Activation Lock Check

Bottom lineNever buy a Mac with Activation Lock still on—it is unusable without the previous owner's Apple Account. Check System Settings > [name] > iCloud > Find My Mac is off, have the seller erase the Mac with Erase All Content and Settings, and confirm that setup does not ask for the previous owner's password.

1. 1

   Check Find My Mac Status

   System Settings > your name > iCloud > See All or Show More Apps > Find My Mac. Confirm the seller can turn it off

2. 2

   Ask the Seller to Remove It Properly

   Have the seller turn off Find My or erase the Mac with Erase All Content and Settings so Activation Lock is removed from their Apple Account

3. 3

   Verify the Mac Is No Longer Linked

   After removal, the Mac should no longer show the previous owner's Apple Account in settings

4. 4

   Confirm After Erase or Setup

   After erase, continue to setup. If the Mac asks for the previous owner's Apple Account password, Activation Lock is still enabled