Maintenance procedure · Written to ASD-STE100 Issue 9 · Formatted to ANSI Z535

Start a Mac in Safe Mode

Two different key sequences, one for Apple silicon and one for Intel — find out which Mac you have first, then read the result properly
ApplicabilityAny Mac that starts far enough to reach a login window, running a macOS that Apple currently documents. Checked against Apple's documentation on 2026-07-29, when the support article 'Start up your Mac in safe mode' carried a Published Date of 05 December 2025 and the Mac User Guide identified itself as the guide for macOS Tahoe 26. An Intel-based Mac that uses a firmware password cannot start in safe mode at all, and this page says so before the Intel steps rather than after them. A Mac that does not reach a login window is out of scope and is routed to Apple Support in the professional boundary.
Task time47 min to 2 hr 46 min editorial estimate, not a measurement
PersonnelOne
Revisionv1 · 2026-07-29
BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Before you begin. This procedure is general reference information, not professional advice. Equipment varies by manufacturer, model, and year. Always follow the documentation supplied with your equipment — where it differs from this page, follow the manufacturer. Verify that you have the tools, the working conditions, and the ability to do this task safely. If anything is unclear, if the equipment is damaged, or if the task exceeds your experience, stop and use a qualified professional. You are responsible for your own safety and for the outcome. This site accepts no liability for any loss, damage, or injury arising from the use of this information.

Specifications marked unverified could not be traced to a manufacturer source. Do not rely on them — obtain the value from your equipment documentation.

Summary

Safe mode is the first honest test you can run on a Mac that has started behaving badly. It starts macOS with most of the software you have added switched off, checks the startup disk on the way, and clears a couple of caches. If the fault disappears, something you installed is causing it. If the fault is still there, the problem is not a login item, and you have just saved yourself an evening of uninstalling things at random.

The reason so many people get this wrong is that there are two completely different key sequences and nothing on screen tells you which one applies to you. On an Intel Mac you hold Shift while it starts. On a Mac with Apple silicon you hold the power button instead, wait for a startup options screen, and only then hold Shift. Press Shift at power-on on an Apple silicon Mac and nothing happens at all — which reads exactly like a broken Mac, and sends people to a repair shop who did not need one. So this page opens by making you check the Apple menu and find out which machine is in front of you, and it will not let you skip that.

It is written from Apple's own documentation as it stood on 29 July 2026, and it ends where Apple's own advice ends: with what a fault that survives safe mode actually means, and what to do next.

Safety

NOTICE

FIND THE TYPE OF YOUR MAC BEFORE YOU START.
Apple gives two different key sequences. The wrong sequence starts your Mac in the usual mode and gives no message.

NOTICE

SAFE MODE IS A TEST, NOT A REPAIR.
Safe mode finds the type of the fault. A fault that continues in safe mode needs a different correction.

Necessary equipment

ItemNote
Mac computerThe key sequence is different for each type of Mac.
KeyboardUse the built-in keyboard of a laptop, or a keyboard with a cable.
Pen and paperMake a record of the type of your Mac and the result of each test.

Find the type of your Mac

Estimated 1 min

NOTEApple gives one key sequence for a Mac with Apple silicon. Apple gives a different key sequence for an Intel-based Mac. The wrong sequence gives no message.
  1. Select the Apple menu at the corner of the screen.
    <1m
  2. Select About This Mac.
    <1m
  3. Read the label above the name of the processor.
    • A label of Chip shows a Mac with Apple silicon.
    • A label of Processor with an Intel name shows an Intel-based Mac.
    • Apple gives no other method to find the type from this window.
    <1m
  4. Make a record of the type of your Mac on paper.
    • Give this value to each person who helps you with the fault.
    <1m

Do these steps before safe mode

Estimated 14 min to 1 hr 15 min

NOTEApple gives these steps before safe mode. An update corrects many faults without a safe mode test.
  1. Make a record of the fault on paper.
    • Write the name of each app that shows the fault.
    • Write the steps that cause the fault.
    • This record is the only method to compare the two tests.
    2m
  2. Install the newest macOS updates.
    • Apple gives this step first.
    • If your Mac cannot install the updates, do this step again in safe mode.
    5m
  3. Install the updates for your other apps.
    5m
  4. Disconnect each device that you do not need from your Mac.
    • A connected accessory can cause the fault.
    • Do a test of your Mac without those devices.
    2m

Start a Mac with Apple silicon in safe mode

Estimated 4 min to 14 min

NOTEDo this section only for a Mac with a Chip label in About This Mac.
Maximum time to hold the power button for a forced stop
Manufacturer or standard verified
10 seconds

Source: Start up your Mac in safe mode · tier 1 · accessed 2026-07-29

Key to hold on a Mac with Apple silicon
Manufacturer or standard verified
Shift, but only after the startup options screen shows and you select the disk

Source: Start up your Mac in safe mode · tier 1 · accessed 2026-07-29

Time for a safe mode start on your Mac
Unverified — do not rely on this value
NO PUBLISHED VALUE. CONSULT THE APPLE DOCUMENTATION IN THE SOURCES.

