How to start up from macOS Recovery

macOS Recovery is your computer’s built-in recovery system, with utilities to reinstall macOS, repair or erase your startup disk, restore from a Time Machine backup, and more.

Mac with Apple silicon

A Mac with Apple silicon includes any Mac with an M-series chip, such as an M1, M2, M3, or M4 chip. If you’re not sure, you can safely try the steps for an Intel-based Mac as well.

Start up from macOS Recovery (Mac with Apple silicon)

  1. Shut down your Mac. If you can't shut it down normally, press and hold its power button for up to 10 seconds, until your Mac turns off. (Every Mac has a power button. On laptop computers that have Touch ID, press and hold the Touch ID button.)

  2. Press and hold the power button again. As you continue to hold it, your Mac turns on and loads startup options. When you see “Loading startup options” or the Options icon, release the power button.

  3. Click Options, then click the Continue button that appears beneath it.

    Startup options screen on a Mac with Apple silicon.

  4. If asked to select a volume to recover, select your startup disk, such as Macintosh HD. Then click Next.

  5. If asked to select a user you know the password for, select the user, click Next, then enter the password they use to log in to this Mac. Forgot the password?

  6. When your Mac has successfully started from Recovery, it shows a window with utilities, such as to restore from Time Machine, reinstall macOS, and use Disk Utility to repair or erase your startup disk. Other utilities, such as Terminal, are available from the menu bar at the top of the screen. Use any of these utilities, or quit Recovery by choosing Restart or Shut Down from the Apple menu .

    Utilities window in macOS Recovery.

If you can’t start up from macOS Recovery (Mac with Apple silicon)

If your Mac starts up to some other screen, such as a blank screen or exclamation point in a circle, learn what to do if your Mac doesn't start up all the way.

Intel-based Mac

If you’re not using a Mac with Apple silicon, you’re using an Intel-based Mac. If you’re not sure, you can safely try the steps for a Mac with Apple silicon as well.

Start up from macOS Recovery (Intel-based Mac)

  1. Shut down your Mac. If you can't shut it down normally, press and hold its power button for up to 10 seconds, until your Mac turns off. (Every Mac has a power button. On laptop computers that have Touch ID, press and hold the Touch ID button.)

  2. Press and release the power button to turn on your Mac, then immediately press and hold these two keys on your keyboard: Command (⌘) and R. Keep holding them until you see an Apple logo or spinning globe.

  3. If asked to select a network, choose one from the Wi-Fi menuWi-Fi menu or attach a network cable.

  4. If asked to select a volume to recover, select your startup disk, such as Macintosh HD. Then click Next.

  5. If asked to select a user you know the password for, select the user, click Next, then enter the password they use to log in to this Mac. Forgot the password?

  6. When your Mac has successfully started from Recovery, it shows a window with utilities, such as to restore from Time Machine, reinstall macOS, and use Disk Utility to repair or erase your startup disk. Other utilities, such as Terminal, are available from the menu bar at the top of the screen. Use any of these utilities, or quit Recovery by choosing Restart or Shut Down from the Apple menu .

Utilities window in macOS Recovery.

If you can’t start up from macOS Recovery (Intel-based Mac)

To help ensure that your Mac can recognize the keys you’re pressing at startup:

  • If you’re using a Mac laptop, use its built-in keyboard instead of an external keyboard.

  • If you’re using an external keyboard, you might need to wait a few seconds before pressing any keys to give your Mac time to recognize the keyboard as it starts up. Some keyboards have a status light that flashes briefly when the keyboard is ready to use.

  • If you’re using your keyboard wirelessly, plug it in to your Mac, if possible. Or try a wired keyboard.

  • If your keyboard is made for PC, such as one that has a Windows logo, try a keyboard made for Mac.

If your Mac tries to start up from its built-in Recovery system but can’t, it should automatically try to start up from Recovery over the internet. Or you can force Internet Recovery by pressing Command-Option-R or Shift-Command-Option-R at startup. Try each key combination, if necessary. (Each combination also affects the version of macOS offered when reinstalling macOS from Recovery.)

Your Mac shows a spinning globe when starting up from Internet Recovery. If the globe includes a warning symbol (exclamation point), startup from Internet Recovery was unsuccessful:

Globe with warning symbol when starting up from Internet Recovery.

If you’re sure that your Mac is connected to the internet, try the other key combinations, try again later, and if necessary try when connected to a different network. Usually this screen and most numbered errors you might see on this screen are related to issues with network or internet connectivity.

If your Mac starts up to some other screen, such as a blank screen or lock symbol with password field, learn what to do if your Mac doesn't start up all the way.

If your Mac is currently set to start up from Microsoft Windows using Boot Camp, set your Mac to start up from macOS, then shut down and try again.

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