reset MacBook air M1 to factory settings

There's a few ways to reset your M1 MacBook, but it's more complicated than a standard erase/restore - if you've already "bricked" your MacBook skip to the first section.

1. Create a bootable macOS installer to a USB drive which avoids the current bug where it crashes mid-reinstall.
2. Follow the instructions here starting with "Prepare Your Mac" carefully. Remember to repeat this section twice before re-installing macOS. This properly erases the drive for reinstall.
3. Boot from the installer you made in #1 and reinstall Big Sur. Do NOT erase the drive using Disk Utility since it's already erased.

If you did try the old way of booting to recovery / erasing drive, you'll get errors trying to reinstall and it won't go any further.

In that case, get another Mac - doesn't matter if it's an older Mac (2012 Pro/Air/Mini) as long as it can run Catalina and Configurator 2. Then follow the instructions here which brought my M1 back to life. Some hints:

1. Get a USB cable and connect both Mac's together - so USB-C/USB-C if it's newer or USB-A/USB-C for older. On the M1, plug into the BACK LEFT port
2. Download Configurator 2 in the App Store on the other Mac and open it
3. Enter DFU mode on the M1 (hold Left-Ctrl + Left-Option + Right SHIFT + Power button) until it pops up in Configurator 2. If Configurator 2 can't see it, that means you didn't hold all keys down correctly or long enough. This took me awhile to figure out but the easiest way is to hold all 3 keys on the keyboard first then power button last. Hold until Configurator sees it - about 15-20 seconds
4. In Configurator, right-click on it
5. In the menu, click Advanced then Restore. This will erase everything! You can also try Revive which tries to keep the data but this did not work for me
6. It takes about 20-30 minutes to download Big Sur and send it to the M1. After 20-30 min you'll see the factory setup screen.

In hindsight, it would have been easiest to just use Configurator. Nothing to do except connect 2 Mac's together and let one reset the other.

Same problem here.

Found out that by holding down the power button when starting you can enter utility mode. I did that and deleted and recreated the hard drive like I have done on my previous MacBooks. Now my M1 macbook is a brick. Great. Will have to get help.

I am an experienced Mac owner/user and have sold or given away Mac’s in the past. I wanted to erase and reinstall BigSur on my new MBA M1 and followed the normal procedure which is to first erase the drive and to my surprise, was not able to reinstall “No Valid User.”. Thus a bricked MBA. I have no other Mac to do the reinstall or create an USB installer thumb drive. I live 2 blocks from my local Apple store; it is shutdown due to COVID. I am shipping it back to Apple and I am not sure I want to purchase another until Apple get’s this fixed and more software is available that will run natively on the M1 ARM architecture. This is the risk of being an early adapter. I advise all M1 MacBook owners to prepare a USB thumb drive with the installer app.

Sorry I just saw this. I really have no idea what everything was that he did. I remember I allowed access to him to see what my screen was showing, which allowed him to use a pointer telling me which items to change and things to do. It was actually a complex problem even for him.

Thank you! This Helped.

I texted and called apple support and they made me delete disk, ssd and Macintosh. I think that screwed me up. Then I did what you did, erase Mac, put in my email, reinstall Big Sur. And it worked

thank you!!!

guys try doing research before doing anything. I didn’t do my research. As an anxious person, this worked.

not to mention I took me one whole day, with the help of apple support. Five minutes on this page, and 10 minutes installing Big Sur, I did it!!!!

I’m trying to same thing because there is malware installed on my phone somehow got to my MacBook and we got all the mail in the mouth or off but I don’t trust it enough and they’re still getting on somehow even though there’s hackers they’re not even hackers are people it’s hard to explain but I know who it is I’m going to the police tomorrow and how about the reports about them remotely logging in but how do I use this recovery key to wipe it and then will I still have the program or the operating system when I turn it back on and then I just pulled the last thing a report of a logging in remotely and doing all the stuff so I want to wipe it tonight I need I am out of work now and I need a computer to do my my job

I used the Recovery Assistant > Erase Mac option from the Startup Options top menu and it seems to have worked correctly. Now when I boot the computer I get the Activate Mac screen.

Start in recovery mode, pick options and then disk utility to erase drive then reinstall Big Sur

Just be careful. That´s what I did and then it was not possible to reinstall Big Sur. After 4 hours on the phone with 3 different apple techs I am returning the macbook and ordering a new one.

How was it resolved?

What was the resolution? How do you reset an M1 MacBook Air??

I am getting the same UI activation timeout at 52 mins. What was the resolution for this, please share.

Dude, you just saved me. Thanks a LOT!