No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.

NOTICE

SAVE YOUR WORK BEFORE THIS SECTION.
This section stops your Mac. A stop with the power button causes the loss of unsaved data.

  1. If your Mac has Apple silicon, save your work.
    • Then close your apps.
    • If About This Mac showed a Processor label, go to the next section.
    1m
  2. Select the Apple menu.
    <1m
  3. Select Shut Down.
    • If your Mac does not stop, hold the power button for a maximum of 10 seconds.
    <1m
  4. Wait until the screen is black and each light is off.
    • This condition shows that your Mac is fully off.
    • A partial stop prevents the startup options screen.
    <1m
  5. Hold the power button.
    • On a laptop with Touch ID, the power button is the Touch ID button.
    <1m
  6. Release the power button when the screen shows "Loading startup options".
    • An Options icon on the screen has the same meaning.
    <1m
  7. Select your startup disk.
    • The default name of the startup disk is Macintosh HD.
    <1m
  8. Hold the Shift key.
    <1m
  9. Select Continue in Safe Mode below your startup disk.
    • Your Mac restarts automatically.
    <1m
  10. Type your password in the login window.
    • "Safe Boot" shows in red letters at the top right corner of the login window.
    • Your Mac can ask for the password a second time.
    1m

Start an Intel-based Mac in safe mode

Estimated 2 min to 7 min

NOTEDo this section only for a Mac with a Processor label in About This Mac.
Key to hold on an Intel-based Mac
Manufacturer or standard verified
Shift, from the moment your Mac starts until the login window shows

Source: Start up your Mac in safe mode · tier 1 · accessed 2026-07-29

Firmware password removal on an Intel-based Mac
Unverified — do not rely on this value
CONSULT THE APPLE DOCUMENTATION. A MAC WITH A FIRMWARE PASSWORD CANNOT START IN SAFE MODE.

No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.

NOTICE

REMOVE THE FIRMWARE PASSWORD BEFORE YOU DO THIS SECTION.
Apple states that safe mode is not available on an Intel-based Mac with a firmware password.

  1. If your Mac has an Intel processor, press the power button.
    • If your Mac is on, select Restart in the Apple menu instead.
    <1m
  2. Immediately hold the Shift key.
    • Use the built-in keyboard of a laptop for this step.
    • A keyboard with a cable is the alternative.
    • A wireless keyboard can be too slow for your Mac.
    <1m
  3. Release the Shift key when the login window shows.
    <1m
  4. Type your password in the login window.
    • "Safe Boot" shows in red letters at the top right corner.
    • This text can show on the first login window or on the second login window.
    1m

Do a check of the boot mode

Estimated 1 min

Boot Mode value that confirms safe mode
Manufacturer or standard verified
Safe

Source: Start up your Mac in safe mode · tier 1 · accessed 2026-07-29

  1. Hold the Option key.
    • Do this section if you did not see "Safe Boot" on the login window.
    <1m
  2. Select the Apple menu.
    <1m
  3. Select System Information.
    • The Option key changes About This Mac to System Information.
    <1m
  4. Select Software in the sidebar.
    <1m
  5. Read the value at Boot Mode in the system software overview.
    • A value of Safe shows that your Mac is in safe mode.
    • A value of Normal shows that your Mac is not in safe mode.
    • If the value is Normal, do the section for your type of Mac again.
    <1m

Do a test of the fault in safe mode

Estimated 6 min to 18 min

NOTICE

DO NOT DO A JUDGEMENT OF THE PERFORMANCE OF YOUR MAC IN SAFE MODE.
Safe mode stops many functions of macOS. A test of those functions gives a wrong result.

