Selling an iPad, MacBook or Apple Watch in Los Angeles

We buy a lot more than iPhones. iPads, MacBooks, Mac desktops and Apple Watches all sell for cash through the same page, working or damaged. What changes from device to device is the prep: each one has its own way of telling you what it is, and its own way of being signed out and erased.

Here is what to have ready for each, Apple's steps for clearing it, and how the handoff works in Los Angeles and Orange County.

What to know before you start

Three rules apply to every device:

• It has to be signed out. We cannot buy a device that is still locked to someone's Apple Account. On an iPad or an Apple Watch that is Activation Lock. On a Mac it is Find My Mac.
• Know the exact model. "MacBook Pro" covers more than a decade of very different machines, and the details below take a minute to find.
• Back it up first. Erasing is permanent.

On our sell page, iPads, MacBooks, Macs and Apple Watches all get a cash estimate on screen as you answer the questions. Nothing is committed until you say so.

iPad

What to have ready

• Model: Settings > General > About shows the model name. Next to Model Number, tap the part number to see the model number that starts with A.
• Storage: the Capacity line on the same screen.
• Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi + Cellular: a cellular iPad has a SIM tray or eSIM and an IMEI in the About screen. A Wi-Fi-only iPad has a serial number and no IMEI.
• Condition: check the screen with a plain white image for lines or spots, then look over the back and the edges for dents.
• Accessories: if you want to sell an Apple Pencil or a keyboard too, say so when you talk to us. The on-screen estimate is for the iPad itself.

Apple's page for finding the model number is Find the model number of your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

How to sign out and erase an iPad

An iPad follows the same steps as an iPhone, from Apple's page What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your iPhone or iPad:

1. Back it up with iCloud or a computer.
2. Go to Settings > [your name] > Sign Out. On iPadOS 26 or later you can choose to erase the iPad right there. On iPadOS 18 or earlier, enter your Apple Account password and tap Turn Off.
3. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPad > Erase All Content and Settings.
4. On a cellular iPad with an eSIM, choose to erase the eSIM too. Take out a physical SIM card if there is one.

When it restarts to the Hello screen, it is ready. Our iPhone prep guide walks through each of these steps in more detail.

MacBook and Mac desktops

This covers MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, Mac Studio and iMac.

What to have ready

• Model and year: Apple menu > About This Mac shows the model name, such as a MacBook Air with its screen size and year, and the serial number. On recent versions of macOS it also shows the chip and the memory.
• Chip: Apple silicon (M1 and later, including Pro and Max versions) or Intel. Two machines from the same year can have different chips, and the chip changes the price.
• Memory and storage: memory is in About This Mac. For storage, on macOS Ventura or later choose System Settings > General > Storage. On earlier versions, choose About This Mac, then Storage.
• Condition: check the screen for lines or spots, test the keyboard and trackpad, and look for dented corners.
• Charger: bring it if you have it.

Apple's page for this is Find your Mac model name and serial number. If you do not know the chip, our sell page will ask you to pick the range and the year, then the chip, and it tells you where to look.

Turn off Find My Mac

Find My is what puts Activation Lock on a Mac with Apple silicon or the Apple T2 Security Chip. Turning off Find My removes it. On a recent version of macOS:

1. Open System Settings and click your name in the sidebar.
2. Click iCloud.
3. Click See All (or Show More Apps).
4. Click Find My Mac and turn it off.
5. Enter your Apple Account password when asked.

Apple's page is Activation Lock for Mac. If the Mac is offline, you can remove it at iCloud.com instead: go to Find Devices, select the Mac and remove it.

Erase a Mac with Apple silicon or a T2 chip

Macs with Apple silicon, and Intel Macs with the T2 chip, running macOS Monterey or later, can erase themselves with Erase All Content and Settings. Apple's steps, from Erase your Mac and reset it to factory settings:

1. Back up your Mac first, with Time Machine or by copying your files.
2. On macOS Ventura or later, open System Settings from the Apple menu, click General, then Transfer or Reset, then Erase All Content and Settings. On macOS Monterey, open System Preferences, then choose Erase All Content and Settings from the System Preferences menu.
3. Enter your Mac login password, and your Apple Account password if asked. The erase signs you out of Apple services, so skip any sign-in prompt along the way.
4. Confirm the erase.

