How to Wipe Data on M1-Chip Mac or Factory Reset It?

Quick Navigation:

• The Benefits of the M1 Chip
• Two Methods to Reset M1 Mac to Its Factory Settings
• How to Permanently Erase Data from a M1 Mac? [Data Lost for Good]
• Tips to Wipe Data on M1-chip Mac
• Conclusion
• FAQs About Wiping Data on M1 Mac

If you want to sell or give away your Mac, fix problems that won't go away, or start over, you need to delete all of your info or do a factory reset on your M1-chip Mac. Apple's M1 chip improved Mac speed and brought new ways to handle data and system resets. It might seem hard to get through these steps, but with the right help, it's easy and doesn't cause any stress.

This step-by-step guide will ensure that all your data is deleted safely and that your Mac returns to its original state. We can help you with everything from backing up your important files to learning how the M1 chip works. Let's get your M1-chip Mac ready for its next trip or a fresh start.

The Benefits of the M1 Chip

In many ways, the M1 chip is helpful for Mac users:

Performance

The M1 chip makes things happen much faster and better by improving efficiency. Its complex design makes multitasking easy and speeds up load times, improving the user experience.

Power Efficiency

The M1 chip's advanced power control ensures the battery lasts longer. This means you can work, stream, and play for long periods without having to charge it constantly, making it perfect for people who are always on the go.

Unified Memory

The M1 chip's unified memory design makes it faster and more responsive. It allows different parts to quickly access data by combining high-bandwidth and low-latency memory into a single pool, making all apps run faster.

Security

The M1 chip has better safety features than older types, making it safer. Hardware-verified secure boot, automatic high-performance encryption, and built-in security areas are just a few of the technologies that make your data and privacy safer.

Note: If there is personal data or useful data stored on your M1 chip Mac, you should make a backup before resetting the Mac to its factory settings.

Two Methods to Reset M1 Mac to Its Factory Settings

Method 1: Use Erase All Content and Settings

If your M1 Mac is running macOS Monterey or later, you can use Erase All Content and Settings feature to reset the Mac to its factory settings whether it is a MacBook/Air/Pro or a Mac desktop.

Open Erase All Content and Settings > Erase Assistant:

• For macOS Monterey: Click Apple menu > choose System Preferences > choose Erase All Content and Settings.
• For macOS Ventura or later: Click Apple menu > choose System Settings > click General > choose Transfer or Reset > click Erase All Content and Settings.

Then Erase Assistant opens, you need to enter your login password to allow it to erase everything from your M1 Mac. Once the erasing process gets finished, you can restart your Mac and get a new start.

Method 2: Erase Startup Disk in macOS Recovery Mode

It's easy to erase everything from your M1-chip Mac using Disk Utility. To do this, follow these steps:

Step 1. Boot into macOS Recovery:

• Turn off your Mac.
• Press and hold the Power button until you see "Loading startup options."
• Then click "Continue" after selecting "Options", then select a user account and enter the password to proceed.

Step 2. Open Disk Utility:

Click "Continue" after choosing "Disk Utility" from the Recovery app.

Step 3. Erase the Startup Disk:

• Choose your starting disk, usually called "Macintosh HD," in Disk Utility.
• Press the "Erase" key.
• Pick a format (APFS is best for most people) and name the disk if needed.
• Click "Erase" to make sure. This process will erase everything on the disk.

Step 4. Reinstall macOS:

If you close Disk Utility, you can return to the Recovery app. To finish setting up, choose "Reinstall macOS" and follow the steps shown on the screen to clean install a operating system.

The built-in Disk Utility tool on your M1-chip Mac lets you safely delete all your files. Just follow these easy steps. It will ensure that all your info is gone and your Mac is ready to start over.

Note: The lost data which is erased by Disk Utility is not lost for good and can be recovered by Mac data recovery software. If you will sell, donate or dispose of your M1 Mac, you'd better use Mac disk wipe software to securely and permanently wipe all deleted/lost data from the internal SSD after reinstalling macOS.

How to Permanently Erase Data from a M1 Mac? [Data Lost for Good]

If you don't want the next owner to has the chance to recover or access to your personal data, you should use a third-party data erasure or disk wipe software to help you permanently erase your data (including existing data and deleted/formatted/lost data). DoYourData Super Eraser for Mac is one of the best Mac data erasure software. It offers military level data erasure standards to permanently erase data from Intel-based/T2/M1/M2/M3/M4... Mac, portable hard drive, USB flash drive, memory card, digital camera, etc. Once the data is erased by this Mac data erasure software, the data is lost for good, no trace left behind.