  1. Do the steps from your record of the fault.
    • Use the same apps that showed the fault.
    • Your Mac is slower in safe mode. This condition is normal.
    • Do not do a test of Wi-Fi or audio in safe mode.
    5m
  2. Write the result of the test on your record.
    • Write the exact text of each message on the screen.
    1m

Leave safe mode

Estimated 18 min to 50 min

NOTEThe result of the two tests shows the location of the fault. Each result has a different subsequent action.
  1. Select the Apple menu.
    <1m
  2. Select Restart.
    • A restart in the usual mode is the only method to leave safe mode.
    1m
  3. Do the steps from your record of the fault a second time.
    • This test is in the usual mode.
    5m
  4. If the fault did not return after the restart, make a record of the date.
    • Apple gives the disk check and the cache deletion as the probable cause.
    • No subsequent action is necessary.
    1m
  5. If the fault returned after the restart, remove your login items in System Settings.
    • Apple gives a login item or other startup software as the cause.
    • Then restart your Mac.
    • Then do the test again.
    5m
  6. If the fault continues after that change, add a new user account.
    • The settings for a new user account are in Users & Groups settings.
    • Then restart your Mac.
    • Then use the new account for a test.
    • The new account does not have your startup software.
    • A fault that stops in the new account comes from software in your usual account.
    5m
  7. If the fault continued in safe mode, read the professional boundary below.
    • Apple gives a new macOS installation as the usual solution for this result.
    • A new macOS installation does not remove your personal files.
    1m

Terminology

This page uses one term for each item and holds it throughout, as ASD-STE100 requires. Equipment sellers and other guides use the names below for the same parts.

safe mode
Also called: safe boot, mac safe mode, macbook safe mode, boot mac in safe mode, start mac in safe mode, safe mode macos
Apple silicon
Also called: m1, m2, m3, m4, apple chip, arm mac, new mac, silicon mac
Intel-based Mac
Also called: intel mac, old mac, intel processor mac, pre-2020 macbook
startup options
Also called: loading startup options, options screen, boot options, startup menu, boot menu on mac
login item
Also called: startup item, startup program, apps that open at startup, things that launch when i turn on my mac
Boot Mode
Also called: boot mode safe, how do i know if i'm in safe mode, check safe mode, system information boot mode
About This Mac
Also called: mac specs, what mac do i have, which macbook do i have, system info, about my mac

When to use a professional

Stop if your Mac does not get to a login window. This page starts at the login window. Your Mac can show a question mark, a circle with a line, or an empty screen. Each of these is a different fault. Speak to Apple Support.

Stop if your Mac has an Intel processor and a firmware password. Apple states that this Mac cannot start in safe mode. Remove the firmware password first, or speak to Apple Support.

Stop if the fault continues in safe mode. Safe mode cannot show you more than this result. Apple gives a new macOS installation as the usual solution. Speak to Apple Support before that operation. Give them the type of your Mac from the first section.

Stop if your Mac makes an unusual sound or shows damage. Safe mode is a software test. It cannot find a hardware fault. It cannot repair one. Speak to Apple Support or an Apple Authorized Service Provider.

Stop if the fault involves your files. Make a backup before you continue. A repair that removes your files is not a repair.

This page does not give the steps for three operations. These are the removal of a firmware password, a new macOS installation, and a disk repair.

Common questions

I'm holding Shift and nothing happens. Is my Mac broken?

Almost certainly not — you are probably holding the wrong key on the wrong machine. Shift at power-on is the Intel sequence. On a Mac with Apple silicon, Shift at power-on does nothing at all, and it does not tell you it did nothing: the Mac just starts normally, which looks exactly like a failure. On Apple silicon you hold the power button instead, wait for the words 'Loading startup options' to appear, pick your disk, and only then hold Shift and click Continue in Safe Mode. Check the Apple menu, then About This Mac: if it says Chip, you are on Apple silicon; if it says Processor, you are on Intel.

What does safe mode actually do to my Mac?

Three things, according to Apple. It stops certain software from loading at startup — login items, extensions macOS does not require, and fonts macOS did not install. It runs a basic check of your startup disk, which Apple describes as similar to the more thorough check that First Aid in Disk Utility performs. And it clears some system caches, including font caches and the kernel cache, which macOS then rebuilds as needed. That last one can temporarily free up some space on the startup disk. None of it touches your documents.

Will safe mode delete my files?

No. Safe mode does not delete personal files. The only things it clears are system caches that macOS creates for itself and rebuilds automatically. That said, this page still tells you to make sure you have a backup before you go poking at a Mac that is misbehaving, and the reason is not safe mode — it is that a Mac already showing a fault is a Mac you do not yet understand. If the underlying problem turns out to be a failing disk, the backup is what saves you, and by then it is too late to make one.

My Mac is really slow in safe mode. Is that a bad sign?

No, that is expected. Safe mode deliberately switches off a lot of the software that makes a Mac feel fast, and Apple lists several things that may not work as expected while you are in it: video capture, graphics performance, file sharing, Wi-Fi, accessibility, audio devices, and devices connected via USB, Thunderbolt or FireWire. So do not judge your Mac's speed, your Wi-Fi, or your audio setup while in safe mode — none of those readings mean anything there. Test the specific fault you came to test, and nothing else.

