Do you accept devices which are locked?

Locks on your Mac can be helpful to keep your device secure, but they can also be a hassle when it’s time to sell or trade-in your computer. There are several types of locks you may encounter on your Mac, including a user password, firmware password, activation lock, and a Find My lock. This guide will explain the different types of locks and how to remove them.

Types of Locks

  • User Password: This is the most common type of lock and is created by the user. It requires a password to access the device. If you’re planning to sell or trade in your Mac, you don’t need to worry about this lock as you can simply wipe the device and create a new user account.
  • Firmware Password: This is a more secure lock that is set at the firmware level and requires a password to boot the device. If your Mac has a firmware password, you’ll need to remove it before you can sell or trade in the device. We won’t accept a device with a firmware password, so removing this lock is essential.
  • Activation Lock: This lock is activated when you login with your Apple ID on your Mac. It requires your Apple ID and password to disable. If you’re planning to sell or trade in your Mac, you must remove the activation lock to ensure the device can be used by the new owner.
  • Find My Lock: This lock is similar to the activation lock but is specific to the Find My app. It requires your Apple ID and password to disable.

How to Remove Locks

User Password

We will wipe the device when it arrives; if you haven’t requested a data transfer, you don’t need to do anything.

Firmware Password

If you don’t remember the password, you’ll need to take your Mac to an Apple Store or Authorized Service Provider to have the firmware password removed. If you do remember the password, you can remove it yourself by restarting your Mac and holding down Command+R to enter recovery mode. From there, open the Firmware Password Utility and follow the prompts to remove the password.

Activation Lock

  1. Login to Find My within your iCloud account: icloud.com/find/
  2. Select the device from the list you’d like to remove.
  3. Click remove.

If you do not see the remove button you must turn the device off.