How to Wipe Your Mac Remotely From an iPhone or iPad

This method requires an iPhone or iPad connected to the same iCloud account as the Mac you want to remotely wipe. The erase will now be pending. The Find My app will notify you when the erase begins.

How to Wipe Your Mac Remotely From Another Mac

This method requires an additional Mac tied to your iCloud account. The erase will now be pending. The Find My app will notify you when the erase begins.

How to Wipe Your Mac Remotely From Any PC Using iCloud

This method can be used with any PC, Mac, or mobile device can open iCloud.com in a web browser. The erase will now be pending. The Mac’s device status will be updated in Find iPhone when the erase begins.

What Happens You Wipe Your Mac Remotely?

The Mac will lock, reset, erase its contents, and display the recovery message your entered. The Lock Screen will activate almost instantly if the Mac is currently connected to the Internet. If the Mac is not currently connected, it will happen the next time it connects. Your Mac’s data will only be wiped if it’s connected to the Internet and still tied to your iCloud account. Apple’s security make it difficult to access a Mac and remove the iCloud account. Defeating the Mac’s security is not impossible, however, so you should still take precautions like resetting important passwords and forcing devices to log out from services, such as Gmail, used on the Mac.

Does Erasing a Mac Remove iCloud?

Erasing a Mac does not remove iCloud. Anyone who attempts to use the Mac after the wipe will need the iCloud password for the iCloud account it’s tied to set up the Mac.