Looking to trade up your used Mac for a newer model? Great! Because you will get access to new latest features. But, wait! You cannot dispose of your old Mac without making necessary changes or formatting your hard disk. Selling without clearing past data means you will be going to give important data with the system cost. So, what do you need to do before selling the system? Here, we have simple tips for your assistance to keep your information secured.
Create a Backup
Back up helps you to secure data and make it easy to access in the future. Therefore, when you are selling, make sure you have created a backup at a secured place. Using a time Machine in Mac is the most convenient way to keep data at another location. So, use it, you will just need an external hard drive and link it to your time machine. Now, set a time for data backup like daily, weekly or monthly, etc. Your Mac will regularly backup itself to that external drive.
Sign out of iTunes in macOS
Apple authorizes you to access music, movies, and other content on the 5 systems. Therefore, think about it and determine whether your Mac is one of the devices you are using iTunes ID. If yes, do not forget to sign out of your iTunes account before selling your Mac. Want to know how? Follow these simple steps for instant de-authorization. Go to the Music app, Apple TV app, or Apple Books app > select Account from the screen’s menu bar. Choose Account > Authorizations > Deauthorize from Mac. Now, sign in with your apple id and select Deauthorize. That’s it.
Sign out of iCloud
Your iCloud contains lots of data that you will surely don’t want to share with anyone. So, do not forget to sign out of iCloud before selling your Mac. for this, just go to the Apple menu > System Preferences > click on click Apple ID and Sign out it. Keep in mind, when you are signing out your iCloud id from Mac, the system will ask you to “Keep a Copy.” Select it, because you will be going to format all the hard drive data. Don’t fret, your data will be stored in iCloud storage. So, go ahead.
Format A Hard Drive
The best way to keep your data secure is to format all the data and reinstall macOS. It will take the system to factory settings. If you are confused regarding how to format a hard drive for mac to protect sensitive personal or work documents. Just follow the link and learn all about the hard drive and file formatting in easy steps. Once you have formatted your system hard drive, it’s time to reinstall macOS and add your current location. A simple piece of advice from experts, never add your location, give this chance to the new owner to set everything as per their convenience.
Data security is of utmost importance whether you are using a Mac for personal or professional purposes. So, do not forget to follow all these steps before selling a used mac.