The problem went away in safe mode. What now?

That is the useful answer, and it means something you installed is the culprit. Restart normally first. If the fault does not come back at all, safe mode probably fixed it as a side effect — the disk check and the cache clearing sometimes do that on their own, and you are done. If the fault does come back, it is a login item or other startup software. Apple's suggested order is to remove login items in System Settings and restart, and if that does not do it, create a fresh user account and test in that, because a new account starts with none of your startup software.

The problem is still there in safe mode. What does that tell me?

It tells you the cause is not a login item, a third-party extension, or an added font — which is genuinely useful, because it rules out the things people usually spend a weekend uninstalling. Apple's own next step for a fault that survives safe mode is to reinstall macOS, and Apple notes that reinstalling does not remove your personal files. Before you do that, it is worth talking to Apple Support, and it is worth considering hardware: safe mode is a software test and it cannot see or fix a failing disk, a swollen battery or a bad logic board.

How do I get out of safe mode?

Restart normally. Choose Restart from the Apple menu and let the Mac start without holding any keys. There is no setting to switch off and nothing that persists — safe mode applies to one startup only, so the next normal restart puts you back where you were. If you restart and still see 'Safe Boot' in red at the login window, check that you are not still holding Shift, which is easier to do than it sounds on a laptop.

How can I be sure I'm actually in safe mode?

Two ways. The quick one is the login window: 'Safe Boot' appears in red text in the top-right corner, though it may show on the second login window rather than the first if you are asked to log in twice. The reliable one is System Information. Hold Option while choosing System Information from the Apple menu, click Software in the sidebar, and read the value next to Boot Mode. It says Safe if you are in safe mode and Normal if you are not. If it says Normal, you did not get in, and the usual reason is the key sequence for the other kind of Mac.

Sources

Every specification on this page is traced to one of these sources. Tier 1 is a manufacturer document, a published standard, or a government safety authority. See Standards for the full tiering rule.

  1. Tier 1Start up your Mac in safe modeApple Inc. · accessed 2026-07-29 · re-verification due 2027-01-25
  2. Tier 1Start up your Mac in safe modeApple Inc. — Mac User Guide for macOS Tahoe · accessed 2026-07-29 · re-verification due 2027-01-25
  3. Tier 1Mac computers with Apple siliconApple Inc. · accessed 2026-07-29 · re-verification due 2027-01-25
  4. Tier 1How to start up from macOS RecoveryApple Inc. · accessed 2026-07-29 · re-verification due 2027-01-25

Revision history

Current version 1 · updated 2026-07-29 · next review due 2027-07-29

  1. v1 · 2026-07-29First draft. Built from Apple's own documentation, opened by direct HTTPS fetch on 2026-07-29: the support article 'Start up your Mac in safe mode' (Apple Published Date 05 December 2025), the Mac User Guide topic of the same name, 'Mac computers with Apple silicon' (Published Date 12 May 2026) and 'How to start up from macOS Recovery'. The two Apple accounts of the procedure agree on both key sequences, so there is no conflict to publish. The page is structured around the which-machine branch because the failure mode is silent: Shift at power-on on an Apple silicon Mac produces a normal startup and no message, which reads as a hardware fault to the reader. Three URLs in wide circulation return HTTP 200 while serving a different document and are recorded under rejected in data/sources-additions-macos-start-in-safe-mode.json, one of them the number most often cited as the modern safe mode article. Apple's list of functions that may misbehave in safe mode is carried in the FAQ rather than in a hazard, because it is a seven-item list that cannot be written as a hazard sentence without becoming an unreadable noun cluster; the hazard states the rule and the FAQ names the functions. The procedure was verified against Apple's documentation, not executed on a Mac, and this record says so rather than claiming a test result. The four verified specifications carry spec_key null: this record was drafted concurrently with others and the drafting session was not permitted to write data/specs.json, so the registry entries must be added when the record is merged. Each value traces to the Apple source named on it.

Corrections to this page are listed in the public corrections log. Reports that are credible and not yet verified are listed in the public errata register, and an open one renders above the step it concerns.

Comments and corrections

Found an error? A correction with a manufacturer source is applied and logged publicly. You can also write to corrections@fixchecklist.com.

Every step above carries its own report control, which tags the report with that step so a correction reaches the right place. For anything about the procedure as a whole — the order of the sections, a step that is missing, something that did not match your equipment — use this: report something about this whole procedure.

The comment system is not connected yet. Comments are stored in GitHub Discussions through Giscus, outside this site, so that a redeploy cannot destroy them.