That’s because of Apple’s new T2 security chip, which adds Activation Lock, another layer of security that makes things harder for thieves. That’s great and all, but if you forget to disarm the feature that utilizes the T2 chip before you ship your computer to a new user, or even before you send it in for service, it will make things harder for you, too.

We’re going to walk through the steps of removing the Activation Lock feature so that the T2 chip doesn’t cause you grief later on. Here’s how to do that.

How to reset your T2-equipped Mac

• First, find out if you have Activation Lock turned on, so you don’t unnecessarily waste any time. To do this, click the Apple logo at the top left corner of your screen, then click About this Mac.
• Click System Report. On the first screen that you see, your Activation Lock Status will be displayed (note the red arrow in the photo below). If it says “Enabled,” then carry on with this guide. If it says “Disabled,” you can go ahead and reset your computer.