The Mac restarts. It may ask you to connect a Bluetooth keyboard or mouse, pick a Wi-Fi network, and activate. When the setup assistant appears, stop. Apple's advice when you are selling is not to set it up, and to press and hold the power button until the Mac turns off.

Erase an older Intel Mac

An Intel Mac without the T2 chip cannot use Erase All Content and Settings. Apple's page What to do before you sell, give away, trade in, or recycle your Mac covers it. In short:

1. Back up your files.
2. Sign out of iCloud (System Settings > [your name] > Sign Out on macOS Ventura or later, System Preferences on earlier versions) and sign out of Messages.
3. Unpair any Bluetooth devices you are keeping.
4. Start up from macOS Recovery, erase the drive with Disk Utility, and reinstall macOS. When the setup assistant appears, shut the Mac down.

Apple Watch

What to have ready

• Model: on your iPhone, open the Apple Watch app, tap My Watch, then General, then About.
• Case size: it is engraved on the back of the watch, for example 41mm or 45mm.
• GPS or GPS + Cellular: the model number on the About screen tells you, using Apple's list of models.
• Case material and condition: aluminum, stainless steel or titanium, and any scratches, cracks or dings.
• Charger: bring it if you have it.

Apple's page is Identify your Apple Watch.

How to unpair and erase an Apple Watch

Unpairing through the iPhone erases the watch and removes Activation Lock in one go. Keep the two close together, then:

1. Open the Apple Watch app on the iPhone.
2. Tap My Watch, then All Watches.
3. Tap the info button next to the watch.
4. Tap Unpair Apple Watch, then confirm.
5. If the watch has a cellular plan and you are selling it, remove the plan.
6. Enter your Apple Account password to turn off Activation Lock, then tap Unpair.

Without the iPhone, you can erase the watch itself in Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings, but Apple warns that this leaves Activation Lock on. Use the iPhone route if you can. Apple's page is Unpair and erase your Apple Watch.

The prep at a glance

How selling works in Los Angeles

1. Go to /sell, pick the device and answer the questions. The cash estimate appears on screen as you answer, and nothing is committed until you say so.
2. You can give us the serial number, or the IMEI on a cellular device, before we meet, so the checks are done before you make the trip. See what an IMEI check tells you.
3. Meet us at our secured facility or a public spot near you anywhere in LA or Orange County, or ship it in with a prepaid label we send.
4. We check the device, and you are paid the moment it checks out: cash in person, or Zelle, Cash App or PayPal.

Not sure about a machine? Call or text (562) 999-4994, in English or Spanish, or use the contact page. Selling an iPhone too? See the value pages, for example the iPhone 16 Pro Max and the iPhone 15 Pro.

Selling a batch

For a classroom's iPads or an office's MacBooks, use the wholesale lot builder. Enter your email, build the lot or paste the list you have, and send it. Most configurations price instantly on the page, for the rest someone will be in touch with you shortly, and your quote is emailed to you when you send the lot. More in selling iPhones in bulk.

Frequently asked questions

How do I wipe my MacBook before selling it?

On a Mac with Apple silicon or a T2 chip running macOS Ventura or later, go to System Settings > General > Transfer or Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. Turn off Find My Mac first, and when the setup assistant appears after the erase, hold the power button to turn it off.

Do I need to unpair my Apple Watch before selling it?

Yes. Unpairing it from your iPhone erases the watch and removes Activation Lock. Erasing it on the watch alone leaves Activation Lock on.

Can I sell an iPad that is locked to my Apple Account?

Not to us. Sign out in Settings > [your name] > Sign Out and erase it first. If you no longer have it, erase it and then remove it in Find Devices on iCloud.com.

Where can I sell my MacBook for cash in Los Angeles?

You can get a cash estimate at iphones.la/sell, then meet us at our secured facility or a public spot in LA or Orange County, or ship it with a prepaid label. You are paid in cash in person, or by Zelle, Cash App or PayPal.