How to Delete Everything on Mac: What You Can and Can’t Do in 2025

Whether you’re selling your Mac, giving it away, or simply starting fresh, knowing how to delete everything on your Mac is crucial for privacy and security. In 2025, the process of wiping all your data from a Mac is straightforward, but there are some important things you need to know before proceeding. This guide will explain how to delete everything on your Mac, what you can and can’t do, and how to ensure that your data is properly erased.

Can You Delete Everything on Mac?

Yes, you can delete everything on your Mac, and it’s important to do so correctly, especially if you’re planning to sell or give away the device. Simply deleting files or moving them to the Trash does not ensure complete removal. In 2025, there are several ways to ensure that your data is completely erased, including erasing your hard drive and reinstalling macOS.

What You Can Do:

• Erase your entire hard drive: You can wipe all data from your Mac’s hard drive, removing everything from the system. 
• Reinstall macOS: After erasing the drive, you can reinstall the macOS operating system to start fresh. 
• Reset your Mac to factory settings: This process will restore your Mac to its original state, similar to when you first bought it.
  

What You Can’t Do:

• Recover data after deletion: Once you delete everything and reinstall macOS, recovering your data is difficult without backup. Ensure you have a backup before proceeding. 
• Delete everything without erasing the system: You can’t delete all files and settings without erasing the hard drive completely. Some files may remain if you don’t perform a full wipe.
  

How to Delete Everything on Mac: Step-by-Step Guide

Follow these steps to erase everything on your Mac and start fresh:

Backup Your Data

Before deleting everything on your Mac, it’s essential to back up your important data. Use Time Machine, iCloud, or an external hard drive to create a backup.

To back up with Time Machine:

1. Connect an external hard drive to your Mac. 
2. Go to System Preferences > Time Machine. 
3. Select Back Up Automatically to create a full backup of your system. 

If you’re using iCloud, ensure that all your files, photos, and documents are synced with your iCloud account.

Sign Out of iCloud, iTunes, and Other Services

To ensure that your personal data is not tied to the device, sign out of all services linked to your Apple ID:

1. Go to System Preferences > Apple ID and select Overview.
2. Click Sign Out to remove your Apple ID from the Mac.
3. Open Music (or iTunes) and sign out by going to Account > Sign Out.
4. Open Messages and sign out by going to Messages > Preferences > Accounts, then selecting Sign Out. 

Erase the Hard Drive

To delete everything, you need to erase your Mac’s hard drive:

1. Restart your Mac and immediately press and hold Command + R to enter macOS Recovery mode.
2. In the macOS Recovery window, select Disk Utility and click Continue.
3. Select your startup disk (usually named Macintosh HD) in the left sidebar.
4. Click the Erase button at the top of the Disk Utility window.
5. In the pop-up window, choose APFS or Mac OS Extended (Journaled) as the format (depending on your macOS version).
6. Click Erase to delete all data on the drive. This will wipe everything from your Mac. 

Reinstall macOS

After erasing your hard drive, you need to reinstall macOS:

1. Close Disk Utility to return to the macOS Recovery screen. 
2. Select Reinstall macOS and click Continue. 
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to reinstall macOS on your Mac. 
4. The system will download and install the latest version of macOS. This process may take some time, depending on your internet speed. 

Reset the NVRAM (Optional)

Resetting the NVRAM (Non-Volatile Random-Access Memory) will clear any system settings stored in your Mac’s memory, such as display and audio settings:

1. Turn off your Mac. 
2. Turn it back on and immediately press and hold Option + Command + P + R for about 20 seconds. 
3. Release the keys and let the Mac restart. 

Erase Any Remaining Data (Optional)

To ensure that your data is fully wiped and irrecoverable, you can use the Security Options in Disk Utility to overwrite the free space multiple times. This is especially important if you want to securely erase sensitive information.

To do this:

1. In Disk Utility, select your disk and click Erase. 
2. Click on Security Options and choose the level of security you want (the more passes, the more secure). 
3. Click OK and then Erase. 

This will make it harder to recover any deleted data from your Mac.

Set Up Your Mac (Optional)

Once macOS is reinstalled, your Mac will restart and prompt you to go through the initial setup process. If you’re selling or giving away your Mac, you can simply turn it off at this point and leave the setup to the new owner.

How to Delete Everything on Mac Without Erasing the System

If you want to delete all personal data but keep the macOS system intact (e.g., for cleaning up your Mac before selling it), you can manually remove files and reset settings:

1. Delete personal files: Go to your Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Music, and other folders, and delete any personal files. 
2. Remove applications: Delete any apps that you no longer need by dragging them to the Trash. 
3. Clear caches: Go to ~/Library/Caches and delete any unnecessary cache files. 
4. Reset settings: Go to System Preferences and reset any personal settings.
   

However, keep in mind that this process may not fully erase all your data, especially if you’re planning to sell the Mac. For complete removal, you should follow the full disk wipe process.

How to Delete Everything on Mac Before Selling or Giving It Away

If you’re planning to sell or give away your Mac, it’s crucial to ensure that all your data is wiped securely:

1. Backup your data to an external drive or cloud service. 
2. Sign out of all services like iCloud, iTunes, and iMessage. 
3. Erase the hard drive using macOS Recovery. 
4. Reinstall macOS to ensure a clean installation. 
5. Turn off your Mac and leave the initial setup for the new owner.
   

By following these steps, you can ensure that your personal information is completely removed before parting with your Mac.

Will Apple Ever Let You Delete Everything More Easily?

As of 2025, Apple provides a relatively simple method to delete everything from your Mac, but the process requires a few manual steps. Given the importance of ensuring that data is fully wiped, especially for security and privacy reasons, Apple is unlikely to introduce a more automated process in the near future. However, future macOS updates may streamline or simplify the process further.

FAQs About Deleting Everything on Mac

Can I recover data after deleting everything on my Mac?

Once you’ve erased the hard drive and reinstall macOS, data recovery is difficult without a backup. Make sure to back up all important files before proceeding.

How do I ensure my data is securely deleted from my Mac?

To securely delete your data, use the Security Options in Disk Utility to overwrite the free space, making it harder to recover.

Can I delete everything on my Mac without erasing the system?

Yes, you can manually delete files and reset settings, but this will not fully erase your data or prevent someone from recovering it. For complete deletion, erase the hard drive.

Will deleting everything on my Mac remove my Apple ID?

No, signing out of your Apple ID is a separate step. Ensure you sign out of iCloud and other services before deleting everything.

How do I set up my Mac after deleting everything?

After reinstalling macOS, your Mac will go through the initial setup process. You can either complete it or leave it for the new owner.