Migration · Resale
Sell, give away or replace your Mac without missing a step
A Mac that changes hands takes far more than files with it: signed-in accounts, Activation Lock, app licences, sometimes years of messages. Skip a step and you either lose data or hand over a Mac the buyer can't activate.
MacNeat's Migration / Resale mode turns this preparation into a clear list, in the right order. MacNeat checks what can be checked and guides you through the rest; it never erases the Mac itself: that final step goes through Apple's official tool.
1. The inventory: know what you're taking with you
First, take stock of what's on the Mac before deciding what to keep:
- Apps: the full list, with their source (App Store, direct download, Homebrew). App Store apps reinstall with your Apple Account; others sometimes need an installer and a licence key.
- Licences to deactivate: some apps limit how many machines can be activated. Deactivate them from the app or the developer's account before erasing, or the seat stays taken.
- Data: the size of your personal folders, Photos and Music libraries, and large items worth sorting rather than transferring as is.
It's also a good moment for a tidy-up: there's no point migrating gigabytes of caches and duplicates. Archipel and Catalogue help with that, with everything going through the Trash and the option to undo.
2. A backup that's verified, not assumed
Before any irreversible step, you need a complete, recent copy. MacNeat checks the state of Time Machine: is a backup disk configured, and was the last successful backup a few hours ago or several weeks ago? If it's too old, Migration mode tells you and prompts you to run a new one before continuing.
That backup serves two purposes:
- restoring your data on your new Mac with Migration Assistant;
- keeping a safety net in case something was forgotten.
If you use iCloud Drive or iCloud Photos, also check that syncing has finished: a file that's still uploading isn't safe yet. For a fuller strategy, read our article on data protection.
3. Sign out of accounts and free up licences
This is the step most often forgotten, and the most annoying for the buyer. Migration mode breaks it into simple actions, each ticked off once done:
- Apple Music and the iTunes Store: in Music, open the Account menu and deauthorise this computer.
- Messages: in Messages settings, sign out of your account so your conversations no longer arrive on this Mac.
- Find My: turn off Find My to remove Activation Lock.
- iCloud: in System Settings, click your name, then sign out; choose whether to keep a local copy of your data.
- MacNeat: in Settings, under Account, release this Mac from your licence. The seat becomes available straight away for your new machine.
Also remember to unpair any Bluetooth keyboards, mice and headphones you're keeping.
4. Erasing, with Apple's tool
On a Mac with Apple silicon, or an Intel Mac with the T2 chip, running macOS Monterey or later, Apple provides Erase All Content and Settings: System Settings, then General, then Transfer or Reset. It removes your data, settings and the apps you installed while keeping macOS; the Mac restarts to the welcome screen, ready for its next owner.
On older Macs, the method is different: start up from macOS Recovery, erase the disk in Disk Utility, then reinstall macOS. The Migration mode checklist covers both procedures, depending on your model.
MacNeat does not trigger this erase, and that's deliberate. An operation this drastic should stay in your hands, using the tool Apple designed for it.
The final checklist
Before you hand the Mac over, Migration mode sums up every point:
| Step | Checked by |
|---|---|
| Recent Time Machine backup | MacNeat |
| App licences deactivated | You |
| Music, Messages, iCloud signed out | You, guided |
| Find My turned off | You, guided |
| Mac released from the MacNeat licence | MacNeat |
| Erase All Content and Settings | Apple's tool |
MacNeat runs on Apple silicon and Intel Macs. Scanning is free; clean-up actions require a licence, with a 7-day trial. All the work happens locally, on your Mac.