If you want to permanently erase data from a M1 Mac, just download and install it on your Mac computer. It can help you permanently shred a file/folder, wipe an entire hard drive or erase deleted/lost data. Once your data is erased by DoYourData Super Eraser for Mac, the data will be gone forever, can't be recovered by any data recovery software.

Now, we will show you the three modes provided by DoYourData Super Eraser for Mac to help you securely and permanently erase data from a M1 Mac computer (such as MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Mac Mini).

Mode 1. Permanently delete files/folders on M1 Mac.

Run DoYourData Super Eraser for Mac on your Mac computer, just add files/folders to the erasure list. Then click on Erase Now button to permanently erase these files and folders.

Mode 2. Wipe an entire hard drive on a M1 Mac.

If you want to permanently erase all data on a hard drive, just select data erasure mode - Wipe Hard Drive. This mode will format and wipe the selected hard drive. All data stored on the selected hard drive will be permanently erased. But it can't wipe the startup disk of your M1 Mac.

Mode 3. Erase deleted/lost data on M1 Mac.

Wipe Free Space mode will wipe the free disk space of the M1 Mac and permanently erase all already deleted data. It will not erase the existing data on the M1 Mac.

After reinstalling macOS on your M1-chip Mac, you can choose Wipe Free Space mode to wipe the internal drive and permanently erase all deleted/erased/lost data from the drive, making data recovery be impossible.

Step 1. Download and install DoYourData Super Eraser for Mac, then open it from Launchpad, choose Wipe Free Space mode.

Step 2. Select the internal SSD or HDD, click on Wipe Now button.

Step 3. Select a data erasure standard, then click on Continue button to wipe free disk space of your M1 Mac. (It lets you erase data in many ways, including a single-pass or multiple-pass overwrite. A single-pass overwrite is enough for most people. But if you need more protection, choose the multiple-pass overwrite. Click "Continue" once you've chosen the wipe method. )

It will securely and permanently erase all already deleted/lost data from the internal HDD or SSD. A progress bar will show how far along the wiping process is. It will depend on the disk's size and how you wipe it. A message will let you know when the process is complete.

Tips to Wipe Data on M1-chip Mac

Follow these steps to make sure your data is wiped and can't be recovered:

• Ensure that all your important items are saved on an external drive or in the cloud before you wipe your M1 Mac.
• You can use macOS Disk Utility to erase files safely by choosing the right choices.
• To make things even safer, encrypt your drive before you delete anything.
• If you can, use multiple-pass overwriting to ensure the data can't be recovered.
• Consider using third-party software for more advanced wiping choices.
• Make sure that the data has been wiped a second time.

Conclusion:

If you wipe data or perform a factory reset on your M1-chip Mac, your personal information will be safely deleted, and the device will be ready for a new start or owner. These steps are easy to follow and work whether you use the built-in Disk Utility or third-party tools.

The M1 chip has many benefits, such as better speed, less power use, unified memory, and more advanced security features. If you follow the steps, you can safely and firmly delete all the data on your Mac, leaving it clean and ready to be used again.

FAQs About Wiping Data on M1 Mac

1. How to factory reset a Mac with Apple silicon M1 chip?

Go go Apple menu > System Settings > General > Transfer or Reset > click Erase All Content and Settings. Then follow the onscreen instructions to reset the Mac to its factory settings. You also can start the M1 Mac into macOS Recovery mode, then use Disk Utility to erase the startup disk. After that, reinstall macOS on the Mac.

2. How to REALLY wipe data permanently from a M1 Mac?

Mac data erasure software - such as DoYourData Super Eraser for Mac - can help you securely and permanently wipe data from a M1 Mac. After factory reset, you can download and install DoYourData Super Eraser for Mac on your M1 Mac, run it and use Wipe Free Space mode to securely erase all previously deleted/erased/lost data from the internal drive, make sure your personal data is gone forever, no way to recover it.

3. What is the best data erasure software for M1 Mac?

Here are 5 tools can help you securely erase data on a M1 Mac:

• Disk Utility
• DoYourData Super Eraser for Mac
• AweEraser for Mac
• TS DataWiper for Mac
• Donemax Data Eraser for Mac

4. Is it possible to recover the erased data on M1 Mac?

No, if the data is erased by DoYourData Super Eraser for Mac, the data is lost for good, cannot be recovered by any method. Before you sell, donate or dispose of your old M1 Mac, you'd better use DoYourData Super Eraser for Mac to securely and permanently erase all your private data.