel (Monterey+), or Disk Utility erase + Reinstall macOS on older Intel. Always back up first, sign out of iCloud/Find My to release Activation Lock, and if data was already erased, recover it with Wondershare Recoverit before reinstalling.