CrackMacHow to factory reset a MacBook with a broken screen
The easiest way to factory reset a MacBook with a broken screen is to connect it to an external monitor or TV and use Erase All Content and Settings. It wipes the Mac and signs you out of your Apple Account, so Activation Lock comes off. With no monitor, you can erase from Recovery, or turn on VoiceOver and follow the spoken menus. Back up first.
Before you erase
- Back up with Time Machine to an external drive, or copy what you need. Here's how to get files off a Mac with a broken screen.
- Know your Apple Account password. You need it to turn off Find My.
- Plug in the charger. Erasing and reinstalling can take a while.
Way 1: with an external monitor or TV
- Connect a monitor or TV with USB-C or HDMI. If you can't see where the picture went, press Command-Brightness Down to mirror. Help connecting a broken MacBook.
- Open System Settings, General, Transfer or Reset, Erase All Content and Settings.
- Enter your password, confirm, and sign out of your Apple Account when asked.
- The Mac restarts and erases itself. When the setup assistant appears, shut it down. The new owner sets it up.
Erase All Content and Settings needs a Mac with Apple silicon or a T2 chip and macOS Monterey or later. On older Intel Macs, use Way 3.
Way 2: when part of the screen still works
If most of the screen is readable, do Way 1 on the built-in screen. Turn on Zoom in System Settings, Accessibility, then hold Control and scroll to magnify the part you can't see. If the menu bar or the Apple menu sits in the broken area, here's how to reach it from the keyboard.
Way 3: from Recovery
- Apple silicon: shut down, then press and hold the power button until the startup options load. Choose Options, then Continue. Intel: start up holding Command-R.
- On Apple silicon, use the erase option in Recovery Assistant. On Intel, erase the internal disk in Disk Utility, then choose Reinstall macOS.
- Afterwards, sign in at icloud.com/find on another device, choose the Mac and remove it from your account, so Activation Lock comes off.
Recovery shows its screens on an external monitor too, so connect one if you can.
Way 4: blind, with VoiceOver
If the screen is completely black and you have no monitor, press Command-F5 to turn on VoiceOver, which reads out what's on screen. Use Command-Space to open Spotlight, type "Erase All Content", and follow the spoken steps. It's slow, but it works. More shortcuts for a broken screen.
If the damage runs along one edge, CrackMac can keep windows, menus and the pointer off it. There's a free 30-minute trial.
Selling or trading in
A MacBook with a cracked screen still sells, and Apple's trade-in accepts damaged screens at a lower value. Here's how to get the most for it. Before you sell, check whether the damage is only along one edge. A Mac you can keep using may be worth more to you than its resale price.
Quick answers
How do I factory reset a MacBook if I can't see the screen?
Connect an external monitor or TV and use System Settings, General, Transfer or Reset, Erase All Content and Settings. If you have no monitor, start up in Recovery and use the erase option there, or turn on VoiceOver with Command-F5 to hear what's on screen.
Do I need to turn off Find My before resetting a MacBook?
Yes, otherwise Activation Lock stays on and the buyer or trade-in service can't use the Mac. Erase All Content and Settings signs you out for you. If you erase from Recovery instead, remove the Mac from Find My at icloud.com afterwards.
Should I factory reset a MacBook before a screen repair?
No. Back it up instead, and leave it set up so the repair can be tested. Apple and most shops only ask you to turn off Find My if they need to.
Still using most of the screen?
If only a strip along one edge is broken, you may not need to sell at all. CrackMac keeps windows, the menu bar and the pointer on the part of the screen that still works.
- Works on macOS 13 or later, Apple silicon and Intel.
- Free for 30 minutes of use, then a one-time price. No subscription.
- A refund within 7 days, no questions asked.